While browsing classified ads earlier this month, I came across an interesting listing. The seller wanted to clear out their garage and was looking for active help – all for a small fee.
Unfortunately, the location was a bit beyond Frankfurt – usually well outside my radius of activity. So, I started my "procedure as normal," which was to inform club members who lived closer about the offer.
However, upon closer inspection of the pictures, I changed my mind... there were clearly two Sun Pizzas that I was missing! These would definitely be worth the 3.5-hour journey (x2) to me, even if their condition was listed as "untested."
So, around 2:30 PM, I contacted the seller (the ad had been online since about 11:45 AM). Of course, I introduced myself briefly and included a link to my homepage. A pleasant exchange ensued, and we arranged a pickup for early morning on July 15th.
As I would only find out during pickup, I was "only" the fourth interested party – however, the seller preferred to know the machines were in good hands and didn't want to see them immediately "flogged" piece by piece. And that's where my self-introduction came into play.
Anticipating potential traffic delays, I set my alarm for 3:30 AM and was on the road by 3:45 AM... only to arrive in the target area just 3 hours and 5 minutes later without any problems. So, first things first, feed the horse and grab a quick bite to eat so I wouldn't show up too early.
Shortly after 7:30 AM, I met the very pleasant seller, who had since specialized in collecting home computers. In the garage, he told me I could pack everything except one box and one PC. And he started handing me machines – and no, the two Pizzas were on a shelf in a different corner. Instead, the first thing I got (okay, after two 20" CRTs that were in the way) was an Ultra 60 which made its way into my arms... and into my car.
After an hour of pleasant conversation and some heavy lifting (those 20+" CRTs!), my car was well-loaded. The seller was happy that his treasures had found a good new home, and he had one less trip to make to the recycling center. Besides the Suns, I also had a few nice surprises for my clubmates.
Incredibly, the return journey also only took me 3 hours and 15 minutes!
Right now, one of the two Pizzas, an Ultra 5, is sitting on my desk. It just received a new NVRAM and is diligently installing Solaris 8.
A huge thank you once again to the seller!