craphound

Going-away party

All right, I've promised a party, and I'm delivering. If anyone wants to wish me well and see me off from San Francisco, please come on down to Zeitgeist this Sunday for a late-afternoon send-off.

Where: Zeitgeist Bar and Guest Haus, 199 Valencia St at Duboce, San Francisco, (415)255-7505
When: Sunday, February 22, 2004, 5-9PM
What: Cory's going-away party

Please, no prezzies or keepsakes! I have enough to pack and store! (Oh, and on that note, I've just added a couple clock-radios, a heater and a trackball to the garage-sale blog)

Trackball

This is a Kesington Turbomouse 64210 four-button trackball. I like trackballs for first person shooters -- you get that nice, old-skool Caterpillar action when you smack your hand across the ball to do a spin-jump.

Froogle sez that this sells for an astonishing $119, which is way too goddamned much, honestly.

I'll take $20.

Clock radio

Sold!

This is a Sony Dream Machine ICF-CS650 AM/FM/cassette clock radio. I keep it in the kitchen as a background-NPR-while-doing-dishes radio, and it's fine for that. Outputs a pretty big sound for a small unit, and seems pretty resistant to the mutlipath interference that plagues my FM reception here in the Mission.

The other Dream Machine has a much better UI, and I'm asking $30 for that one. I'll take $25 for this one.

Outstanding clock radio

Sold!

This is a Sony Dream Machine ICF-CS660 AM/FM/cassette clock radio. This is, hands down, the best UI I've ever seen in a clock radio. No matter how sleepdepped I am, I can always reliably disambiguate the snooze and off buttons by touch alone, and handily tack an extra couple minutes onto the alarms.

The audio is very good, and the radio reception is pretty robust against multipath interference. I owned one of these when I lived in Toronto and absolutely fell in love with it, and when I moved to San Francisco, I hunted down the very last one for sale in the city and wheedled the poor man at the Sony store until he sold it to me. I take the ability to control my REM cycles very seriously.

I'm asking $30 for it.

Oil-filled radiator

Sold!

This is a Honeywell HZ680 Oil-Filled Radiator, which I use to heat my frigid bedroom. San Francisco is in northern California, which means that it gets down to 5C at night, but the buildings are uninsulated wood-frames, and goddamn it gets cold.

This thing is cheap to run -- running it every night for a month tacks < $10 onto my PG&E bill -- is small and wheeled for convenience, and gets the job done.

You can get these for $34.25 through Froogle -- how about $20?

FAQ

1. What's going on here?

   I'm leaving the Bay Area. Specifically, I'm emigrating to London, UK, to work for EFF and Creative Commons on a variety of European licensing, standards, treaty and regulatory issues.

   I leave for Toronto at the end of Feburary, and spend a month (modulo short visits to SXSW and PCForum) living there on a Leave of Absence, finishing up my next novel, which is due at the start of April.

   As of April 2 or so, I should be in London, installed in my flat in Kentish Town, and ready to get to work.

2. So, you're selling some stuff?

   Yup, I sure am. This is the stuff that I'm not storing or shipping -- stuff that's cheaper to replace than to sock away or transport.

3. What're the terms of the sale?
   1. Email me if you want to buy something.
   2. First come, first serve: I honor the first-received timestamp (yes, I know you can hack your timetamps, hardy har har) in my in-box.
   3. Cash or PayPal to doctorow@craphound.com.
   4. All sales final, all sales as-is.
   5. You pick up the goods from 18th and Mission-ish.

4. Hey, bummer that you're leaving the Bay Area. Got time for dinner before you go?

   No. I really, honestly don't. I've got a couple of signings coming up before I split -- I'd love to see you if you could make it, but I just don't have any discretionary time between now and my departure. Sorry.

5. How about a going-away party?

   Possibly. Stay tuned. I'll put something on Boing Boing and my mailing list if I can pull it off.

6. Hey, you're gonna be in Toronto for a month! Let's have lunch/dinner/coffee!

   I've been trying to juggle time to see family and friends in Toronto on my every visit there for nearly four years, and failing miserably at it. I wish I could just turn my month there into a long socializing period, partying and hanging out and having good conversations, but that's not in the cards. I have a novel, it needs to be rewritten, it is long and complicated, and I have about 20 days to do it, and it's about 20 days' worth of work.

   So, here's my plan: I'm going to try to book lunches, dinners and coffee-breaks with my blood relatives and my few closest friends, and then I'm going to just open it up for all my other friends and people I'd like to see. Again, watch Boing Boing and my mailing list for details.

7. Wow, London! Super-cool! Let's get together when you get here! I have some great ideas!

   That's a plan. Ping me after April 2 and we'll set something up!

Lamp

Sold!

This is a pretty deco lamp, about 26" high.

I paid $90 for it.

I'm selling it for $45.

iMic

Sold!

The iMic is a cross-platform USB audio interface. Bought it for an iBook that didn't have a built-in mic jack. Used it a couple times.

Per Froogle, these are worth $33 and up.

I want $20 for it.

Bull-skull

Sold! This is the skull of a bull. Boy, is it heavy. Lotta bone in them bulls. Comes with optional obscure Filepile [this is good] sticker. Anatomically correct and southwestern flavored.

