Honestly big props to the owner. This whole warehouse could've been sold years ago and all the cool stuff thrown out by whoever bought the place up. Instead there's been this amazing opportunity for the whole community to get access to countless pieces of retrotech that would've never seen the light of day otherwise.
Definitely. It's a goldmine of retro tech. For some reason I still think about it when I'm thinking of older tech and wishing that it was saved or the products haven't gone to waste. Good to see an update.
This makes me so nostalgic/sad. I ran a successful computer retail store/repair shop for 20+ years, and to think of the pallets of surplus IBM CRTs and PS/2s I saw over the years, really old laptops (Toshiba with monochrome and Thinkpads of DSTN color screens), mechanical keyboards, old versions of Lotus, DOS, Windows 3.0/3.1 etc. That I could have bought cheap and stored to have for sale today. To think of the number of CRTs I've recycled over the years, just one vanload was 80 CRTs. The number of 286/386 computers that were so old they got recycled for scrap. And yes, I bought an entire pallet of Hot Wheels/Barbie computers back in the day, I'm know I had one or two of them returned to me after years of service for recycling. I have a huge passion for this old tech, and I wish it wasn't becoming so cost-prohibitive to find.
@@CP200S appreciate the advice but I've checked out the local goodwills and there's nothing ever there. Occasionally you will find like a DSL modem with no AC adapter for $4 which is useless to me. I haven't even really found any software titles or anything I've been to four different ones. I know Clint from lgr on RUclips has great luck at goodwills but I've just never found anything. I tried posting to a couple local Facebook groups asking for older equipment and really only had one hit from that.
@@cliffshockley4406 Yeah nowadays it's definitely not easy to find anything cool anymore. I also regret leaving lots of stuff behind like Sega CDs, loads of PC XT clones, Ataris and other stuff. On the other hand I have been also lucky to have found (and bought) a few Amigas, C64 1541 drive, Intellivisions and other stuff, but it was about 15~20 years ago. Maybe if you look early in the morning on really small cities nearby and with a lot of persistence, but "sumguy" already been there most of the times. Wish you better luck next hunting!
@@cliffshockley4406 ... Have you talked to some of the managers at Goodwill? Maybe they might give you some ideas & perhaps they might tag some stuff for you if they find more old tech, which they definitely will. There is no surprise what people find in their closets, basements & attics. I do know that Goodwill had some contract with Dell over a decade ago (2009-10?) that when people bring in old tech, especially stuff like old CRT monitors & CRT televisions & maybe some old computer parts (drives, motherboards, cases, etc), that they partnered to have those recycled instead of putting them on the Goodwill shelves. There's probably a lot of money in that recycling & I know how greedy Dell can be, heh. That's such a shame, for us collectors. But it's also understandable, because GW only has a limited shelf space, even if it's one of their giant superstores, as people keep bringing in a lot of crap, & computer cases & CRT's use up a lot of that shelf space. I remember Goodwill having tons of CRT's & PC towers in 2009 & then the next year or so, they disappeared. That's at least at my local Goodwill. But I did see an article about the recycling partnership. My local GW does still have tons of computer & electronics tech & I am tempted to buy a lot of them, but I have to refrain a little more as I don't want to end up looking like Reset's warehouse. :)
I got a BRAND NEW, boxed monitor from 1999 free 3 years ago online, I did take out of box to test. Havent used it though as haven't got the space for it so its in guest bedroom/office.
This is a happy/sad story. Sad to see an old man's business fall apart and turn into a mess but Im happy to see this stuff being used now. Im sure the gentleman who owned the business would enjoy seeing this stuff being used again.
At one time it was clearly a decently sized business. Multiple units, from storefronts to repairs with a ton of employees. Sad how it deteriorated, but damn it was weird seeing where at one point it was clear work for a specific thing was happening.
Sad that nobody made a RUclips channel to record the entire process of them cleaning up daily, showing the awesome things that they found there and even just showing their work. I would watch it all thousand of times (like I did with your first video)
Got strangely emotional during this. Its like experiencing the end of an era, again. Great that people are getting some cool stuff and hopefully restoring/keeping it in working order. I regret getting rid of my first 386 to get the latest and greatest back in the day. Had i lived in the states i would so like to take a few trips to that warehouse. Thanks to Richard Byron for keeping history in a bottle and out of the landfills, Rest in peace. Another thanks to you LGR for these videos!
@@brodriguez11000 for the most part none, they are aware and even have modern technology. It is a lack of funding they suffer from not a lack of knowledge. And if we look at the poorest African nations for example, they are on the hook to western banks for circa $300 billion all while a trillion dollars of their wealth extracted over 60 years by capitalist corporations and despots, sits in the Cayman islands protected by the US and UK alliance to keep capitalism going at any externalised cost. Most poor nations are often in credit in reality, its just we stole all their money and power.
I hear you brother, I wish I held onto to the computers of my youth aswell, even the shitty Compaq(not even sure what was in there system wise)that got me started.
I LOVED your first Computer Reset video, but I've always felt very sad in thinking that everything in there ended up scrapped and in a landfill. Getting this follow-up video and finding out that the warehouse not only survived, but the stock was actually being sorted through, re-organized, and sold off... this makes me so happy. This video is a perfect sequel! Best of luck and thanks to Noelle and the volunteers for their hard work in giving this place a proper send-off
RIP Richard What a legacy! I hope he is looking down on this and feels a sense of pride. It has to be exactly what he wanted but never could do. This is true recycling, reuse. Some of this stuff likely was intended as parts etc and is now getting a brand new life in the hands of collectors!
@@bengelman2600 ...it was still junk hoarding. This dude stacked up monitors in a pile outside and left them there for decades. For every piece saved, another 2 likely died. I'm not saying that to kick rocks at the guy. More of a warning about how easily you go from a hobby, to a collector, to a hoarder. There's a line at which you're doing more harm than good and it's probably pretty blurry until you're way past it. I've been there, or close, a few times myself.
man. that place being re-discovered a few years ago such a wonderful story of community and volunteering effort . fantastic to see there's still plenty of good will and effort being put by people so that these things don't just end up in a skip, forgotten and destroyed. Thanks for documenting it
I absolutely died when the second he touched the ibm workstation box. I was like “oh god! Keep the 8 bit guy away” then THERE HE WAS, paper clip in hand 😂 man, Clint that was amazing. Great video and testament.
LGR, thanks so much for going back and capturing this additional footage. Watching the video and looking at all their stuff takes me back to the days when I would build computers and makes me sad that I ended up recycling most of my items. But its great that you were able to go one last time and record your experience to share with the world and I can only hope one day I might make it to the DFW area to gather some items for myself before they shut down!
I was wondering what became of this place. For some reason i remember thinking that the owners who inherited it weren't interested in any of it, and thinking that it was soon set to be demolished. It was fairly disheartening to think about. But it looks like maybe i misunderstood or things changed since then... I'm just glad to see that at least so much has been salvaged and that things are going to museums. It would have just been such a waste.
Twenty years ago a small regional bank hired me to perform inventory on a defunct computer business that went into foreclosure. Pretty small - definitely small by comparison of CR - but even then, I loved every minute of it - going thru items, marking them, inventorying, and taking stock of what they'd just acquired.
I'm probably a weirdo for saying this, but I love the look of that building - the stone exterior, all the wood interiors, the little fountain in the lobby by the reception desk. If I had a business that needed office space, I would try and take this building, haha.
Same! When I was a kid, the local computer swapmeets always seemed to take place in buildings like this, super heavy with stone accents and wood panels. Having all that amazing retro PC goodness in there just seals it!
25:01 this shot contributed HUGELY to my one and only pilgrimage to Computer Reset. The items in the far left edge of the frame are now being restored by yours truly... And Clint, I have you to thank for this opportunity...another success!
God the nostalgia hits hard in this video. So much emotion. It's like every mom and pop computer shop from the 90s combined with hints of office max and CompUSA all rolled up into one. Amazing stuff. Congrats to all. Godspeed Richard.
Happy I'm not the only one who has really strong emotional responses to these videos. It's strange. I got my first proper computer in 1995. I was only 10. I never was deeply enmeshed in era of the tech scene. But I remember going to the local computer repaid store and being amazed at all the stuff in the store (not knowing what any of it was or did). But it still impacted me because I just *knew* it was a special time. There's something so wonderful about that era that I can't put my finger on. It makes me sad that it's gone.
That monitor at 12:48 is amazing. An echo of the past from whatever doorway that was. Its such a weird vibe because unlike a photo it's not on purpose. It is an imprint of an unknown place and time. I just love the weird energy from that
The room with the shelves full of old software and peripherals tugs at my heartstrings. When I was a kid I used to love browsing computer stores. Every single item had some sort of definite purpose, most of which I could only speculate about, and there were thousands of them. There is much less experimentation going on with consumer-grade computers nowadays, and pretty much everyone has the same basic set of peripherals. I actually get surprised looks when I pull out a pocket trackball instead of a pocket mouse to use with my laptop; most people don't even know there's a second option, or know why anyone would even want a second option. That being said, I absolutely do not miss the slowness of computers back then.
