What to do with old printers?

  • Thread starter Thread starter micky
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micky

I have my origina IBM Graphics Printer that I bought along with my PCJr
in 1983 or 4. And I have another dot matrix printer, with pin feed and
a few more buttons, that I got cheap or free maybe 10 years later.

And a vey small dot matrix printer that someone gave me for trying to
fix her computer. I took it because I thought I'd take it to a summer
weekend where 100 people or so were paying to come.

What should I do with these things. AFAIK they all work and I have a
new ribbon for the second one. At least it's unwrapped.

I don't want to leave them with a sign Free at a hamfest and have them
thrown away at the end of the day. I haven't tried but wrt the
suburban Freecycle club around here, I can't quite see members of that
wanting these things. After all, what I want too, and have, is a
wireless color printer/scanner/copier/fax. At the time it was only 100
dollars and worth it.

If these are thrown away, is there any point to taking them to Best
Buy's recycling, or might it be as well the municipal garbage? ;-(
 
I have my origina IBM Graphics Printer that I bought along with my PCJr
in 1983 or 4. And I have another dot matrix printer, with pin feed and
a few more buttons, that I got cheap or free maybe 10 years later.

And a vey small dot matrix printer that someone gave me for trying to
fix her computer. I took it because I thought I'd take it to a summer
weekend where 100 people or so were paying to come.

What should I do with these things. AFAIK they all work and I have a
new ribbon for the second one. At least it's unwrapped.

I don't want to leave them with a sign Free at a hamfest and have them
thrown away at the end of the day. I haven't tried but wrt the
suburban Freecycle club around here, I can't quite see members of that
wanting these things. After all, what I want too, and have, is a
wireless color printer/scanner/copier/fax. At the time it was only 100
dollars and worth it.

If these are thrown away, is there any point to taking them to Best
Buy's recycling, or might it be as well the municipal garbage? ;-(
Click to expand...

Some businesses still use them with tractor-feed carbonless forms, and
they also have stepper motors and gears that can be harvested for the
hobby crowd.

I like Grinder's suggestion to use ebay at a low initial bid, or you
might try craigslist.

Jon
 
micky said:
I have my origina IBM Graphics Printer that I bought along with my PCJr
in 1983 or 4. And I have another dot matrix printer, with pin feed and
a few more buttons, that I got cheap or free maybe 10 years later.

And a vey small dot matrix printer that someone gave me for trying to
fix her computer. I took it because I thought I'd take it to a summer
weekend where 100 people or so were paying to come.

What should I do with these things. AFAIK they all work and I have a
new ribbon for the second one. At least it's unwrapped.

I don't want to leave them with a sign Free at a hamfest and have them
thrown away at the end of the day. I haven't tried but wrt the
suburban Freecycle club around here, I can't quite see members of that
wanting these things. After all, what I want too, and have, is a
wireless color printer/scanner/copier/fax. At the time it was only 100
dollars and worth it.

If these are thrown away, is there any point to taking them to Best
Buy's recycling, or might it be as well the municipal garbage? ;-(
Click to expand...

Donate them to the Goodwill.
Advertise them for free at Craigslist.

You don't provide your geolocation so suggestions are for what I have
available in my area. The nearby Goodwill closed and the others are too
far away to waste the fuel to give away something that would be cheaper
to me to just trash the next time I'm near the recycling center near a
place where I grocery shop (as the printers probably have lead from
solder and other hazardous materials that should be discarded with other
electronics to get handled properly).

Free stuff gets a lot of responses at Craigslist. Once you get about 5
e-mails on a free item, delete the Craigslist item; else, you'll get
buried under a deluge of e-mails asking about availability of the item.
If all 5 responders end up yanking your chain and never intended to
pickup the item, undelete the Craigslist item. Once the item goes, be
sure to delete the Craigslist item; else, you'll continue getting
inquiries about it for up to a month, plus it's impolite to respondents
to leave around an ad that is defunct.

If the freebie doesn't get taken using Craigslist after a month, or two,
then donate to Goodwill and if you don't want to do that then properly
recycle the printers. That you're emotionally attached to the items
shouldn't eliminate the final choice to let someone properly recycle the
materials.
 
Donate them to the Goodwill.
Advertise them for free at Craigslist.

You don't provide your geolocation so suggestions are for what I have
available in my area. The nearby Goodwill closed and the others are too
far away to waste the fuel to give away something that would be cheaper
to me to just trash the next time I'm near the recycling center near a
place where I grocery shop (as the printers probably have lead from
solder and other hazardous materials that should be discarded with other
electronics to get handled properly).

Free stuff gets a lot of responses at Craigslist. Once you get about 5
e-mails on a free item, delete the Craigslist item; else, you'll get
buried under a deluge of e-mails asking about availability of the item.
If all 5 responders end up yanking your chain and never intended to
pickup the item, undelete the Craigslist item. Once the item goes, be
sure to delete the Craigslist item; else, you'll continue getting
inquiries about it for up to a month, plus it's impolite to respondents
to leave around an ad that is defunct.

