I'm a maker, I'm a tinkerer, I fix stuff. We could be friends. I respect what you do and who you are. Keep being you and stay true to your art, you are cool and unique. I like that in a human.
My dad brought home stuff CONSTANTLY from the Bell Labs "junk pile" over the years. He worked for W-E and Bell Labs as a physicist from 1929 to 1969 - an amazing period of technological advances. So I appreciate your collection. I still have a portion of his. I salivated for days when I saw what you got from a college EE lab when it moved. Glad to hear you have a new place to move to.
@@sammcdonald769 for someone like me who is not necessarily "up to anything" I am starting to see that attitude as a liability that fills my garage with junk. lol
People forget that a disorder is only a disorder when it's maladaptive. People can have all sorts of personality traits and peculiarities, and as long as these don't bother them or people around them and aren't likely to ruin their life, it's not a disorder! Odds are, if your personality wasn't inclined to hoarding, you wouldn't be doing most of the things you do.
Do you have to move every couple of years? Do you constantly have to ask people for money? Do you not enjoy moving and organising your stuff, or most of your stuff? Then you've got a problem(s). It might not be a 'disorder'; but, it is still a problem.
I grab things even if I don't need them at the time, knowing that if I pass I'll never see another one again. Every time I throw something away, down the line it comes back to haunt me when I actually need it. When I need something it's there. Saves both time and money. It seems like we are all labeled as hoarders. Guilty as charged.
@@benkleschinsky When I think of hoarders... I 'see' piles of newspapers, pop cans, random pieces of paper, various, and copius, dilapidated... and well used... plush toys... really just random manufactured commodity items... some of the behaviour that generates this is probably associated with some form of 'mental illness.'
I was the kid that had to know how everything worked. I was an "AV assistant" in grade school in the 60's. My mother was slowly going for a master's degree in librarian sciences at that time. She relied on my technical knowledge about classroom equipment to help her understand better in operations. I've always taken things apart to see how they work (still do) it did take more time to figure out how to put them back together so they work again. There are times as I've learned that you need to temper your need to know not to destroy but to gain knowledge, albeit a small increment at a time. These very interesting 50 and 60 films are a very good introspective of the technology and mindset of the times. I remember some of these first person. Thank you so much for these cherished memories and bringing up some of my younger memories as well✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨🌟
I absolutely love your exploration of the history of tech. The way those engineers solved their problems through such inventive solutions always astound me. DON'T THROW YOUR COLLECTION OUT!
Yes yes yes! I am all about curating a collection for historical purposes, I’m so relieved to hear that your collection will be preserved after you pass. It’s so important, we absolutely must preserve the past to learn from it, especially with people actually trying to erase parts of it. Do you know about Sam from Look Mum No Computer and This Museum is Not Obsolete? It seems like you two should definitely be in contact, his museum would be the perfect place for some of your stuff to be preserved, for sure. Check it out!
A weed, I have been told, is any plant growing where it is not supposed to be growing. That begs the question of who decides what is supposed to be growing where if not the plant, and what happens when there is a disagreement of what is supposed to grow where. What happens when one person sees a garden brimming with exotic variety and bloom potential, and another person sees only an overgrown lot full of weeds? As both a gardener and a maker, I look at my junk and my garden the same, my junk is a garden, what I make from it are the blooms. The more variety the greater the cross-pollination and the better the harvest. Keep tending your garden, Fran, we will keep supporting you so we all can enjoy the harvest.
My husband and I just moved. It was quite the ordeal for him, as I have always considered him a bit of "well organized" hoarder. However, now that we are living up on a mountain, with no real support group to speak of, I have come to realize that the things that he kept were all (more or less) very useful "what if" items and tools. I think, and this is just my musings, that if items have legitimate use/value, AND you have more than enough space for yourselves (no stepping around or over things), AND you know what you have and where it is, then it's less hoarding and more utility. For example I never understood why he kept an old milk crate full of "junk" in the garage, until our power went out, and the backup generator we were using konked out at 1am. He dug an old carburator? out of that magic milk crate, rebuilt the old gaser-maker in about ten minutes, and we had electricity again. So I think that if you have limits on the amount/type of stuff, AND you follow the 'ANDS', then you're not a hoarder. If your stuff takes up more living space than you do, then probably it's time for a cleanse (and a move is a great time to do it!).
I too collect useful and valuable things (to me) and I get called a ”hoarder”. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I love your Sweet Jane Fran, I am a huge VU fan.
Ive had a few events in life that required a clear out of my hoard. I'm glad I kept "the best bits" and it is a relief to have less "stuff" in the way.
After dipping my toe into minimalism, I realized that the creative types who have advertised this lifestyle generally are writers. Even in Japan, where there is a minimalist aesthetic, workshops are crammed with stuff. So I agree with Fran---if you're making things, you need lots of stuff on hand. Still, for me, there is some level where the difficulty of curation out-weighs the value of quick access.
I'm a professional woodworker and I have three length sorted piles of usable scraps and cutoffs that I do not consider "junk". A good part of it consists of hardwoods and good plywood, but there's also some cdx and douglas fir in there too. It's a palette to draw from when i need need to cobble something together. My hoard isn't really a hoard because it's useful, and I'd say yours is too. Best wishes and much love.
I think the difference between a hoarder and a collector or accumulator has to do with organization of the material and the reality of the value placed on the material. I found that stuff expands to fit the space available for it. I bring a lot of stuff home from work because it is too nice to throw away but not worth enough to sell. I am happy to give it away to keep it out of the landfill but that takes effort. I do hoarder cleanups where the person is so divorced from reality that they are spending time and money when moving to load up boxes of old newspapers, broken hangers, and 50 year old clothes. As long as your storehouse of items brings you value either as material for making RUclips content or future project material I wouldn't consider it hoarding. If it went to the point that random boxes of stuff started to fill rooms up to the ceiling and you had to walk a narrow aisle between piles then you might have a problem.
My job was cleaning up after hoarders and every one of my clients were at least interesting people! If it doesn’t cause problems it’s not a problem. Your stuff is cool.
Wow! This video is deep! The deepest explanation for our type of "hoarding". I have recently thought about this myself because I was wondering if I am just hoarding or if I need a bunch of stuff to make and fix things. And its true! To be a creator or technician, you need parts, tools, and materials! Also, I am only 26 and I have shot, developed, and projected my own super 8 film, and I love film photography. Also I love to work on repairing vintage electronics like vacuum tube stuff, tape recorders, and other music related gear. But really I am just getting started in it. Thank you for confirming that it is okay to have a lot of things! Minimalism is not my style haha!
Love you and your work so much Fran...You are a lady after my own heart ! Loved your collection and screening of old films too... Don't know anyone else who could make videos, so passionately about a pencil !! You are the best. God Bless and be around many, many more years for us !!! 🌹💋❤️
Thanks so much Fran. That video explained to me stuff that I do and why I do it. I collect and fully restore old (1930s - 1950s) radios and TVs and old ham radio gear. We need a 'hoard' of parts, but it's no good having them if you forget you have them or can't find them. I've made a will and hope my good stuff (and maybe I should identify what that is!) goes to a good home - along with its documentation.