There are some other mice options along that vein such as Apple's magic trackpad and ergonomic sideways looking mice, as well as trackballs. VR controllers and the Steam Deck's dual track pads also come to mind. There is still some innovation, but way less now that there are established standards that most just fall back on. Even if they aren't all how I prefer to use my pc it's always nice to have options and see new ways of interacting with technology.
Many people, upon seeing a picture of my Evoluent Vertical D Mouse are completely intrigued by it and only when seeing my hand around it get how you are supposed to use it :P. The design is surprisingly old and has been dubbed "a failure before launch" by many computer experts, and then RSI started to become a thing :P.
The building, now that we can see it, is actually pretty phenomenal. Would be such a vibe for a store front like that. Thanks for the update video, I'm really glad to hear how much of this stuff got taken to good homes. Very sad to hear about the owner and etc. Such a wild ride. Wish I could have made it down there.
@@wildbill23c Begone with your negativity. So what; you see someone who's expressing happiness over some small deed, and you feel it's your place in the world to not only contradict them, but to laugh at them for being so naive as to focus on the good that they see? No doubt many of those items were taken for profit, but so what? Firstly, you (or I, or anyone) don't have any idea what portion were sold on eBay, let alone how "ridiculous" the majority were priced. What we *do* know is that the people responsible for the collection put a lot of time and effort into making sure that it was distributed as widely as was feasible, instead of ending up in the trash. They also seem to have done a pretty good job laying aside special pieces for museums, and preventing any overwhelming portion from going to 1 single entity who could monopolize. And I'd argue that prices on eBay will, sooner or later, come down to reflect the value that these items hold to the community, against the value of the _time and effort_ that the sellers put in. Some people will always price gouge, of course, but on the whole it's a benefit to the community that many of these items are sold on ebay - _it allows them to find good homes_ You should try the whole positive thinking approach occasionally. Or if you can't manage that, at least realize that people who are optimistic aren't necessarily ignorant. Good Day Sir!
@@brandonb3279 Sevier the skeevier ain't too far off from the most likely immediate fate, but in the end probably about 20-30% made it to a new home at a crazy profit. Another 20 probably got taken by collectors direct from store and the other 50% is either floating around online marketplaces or has been tossed out.
Great experience. I've been twice and was supposed to be there during the filming of this episode. My trips start in Richmond VA so it is quite the trek. I was able to go not long after the first LGR video and got so much stuff. I mean... SO MUCH STUFF. I went back after the $150 take all you want buffet began and got SO MUCH STUFF. You cannot believe how much is still there. All tech geeks must make this trip. It's a nerds trip of a lifetime. Noelle is incredibly nice and the volunteers (Kevin, Raymond, Andy, David, etc....) are heroes of the tech world. GO. YOU MUST GO.
You HAVE TO see Gate City and Weber City! NO vintage computers whatsoever. I HATE IT! THat's why I want to be ostracized from this area. Basically a fucking middle finger to vintage computers!
Computer Rest is awesome, I ended up buying two of the Dell server racks there. The place has come a long way, it'll be sad when it shuts down for good. Some great treasures to be found there still.
It's not going to shut down. The guy running it now is making a killing off of facebook suckers who pay him just to walk around and look at stuff. He's likely made around $100k for just showing up and opening the doors.
I remember watching the first video about Computer Reset, and not being a Retro PC person I found it very fascinating. I could sense the excitement of finding that place and being able to wander through it and see all the cool old computer stuff. Kind of like finding an old 80's mall still in tact with all the old stores and the merchandise still in there. I would like to know what LGR though was the most "valuable" rare PC things were in there.
Omg I laughed at 8bit guy's cameo! But I do feel like I've missed out. The closest experience I can't say I've had is going to the junkyard looking for car parts for my own car and/or rare parts that I know would sell well. But that huge junkyard I used to go to is gone forever just like this place will someday be.
I get the junkyard thing. I've found some pretty rare badges from a 1990 Ford Thunderbird anniversary edition super coupe. Badges were mint, bought them for a few bucks, wound up eventually selling them on the TCCOA forums years later for $100.
Not even lying, Shank, well-known Console portablizer extraordinaire is the dude Clint mentioned picked up the Hot Wheels PC in the vid. Did a very cool PC build with it for a vid!
What a great update and close to a great story. I started watching you around the time you made the original video, ironically, because of 8-Bit Guy's video on Computer Reset. So, his cameo made me smile ear to ear. You and David had a hand in saving this place and the computing history that was inside. To see how far it has come and how much technology was saved, to be preserved for generations to come, makes me happy.
The single most relatable hoarder experience: Q: "Where are you gonna put all this stuff?" A: "I'm getting this to where I'm going and that's all I know."
I have a friend who is a hoarder . He is being forced to to sell one of his hoarding spaces. So EVERYTHING has to be 're -hoarded' somewhere else.. where there is already .... no space.
This makes me so happy. Ecycling and hardware preservation is very dear to me. Seeing the community coming together to help and salvage everything that's still usable. And I'm sure this a massive load off Noelle's shoulders
23:44 -- We've come to a point where I'm really hoping I know Clint's sense of humor whilst he is holding an Apple I, talking about stuff that "chances are won't be worth anything to anyone."
@@Blobboss Did he bring that in just for that joke? Otherwise, why would it be there? I instantly recognized it as an Apple I (those big capacitors really stand out) and came here to find out what other people thought.
I've been to Computer Reset 12 times and everything has changed significantly, seeing the warehouse get more and more spacious is just an amazing experience, as great as liquidating the warehouse is, my bedroom is now overtaken by my computer Reset finds. I will definitely come back one last time on the final event day sometime in April
@@Cherry1880 thanks for the heads up I just sent a join request. Legitimately I will go to Dallas for that final farewell final day for some retro finds.
I bet you never thought, when you were growing up and had aspersions to work in IT , you'd be doing something like this. you literally have the coolest job ever and I just wanted to thank you for all that you've done and committed your life to this. Mad props brother
LGR, thank you so much for this. I remember catching the original vid a couple years ago and was just dumbstruck. Thank you for going back, and thanks especially for the 'window shopping by proxy' experience. I'll likely never get to go, so experiencing that sort of camaraderie and community feeling there was very special! You and the volunteers there are right: they are ultimately just things, the experience surrounding it and the feelings and friendships they evoke are even more incredible. Very special thanks also Noelle and the volunteers there also: it's clear they've taken on a huge burden, and to push through like that and make something more than even the great sum of those parts, is truly incredible. Wow.
Thank you! I am old enough that I have used much of those older equipment, especially the 1970s stuff (yes I am older). The old IBM Amber screeens made me sigh; I worked as a mainframe computer operator and we used one for monitoring VMs. Also I remember the Wangs. I knew a Computer Engineer who worked for Wang. He was headed to Europe to service machines at US Embassies back when the USSR was collapsing. While in Berlin he went looking around and brought home fragments of the Berlin Wall. He gave me some which I passed to my wife (she is German) who weaped. Ah the memories. Again: thank you.
Videos on LGR make me so happy. I love the passion and interest in all of the videos. as a 25 year old man, a lot of what is covered is older than I am. LGR has started a love in me. Everything computer from the late late 70's to the early 2000's. Each video is a joy
I'm so glad you guys gave this place enough exposure so some of this stuff got scooped up by collectors and museums instead of just becoming e-waste. Cheers to you Clint.
I cannot imagine what treasuresers there was at the begining. I think that first people who knew what to take were SO LUCKY, and they grabbed some serious rare and expensive stuff. I think that this is emotional and almost spiritual experience, for everyone over 40 and was breathng with this stuff when he was young
Quote from The 8-Bit Guy: I'm saddened to report that Computer Reset was broken into and a number of things stolen. They also took the two remaining IBM workstations that have been featured on my channel and a few others. Since these are pretty rare, I would encourage anyone to keep a look out for any attempts to sell these online. There is currently a cash reward being offered of $2,000 for any information leading to the suspects.
8 Bit Guy just straight up stalking you now :) lol Love this video - so glad Computer Reset Warehouse were able to get rid of stuff and have been able to keep events going for so long. Time to move on to the rest of their lives now.
@@kenfresno2125 $100K, really? Source on that - that's pretty incredible if true. I find it hard to believe that little gathering of people bought $100K of goods.
@@yellowblanka6058 Not that little gathering - LOTS of those little gatherings. It only takes 667 people at $150 a head to clear $100K. If they get 20 people over an average weekend, that's about eight and a half months - call it a year if they take some weekends off. If anything, $100K might be low.