Bought it for $40 at a yard-sale.

I'll take $30 for it.

iBook stand

Sold!

This is a Lapvantage Dome laptop stand, which has lots of manufacturer-touted advantages, like "raises laptop to eye level for optimal vantage point, designed for an external keyboard and mouse for ergonomic computing, rubber feet to help keep your laptop running cool." Mostly, though, it just kind of connotes the new "table lamp" iMacs when you stick a white iBook on top of it.

Froogle sez these go for $79 and up.

I'll part with it for $50.

REI knapsack

Sold! This is an REI Internal Frame Great Star Knapsack, "Storm Blue". Only used twice.

REI charges $139.93 for these.

I'll take $70 for it.

iPod

Sold!

This is a second-gen, 20GB iPod, lightly scuffed, running fine, no remote, no headphones. It's an iPod. They are all the rage with the kids these days. Comes with a charger and a white FireWire cable.

This does not come with any music!

eBay blue-book for this is running about $320.

Gimme $250 and it's yours.

VCR

Sold!

This is a Panasonic PV-V4520 4-Head Hi-Fi VCR. OK, the fact that this product's name contains the string "Hi Fi" probably indicates that it is an obsolete, last-century boat-anchor, but goddamnit, you've got a lot of VHS cassettes kicking around, so whaddya gonna play them on, huh?

Runs fine. Looks like it was designed on an Apple ][+.

I'm asking $30 for it.

Laserprinter

Sold!

This is a networkable HP LaserJet 5MP with a Localtalk-to-Ethernet adapter. It has about a squillion pages on it, a fairly fresh cartridge, and has started to squeak a little when running output.

These go for $81 on eBay these days, sans Ethernet adapter.

I'm asking $70.

Fax machine

Sold!

This is an HP OfficeJet T45 fax/color copier/color inkject/scanner, with two spare toner cartridges. It has been lightly used, mostly as a fax machine (I never figured out how to get scanning and printing working with OS X).

Damn, these things sure don't go for much on eBay, like $31. So much for future-proof purchasing. OTOH, Froogle sez the cartridges are worth $30 each.

How about $60 for everything?

DVD player

Sold!

This is a Sampo 611i IRE DVD player. Unlike the crapola that Sony shovels down your throat when you buy a DVD player, Sampo offers genuine, no-fooling functionality: region-free playback, switchable PAL/NTSC output, and a switch to turn off Macrovision copy-restriction technology (all your vertical blanking interval are belong to you). It plays audio CDs, MP3 CDs, VCDs, DVDs, etc etc etc. Picture quality is fine. Has a bewildering array of outputs that frightens me a little.

Froogle sez that a reputable dealer will charge you $180 for one.

I want $100.

Metro shelving

This is a set of chrome shelving in the style of Metro shelving. It may, in fact, be Metro shelving. I bought it from a defunct dotcom, and no one was sure at the time. It has two adjustable shelves, and its dimensions are: 17.5" x 47.5" x 72.5". It is handsome and utilitarian, in the fashion of all chrome objects. I like keeping routers and other networking hardware on it because the wire shelves allow for easy air circ. If you have enough routers to fill a 72.5" high, 47.5" wide shelving unit, I envy you, for you are far 1337er than me.

I am asking $150 for this.

Update: OK, looks like this is Metro knockoff. I'll take $40 for it.

Bookcase #2

Sold!

This is a urethaned pine bookcase (12" x 36" x 72") with four adjustable shelves.

I'm asking $30 for it.

Bookcase #1

Sold!

This is a urethaned pine bookcase (9" x 32" x 72") with six adjustable shelves.

I'm asking $30 for it.

HEPA filters

Sold! I have two Honeywell 10500 HEPA filters, which do 6 air-changes per hour in a 9' x 12' room -- that was, in fact, the appliance-porn statistic that talked me into buying these things. The filter accumulates tons of city-gunk and makes you feel really squicky about breathing it, kind of like having a vacuum-salesperson "deep-clean" your rugs and show you just how much filth is underfoot. Only this isn't underfoot filth: it's in the air. And you're breathing it. Right now.

The best price on Froogle for these is $49.99 each.

I'm asking for $50 for both of them.

Vacuum

Sold!

This is a lightly used Bissell Lift-Off Vacuum Cleaner, which is, after all, just a vacuum cleaner, neither very graceful nor very bulky; neither capable of gale-force suction nor limited to anemic performance; neither beautiful nor ugly. It gets my rugs clean.

On Froogle, these go for $170 and up.

I'm asking $100.

Washing machine

Sold!