Fran you bring a tear to the eye. I'm sure that your collection will go in good hands but meanwhile you have so much left to do. Yes I do remember my urge to collect components that were rare. Back in east Germany everything was rare. Luckily as a student I could source heaps of caps since the place of education was right next to the capacitor manufacturer and they always had full dumpsters. My later work as circuit designer or electronics engineer as you say today let the collection urge die a little. But when emigrating to Canada and starting at zero it all came back but at that time was no longer necessary because everything is readily available. The decision to do electronics in form of computing and therefore programming eliminated the need for collecting stuff because the resources of a PC even in the late 80"s are so much more empowering. I found that developing simulations can give a similar joy than prototyping on the bench. Anyways this was just my sentiment reflected from your story. Thanks Fran!
An aside to your simulation work I've found some satisfaction just drawing diagrams and making lists. There is a burden on the mind when managing interests of a wide scope and substantial material assets.
Go to the Mercer Museum! It's exactly what you describe: a single individual saving what was common technology for posterity and eventually presenting it in a museum.
You should try the Sanderson Museum in Chadds Ford. When you hear the story it truly was a case of a hoarder that actually collected some historic artifacts.
Excellent perspective here. I own about 6000 vinyl records and am old enough to remember watching home movies on a blank white wall with fam. I till remember the rhythmic sound of the film flicking after it ran off of the reel. Cheers!
I am quite happy I stumbled onto your channel a few weeks ago. I am a ham radio guy and realy enjoy your content. I recently help my 94 year old ham friend go through his collection of radio gear and parts. He had been collecting them since he was in the 8th grade. It took 3 months to go through it all and find new homes for the good stuff. Fran, I think you are a unique person and a real gem to be honest. Thank you for sharing your passion for the evolution of the real technology. ❤
I'd say there's a particular difference between keeping bits of string or old newspaper and material related to a particular interest, particularly things of historical or educational note.
When I moved five years ago, I threw out A LOT of things ( depressed borderline hoarder)crammed into my former place. And it was a physical and spiritual cleansing. And since then I've kept to my possessions to the minimum. Just keeping items that truly mean something to my psychological make up and/or taste for nostalgia. I've giving things away or tossed them out in recent times. Being 51 I've realized my meter is running out and what's the point? The Materialists (Robert Anton Wilson territory here) needed to be kept in check. We're all just specks in the universe.
I showed my kids a cassette adaptor for a car and they were blown away. And I will never forget when I forwarded a vhs message on screen and my kids had no idea what was going on, it’s fun explaining it to them though.
I hoard because I see a reuse for inventing, most people cannot get their heads around this. When I chuck things away I later find a use for it, and end up buying a replacement, that feels bad. Today we should be proud of reusing and hoarding and not feeling guilty.
I'm "as old as dirt", and I love your channel. I watch your videos because I know nothing about electronics, and find it fascinating. You're a lovely host.
Technology moves so fast that technical marvels are hardly appreciated when they are new, let alone after the next innovation comes along to push it out of the limelight. Kudos to everyone who loves old technology enough to preserve it for (and, via YT videos, teach it to) future generations.
I once heard the good advice, "Whatever you own, owns you." This was in the context of actual museum curating, but I believe applies to individuals, too. For myself, I have too much "stuff" around although I have been getting rid of some of it so somebody else can sit have it clutter their place for no good reason instead of cluttering my place for no good reason. A related issue is how you can end up with so much stuff in the first place. I think it is the "thrill of the hunt" for some. You find something you've been looking for and feel excited about getting it. And then it sits and is quickly forgotten as you move on to the next "urgency". Or suddenly there is something you just HAVE to have. No matter that five minutes ago, before you became aware of it, it wasn't even on your radar. I know how it can be VERY hard for some to get rid of things. Just get rid of something anyway, and after a brief "mourning" period, you will likely forget all about it. The "it" wasn't all that important after all.
Because of the popular TV show "hoarders" people who collect things sometimes go through needless introspection as to questioning if they themselves are a hoarder. There is a difference between a true hoarder and a person who collects antiques, vintage electronics and interesting items of oddity. A true hoarder allows trash, cardboard boxes, empty cans, plastic bags along with typical rummage sale household fluff such as stuffed animals and kitchen gadgets to accumulate from floor to ceiling and wall to wall. The "hoard" is not a collection. It is an accumulation of useless trash. The afore mentioned "collector" (like I am) can lose control by collecting far more that his/her dwelling can hold. Often the out of control collector will rent storage lockers to hold the overflow of collected items. I think my house has become "cluttered" and so I no longer add anything to my collection if I have no place to display said item. Although I think my house is a tad cluttered it is actually in order. Everything has a place and my friends who visit do not view my home as cluttered. You are not a hoarder and neither am I.
A collector is proud of their collection, a hoarder is ashamed. That's the difference, not what the collection consists of. It's not our call to decide what's useless trash and not. Most people would deem old electronics useless trash as well, and they throw it out! But with time, even the trashiest trash will become collector's items, because every "normal" person has discarded it.
Well said! There are 4 classes of hoard: * The collection. Well cared for, at least somewhat well curated and documented. * The directed hoard. Stuff that you know could be useful for parts or in itself. * The junkpile. Any maker knows that they are going to need small wood offcuts, small bits of metal etc. * The stuff that was meant to go out for the trash collection, but .... ooh, I just had an idea for that Sparx 'n' Bangs 1400 trombliser that I picked up last week! Keep on hoarding, Fran, you're in good company.
A hoarder is someone who's hopes/dreams for things exceed the about if time they have or have left. Making them give up something means that the associated hope/dream must die. I sure hope a good technical museum comes along. I have my own pile of "stuff" to contribute.
I have an 8mm Film splicer that I used as a kid to view all the family films. There is something very special, and fragile, about film. I have a few little obsolete pieces of technology that I used when I was a kid that I just can't let go of. I am not anywhere NEAR your level of cool stuff...but I feel ya sister!
Many great ideas of the science and tech are present in the functioning of that collection and not the same amount of inventivity can be found in the modern "artifacts". To me, a guy working with the tech, from old to newest, your documentary is really an excellent scool for young and old engineers.
When I was 8 in 68 I had a huge box of vacuum tubes I would accumulate, my dads friends would drop off old black and white tv's that didn't work. I would take out all the tubes in the tv, take them to the grocery store and test all the tubes on the tester. There would always be 5 or 6 dead or weak tubes. I would go thru my box of tubes and find the ones I needed and get the tv working. So I would have a tv in my man cave before the term man cave was invented.
I hoard things too. I own a PC repair business and I am constantly looking at a piece of plastic or an excess piece of something that I cut and I will convince myself that someday I will need this. Or, "someday may need to space an LCD with a wedge and this would be perfect" kind of stuff. smh
Good stuff, Fran! The world definitely needs more good physical science & tech museums displaying unique physical tech things in a way that shows & explains clever mechanisms. Sooo many creative productive people owe much of their young inspiration to science, tech, and machinery museums.