@@DannyBeans Sure, but the way the original poster worded it implied that they made $100K from that single group, or at least that's how I interpreted it.
Thank you for sharing LGR. Brought back a lot of memories. Had a computer repair shop in Portland, Oregon from 1990 to 2000. Sure miss the folks, and everyone learning new things all the time. Those were the days.
Yay, I'm in a video! It was great meeting you btw! Was hoping to get your autograph too, but I think you left to see The 8-bit Guy. Was a great experience, and I'm really glad I made the trip out there. Everyone was quite friendly and geeking out about different things. Going to head back to Dallas for the Retro Computing Group in the future too.
As you went through I recognized a ton of stuff that I owned and used over the years. Took me back, also made me feel old. You strolled by a monitor we had on our Packard Bell in the mid 90s. It slammed me into a vivid memory. 1995 About 9pm Just had my bath before bed Simpsons starting, theme playing in the background Only table/desk lamps on in the house, dull incandescent glow throughout the house. Kitchen is cleaned and shut down, very mild smell of dish soap, and dinner still in the air. I ask my mom, can I play one more game on the computer. "Yes then bed, you have school in the morning" I run to the *Computer Room* it's really just our front hall so it's cold in here. I plop into our orange desk chair. Push the big square power button in *kachunk* Flip the I/O rocker on the monitor *Monitor hums to life* *BIOS BEEPS* *HARDDRIVE WHINES UP* *Floppy Drive Buzzes* "American Megatrends" "MEM TEST OK" *HARDDRIVE STARTS CHATTERING AWAY* *Windows 3.1 logo center screen* I grab the mouse, what game am I going to play before bed? Then boom, I'm 33 again surrounded by LCD monitors and the silence of my house.
It would also be great to do a Tech Tales on the owner and family, and how this once was as big as it was, its decline, and so on. All respectfully, because everyone watching this thinks this would just be the coolest place to visit.
Having come from the Sims 3 pack reviews, I have to say the first Computer Reset video is my favourite LGR video, if not one of my favourite long-form videos of all time. There’s something about seeing new-old stock that I love. Thanks for coming back for more!
I think a lot of this stuff makes up the set pieces of very fond memories for a lot of people. They were the catalysts to hopeful visions of the future. I'm not sure if Richard Byron saw this strictly as a business but it seems his efforts will end up making a lot of people happy. Great video, Clint.
I know this is a late'ish comment. But I look at all these computers "junk" in many peoples mind.. but it represents so much, thousands of hours of personal and professional use. A kids first Microsoft paint drawing, a parents first digital family photo, a first pcl for that industries product. So much history and memories lost, such is time past. Thanks for all those trying to preserve the past as it paints our future. I love it.
I grabbed two working CRT monitors (one in box!), new old stock Ergo Mouse, IBM Dos 5, and two Dell Poweredge 2400 servers without SCSI drives, but dual pentium 3s! I also found a Diamondtron monitor that didn't end up working, but i wouldn't be surprised if there were others in this pile, still being unearthed! I will say even in the two weeks since this video was shot, LOTS have been taken, but there are still LOTS there. Thanks for highlighting this place and it's history.
I've seen people show what has gone out since on the Facebook group (LGR was there for the weekend of the 22nd and 23rd of January - my session was on that Saturday afternoon) - and there is always this feeling of "Why didn't I see/get that?". "My table" has a cameo (with a volunteer next to it - the 7496 "Executive Workstation" I was gifted is already underneath) in what had to be within the first hour, but I'm not in any of this video footage. But I did recognize people in the same session as I was - and one of those 3290 terminals did come back with me too, and will be put back into service!
They should sell "look only" tours for $15 for people like me that knows that taking retro computer items "just because they are cool" will eventually lead to marital strife but also want to look around. 😂 This video is the next best things so thank you LGR!
Our goal is to clear the building, and there's a limit to how many people we can manage at a time. Partly because the front parking lot is pretty small. So if you come in the building, we will beg you to take our stuff with you when you go.
I'm not really into computers myself (yet I subscribe to this channel...), but just seeing all this stuff is so exciting. I lover preservation and have a strong passion for both the obscure and rare, so I'm really happy for all these people in the video who got to discover and take a bunch of stuff
Wow, this is a paradise! I would love to spend days tinkering with those PCs parts, trying to put them to work again, for daily browsing, email, movies, maybe some emulation like SNES. So many machines stored waiting to be recycled, discarted or fixed/resurrected. Great video, LGR!
The more that physical retail stores die off, specifically enthusiast ones like computer/electronics stores, toy stores and the like, the more the nostalgia of days gone by gets painful.
@@deusexaethera Retail is dying because there is very little left on the High Street that appeals to men. If I say Radio Shack/ Tandy, Maplin, and Dixons that covers both the U.K. and U.S.A. The 8 bit Guy did a whole video about it.
One of my fondest memories was going to a HUGE metropolitan area with a CompUSA store that seemed to carry on for miles. It was a wonderland of computer stuff. That kind of thing just doesn’t exist anymore. The sense of excitement about computer technology in general doesn’t exist anymore. It’s not just about childhood, it’s a shared experience, and a personal experience, that we lived through and will never come around again in quite the same way.
@@nickwallette6201 In the mid 1990s I drove about 25 miles to go to the opening of PC World in Southampton U.K.. The opening offers I bought were a 4x CD-ROM drive and a Soundcard for a total of about £90. The CD-ROM even came with a VHS tape explaining how to fit it ! About four years later we got our own PC-World just up the road. My first purchase there was my first Digital Camera; £400 for 3M Pixels. As CRTs turned into LCDs and Desktops into Laptops they ended up with aisles full of nothing but laptop bags. Then that store closed and moved to parent companies Curry's store where the computing section is an area about the size of a tennis court between the TVs and Cellphones.
It's weird, but one of the things I miss about going to computer stores when I was younger is the smell. It was a very specific combination of new electronics and styrofoam.
I bought a new turntable recently, and it had that distinctive smell! I hadn't smelled it since I was a kid. I love it. I don't know what it is, but it's awesome.
Thanks for coming back to CR! It was fun for us volunteers to hang out with you Friday and during one of the events. The terminals behind the caution tape were ones that were found on the outside of the building around the back in the weather. That's were the dirty Apple II color composite monitors were found too.
im using a pc that a garage upgraded it had been outside in all weather for over a year an was completely soaking wet. dried it out an plugged it in a booted right up.
19:03, I have one of those IBM computers running NT controlling a piece of scientific equipment. It still works, it’s fun to give a new student a floppy disk and tell them to copy the data over to a newer computer.
Awesome video, as usual! Your soft jazz background music is always soothing, but for this experience in particular I felt it was especially appropriate, as it really matched the warm pleasant feeling it gave me to see that all this wonderful history is going off to be used, preserved and appreciated. Even though I won't have a chance to visit and collect anything myself, I'm so thankful to Noel & her family, and all the team of volunteers for their efforts to allow this collection to be distributed to good homes. I'm sure her father would find it a very worthy outcome for his life's passion!
I highly doubt I'll ever make it out there in person, so I'm super happy to see what has happened since your last video. Also that surprise 8-Bit Guy cameo was hilarious.
Richard would be happy to see us fellow nerds, gaga over his (probably unintended) legacy. Warms my old stony heart to see this stuff going to people who will appreciate it, and not e-cycled or landfilled. Actual tear to my eye.
My family is into the whole reselling business. The need to be constantly taking on new product is real... It becomes a survival instinct. I can totally see how places like this turn into hoarders dens, and I can only imagine the poor guys state of mind near the end.
I was blessed to go twice and was a sight to see. I managed to get a lot of cool towers, model m keyboards (they need some fixing but are repairable) and two mac extended II keyboards. Thanks to everyone that made this place a haven for old tech fanatics!
A computer warehouse that my family owned for multiple decades closed last month. While it wasn't Computer Reset levels of interesting to me, they still had a lot of neat old things, like old software and posters. Never got a chance to buy any of that stuff for myself, though.
I like how at 29:00 Clint decided to joke about that time David destroyed a couple of those IBM machines. And that David was cool with it, and that the guys at Computer Reset were ok with him bringing a dremel into the place for that gag.
I'm super thankful I got a chance to go down there and pick up some parts, old software, and just experience the place right before the pandemic went nationwide. It was a once in a lifetime kind of experience for nerds like me!