This is a rolling Danby DTT420 W Twin Tub Washing Machine. I completely loathe the laundromat, so I'm willing to put up with a fair bit of inconvenience in order to be able to do my laundry at home. A Twin Tub washer involves a fair bit of human intervention:

1. Load wash
2. Connect hose to sink and turn water on
3. Wait 4-5 min
4. Turn water off, add soap
5. Run wash cycle (8-20 min, depending on your garments' filthiness)
6. Switch to "drain"
7. Wait 2-3 min
8. Switch to "Fill"
9. Turn on tap
10. Wait 4-5 min
11. Run drain cycle (8-20 minutes, depending on how much soap you used)
12. Switch to "drain"
13. Wait 2-3 min
14. Move wet clothes into spin-tub (about half the size of the washtub)
15. Run spin cycle 5 min (repeat if you have more clothes than will fit)
16. Hang to dry (or put in the dryer, if you're so blessed)

So, this is a lot of work if you're accustomed to the namerican autorobotic laundry experience. But on the plus side, it uses damned little soap, is very easy on your fabrics, costs peanuts to run (super energy- and water-efficient), and you don't have to rub up against strangers skanky underwear at the laundromat. As god is my witness, I'll never do laundry at a laundromat again. Well, rarely. Not if I can help it.

There is one gaping design flaw with this thing: the clips that hold the fill- and drain-hose to the side for storage are flimsy plastic. I use twist-ties instead.

The cheapest Froogle price for this baby is $239.95.

I'm asking $100.

Dishwasher and trolley

Sold!

This is a small, countertop dishwasher made by Equator, a PLS600 model. This thing is very, very energy efficient and uses very little water and soap, and gets my dishes clean as hell. It is on a stailess-steel trolley from Bed, Bath and Beyond that gives it a chopping-block top and an extra shelf, and makes it easy to wheel to and from the sink when you want to hook it up to run a load. There is a small design flaw in the tiny plastic wheels that the dishrack rides on, and they all snapped off int he first month, but the rack itself slides in and out without the wheels and I've never felt their lack. Here's an ePinions review:

Then BUY this little Gem that is worth its weight in GOLD. We live in a Mobile Home and have very limited counter space. I have severe nerve damage in my hands and I was unable to wash dishes because of the pain. I found this little Gem online about ten months ago and I have ABUSED it nearly every week by washing up to TEN LOADS OF DISHES in one day and some days only 1-2 loads--it has NEVER failed me and has ALWAYS left my dishes very clean. The one thing I found difficult with it, was hooking it up and unhooking it from my water spicket due to my bad hands--THANK GOD for my husband, he hooks it up and unhooks it in a matter of 20 seconds. I recommend this to ANYONE who despises washing dishes and sometimes will let them sit in the sink for 2-3 days, this dishwasher will clean them beautifully. I use Cascade Dishwasher soap.

The lowest price I can find for this on Froogle is 201.69. The trolley cost me $50.

I'm asking $125.

Microwave

Sold!

This is a white Samsung Microwave oven (15" x 12" x 21" outside dimensions), clean, in good running order. It is stylishing decorated with stickers for TikiFarm, FilePile, Fray Day and Apple Computer.

Froogle has this for as little as $49.

I'm asking $20.

Queen-sized bed

Sold!

This is a pine frame (65" x 88" x 39"), with a matched Queen-sized Simmons Beautyrest "Adaptive Firm" matress and box-spring, along with a matress pad. The matress, pad and box are clean and in great shape, as is the frame. This is the most comfortable bed I've ever slept in.

The frame comes apart with a screw-driver. You'll need to take charge of disassembling and transporting this (the last time I moved, the movers were able to take it apart in about 15 min -- might take you longer).

The cheapest price for the mattress set on Froogle is $749. I can't find a very similar frame online, but I'm ballparking it at $300.

I'm asking $600.

Desk

Sold!

This is a really handsome, elderly pine desk (29.75" x 52" x 23.5"). It's solid and very spare, with two easily-sliding drawers. The finish is scuffed and lightly scratched, which gives it plenty of charm, believe you me. It comes with a small hole drilled though the center of its top, suitable for looping a laptop-locking cable through (said hole was drilled shortly after I had a laptop ripped off of it at an old office of mine).

I paid $200 for this.

I'm asking for $100.

USB microscope

Sold!

This is about as cool a toy as I've ever owned: a USB-powered microscope that streams 50X video to your machine (higher-power lenses are available), illumnated by a ring of white LEDs. From the TidBITS review:

I test a lot of products, and few have stood out as much as the ProScope for pure fun. A highly technical friend was visiting the night after my review unit arrived, so after Tristan was in bed, we all retired to my office and starting pointing the ProScope at anything within reach of its 6-foot cord. Hair, skin, clothing, small tchotchkes from my desk, and so on. The 50X lens we initially used proved to work the best for the kind of real-world objects we were viewing.

These guys charge $229 for this.

I'm asking $120.

Rubber keyboard

Sold!

This is a machine washable, rubber USB keyboard from CoolMac. Never used. From the MacAddict review:

How cool is this keyboard? Anatomically, it's a full QWERTY keyboard complete with 12 function keys; Escape, Forward Delete, and CD Eject keys; and two sets of Command, Option, and Control keys, one set on either side of the space bar. Cast in pliable silicone, this keyboard doesn't involve a board at all—it's completely flexible, so you can roll it up like a piece of paper, albeit a chunky one. That's because it's adorned with a grid of raised rubber key-squares and a 1.5-by-3.5-inch block at the top edge, where the circuit board lives—this is coolness, after all, not magic.

The cheapest price for this in Froogle is $52.

I'm asking $40.