I think there's two ways to differentiate between hoarding and collecting. One, as you say, is by the value people ascribe to the collection. Is it trash? or is it treasure?. That evaluation is totally subjective. The other thing is how the habit of hoarding or collecting affects your life, what you manage to make of it, creative or destructive, or nil, and if you judge it to be a problem. For a long time I hoarded / collected records, tapes, tape machines, turntables, synthesizers, etc. In retrospect I understand that early in life, I hoarded things because I had to invest myself emotionally into something, like any other human being, but being very isolated as a child and not knowing people, I found value in unwanted things that were available to me. Fast forward a decade or two, I made something creatively of what I found, and thru that I discovered other human beings, and my values evolved, but due partly to my habits and the path I took in life, I was still very isolated, and that frustrated me. The cost in time and space for my way of living was questionably high at times, by my own judgement, so over years I've progressively unhoarded. Funny thing. During the pandemic lockdowns it seems many people who were forced into isolation suddenly saw value in all those things that only weirdos like me otherwise recognised, and the dollar value skyrocketed. The typical hoarders vision for the future turned to reality, ironically. It's a real shame I got rid of so much prior to the pandemic. I could have sold it all, de-cluttered, and make a small fortune all at once. Other hoarders who never cleaned up their act previously are probably raking it in right now.
I am a recent subscriber. And I did not know that there are two of us. I thought myself crazy because I was so different. You are so honest with yourself and us as well as concise, at he same time. I don't have a physical horde but I do have a horde of knowledge, much like you.
What you are doing has huge value to society. I have few regrets. Three involve items I threw away in a fit of cleaning up or pleasing someone else. I keep hearing people misinterpret what Marie Kondo said in her book, especially as an opportunity to judge the belongings of others.
Fran, you do have a unique collection. I was so pleased to hear that you have requested the collection distributed to various places. Consider the Smithsonian, as well as, the Nat'l Air Museum across from it. Their was a mayor of Pensacola FL who did massive collecting. The old city hall is now called T.T. Wentworth Museum.
Glad to hear you have aligned yourself with a museum. It will be a tragedy if you pass without a home for your collection. Far too many collections are lost forever when "hoarders" pass on. I too have an extensive collection of 100+ yearold electrical equipment and I need to do the same!
I started my working life in the British Army as a Vehicle Mechanic in early 1966 and came out of the Army late '79. I carried on as a mechanic for a further two years and finally took an office job in '81. However, during those 16 years, whenever there was a requirement for a special tool to get between those two fittings or round that bend, I would make one. Today, I have two full-height chest toolboxes, one of which contains all the standard stuff a mechanic would have whilst the other contains all those tools that I've not generally needed for decades and in most cases, would never need again, although a month or so ago I did need a specially modified ¼ Whitworth spanner from 1968 for a totally unrelated purpose. I've made provision in my will that they will go to the local Young Offender's Institute because I won't need them when I've gone. Hopefully they'll be of some use to all the car enthusiasts incarcerated there.
From a fellow collector & preserver of history, I agree with you 100% History seems to be forgotten these days, so I do my best to teach my children the ways of old. Please keep up the awesome videos Fran, they are very entertaining.
The most one of a kind item in your lab is you. We're all curators of our lives. Big difference that you are a 'maker' and actually use stuff. Hope your move is as smooth as possible and look forward to seeing your new digs.
Love your work Fran. I'm thankful for your hoarding and sacrifices and sharing. They bring me knowledge and appreciation for engineering, creativity and innovation. Your hoarding allows me to understand the progression of tech that I lived through but never fully understood. Thank you. Bravo and keep it up as long as it makes you happy and fulfills you. It doesn't make sense to serve something that doesn't serve you.
I cleaned my basement shop out in 2018. Now I have to buy things that I had for years, bad move. Thanks to you Fran I will now add a sign that says museum instead of shop.
I grew up on a farm and the older barn main floor was basically a hoard of random stuff. When I moved to college I realized how much I missed it. I couldn't just randomly decide to make something one afternoon, because there wasn't a big heap of stuff to work with. These days I'm able to kind of split the difference and instead of leftover junk, I can have a set of organizers with selected parts there specifically so I don't have to run to the store for every little screw or nut when I decide to make something.
When I built models, I had to keep so many things that would have made me a hoarder… however I actually used the items I kept. I think hoarding also implies something that is unhealthy. But clearly Fran is not unhealthy!!
Totally agreed. My hoard enables me to very quickly fix (or make) just about anything. I have also learned that having a lot of the same or similar items in the hoard somehow hyper-magnifies the overall lifetime utility.
I think it's the non-hoarders who may need treatment, personally. Non-hoarding is a large part of why we have a messed up environment, and face the likelihood of running out of certain resources during the lifetimes of people already living. Non-hoarders buy things, use them for a while or don't use them, then throw them away, or, ideally, pass them on or sell them to hoarders. They have a constant turnover of possessions, creating a stream of things they don't want or need, much of it going into land-fills. Non-hoarders contribute to the destruction of the environment much more than hoarders, and they try to inflict their wasteful way of living on the rest of us, by trying to convince us that conserving items and resources is an illness.
@@TooSlowTube This is an excellent point and it needs to get more attention! Turns out the "truly sick hoarders" you speak of have their hoard after all - it's just out of sight in the landfill and has zero utility! Another headwind is that unfortunately us "curated hoarders" get lumped in with the "evil hoarders" - those who are irrationally hogging certain supplies such as toilet paper, solely based on the fear that there won't be enough to go around at some future point in time. Completely different thing in reality.. 🤷♂️
A major benefit of having historical objects, such as yours, is for generations to see, feel, experience evolutions of processes, designs, engineering, inspiration, fabrication and such, that foster further benefits of endless kinds. It is how advancement works, and helps to prevent reinventing stuff. I have already heard, from some of your viewer mail and comments, exactly this process. Creativity and invention doesn't exist in a vacuum of only the latest gizmo. Not only are you a curator, but you are a teacher! Please continue to the extent you remain safe, healthy and energized.
Fran... I can relate to your passions and worries all rolled up in one. Once again hallo from Cullinan (the famous Diamond mining town) in South Africa! I love watching your videos and explanations of weird and wonderful stuff. Keep it up!
I hoard old books of a lot of this subject matter... proudly. They’re on shelves, or in boxes. I’m not tripping over them (yet), so I’m not too worried about it. Some day, it could be a library. Thank you. Good work. I LOVE those films! Keep ‘em coming!😁
I love the curating bit so much, and then browsing the curation as I build. The things I make and repair ALWAYS surprise me in how the materials come together. But i do think of how kido will deal with it all, and that does mean I "clean house" from time to time.
The technology knowledge gap is real, you point it out and preserve it at the same time,curation is key and every video you do brings that gap closer together. Leaving the physical Lab to a museum(s) is a fitting testament to a life long obsession, keep it up!
I cannot describe the pain of using the last tl072 or ca3080 in my stash. Even running low on 10k ohm resistors gives me cold sweats. It's gotten so bad that even though I have a quite large inventory of Wima caps I'll still use any other equivalent cap in my inventory in a given project just so I don't run low on them. I certainly see the equivalency between my stock and hoarding!