I was able to visit a similar warehouse in central Florida twice in, I guess, mid-to-late 200x. It was at least the size of the Computer Reset's "actual warehouse," maybe a bit larger, but was 100% DEC equipment from the late '60s through the '90s. I was in awe of the amount of hardware the owner had (he was a retired DEC Field Service Engineer) stuffed in there. My first visit was to pick up a birthday present my wife had surprised me with - a PDP-8/E, RK05, and a 6-foot rack for them. That was the first 110-pound "hard drive" unit that I ever lifted! He had warehouse shelving racks/units literally full of modules (i.e., boards) for the different DEC systems. "Tri-walls" (the large triple-thick cardboard boxes approximately 4x4x4-ft attached to pallets packed full of piles of cables (required to interconnect systems) and stuff I couldn't climb to were everywhere. If he hadn't been ~3-hours away (one-way drive), I would have gone back many times to help him sort things out because at that point he really didn't know everything he had in there. A few years later he sold the warehouse contents and retired again, but I never found out what happened to everything because his email went silent after that. I think that PDP-8 and (primarily) PDP-11 & VAX users/collectors would be climbing over each other to crawl through the place now like it was when I saw it back then.
my friend went to computer reset because she lives around there. this was in 2020 i think. she did a video call with me for an hour and i got to watch her trawl through the coolest stuff and find amazing crt monitors for her collection. it was super fun to kind of “be there”
It's so great that all this kit can go onto homes for people to enjoy and love for years to come. Truly a great way to pay homage to Richard and to help his family. Massive props to the people that helped clean this up and do all this hard work. What an amazing community we retro computer lovers have.
I've watched your original video on Computer Reset several times now - and each time when you lock that door and say "Welcome everyone, to Computer Reset.", I get goosebumps. Insane. That video is like a great song. Love this update.
What a beautiful testament to the work of volunteers, as well as preservation. Rest in peace Richard, even after your death you will be helping so many people in amazing ways.
Super interesting. I appreciate the way they went about emptying it. Good on the volunteers helping connect the families with people who have an interest in their stuff.
awesome documentary, thanks for sharing this for all of us that will never make it down there-btw the 8-bit guy cameo with dremel & paperclip was priceless
Hey, i'm in the video! I'm the one who got the Coke machine, it's in my workshop running now with all my goodies from Reset! I also got the key cutting machine from there also...
So amazing to see the progress that's been made on that place. Great job as always! I have to admit, I'm more than a little jealous I couldn't afford to make a trip down there because there looked to be so much amazing stuff I would have loved to bring home for the little "retro lounge" area I'm hoping to build in my house. But it's so great to see so many people stepping up (the current owners of the property in particular) to make sure that as much of this stuff as possible gets to be preserved.
I remember fixing a lot of that mid to late 90’s stuff, Wyse terminals, many of those dot matrix printers, and even those HP DesignJet plotters early on in my career. I feel old now!
At least they didn't just recycle the lot. Most young people will not carry on the parent's dream, and the parent usually knows that. As long as you are respectful in how you deal with their estate, that is what means the most. Loved the 8 bit guy cameo!
@@Cheepchipsable Realistically, the original owner probably wouldn't let them beforehand, for one reason or another. Which is sad and unfortunate, but thankfully now at least things are being taken care of.
@@Cheepchipsable Unfortunately this seems to be the profile they take before passing away. Start to collect stuff thinking they will one day go through it all, but just can't pass up anything that comes their way, until it becomes a mountain of stuff they can't possibly ever go through in the life they have left. Then suddenly one day they are gone and their family is left holding the bag. Having to deal with everything they left behind. No doubt family and friends had asked to help them before they died, but chances are the person just put it off over and over never accepting. In most cases whatever the person was hoarding was never worth anything, or just a big mess. But in the case of Richard, he was collecting stuff that one day people would actually want. Judging by the fact Richard at one point published Reset Gazette, it had to have been much more organized and was intended to be sold. As Clint says, his health started to decline over the years and I'm sure that added to the influx of stuff being disorganized. I'm so glad in this case the family and volunteers have organized this into a system to get this into as many hands as possible before the place get's closed down. It's truly commendable the amount of work and time that has gone into this to see Richards legacy get's passed on.
A lot of those cases and monitors I'd love to repurpose with more modern hardware, at least the entirely non-functional stuff. Any working CRTs should be treated as endangered animals.
That Reset Gazette reminded me of the first few years of my computer experience between 1988 and 1991 or so, when magazines where the way to learn from and see whats out there in the computer world. That was before my first steps onto BBS, the Fidonet and eventually getting into the early Internet in dial-up. Thats when magazines slowly became a complementary source for information, but to this day I have this fuzzy feeling when I see paper from that era - things where so much simpler and harder at the same time. 😌
I was watching lazyly until I glanced at distance that plasma monitor, and I screamed: "this is that IBM orange plasma monitor!". An then you showed it. Fascinating. I loved it.
Man... Probably one of my top favorite videos of yours. I'm sure a lot of us have dreamed of experiencing something like this. Thank you for giving us a window into that dream.
Honestly big props to the owner. This whole warehouse could've been sold years ago and all the cool stuff thrown out by whoever bought the place up. Instead there's been this amazing opportunity for the whole community to get access to countless pieces of retrotech that would've never seen the light of day otherwise.
That's all they fucking do in piece of shit Kingsport. I wanna be ostracized from the shithole here.
Definitely. It's a goldmine of retro tech. For some reason I still think about it when I'm thinking of older tech and wishing that it was saved or the products haven't gone to waste. Good to see an update.
The hope is the last that you don´t have to loose.
Property in Texas is dirt cheap so they probably did better doing this than selling the place.
The new owner is honoring her father's legacy by getting as much of the collection into the community as possible.
This makes me so nostalgic/sad. I ran a successful computer retail store/repair shop for 20+ years, and to think of the pallets of surplus IBM CRTs and PS/2s I saw over the years, really old laptops (Toshiba with monochrome and Thinkpads of DSTN color screens), mechanical keyboards, old versions of Lotus, DOS, Windows 3.0/3.1 etc. That I could have bought cheap and stored to have for sale today. To think of the number of CRTs I've recycled over the years, just one vanload was 80 CRTs. The number of 286/386 computers that were so old they got recycled for scrap. And yes, I bought an entire pallet of Hot Wheels/Barbie computers back in the day, I'm know I had one or two of them returned to me after years of service for recycling. I have a huge passion for this old tech, and I wish it wasn't becoming so cost-prohibitive to find.
1. Find a thrift store or salvation army nearby, sometimes they do not charge too much.
2. Are you Mr. Robot?
@@CP200S appreciate the advice but I've checked out the local goodwills and there's nothing ever there. Occasionally you will find like a DSL modem with no AC adapter for $4 which is useless to me. I haven't even really found any software titles or anything I've been to four different ones. I know Clint from lgr on RUclips has great luck at goodwills but I've just never found anything. I tried posting to a couple local Facebook groups asking for older equipment and really only had one hit from that.
@@cliffshockley4406 Yeah nowadays it's definitely not easy to find anything cool anymore. I also regret leaving lots of stuff behind like Sega CDs, loads of PC XT clones, Ataris and other stuff. On the other hand I have been also lucky to have found (and bought) a few Amigas, C64 1541 drive, Intellivisions and other stuff, but it was about 15~20 years ago. Maybe if you look early in the morning on really small cities nearby and with a lot of persistence, but "sumguy" already been there most of the times. Wish you better luck next hunting!
@@cliffshockley4406 ... Have you talked to some of the managers at Goodwill? Maybe they might give you some ideas & perhaps they might tag some stuff for you if they find more old tech, which they definitely will. There is no surprise what people find in their closets, basements & attics. I do know that Goodwill had some contract with Dell over a decade ago (2009-10?) that when people bring in old tech, especially stuff like old CRT monitors & CRT televisions & maybe some old computer parts (drives, motherboards, cases, etc), that they partnered to have those recycled instead of putting them on the Goodwill shelves. There's probably a lot of money in that recycling & I know how greedy Dell can be, heh. That's such a shame, for us collectors. But it's also understandable, because GW only has a limited shelf space, even if it's one of their giant superstores, as people keep bringing in a lot of crap, & computer cases & CRT's use up a lot of that shelf space. I remember Goodwill having tons of CRT's & PC towers in 2009 & then the next year or so, they disappeared. That's at least at my local Goodwill. But I did see an article about the recycling partnership. My local GW does still have tons of computer & electronics tech & I am tempted to buy a lot of them, but I have to refrain a little more as I don't want to end up looking like Reset's warehouse. :)
I got a BRAND NEW, boxed monitor from 1999 free 3 years ago online, I did take out of box to test. Havent used it though as haven't got the space for it so its in guest bedroom/office.
This is a happy/sad story. Sad to see an old man's business fall apart and turn into a mess but Im happy to see this stuff being used now. Im sure the gentleman who owned the business would enjoy seeing this stuff being used again.
At one time it was clearly a decently sized business. Multiple units, from storefronts to repairs with a ton of employees. Sad how it deteriorated, but damn it was weird seeing where at one point it was clear work for a specific thing was happening.
Sad that nobody made a RUclips channel to record the entire process of them cleaning up daily, showing the awesome things that they found there and even just showing their work. I would watch it all thousand of times (like I did with your first video)
Missed opportunity, would have been an interesting "series"...
Got strangely emotional during this. Its like experiencing the end of an era, again. Great that people are getting some cool stuff and hopefully restoring/keeping it in working order. I regret getting rid of my first 386 to get the latest and greatest back in the day. Had i lived in the states i would so like to take a few trips to that warehouse. Thanks to Richard Byron for keeping history in a bottle and out of the landfills, Rest in peace. Another thanks to you LGR for these videos!
Olivetti 386SX 25Mhz.
You and me both friend. x.
Wonder how many third-world countries would consider what is in that warehouse as, modern"?
@@brodriguez11000 for the most part none, they are aware and even have modern technology. It is a lack of funding they suffer from not a lack of knowledge. And if we look at the poorest African nations for example, they are on the hook to western banks for circa $300 billion all while a trillion dollars of their wealth extracted over 60 years by capitalist corporations and despots, sits in the Cayman islands protected by the US and UK alliance to keep capitalism going at any externalised cost.
Most poor nations are often in credit in reality, its just we stole all their money and power.
I hear you brother, I wish I held onto to the computers of my youth aswell, even the shitty Compaq(not even sure what was in there system wise)that got me started.
@@iladelproductions8820 some of the stuff I threw away... worth a bloody fortune now.
I LOVED your first Computer Reset video, but I've always felt very sad in thinking that everything in there ended up scrapped and in a landfill. Getting this follow-up video and finding out that the warehouse not only survived, but the stock was actually being sorted through, re-organized, and sold off... this makes me so happy. This video is a perfect sequel! Best of luck and thanks to Noelle and the volunteers for their hard work in giving this place a proper send-off
RIP Richard
What a legacy! I hope he is looking down on this and feels a sense of pride. It has to be exactly what he wanted but never could do. This is true recycling, reuse. Some of this stuff likely was intended as parts etc and is now getting a brand new life in the hands of collectors!
Yeah, it was hoarding junk until enough time passes. Now it's gold.
@@bengelman2600 ...it was still junk hoarding. This dude stacked up monitors in a pile outside and left them there for decades. For every piece saved, another 2 likely died.
I'm not saying that to kick rocks at the guy. More of a warning about how easily you go from a hobby, to a collector, to a hoarder. There's a line at which you're doing more harm than good and it's probably pretty blurry until you're way past it. I've been there, or close, a few times myself.
Hes not looking down at all. Hes dead.
@@familyengineering5591 Grow up.
@@LinkRocks ratioed
man. that place being re-discovered a few years ago such a wonderful story of community and volunteering effort . fantastic to see there's still plenty of good will and effort being put by people so that these things don't just end up in a skip, forgotten and destroyed. Thanks for documenting it
Love your music, really helps with my stress
I absolutely died when the second he touched the ibm workstation box. I was like “oh god! Keep the 8 bit guy away” then THERE HE WAS, paper clip in hand 😂 man, Clint that was amazing. Great video and testament.
Somehow I feel relieved that the 8-Bit Guy actually has enough sense of humour to do that.
LGR, thanks so much for going back and capturing this additional footage. Watching the video and looking at all their stuff takes me back to the days when I would build computers and makes me sad that I ended up recycling most of my items. But its great that you were able to go one last time and record your experience to share with the world and I can only hope one day I might make it to the DFW area to gather some items for myself before they shut down!
I was wondering what became of this place. For some reason i remember thinking that the owners who inherited it weren't interested in any of it, and thinking that it was soon set to be demolished. It was fairly disheartening to think about. But it looks like maybe i misunderstood or things changed since then... I'm just glad to see that at least so much has been salvaged and that things are going to museums. It would have just been such a waste.
This is legendary
HAHAH that burned monitor, it have been lived meaningful life. Yeah, I've seen text burned and sometimes background maybe, but cctv is good one!
@@jannejohansson3383 Moi Janne.
Huvikseni vaan tässä kyselen, että oletko myös Suomesta?
Twenty years ago a small regional bank hired me to perform inventory on a defunct computer business that went into foreclosure. Pretty small - definitely small by comparison of CR - but even then, I loved every minute of it - going thru items, marking them, inventorying, and taking stock of what they'd just acquired.
I'm probably a weirdo for saying this, but I love the look of that building - the stone exterior, all the wood interiors, the little fountain in the lobby by the reception desk. If I had a business that needed office space, I would try and take this building, haha.
me too, feels very nostalgic, like 80s-90s exteriors, I really like that style.
I bet they have a payphone
Definitely not alone there brother! Complete even with spiral staircase and that outdoorsy lobby with a fountain!
@@TimberwolfCY how could I forget the spiral staircase! Yes!
Same! When I was a kid, the local computer swapmeets always seemed to take place in buildings like this, super heavy with stone accents and wood panels. Having all that amazing retro PC goodness in there just seals it!
25:01 this shot contributed HUGELY to my one and only pilgrimage to Computer Reset. The items in the far left edge of the frame are now being restored by yours truly... And Clint, I have you to thank for this opportunity...another success!
God the nostalgia hits hard in this video. So much emotion. It's like every mom and pop computer shop from the 90s combined with hints of office max and CompUSA all rolled up into one. Amazing stuff. Congrats to all. Godspeed Richard.
Happy I'm not the only one who has really strong emotional responses to these videos.
It's strange. I got my first proper computer in 1995. I was only 10. I never was deeply enmeshed in era of the tech scene. But I remember going to the local computer repaid store and being amazed at all the stuff in the store (not knowing what any of it was or did). But it still impacted me because I just *knew* it was a special time. There's something so wonderful about that era that I can't put my finger on. It makes me sad that it's gone.
That monitor at 12:48 is amazing. An echo of the past from whatever doorway that was. Its such a weird vibe because unlike a photo it's not on purpose. It is an imprint of an unknown place and time. I just love the weird energy from that
When it's all over and computer reset finally closes for good, the volunteers should each get a golden Zenith Multimedia Player trophy
The room with the shelves full of old software and peripherals tugs at my heartstrings. When I was a kid I used to love browsing computer stores. Every single item had some sort of definite purpose, most of which I could only speculate about, and there were thousands of them. There is much less experimentation going on with consumer-grade computers nowadays, and pretty much everyone has the same basic set of peripherals. I actually get surprised looks when I pull out a pocket trackball instead of a pocket mouse to use with my laptop; most people don't even know there's a second option, or know why anyone would even want a second option. That being said, I absolutely do not miss the slowness of computers back then.
There are some other mice options along that vein such as Apple's magic trackpad and ergonomic sideways looking mice, as well as trackballs. VR controllers and the Steam Deck's dual track pads also come to mind. There is still some innovation, but way less now that there are established standards that most just fall back on. Even if they aren't all how I prefer to use my pc it's always nice to have options and see new ways of interacting with technology.
Many people, upon seeing a picture of my Evoluent Vertical D Mouse are completely intrigued by it and only when seeing my hand around it get how you are supposed to use it :P. The design is surprisingly old and has been dubbed "a failure before launch" by many computer experts, and then RSI started to become a thing :P.
It's also how interesting so many things made to make computers accessible
The building, now that we can see it, is actually pretty phenomenal. Would be such a vibe for a store front like that. Thanks for the update video, I'm really glad to hear how much of this stuff got taken to good homes. Very sad to hear about the owner and etc. Such a wild ride. Wish I could have made it down there.
Taken to good homes LOL...no it got put up for sale on Ebay for ridiculous prices for the most part.
Someone who pays a lot of money for an item is almost by default going to be a good home for these items for many reasons.
@@wildbill23c Begone with your negativity.
So what; you see someone who's expressing happiness over some small deed, and you feel it's your place in the world to not only contradict them, but to laugh at them for being so naive as to focus on the good that they see?
No doubt many of those items were taken for profit, but so what? Firstly, you (or I, or anyone) don't have any idea what portion were sold on eBay, let alone how "ridiculous" the majority were priced.
What we *do* know is that the people responsible for the collection put a lot of time and effort into making sure that it was distributed as widely as was feasible, instead of ending up in the trash. They also seem to have done a pretty good job laying aside special pieces for museums, and preventing any overwhelming portion from going to 1 single entity who could monopolize. And I'd argue that prices on eBay will, sooner or later, come down to reflect the value that these items hold to the community, against the value of the _time and effort_ that the sellers put in. Some people will always price gouge, of course, but on the whole it's a benefit to the community that many of these items are sold on ebay - _it allows them to find good homes_
You should try the whole positive thinking approach occasionally. Or if you can't manage that, at least realize that people who are optimistic aren't necessarily ignorant.
Good Day Sir!
That place would make an epic music venue beer/wine bar.
@@brandonb3279 Sevier the skeevier ain't too far off from the most likely immediate fate, but in the end probably about 20-30% made it to a new home at a crazy profit. Another 20 probably got taken by collectors direct from store and the other 50% is either floating around online marketplaces or has been tossed out.