Speaking of technical museums, a hugely formative experience for me as a kid, was taking classes on electronics at the Pavek Museum of Broadcasting in Minnesota. They have quite the cool hoard, and members like yourself to run the classes and teach us what all those curiosities do, and how they work, and even demo them. They even run a (very low power) radio station. Last I checked they're still around, so if you ever make it to the upper Midwest pay them a visit
It's great to hang on to bits and pieces of stuff you might restore or repair if you have the space. I find it happens to often "I should have never chucked that fanorkinizer piece, I could use it to finish this creation" Cheers and thanks! I have the same drill press - works well and was a good deal.
I feel you, Fran. I wish I was young enough to be able to volunteer to provide continuity, but we are actually in the same boat on our journey back to the great ocean. Thee is so much that I feel is worthy of preserving that time will wash away ...like tears in rain. I'm not gonna rant because I'm sure you know all the words. Amen and Amen
If you save nixie tubes, you're a collector. If you save used toothpaste tubes, you're a hoarder. I'm glad someone is preserving these techno-gadgets from the past.
Fran continues to warm our hearts with amazement and joy of the human sprite, thankyou for for your continued time and efforts to educate and inspire makers all over the world 😍
Fun fact: I touched and handled many old film reels, including reels from Wizard of Oz and Gone With the Wind, during a summer temp job several blue moons ago, some 650 feet below ground in the middle of nowhere (where they were stored), inspecting old film, getting them out of rusty tins and in better containers, and checking if they smelt like 'vinegar.' If they stunk then they went back to Burbank for restoration.
Hey Fran, I'm not sure if you'll ever see this, but I'd just like to say that it's people on the internet like you, Adam Savage (and of course, Mythbusters), Techmoan, LGR, and others that fuel my desire to learn more about technology and manufacturing, especially regarding things that no longer /are/ manufactured. I've watched you since middle school and am now in a post-college IT-related career setting and I still get excited when you cover a light bulb, LED, or other special component that I would've otherwise never known existed. Your recent film conversions have been great to watch during my lunch break as well, I might add! I truly hope you don't get discouraged over the negative things that being a creator on RUclips can bring... Like you said, "careful curated hoarding is essential to preserving history" and being able to take all of this information you have and present it to the world - is truly worth any backlash you may receive. In terms of your collection becoming a museum - not everyone is going to dig it, but there will always be enthusiasts that stop by and celebrate it. I'm proud to say I'm one of the latter. Take care, and much appreciation from Pittsburgh, HTHGaming / Mark
Besides curation, another hallmark of "not a hoarder" is if you're willing to share / sell / trade some of your collection with someone who can make use of it.
Well spoken! I am 57 now and things I saw pop up already disapperead again (CRT Colour TVs, CD, DVD, the Concorde, OS/2, the Space Shuttle, Card Phone Booths, etc, etc...) Keep on curated hoarding! :-)
Hi Fran, I can see wall space behind you, plenty more space for racking? I work in electronics design and there is almost no wall space for racks of components etc.
Society is moving fast, I don’t blame people from not knowing the past, it’s hard enough to keep up with the present. You should be happy to teach young folks about our old technology I don’t think it’s any different than our fathers and grand fathers not knowing so much about steam engines and machines. Thanks for doing this and don’t be discouraged! You are bringing joy and knowledge to so many around you!
Back in the 1980s I worked in an electronics shop in Eatontown, NJ. They used to get a lot of surplus gear and my job would be to sort out the good stuff from the junk. I loved doing that and learned a great deal from the owner. That shop is gone as is most of the gear. I often thought I'd start one up again in my retirement but that's not looking likely. Good for you Fran, it is important. These old technologies are not completely without use and may serve us again one day.
Joined your patreon. Love your hoard and love your vids! And not as a cult of personality but because i love the legacy/vintage electronics. But you're cool too.
I am not sure if i have a problem. As example, i still have my old nikon F5 and 8mm projector but i also have 8mm films. I dont use my F5 but it is mint and i like it. I dont think my F5 is hoarding but my original Fuji digital pro camera and canon digital camera may be. It is just that they work and still take good photos. I cannot toss my original commodore 64 because it is the only reason I got into graduate school. I also have vintage hand tools i use. It is a lot of stuff. I kind of have classified hoarding as saving stuff no one would value. Maybe i am wrong. I tossed.an awesome epson color laser printer last time i moved because all parts were discontinued and even getting supplies became a problem. It was 20 years old and it bothers me that it is still better that any small business printer i have seen to date. I am annoyed that we have no desire to maintain products I can go into more detail in another comment sometime
Thanks Fran well said i always love to see older stuff after all it was here before todays stuff which most of is improvements on older stuff like looking at out ancestors than then our children realising the change and time frame of the events
Love you Fran, keep hoarding your amazing discoveries for us, you're of great importance, I also love the retro videos you put up, they remind me of BBC2 at 4am on weekends in the early 90s...they had very good retro science programs! I miss those days
Your videos left me in awe about the technological achievements in the past, many times! And I am 59! Another aspect often overlooked, is the role old tech can play in conjunction with new tech. A Venus mission has to deal with >400 C°, >1300 PSI, and Sulphuric acid. There are planes for mechanical devices that combine modern materials with early 20th and 19th century tech! In terms of attitude of young people I find the lomography movement encouraging: There are a lot of 20 to 25 year old who learn analogue photography! I think you channel is precious for cultural reasons BUT also for the sake of our future, especially if things continue to go downhill! What use will be Hightech if you are on a place where you only have electricity one hour per day? Keep up the excellent work! We need you!
Average age 50, huh? At 48, I finally parted with a lot of my "crap" (a lot of it just acquired electronics and test equipment -- I was a sucker for anything vintage with displays [VFD in particular 😍], buttons, dials, switches, gauges, you name it). But I made sure most of it (that mattered) went to good homes who'd appreciate it, etc. I was just finally ready to simplify and let go of stuff I hadn't tinkered with in ages. I'm past my prime. It's all good.
You had me at Curated Hoarding.
Had me @ ‘in whatever this is’.
I'm a maker, I'm a tinkerer, I fix stuff. We could be friends. I respect what you do and who you are. Keep being you and stay true to your art, you are cool and unique. I like that in a human.
My dad brought home stuff CONSTANTLY from the Bell Labs "junk pile" over the years. He worked for W-E and Bell Labs as a physicist from 1929 to 1969 - an amazing period of technological advances. So I appreciate your collection. I still have a portion of his. I salivated for days when I saw what you got from a college EE lab when it moved. Glad to hear you have a new place to move to.
I'll bet you have some cool tube equipment...
So nicely said. Makes me feel better already ;-)
Well said, if you don’t have it on hand you’re probably not gonna find it either. 😉
@@sammcdonald769 for someone like me who is not necessarily "up to anything" I am starting to see that attitude as a liability that fills my garage with junk. lol
The Franklin Institute should give serious consideration to developing a Fran Blanche wing 👍
People forget that a disorder is only a disorder when it's maladaptive. People can have all sorts of personality traits and peculiarities, and as long as these don't bother them or people around them and aren't likely to ruin their life, it's not a disorder!
Odds are, if your personality wasn't inclined to hoarding, you wouldn't be doing most of the things you do.
Do you have to move every couple of years? Do you constantly have to ask people for money? Do you not enjoy moving and organising your stuff, or most of your stuff? Then you've got a problem(s). It might not be a 'disorder'; but, it is still a problem.
I grab things even if I don't need them at the time, knowing that if I pass I'll never see another one again. Every time I throw something away, down the line it comes back to haunt me when I actually need it. When I need something it's there. Saves both time and money. It seems like we are all labeled as hoarders. Guilty as charged.
@@benkleschinsky When I think of hoarders... I 'see' piles of newspapers, pop cans, random pieces of paper, various, and copius, dilapidated... and well used... plush toys... really just random manufactured commodity items... some of the behaviour that generates this is probably associated with some form of 'mental illness.'
I was the kid that had to know how everything worked. I was an "AV assistant" in grade school in the 60's. My mother was slowly going for a master's degree in librarian sciences at that time. She relied on my technical knowledge about classroom equipment to help her understand better in operations. I've always taken things apart to see how they work (still do) it did take more time to figure out how to put them back together so they work again. There are times as I've learned that you need to temper your need to know not to destroy but to gain knowledge, albeit a small increment at a time.
These very interesting 50 and 60 films are a very good introspective of the technology and mindset of the times. I remember some of these first person.
Thank you so much for these cherished memories and bringing up some of my younger memories as well✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨🌟
*Great quote: "The only difference between a Pile of crap and a Museum ...is Curation"!*
I absolutely love your exploration of the history of tech. The way those engineers solved their problems through such inventive solutions always astound me. DON'T THROW YOUR COLLECTION OUT!
Yes yes yes! I am all about curating a collection for historical purposes, I’m so relieved to hear that your collection will be preserved after you pass. It’s so important, we absolutely must preserve the past to learn from it, especially with people actually trying to erase parts of it.
Do you know about Sam from Look Mum No Computer and This Museum is Not Obsolete? It seems like you two should definitely be in contact, his museum would be the perfect place for some of your stuff to be preserved, for sure. Check it out!
Yeah, great example and idea!
A weed, I have been told, is any plant growing where it is not supposed to be growing. That begs the question of who decides what is supposed to be growing where if not the plant, and what happens when there is a disagreement of what is supposed to grow where. What happens when one person sees a garden brimming with exotic variety and bloom potential, and another person sees only an overgrown lot full of weeds? As both a gardener and a maker, I look at my junk and my garden the same, my junk is a garden, what I make from it are the blooms. The more variety the greater the cross-pollination and the better the harvest. Keep tending your garden, Fran, we will keep supporting you so we all can enjoy the harvest.
My husband and I just moved. It was quite the ordeal for him, as I have always considered him a bit of "well organized" hoarder. However, now that we are living up on a mountain, with no real support group to speak of, I have come to realize that the things that he kept were all (more or less) very useful "what if" items and tools. I think, and this is just my musings, that if items have legitimate use/value, AND you have more than enough space for yourselves (no stepping around or over things), AND you know what you have and where it is, then it's less hoarding and more utility. For example I never understood why he kept an old milk crate full of "junk" in the garage, until our power went out, and the backup generator we were using konked out at 1am. He dug an old carburator? out of that magic milk crate, rebuilt the old gaser-maker in about ten minutes, and we had electricity again. So I think that if you have limits on the amount/type of stuff, AND you follow the 'ANDS', then you're not a hoarder. If your stuff takes up more living space than you do, then probably it's time for a cleanse (and a move is a great time to do it!).
I too collect useful and valuable things (to me) and I get called a ”hoarder”. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I love your Sweet Jane Fran, I am a huge VU fan.
I follow my dad in that sense. You never know when you might need that busted shovel handle!
Ive had a few events in life that required a clear out of my hoard. I'm glad I kept "the best bits" and it is a relief to have less "stuff" in the way.
After dipping my toe into minimalism, I realized that the creative types who have advertised this lifestyle generally are writers. Even in Japan, where there is a minimalist aesthetic, workshops are crammed with stuff. So I agree with Fran---if you're making things, you need lots of stuff on hand. Still, for me, there is some level where the difficulty of curation out-weighs the value of quick access.
I'm a professional woodworker and I have three length sorted piles of usable scraps and cutoffs that I do not consider "junk". A good part of it consists of hardwoods and good plywood, but there's also some cdx and douglas fir in there too. It's a palette to draw from when i need need to cobble something together. My hoard isn't really a hoard because it's useful, and I'd say yours is too. Best wishes and much love.
I think the difference between a hoarder and a collector or accumulator has to do with organization of the material and the reality of the value placed on the material. I found that stuff expands to fit the space available for it. I bring a lot of stuff home from work because it is too nice to throw away but not worth enough to sell. I am happy to give it away to keep it out of the landfill but that takes effort. I do hoarder cleanups where the person is so divorced from reality that they are spending time and money when moving to load up boxes of old newspapers, broken hangers, and 50 year old clothes. As long as your storehouse of items brings you value either as material for making RUclips content or future project material I wouldn't consider it hoarding. If it went to the point that random boxes of stuff started to fill rooms up to the ceiling and you had to walk a narrow aisle between piles then you might have a problem.
My job was cleaning up after hoarders and every one of my clients were at least interesting people! If it doesn’t cause problems it’s not a problem. Your stuff is cool.
That is a very kind response.
You're doing fine Fran. You too are precious and, dare I say, worthy of curation.
Wow! This video is deep! The deepest explanation for our type of "hoarding". I have recently thought about this myself because I was wondering if I am just hoarding or if I need a bunch of stuff to make and fix things. And its true! To be a creator or technician, you need parts, tools, and materials!
Also, I am only 26 and I have shot, developed, and projected my own super 8 film, and I love film photography. Also I love to work on repairing vintage electronics like vacuum tube stuff, tape recorders, and other music related gear. But really I am just getting started in it.
Thank you for confirming that it is okay to have a lot of things! Minimalism is not my style haha!
Love you and your work so much Fran...You are a lady after my own heart ! Loved your collection and screening of old films too... Don't know anyone else who could make videos, so passionately about a pencil !!
You are the best. God Bless and be around many, many more years for us !!! 🌹💋❤️
Thanks so much Fran. That video explained to me stuff that I do and why I do it. I collect and fully restore old (1930s - 1950s) radios and TVs and old ham radio gear. We need a 'hoard' of parts, but it's no good having them if you forget you have them or can't find them. I've made a will and hope my good stuff (and maybe I should identify what that is!) goes to a good home - along with its documentation.
Fran you bring a tear to the eye. I'm sure that your collection will go in good hands but meanwhile you have so much left to do. Yes I do remember my urge to collect components that were rare. Back in east Germany everything was rare. Luckily as a student I could source heaps of caps since the place of education was right next to the capacitor manufacturer and they always had full dumpsters. My later work as circuit designer or electronics engineer as you say today let the collection urge die a little. But when emigrating to Canada and starting at zero it all came back but at that time was no longer necessary because everything is readily available. The decision to do electronics in form of computing and therefore programming eliminated the need for collecting stuff because the resources of a PC even in the late 80"s are so much more empowering. I found that developing simulations can give a similar joy than prototyping on the bench. Anyways this was just my sentiment reflected from your story.
Thanks Fran!