Great experience. I've been twice and was supposed to be there during the filming of this episode. My trips start in Richmond VA so it is quite the trek. I was able to go not long after the first LGR video and got so much stuff. I mean... SO MUCH STUFF. I went back after the $150 take all you want buffet began and got SO MUCH STUFF. You cannot believe how much is still there. All tech geeks must make this trip. It's a nerds trip of a lifetime. Noelle is incredibly nice and the volunteers (Kevin, Raymond, Andy, David, etc....) are heroes of the tech world. GO. YOU MUST GO.
I wish I could go just to visit. I don't have space or much desire to keep it, but I do have a desire to see it, experience it, in person. Damn.
You HAVE TO see Gate City and Weber City! NO vintage computers whatsoever. I HATE IT! THat's why I want to be ostracized from this area. Basically a fucking middle finger to vintage computers!
HUGE thanks to Noelle and the volunteers for making this happen. Seriously magical watching everyone find hidden treasures.
Computer Rest is awesome, I ended up buying two of the Dell server racks there. The place has come a long way, it'll be sad when it shuts down for good. Some great treasures to be found there still.
Computer Rest is a nice name for the place
I could really use a 98 or XP PC for gaming but don't have the money to travel to Texas
@@davidfoster7374 Rest in PC's
It's not going to shut down. The guy running it now is making a killing off of facebook suckers who pay him just to walk around and look at stuff. He's likely made around $100k for just showing up and opening the doors.
@@kenfresno2125 pay to walk around and look? What are you talking about?
I remember watching the first video about Computer Reset, and not being a Retro PC person I found it very fascinating. I could sense the excitement of finding that place and being able to wander through it and see all the cool old computer stuff. Kind of like finding an old 80's mall still in tact with all the old stores and the merchandise still in there. I would like to know what LGR though was the most "valuable" rare PC things were in there.
Omg I laughed at 8bit guy's cameo!
But I do feel like I've missed out. The closest experience I can't say I've had is going to the junkyard looking for car parts for my own car and/or rare parts that I know would sell well. But that huge junkyard I used to go to is gone forever just like this place will someday be.
8-bit was LITERALLY a kid caught in a Tandy store! Umm, sorry, Candy store
Sadly, CR is now gone. They are in the final stages of cleaning and recycling everything left.
I get the junkyard thing. I've found some pretty rare badges from a 1990 Ford Thunderbird anniversary edition super coupe. Badges were mint, bought them for a few bucks, wound up eventually selling them on the TCCOA forums years later for $100.
What the hell did happen to car junkyards? Maybe they moved to the middle of nowhere and just sell online now.
The real computer reset was the friends we made along the way
ITS THAT DUDE
Shame Luke couldn't get footage of you hauling out a pallet of Hot Wheels and Barbie PCs 😂
Not even lying, Shank, well-known Console portablizer extraordinaire is the dude Clint mentioned picked up the Hot Wheels PC in the vid. Did a very cool PC build with it for a vid!
It definitely "Reset" the vintage computer community.
@@CCConversions Ha! Good one on that pun. 🤣
That place is full of so much vintage computer goodness you even found a perfectly good 8-Bit Guy!
What a great update and close to a great story. I started watching you around the time you made the original video, ironically, because of 8-Bit Guy's video on Computer Reset. So, his cameo made me smile ear to ear. You and David had a hand in saving this place and the computing history that was inside. To see how far it has come and how much technology was saved, to be preserved for generations to come, makes me happy.
When you pulled out that Apple I and said it was worthless, I nearly screamed. You got me ;)
I wondered how long it would take to find a comment addressing that!
I caught that too!!! 23.44 minutes in I fell to the floor. What was it like only 200 or so of those were made? I saw one had been listed for $450,000!
I don't know what's funnier, the Apple 1 schtick of the fact that ZONE TOONS WATCHES LGR!!!
Wait... it's ZONE, the world really is a small place
Glad I wasn't the only one who caught that too lol.
The single most relatable hoarder experience:
Q: "Where are you gonna put all this stuff?"
A: "I'm getting this to where I'm going and that's all I know."
I have a friend who is a hoarder . He is being forced to to sell one of his hoarding spaces. So EVERYTHING has to be 're -hoarded' somewhere else.. where there is already .... no space.
This makes me so happy. Ecycling and hardware preservation is very dear to me. Seeing the community coming together to help and salvage everything that's still usable. And I'm sure this a massive load off Noelle's shoulders
Why the fuck can't they do hardware preservation in Kingsport?
23:44 -- We've come to a point where I'm really hoping I know Clint's sense of humor whilst he is holding an Apple I, talking about stuff that "chances are won't be worth anything to anyone."
Pretty sure that was 8bit Guys repro.
Ok, I thought that was an Apple I also!
Lmao. I knew it looked slightly different, but I said the same thing. 🤣
that was hilarious! I recognized that instantly
@@Blobboss Did he bring that in just for that joke? Otherwise, why would it be there? I instantly recognized it as an Apple I (those big capacitors really stand out) and came here to find out what other people thought.
I've been to Computer Reset 12 times and everything has changed significantly, seeing the warehouse get more and more spacious is just an amazing experience, as great as liquidating the warehouse is, my bedroom is now overtaken by my computer Reset finds. I will definitely come back one last time on the final event day sometime in April
When is this final event day?
@@dougradtke No exact day; but it's sometime in April 2022. There's more details in the Facebook group
12 times ... that's a lot ! Can you imagine someone going even more times than that ? :D
@@Cherry1880 thanks for the heads up I just sent a join request. Legitimately I will go to Dallas for that final farewell final day for some retro finds.
@@psergiu I can, there's one guy ahead of me, he went 16 times.
I bet you never thought, when you were growing up and had aspersions to work in IT , you'd be doing something like this. you literally have the coolest job ever and I just wanted to thank you for all that you've done and committed your life to this. Mad props brother
LGR, thank you so much for this. I remember catching the original vid a couple years ago and was just dumbstruck. Thank you for going back, and thanks especially for the 'window shopping by proxy' experience. I'll likely never get to go, so experiencing that sort of camaraderie and community feeling there was very special! You and the volunteers there are right: they are ultimately just things, the experience surrounding it and the feelings and friendships they evoke are even more incredible.
Very special thanks also Noelle and the volunteers there also: it's clear they've taken on a huge burden, and to push through like that and make something more than even the great sum of those parts, is truly incredible. Wow.
Thank you! I am old enough that I have used much of those older equipment, especially the 1970s stuff (yes I am older). The old IBM Amber screeens made me sigh; I worked as a mainframe computer operator and we used one for monitoring VMs. Also I remember the Wangs. I knew a Computer Engineer who worked for Wang. He was headed to Europe to service machines at US Embassies back when the USSR was collapsing. While in Berlin he went looking around and brought home fragments of the Berlin Wall. He gave me some which I passed to my wife (she is German) who weaped. Ah the memories. Again: thank you.
Videos on LGR make me so happy. I love the passion and interest in all of the videos. as a 25 year old man, a lot of what is covered is older than I am. LGR has started a love in me. Everything computer from the late late 70's to the early 2000's. Each video is a joy
I'm so glad you guys gave this place enough exposure so some of this stuff got scooped up by collectors and museums instead of just becoming e-waste. Cheers to you Clint.
I cannot imagine what treasuresers there was at the begining. I think that first people who knew what to take were SO LUCKY, and they grabbed some serious rare and expensive stuff.
I think that this is emotional and almost spiritual experience, for everyone over 40 and was breathng with this stuff when he was young
Quote from The 8-Bit Guy:
I'm saddened to report that Computer Reset was broken into and a number of things stolen. They also took the two remaining IBM workstations that have been featured on my channel and a few others. Since these are pretty rare, I would encourage anyone to keep a look out for any attempts to sell these online. There is currently a cash reward being offered of $2,000 for any information leading to the suspects.
It'd be nice if so many shitty people never got into computers in the first place.
8 Bit Guy just straight up stalking you now :) lol Love this video - so glad Computer Reset Warehouse were able to get rid of stuff and have been able to keep events going for so long. Time to move on to the rest of their lives now.
Yeah they made a killing off of these people. Easily over $100k just for unlocking a door.
@@kenfresno2125 $100K, really? Source on that - that's pretty incredible if true. I find it hard to believe that little gathering of people bought $100K of goods.
@@yellowblanka6058 Not that little gathering - LOTS of those little gatherings. It only takes 667 people at $150 a head to clear $100K. If they get 20 people over an average weekend, that's about eight and a half months - call it a year if they take some weekends off. If anything, $100K might be low.
@@DannyBeans Sure, but the way the original poster worded it implied that they made $100K from that single group, or at least that's how I interpreted it.
David holding up the Dremel and paper clip.....I laughed harder at this than I maybe should 🤣
Solid comedy gold right there.