An aside to your simulation work I've found some satisfaction just drawing diagrams and making lists. There is a burden on the mind when managing interests of a wide scope and substantial material assets.
Go to the Mercer Museum! It's exactly what you describe: a single individual saving what was common technology for posterity and eventually presenting it in a museum.
You should try the Sanderson Museum in Chadds Ford. When you hear the story it truly was a case of a hoarder that actually collected some historic artifacts.
I am a total hoarder then. I love vintage things, they’re all like relics that we will never have in the same way again.
Fran, I believe we are about the same age and can appreciate how you feel and what you do. Keep on keeping on my dear.
Excellent perspective here. I own about 6000 vinyl records and am old enough to remember watching home movies on a blank white wall with fam.
I till remember the rhythmic sound of the film flicking after it ran off of the reel.
Cheers!
I am quite happy I stumbled onto your channel a few weeks ago. I am a ham radio guy and realy enjoy your content. I recently help my 94 year old ham friend go through his collection of radio gear and parts. He had been collecting them since he was in the 8th grade. It took 3 months to go through it all and find new homes for the good stuff. Fran, I think you are a unique person and a real gem to be honest. Thank you for sharing your passion for the evolution of the real technology. ❤
I'd say there's a particular difference between keeping bits of string or old newspaper and material related to a particular interest, particularly things of historical or educational note.
When I moved five years ago, I threw out A LOT of things ( depressed borderline hoarder)crammed into my former place. And it was a physical and spiritual cleansing. And since then I've kept to my possessions to the minimum. Just keeping items that truly mean something to my psychological make up and/or taste for nostalgia. I've giving things away or tossed them out in recent times. Being 51 I've realized my meter is running out and what's the point? The Materialists (Robert Anton Wilson territory here) needed to be kept in check. We're all just specks in the universe.
I showed my kids a cassette adaptor for a car and they were blown away. And I will never forget when I forwarded a vhs message on screen and my kids had no idea what was going on, it’s fun explaining it to them though.
I hoard because I see a reuse for inventing, most people cannot get their heads around this. When I chuck things away I later find a use for it, and end up buying a replacement, that feels bad. Today we should be proud of reusing and hoarding and not feeling guilty.
I'm "as old as dirt", and I love your channel. I watch your videos because I know nothing about electronics, and find it fascinating.
You're a lovely host.
Technology moves so fast that technical marvels are hardly appreciated when they are new, let alone after the next innovation comes along to push it out of the limelight. Kudos to everyone who loves old technology enough to preserve it for (and, via YT videos, teach it to) future generations.
I once heard the good advice, "Whatever you own, owns you." This was in the context of actual museum curating, but I believe applies to individuals, too. For myself, I have too much "stuff" around although I have been getting rid of some of it so somebody else can sit have it clutter their place for no good reason instead of cluttering my place for no good reason. A related issue is how you can end up with so much stuff in the first place. I think it is the "thrill of the hunt" for some. You find something you've been looking for and feel excited about getting it. And then it sits and is quickly forgotten as you move on to the next "urgency". Or suddenly there is something you just HAVE to have. No matter that five minutes ago, before you became aware of it, it wasn't even on your radar. I know how it can be VERY hard for some to get rid of things. Just get rid of something anyway, and after a brief "mourning" period, you will likely forget all about it. The "it" wasn't all that important after all.
There's much truth to what you say. It's a balancing act.
Because of the popular TV show "hoarders" people who collect things sometimes go through needless introspection as to questioning if they themselves are a hoarder. There is a difference between a true hoarder and a person who collects antiques, vintage electronics and interesting items of oddity. A true hoarder allows trash, cardboard boxes, empty cans, plastic bags along with typical rummage sale household fluff such as stuffed animals and kitchen gadgets to accumulate from floor to ceiling and wall to wall. The "hoard" is not a collection. It is an accumulation of useless trash. The afore mentioned "collector" (like I am) can lose control by collecting far more that his/her dwelling can hold. Often the out of control collector will rent storage lockers to hold the overflow of collected items. I think my house has become "cluttered" and so I no longer add anything to my collection if I have no place to display said item. Although I think my house is a tad cluttered it is actually in order. Everything has a place and my friends who visit do not view my home as cluttered. You are not a hoarder and neither am I.
A collector is proud of their collection, a hoarder is ashamed. That's the difference, not what the collection consists of. It's not our call to decide what's useless trash and not. Most people would deem old electronics useless trash as well, and they throw it out! But with time, even the trashiest trash will become collector's items, because every "normal" person has discarded it.
Well said!
There are 4 classes of hoard:
* The collection. Well cared for, at least somewhat well curated and documented.
* The directed hoard. Stuff that you know could be useful for parts or in itself.
* The junkpile. Any maker knows that they are going to need small wood offcuts, small bits of metal etc.
* The stuff that was meant to go out for the trash collection, but .... ooh, I just had an idea for that Sparx 'n' Bangs 1400 trombliser that I picked up last week!
Keep on hoarding, Fran, you're in good company.
A hoarder is someone who's hopes/dreams for things exceed the about if time they have or have left. Making them give up something means that the associated hope/dream must die. I sure hope a good technical museum comes along. I have my own pile of "stuff" to contribute.
Fantastic! Preserving our material history is vital.
I save/hoard every useful item that I can use to build with. For you, it is truly history and I love that! I learn so much from you!
I have an 8mm Film splicer that I used as a kid to view all the family films. There is something very special, and fragile, about film. I have a few little obsolete pieces of technology that I used when I was a kid that I just can't let go of. I am not anywhere NEAR your level of cool stuff...but I feel ya sister!
I’m 65 years old and didn’t know about NIXIE TUBES until your channel. Now I have 8 Nixie tubes clocks and counting. Thanks for archiving.
Many great ideas of the science and tech are present in the functioning of that collection and not the same amount of inventivity can be found in the modern "artifacts". To me, a guy working with the tech, from old to newest, your documentary is really an excellent scool for young and old engineers.
Fran. I feel you. I too “collect” (some will say hoard) difference is most of mine is junk.
One person's junk is another one's treasure :)
I love it when you post older films their amazing and have great memories.
When I was 8 in 68 I had a huge box of vacuum tubes I would accumulate, my dads friends would drop off old black and white tv's that didn't work. I would take out all the tubes in the tv, take them to the grocery store and test all the tubes on the tester. There would always be 5 or 6 dead or weak tubes. I would go thru my box of tubes and find the ones I needed and get the tv working. So I would have a tv in my man cave before the term man cave was invented.
Thank you Fran for all you do. The lab/museum where you work, in its infancy is very cool. Looking forward to “the new setup.”
I hoard things too. I own a PC repair business and I am constantly looking at a piece of plastic or an excess piece of something that I cut and I will convince myself that someday I will need this. Or, "someday may need to space an LCD with a wedge and this would be perfect" kind of stuff. smh
i'm an artist and model builder. i have a foot locker full of bits, greebies and junk. I admire your concept of curatorship :) cheers!
You are valuable and worthy. Thank you for your willingness to share and preserve.
Good stuff, Fran! The world definitely needs more good physical science & tech museums displaying unique physical tech things in a way that shows & explains clever mechanisms. Sooo many creative productive people owe much of their young inspiration to science, tech, and machinery museums.