Master Troll levels for sure lmao
Some quality trolling for those who know the incident it’s a callback to.
I had to pause I laughed so much.
That was epic
I take back all the nasty things I said
Thank you for sharing LGR. Brought back a lot of memories. Had a computer repair shop in Portland, Oregon from 1990 to 2000. Sure miss the folks, and everyone learning new things all the time. Those were the days.
90% of all these products are e wastes.10% are just outdated technologies..
Yay, I'm in a video!
It was great meeting you btw! Was hoping to get your autograph too, but I think you left to see The 8-bit Guy.
Was a great experience, and I'm really glad I made the trip out there. Everyone was quite friendly and geeking out about different things. Going to head back to Dallas for the Retro Computing Group in the future too.
As you went through I recognized a ton of stuff that I owned and used over the years. Took me back, also made me feel old. You strolled by a monitor we had on our Packard Bell in the mid 90s. It slammed me into a vivid memory.
1995
About 9pm
Just had my bath before bed
Simpsons starting, theme playing in the background
Only table/desk lamps on in the house, dull incandescent glow throughout the house.
Kitchen is cleaned and shut down, very mild smell of dish soap, and dinner still in the air.
I ask my mom, can I play one more game on the computer.
"Yes then bed, you have school in the morning"
I run to the *Computer Room* it's really just our front hall so it's cold in here. I plop into our orange desk chair.
Push the big square power button in *kachunk*
Flip the I/O rocker on the monitor
*Monitor hums to life*
*BIOS BEEPS*
*HARDDRIVE WHINES UP*
*Floppy Drive Buzzes*
"American Megatrends"
"MEM TEST OK"
*HARDDRIVE STARTS CHATTERING AWAY*
*Windows 3.1 logo center screen*
I grab the mouse, what game am I going to play before bed?
Then boom, I'm 33 again surrounded by LCD monitors and the silence of my house.
Jesus.... You could have pulled this from MY memory...
8-Bit Guy with the Dremel and paper clip, legit caused a scene at work laughing just now
my hears stopped for a moment! should have had a trigger warning! XD
It would also be great to do a Tech Tales on the owner and family, and how this once was as big as it was, its decline, and so on. All respectfully, because everyone watching this thinks this would just be the coolest place to visit.
Everyone like this so LGR can see! Great idea.
Great idea!
Having come from the Sims 3 pack reviews, I have to say the first Computer Reset video is my favourite LGR video, if not one of my favourite long-form videos of all time. There’s something about seeing new-old stock that I love. Thanks for coming back for more!
I think a lot of this stuff makes up the set pieces of very fond memories for a lot of people. They were the catalysts to hopeful visions of the future. I'm not sure if Richard Byron saw this strictly as a business but it seems his efforts will end up making a lot of people happy. Great video, Clint.
Considering the immense amount of interesting things in that warehouse, I'm not surprised if he saw this more than just a business.
I know this is a late'ish comment. But I look at all these computers "junk" in many peoples mind.. but it represents so much, thousands of hours of personal and professional use. A kids first Microsoft paint drawing, a parents first digital family photo, a first pcl for that industries product. So much history and memories lost, such is time past. Thanks for all those trying to preserve the past as it paints our future. I love it.
Thanks LGR! Currently stuck at work in the middle of a huge storm here in the UK, so I can't go outside. This is great to pass the time!
Hope all of you stay safe in the UK! That storm looks brutal.
Same
Wait for all this to blow over?
Same here in France.
Same here. Our weather is usually incredibly mild, especially in the North West where I am, with usually nothing resembling a storm! Stay safe.
I grabbed two working CRT monitors (one in box!), new old stock Ergo Mouse, IBM Dos 5, and two Dell Poweredge 2400 servers without SCSI drives, but dual pentium 3s! I also found a Diamondtron monitor that didn't end up working, but i wouldn't be surprised if there were others in this pile, still being unearthed!
I will say even in the two weeks since this video was shot, LOTS have been taken, but there are still LOTS there. Thanks for highlighting this place and it's history.
I've seen people show what has gone out since on the Facebook group (LGR was there for the weekend of the 22nd and 23rd of January - my session was on that Saturday afternoon) - and there is always this feeling of "Why didn't I see/get that?". "My table" has a cameo (with a volunteer next to it - the 7496 "Executive Workstation" I was gifted is already underneath) in what had to be within the first hour, but I'm not in any of this video footage. But I did recognize people in the same session as I was - and one of those 3290 terminals did come back with me too, and will be put back into service!
They should sell "look only" tours for $15 for people like me that knows that taking retro computer items "just because they are cool" will eventually lead to marital strife but also want to look around. 😂
This video is the next best things so thank you LGR!
Seems like that's the ideal situation for people to volunteer?
Our goal is to clear the building, and there's a limit to how many people we can manage at a time. Partly because the front parking lot is pretty small. So if you come in the building, we will beg you to take our stuff with you when you go.
I'm not really into computers myself (yet I subscribe to this channel...), but just seeing all this stuff is so exciting. I lover preservation and have a strong passion for both the obscure and rare, so I'm really happy for all these people in the video who got to discover and take a bunch of stuff
Same
Wow, this is a paradise! I would love to spend days tinkering with those PCs parts, trying to put them to work again, for daily browsing, email, movies, maybe some emulation like SNES. So many machines stored waiting to be recycled, discarted or fixed/resurrected. Great video, LGR!
The more that physical retail stores die off, specifically enthusiast ones like computer/electronics stores, toy stores and the like, the more the nostalgia of days gone by gets painful.
It's not so much that retail is dying, it's that your childhood is dying.
Oh, so is that why I'm tearing up while watching a video about a warehouse of old computer parts?
@@deusexaethera Retail is dying because there is very little left on the High Street that appeals to men. If I say Radio Shack/ Tandy, Maplin, and Dixons that covers both the U.K. and U.S.A. The 8 bit Guy did a whole video about it.
One of my fondest memories was going to a HUGE metropolitan area with a CompUSA store that seemed to carry on for miles. It was a wonderland of computer stuff.
That kind of thing just doesn’t exist anymore. The sense of excitement about computer technology in general doesn’t exist anymore.
It’s not just about childhood, it’s a shared experience, and a personal experience, that we lived through and will never come around again in quite the same way.
@@nickwallette6201 In the mid 1990s I drove about 25 miles to go to the opening of PC World in Southampton U.K.. The opening offers I bought were a 4x CD-ROM drive and a Soundcard for a total of about £90. The CD-ROM even came with a VHS tape explaining how to fit it ! About four years later we got our own PC-World just up the road. My first purchase there was my first Digital Camera; £400 for 3M Pixels.
As CRTs turned into LCDs and Desktops into Laptops they ended up with aisles full of nothing but laptop bags. Then that store closed and moved to parent companies Curry's store where the computing section is an area about the size of a tennis court between the TVs and Cellphones.
It's weird, but one of the things I miss about going to computer stores when I was younger is the smell. It was a very specific combination of new electronics and styrofoam.
I never noticed an odour in computer stores, but military surplus stores, they reall had their own scent!
Name... uhm, kinda checks out? =)
Not for me! Lol the old guys that used to do trade-ins quit a while ago. Their place always smelled of cigarette smoke.
The old Radio Shack that was in our local mall in the 90s-early 00s had this amazing smell
I bought a new turntable recently, and it had that distinctive smell! I hadn't smelled it since I was a kid. I love it. I don't know what it is, but it's awesome.
Thanks for coming back to CR! It was fun for us volunteers to hang out with you Friday and during one of the events. The terminals behind the caution tape were ones that were found on the outside of the building around the back in the weather. That's were the dirty Apple II color composite monitors were found too.
im using a pc that a garage upgraded it had been outside in all weather for over a year an was completely soaking wet. dried it out an plugged it in a booted right up.
Thanks for volunteering! Even now, the place is really amazing. Thanks for all your hard work!
19:03, I have one of those IBM computers running NT controlling a piece of scientific equipment. It still works, it’s fun to give a new student a floppy disk and tell them to copy the data over to a newer computer.
Awesome video, as usual!
Your soft jazz background music is always soothing, but for this experience in particular I felt it was especially appropriate, as it really matched the warm pleasant feeling it gave me to see that all this wonderful history is going off to be used, preserved and appreciated.
Even though I won't have a chance to visit and collect anything myself, I'm so thankful to Noel & her family, and all the team of volunteers for their efforts to allow this collection to be distributed to good homes. I'm sure her father would find it a very worthy outcome for his life's passion!
I highly doubt I'll ever make it out there in person, so I'm super happy to see what has happened since your last video. Also that surprise 8-Bit Guy cameo was hilarious.
Btw the 8-Bit Guy wanted an Apple I - did he grab the Apple I or was it destined for a life as a museum exhibit?
@@Leofwine He built a clone system.
Richard would be happy to see us fellow nerds, gaga over his (probably unintended) legacy. Warms my old stony heart to see this stuff going to people who will appreciate it, and not e-cycled or landfilled. Actual tear to my eye.
"Random things that might not be worth anything to anyone", that was a good joke at 24:43! Probably just a replica/clone Apple 1 board, but still.
Yes I paused right there too. That's too serious of a subject to joke about!
Yes…probably
When your $150 entry fee gets you a $1,000,000 win
@@deltaray3 if that really is an Apple I, we need to make sure LGR never lives it down!
@@Hiphopasaurus Hey. I've seen that board before. ruclips.net/video/wmMnz090MOg/видео.html
My family is into the whole reselling business. The need to be constantly taking on new product is real... It becomes a survival instinct. I can totally see how places like this turn into hoarders dens, and I can only imagine the poor guys state of mind near the end.
Thank u for these kind of videos where u take us on the whole trip. I’m enjoying this a lot.
You bet, I'm glad you're enjoying!
I just checked the liquidation group's page, and it said that the store was empty! SO THEY SAVED EVERYTHING!
I was blessed to go twice and was a sight to see. I managed to get a lot of cool towers, model m keyboards (they need some fixing but are repairable) and two mac extended II keyboards. Thanks to everyone that made this place a haven for old tech fanatics!
A computer warehouse that my family owned for multiple decades closed last month. While it wasn't Computer Reset levels of interesting to me, they still had a lot of neat old things, like old software and posters. Never got a chance to buy any of that stuff for myself, though.
God I wish something like that near me existed :(
I like how at 29:00 Clint decided to joke about that time David destroyed a couple of those IBM machines. And that David was cool with it, and that the guys at Computer Reset were ok with him bringing a dremel into the place for that gag.
You just can't see the CR volunteer off to the side with a taser trained on David. Just in case.
That is the one 8-bit Guy Video that really irks me he really should have treated that computer with more respect.
@@Blackout_1692 That video pissed me off so much I haven't been back to his channel since.
I'm super thankful I got a chance to go down there and pick up some parts, old software, and just experience the place right before the pandemic went nationwide. It was a once in a lifetime kind of experience for nerds like me!
I was able to visit a similar warehouse in central Florida twice in, I guess, mid-to-late 200x. It was at least the size of the Computer Reset's "actual warehouse," maybe a bit larger, but was 100% DEC equipment from the late '60s through the '90s. I was in awe of the amount of hardware the owner had (he was a retired DEC Field Service Engineer) stuffed in there. My first visit was to pick up a birthday present my wife had surprised me with - a PDP-8/E, RK05, and a 6-foot rack for them. That was the first 110-pound "hard drive" unit that I ever lifted! He had warehouse shelving racks/units literally full of modules (i.e., boards) for the different DEC systems. "Tri-walls" (the large triple-thick cardboard boxes approximately 4x4x4-ft attached to pallets packed full of piles of cables (required to interconnect systems) and stuff I couldn't climb to were everywhere. If he hadn't been ~3-hours away (one-way drive), I would have gone back many times to help him sort things out because at that point he really didn't know everything he had in there. A few years later he sold the warehouse contents and retired again, but I never found out what happened to everything because his email went silent after that. I think that PDP-8 and (primarily) PDP-11 & VAX users/collectors would be climbing over each other to crawl through the place now like it was when I saw it back then.
Hell yeah stoked to see this place is still alive! I'm hoping I can see it before it goes forever
Man this is fascinating. Great video!
He said hey, that's a big Wang pointing to a large Wang server. hilarious!
my friend went to computer reset because she lives around there. this was in 2020 i think. she did a video call with me for an hour and i got to watch her trawl through the coolest stuff and find amazing crt monitors for her collection. it was super fun to kind of “be there”
It's so great that all this kit can go onto homes for people to enjoy and love for years to come. Truly a great way to pay homage to Richard and to help his family. Massive props to the people that helped clean this up and do all this hard work. What an amazing community we retro computer lovers have.
I've watched your original video on Computer Reset several times now - and each time when you lock that door and say "Welcome everyone, to Computer Reset.", I get goosebumps. Insane. That video is like a great song. Love this update.
Doesn't get better than a new LGR video on Friday! Looking forward to diving into more on this epic warehouse of retro computers!
What a beautiful testament to the work of volunteers, as well as preservation. Rest in peace Richard, even after your death you will be helping so many people in amazing ways.
Super interesting. I appreciate the way they went about emptying it. Good on the volunteers helping connect the families with people who have an interest in their stuff.
awesome documentary, thanks for sharing this for all of us that will never make it down there-btw the 8-bit guy cameo with dremel & paperclip was priceless
I honestly thought you were much older, first video I’ve caught that shows you
Hey, i'm in the video! I'm the one who got the Coke machine, it's in my workshop running now with all my goodies from Reset! I also got the key cutting machine from there also...
Hey, were you interested in microfiche readers? Or am I thinking of someone else? We still have two if you want them. :)
@@AndyGoth111 I think It was someone else, there are a few things I still want probably visit again soon, but no budget this week…
How much was the coke machine haha
So amazing to see the progress that's been made on that place. Great job as always!
I have to admit, I'm more than a little jealous I couldn't afford to make a trip down there because there looked to be so much amazing stuff I would have loved to bring home for the little "retro lounge" area I'm hoping to build in my house. But it's so great to see so many people stepping up (the current owners of the property in particular) to make sure that as much of this stuff as possible gets to be preserved.
Been waiting for this one!!! Love that you went back and spent time with the volunteers and some lucky fans. Thanks for the video!
I remember fixing a lot of that mid to late 90’s stuff, Wyse terminals, many of those dot matrix printers, and even those HP DesignJet plotters early on in my career.
I feel old now!
At least they didn't just recycle the lot. Most young people will not carry on the parent's dream, and the parent usually knows that. As long as you are respectful in how you deal with their estate, that is what means the most. Loved the 8 bit guy cameo!
Very interesting to see Computer Reset again. Loved 8 Bit Guy’s cameo with paper clip in hand.
LGR your amazing bro, I started collecting retro because of you!!!
I wasn't expecting this place to still be around, awesome!
I had a 2x burner that could read completely mangled audio CDs. The burns had data integrity fit for use with life support equipment.
The first time was awesome- thanks for the follow up. The mildew on some of the stuff was heartbreaking.
The fact that volunteers have come together to make all of this look this incredible is fantastic. Really reminds me of the benefit of community.
You just need to wait until someone dies before anyone does anything...
@@Cheepchipsable Realistically, the original owner probably wouldn't let them beforehand, for one reason or another. Which is sad and unfortunate, but thankfully now at least things are being taken care of.
@@Cheepchipsable Unfortunately this seems to be the profile they take before passing away. Start to collect stuff thinking they will one day go through it all, but just can't pass up anything that comes their way, until it becomes a mountain of stuff they can't possibly ever go through in the life they have left. Then suddenly one day they are gone and their family is left holding the bag. Having to deal with everything they left behind. No doubt family and friends had asked to help them before they died, but chances are the person just put it off over and over never accepting.
In most cases whatever the person was hoarding was never worth anything, or just a big mess. But in the case of Richard, he was collecting stuff that one day people would actually want. Judging by the fact Richard at one point published Reset Gazette, it had to have been much more organized and was intended to be sold. As Clint says, his health started to decline over the years and I'm sure that added to the influx of stuff being disorganized.
I'm so glad in this case the family and volunteers have organized this into a system to get this into as many hands as possible before the place get's closed down. It's truly commendable the amount of work and time that has gone into this to see Richards legacy get's passed on.
Computer reset warehouse video is an all-time favourite
Every time I watch it I notice something new and amazing in the background
man I love looking through the "computer history" in old magazines and such... would LOVE to go through that warehouse, so many treasures!
The Lockheed Martin screensaver is priceless. It's going on every computer I can put it on.
A lot of those cases and monitors I'd love to repurpose with more modern hardware, at least the entirely non-functional stuff.
Any working CRTs should be treated as endangered animals.
That Reset Gazette reminded me of the first few years of my computer experience between 1988 and 1991 or so, when magazines where the way to learn from and see whats out there in the computer world. That was before my first steps onto BBS, the Fidonet and eventually getting into the early Internet in dial-up. Thats when magazines slowly became a complementary source for information, but to this day I have this fuzzy feeling when I see paper from that era - things where so much simpler and harder at the same time. 😌
23:33
“So much PC Jr shit”
Now there’s a box that’s been labeled by someone who’s done for the day. 🤣
I was watching lazyly until I glanced at distance that plasma monitor, and I screamed: "this is that IBM orange plasma monitor!". An then you showed it. Fascinating. I loved it.
Man... Probably one of my top favorite videos of yours. I'm sure a lot of us have dreamed of experiencing something like this. Thank you for giving us a window into that dream.