Nice new corner logo Fran! And great to see you on cam again always nice to listen to you!
Your channel is really a gold mine , thanks for your job to share all these nugets !!!
I think there's two ways to differentiate between hoarding and collecting. One, as you say, is by the value people ascribe to the collection. Is it trash? or is it treasure?. That evaluation is totally subjective. The other thing is how the habit of hoarding or collecting affects your life, what you manage to make of it, creative or destructive, or nil, and if you judge it to be a problem.
For a long time I hoarded / collected records, tapes, tape machines, turntables, synthesizers, etc. In retrospect I understand that early in life, I hoarded things because I had to invest myself emotionally into something, like any other human being, but being very isolated as a child and not knowing people, I found value in unwanted things that were available to me.
Fast forward a decade or two, I made something creatively of what I found, and thru that I discovered other human beings, and my values evolved, but due partly to my habits and the path I took in life, I was still very isolated, and that frustrated me. The cost in time and space for my way of living was questionably high at times, by my own judgement, so over years I've progressively unhoarded.
Funny thing. During the pandemic lockdowns it seems many people who were forced into isolation suddenly saw value in all those things that only weirdos like me otherwise recognised, and the dollar value skyrocketed. The typical hoarders vision for the future turned to reality, ironically. It's a real shame I got rid of so much prior to the pandemic. I could have sold it all, de-cluttered, and make a small fortune all at once. Other hoarders who never cleaned up their act previously are probably raking it in right now.
I am a recent subscriber. And I did not know that there are two of us. I thought myself crazy because I was so different. You are so honest with yourself and us as well as concise, at he same time. I don't have a physical horde but I do have a horde of knowledge, much like you.
Fran, you rock! Keep up the great and essential work, you get nary the credit you deserve. You are an invaluable asset to humanity.
What you are doing has huge value to society.
I have few regrets. Three involve items I threw away in a fit of cleaning up or pleasing someone else.
I keep hearing people misinterpret what Marie Kondo said in her book, especially as an opportunity to judge the belongings of others.
Fran, you do have a unique collection. I was so pleased to hear that you have requested the collection distributed to various places. Consider the Smithsonian, as well as, the Nat'l Air Museum across from it. Their was a mayor of Pensacola FL who did massive collecting. The old city hall is now called T.T. Wentworth Museum.
Glad to hear you have aligned yourself with a museum. It will be a tragedy if you pass without a home for your collection. Far too many collections are lost forever when "hoarders" pass on. I too have an extensive collection of 100+ yearold electrical equipment and I need to do the same!
I started my working life in the British Army as a Vehicle Mechanic in early 1966 and came out of the Army late '79. I carried on as a mechanic for a further two years and finally took an office job in '81. However, during those 16 years, whenever there was a requirement for a special tool to get between those two fittings or round that bend, I would make one. Today, I have two full-height chest toolboxes, one of which contains all the standard stuff a mechanic would have whilst the other contains all those tools that I've not generally needed for decades and in most cases, would never need again, although a month or so ago I did need a specially modified ¼ Whitworth spanner from 1968 for a totally unrelated purpose. I've made provision in my will that they will go to the local Young Offender's Institute because I won't need them when I've gone. Hopefully they'll be of some use to all the car enthusiasts incarcerated there.
From a fellow collector & preserver of history, I agree with you 100% History seems to be forgotten these days, so I do my best to teach my children the ways of old.
Please keep up the awesome videos Fran, they are very entertaining.
The most one of a kind item in your lab is you. We're all curators of our lives. Big difference that you are a 'maker' and actually use stuff. Hope your move is as smooth as possible and look forward to seeing your new digs.
Love your work Fran. I'm thankful for your hoarding and sacrifices and sharing. They bring me knowledge and appreciation for engineering, creativity and innovation. Your hoarding allows me to understand the progression of tech that I lived through but never fully understood. Thank you. Bravo and keep it up as long as it makes you happy and fulfills you. It doesn't make sense to serve something that doesn't serve you.
I can relate to what you're saying. I have been wondering lately what I'm going to do with my particular collection when I pass. No dumpsters allowed!
I cleaned my basement shop out in 2018. Now I have to buy things that I had for years, bad move. Thanks to you Fran I will now add a sign that says museum instead of shop.
I grew up on a farm and the older barn main floor was basically a hoard of random stuff. When I moved to college I realized how much I missed it. I couldn't just randomly decide to make something one afternoon, because there wasn't a big heap of stuff to work with.
These days I'm able to kind of split the difference and instead of leftover junk, I can have a set of organizers with selected parts there specifically so I don't have to run to the store for every little screw or nut when I decide to make something.
When I built models, I had to keep so many things that would have made me a hoarder… however I actually used the items I kept. I think hoarding also implies something that is unhealthy. But clearly Fran is not unhealthy!!
Totally agreed. My hoard enables me to very quickly fix (or make) just about anything.
I have also learned that having a lot of the same or similar items in the hoard somehow hyper-magnifies the overall lifetime utility.
I think it's the non-hoarders who may need treatment, personally. Non-hoarding is a large part of why we have a messed up environment, and face the likelihood of running out of certain resources during the lifetimes of people already living.
Non-hoarders buy things, use them for a while or don't use them, then throw them away, or, ideally, pass them on or sell them to hoarders. They have a constant turnover of possessions, creating a stream of things they don't want or need, much of it going into land-fills.
Non-hoarders contribute to the destruction of the environment much more than hoarders, and they try to inflict their wasteful way of living on the rest of us, by trying to convince us that conserving items and resources is an illness.
@@TooSlowTube This is an excellent point and it needs to get more attention! Turns out the "truly sick hoarders" you speak of have their hoard after all - it's just out of sight in the landfill and has zero utility!
Another headwind is that unfortunately us "curated hoarders" get lumped in with the "evil hoarders" - those who are irrationally hogging certain supplies such as toilet paper, solely based on the fear that there won't be enough to go around at some future point in time. Completely different thing in reality.. 🤷♂️
A major benefit of having historical objects, such as yours, is for generations to see, feel, experience evolutions of processes, designs, engineering, inspiration, fabrication and such, that foster further benefits of endless kinds. It is how advancement works, and helps to prevent reinventing stuff. I have already heard, from some of your viewer mail and comments, exactly this process. Creativity and invention doesn't exist in a vacuum of only the latest gizmo. Not only are you a curator, but you are a teacher! Please continue to the extent you remain safe, healthy and energized.
Fran... I can relate to your passions and worries all rolled up in one. Once again hallo from Cullinan (the famous Diamond mining town) in South Africa! I love watching your videos and explanations of weird and wonderful stuff. Keep it up!
I hoard old books of a lot of this subject matter... proudly. They’re on shelves, or in boxes. I’m not tripping over them (yet), so I’m not too worried about it. Some day, it could be a library. Thank you. Good work. I LOVE those films! Keep ‘em coming!😁
I'm a member of the same tribe, Fran. Thanks for doing what you do.
I love the curating bit so much, and then browsing the curation as I build. The things I make and repair ALWAYS surprise me in how the materials come together. But i do think of how kido will deal with it all, and that does mean I "clean house" from time to time.
I have to throw lots of stuff out. It's just the stuff that stays that really piles up over time!
The technology knowledge gap is real, you point it out and preserve it at the same time,curation is key and every video you do brings that gap closer together. Leaving the physical Lab to a museum(s) is a fitting testament to a life long obsession, keep it up!
I cannot describe the pain of using the last tl072 or ca3080 in my stash. Even running low on 10k ohm resistors gives me cold sweats. It's gotten so bad that even though I have a quite large inventory of Wima caps I'll still use any other equivalent cap in my inventory in a given project just so I don't run low on them. I certainly see the equivalency between my stock and hoarding!
Speaking of technical museums, a hugely formative experience for me as a kid, was taking classes on electronics at the Pavek Museum of Broadcasting in Minnesota. They have quite the cool hoard, and members like yourself to run the classes and teach us what all those curiosities do, and how they work, and even demo them. They even run a (very low power) radio station.
Last I checked they're still around, so if you ever make it to the upper Midwest pay them a visit
It's great to hang on to bits and pieces of stuff you might restore or repair if you have the space. I find it happens to often "I should have never chucked that fanorkinizer piece, I could use it to finish this creation" Cheers and thanks! I have the same drill press - works well and was a good deal.
I feel you, Fran. I wish I was young enough to be able to volunteer to provide continuity, but we are actually in the same boat on our journey back to the great ocean. Thee is so much that I feel is worthy of preserving that time will wash away ...like tears in rain. I'm not gonna rant because I'm sure you know all the words. Amen and Amen
Love the films you are posting these past few weeks.
If you save nixie tubes, you're a collector. If you save used toothpaste tubes, you're a hoarder. I'm glad someone is preserving these techno-gadgets from the past.
Fran continues to warm our hearts with amazement and joy of the human sprite, thankyou for for your continued time and efforts to educate and inspire makers all over the world 😍
Fun fact: I touched and handled many old film reels, including reels from Wizard of Oz and Gone With the Wind, during a summer temp job several blue moons ago, some 650 feet below ground in the middle of nowhere (where they were stored), inspecting old film, getting them out of rusty tins and in better containers, and checking if they smelt like 'vinegar.' If they stunk then they went back to Burbank for restoration.
Hey Fran,
I'm not sure if you'll ever see this, but I'd just like to say that it's people on the internet like you, Adam Savage (and of course, Mythbusters), Techmoan, LGR, and others that fuel my desire to learn more about technology and manufacturing, especially regarding things that no longer /are/ manufactured. I've watched you since middle school and am now in a post-college IT-related career setting and I still get excited when you cover a light bulb, LED, or other special component that I would've otherwise never known existed. Your recent film conversions have been great to watch during my lunch break as well, I might add! I truly hope you don't get discouraged over the negative things that being a creator on RUclips can bring... Like you said, "careful curated hoarding is essential to preserving history" and being able to take all of this information you have and present it to the world - is truly worth any backlash you may receive. In terms of your collection becoming a museum - not everyone is going to dig it, but there will always be enthusiasts that stop by and celebrate it. I'm proud to say I'm one of the latter.
Take care, and much appreciation from Pittsburgh,
HTHGaming / Mark
Besides curation, another hallmark of "not a hoarder" is if you're willing to share / sell / trade some of your collection with someone who can make use of it.
Well spoken! I am 57 now and things I saw pop up already disapperead again (CRT Colour TVs, CD, DVD, the Concorde, OS/2, the Space Shuttle, Card Phone Booths, etc, etc...) Keep on curated hoarding! :-)
You are someone with a big heart Fran!
Hi Fran, I can see wall space behind you, plenty more space for racking? I work in electronics design and there is almost no wall space for racks of components etc.
Good on you Fran. Carrying on the fine tradition of curated hoarding of Philly’s own Charles Wilson Peale!
Society is moving fast, I don’t blame people from not knowing the past, it’s hard enough to keep up with the present.
You should be happy to teach young folks about our old technology I don’t think it’s any different than our fathers and grand fathers not knowing so much about steam engines and machines.
Thanks for doing this and don’t be discouraged! You are bringing joy and knowledge to so many around you!
Back in the 1980s I worked in an electronics shop in Eatontown, NJ. They used to get a lot of surplus gear and my job would be to sort out the good stuff from the junk. I loved doing that and learned a great deal from the owner. That shop is gone as is most of the gear. I often thought I'd start one up again in my retirement but that's not looking likely. Good for you Fran, it is important. These old technologies are not completely without use and may serve us again one day.
Joined your patreon. Love your hoard and love your vids! And not as a cult of personality but because i love the legacy/vintage electronics. But you're cool too.
I am not sure if i have a problem. As example, i still have my old nikon F5 and 8mm projector but i also have 8mm films. I dont use my F5 but it is mint and i like it.
I dont think my F5 is hoarding but my original Fuji digital pro camera and canon digital camera may be. It is just that they work and still take good photos.
I cannot toss my original commodore 64 because it is the only reason I got into graduate school.
I also have vintage hand tools i use. It is a lot of stuff.
I kind of have classified hoarding as saving stuff no one would value.
Maybe i am wrong.
I tossed.an awesome epson color laser printer last time i moved because all parts were discontinued and even getting supplies became a problem. It was 20 years old and it bothers me that it is still better that any small business printer i have seen to date.
I am annoyed that we have no desire to maintain products
I can go into more detail in another comment sometime
Thanks Fran well said i always love to see older stuff after all it was here before todays stuff which most of is improvements on older stuff like looking at out ancestors than then our children realising the change and time frame of the events
Ideally you should mentor a young engineer with the same zest for these things as yourself and then bequeath it all to them.
Love you Fran, keep hoarding your amazing discoveries for us, you're of great importance, I also love the retro videos you put up, they remind me of BBC2 at 4am on weekends in the early 90s...they had very good retro science programs! I miss those days
Your videos left me in awe about the technological achievements in the past, many times! And I am 59! Another aspect often overlooked, is the role old tech can play in conjunction with new tech. A Venus mission has to deal with >400 C°, >1300 PSI, and Sulphuric acid. There are planes for mechanical devices that combine modern materials with early 20th and 19th century tech! In terms of attitude of young people I find the lomography movement encouraging: There are a lot of 20 to 25 year old who learn analogue photography! I think you channel is precious for cultural reasons BUT also for the sake of our future, especially if things continue to go downhill! What use will be Hightech if you are on a place where you only have electricity one hour per day? Keep up the excellent work! We need you!
theirs radio interference on the right side at 7:04
Fran you are really super cool. You bring inspiration. Keep it going.
@5:14 "....doesn't know what a Hasselblad is..." @5:17 Google is flooded with queries for"Hasselblad"
Average age 50, huh? At 48, I finally parted with a lot of my "crap" (a lot of it just acquired electronics and test equipment -- I was a sucker for anything vintage with displays [VFD in particular 😍], buttons, dials, switches, gauges, you name it). But I made sure most of it (that mattered) went to good homes who'd appreciate it, etc. I was just finally ready to simplify and let go of stuff I hadn't tinkered with in ages. I'm past my prime. It's all good.