If the freebie doesn't get taken using Craigslist after a month, or two,
then donate to Goodwill and if you don't want to do that then properly
recycle the printers. That you're emotionally attached to the items
shouldn't eliminate the final choice to let someone properly recycle the
materials.
Click to expand...

Thanks, and thanks John and Jon and Grinder. I'll try these things.

It's a major problem for me to wrap for shipping, and iirc a year or two
ago I called UPS and their charge was substantial, and their shipping
charge was also substantial. I also heard of a store whose major job
was to wrap things for Ebay vendors, but when I went there, there was no
trace of the store. Out of business I think, probably squeezed between
what one has to pay a competent wrapper (and the rent, electricity,
etc.) and what customers are willing to pay. They were probably
cheaper than UPS for wrapping, so they were squeezed harder.

But maybe I can find a similar business still running.

But I'll try Freecycle and another mailing list first.


BTW, unlike most things I own, I don't have an emotional attachement to
these printers, but I am afraid I'll regret getting rid of them, that
I'll need them one day, especially the pinfeed one. What will happen
when for my new business some day, I need to print carbons?

Last week the rear window on my Toyota convertible broke itself, and I
dug out my car cover that only covers the windows and roof. I bought
that 25 years ago and it looked like I had never used it. I knew just
where it was. (I'll never buy a Toyota again. 20 things I didnt' like
about this car, 10 as a convertible and 10 the rest of it. Back to the
Chrysler, Sebring, or GM if it will only make one fancy enough and
bigger than an Allante at the same time.)
 
Donate them to your local high school.

"micky" wrote in message
Donate them to the Goodwill.
Advertise them for free at Craigslist.

You don't provide your geolocation so suggestions are for what I have
available in my area. The nearby Goodwill closed and the others are too
far away to waste the fuel to give away something that would be cheaper
to me to just trash the next time I'm near the recycling center near a
place where I grocery shop (as the printers probably have lead from
solder and other hazardous materials that should be discarded with other
electronics to get handled properly).

Free stuff gets a lot of responses at Craigslist. Once you get about 5
e-mails on a free item, delete the Craigslist item; else, you'll get
buried under a deluge of e-mails asking about availability of the item.
If all 5 responders end up yanking your chain and never intended to
pickup the item, undelete the Craigslist item. Once the item goes, be
sure to delete the Craigslist item; else, you'll continue getting
inquiries about it for up to a month, plus it's impolite to respondents
to leave around an ad that is defunct.

If the freebie doesn't get taken using Craigslist after a month, or two,
then donate to Goodwill and if you don't want to do that then properly
recycle the printers. That you're emotionally attached to the items
shouldn't eliminate the final choice to let someone properly recycle the
materials.
Click to expand...

Thanks, and thanks John and Jon and Grinder. I'll try these things.

It's a major problem for me to wrap for shipping, and iirc a year or two
ago I called UPS and their charge was substantial, and their shipping
charge was also substantial. I also heard of a store whose major job
was to wrap things for Ebay vendors, but when I went there, there was no
trace of the store. Out of business I think, probably squeezed between
what one has to pay a competent wrapper (and the rent, electricity,
etc.) and what customers are willing to pay. They were probably
cheaper than UPS for wrapping, so they were squeezed harder.

But maybe I can find a similar business still running.

But I'll try Freecycle and another mailing list first.


BTW, unlike most things I own, I don't have an emotional attachement to
these printers, but I am afraid I'll regret getting rid of them, that
I'll need them one day, especially the pinfeed one. What will happen
when for my new business some day, I need to print carbons?

Last week the rear window on my Toyota convertible broke itself, and I
dug out my car cover that only covers the windows and roof. I bought
that 25 years ago and it looked like I had never used it. I knew just
where it was. (I'll never buy a Toyota again. 20 things I didnt' like
about this car, 10 as a convertible and 10 the rest of it. Back to the
Chrysler, Sebring, or GM if it will only make one fancy enough and
bigger than an Allante at the same time.)
 
"Grinder" wrote
I feel your pain. Have you considered putting it up on eBay for 0.01,
with a reasonable shipping cost? Presumably, if it sells, it's because
someone has a use/want for it, and it won't be summarily chucked in the
garbage as a freebie might.

I've taken that approach for a couple of bits of older equipment, and have
been surprised that people have actually bitten on a modest "buy it now"
price that I had set.
Click to expand...

If you actually check "dot matrix printer" on eBay, you will find these
products selling surprisingly high. My first dot matrix printer cost me
$1,000.
 
Norm said:
"Grinder" wrote


If you actually check "dot matrix printer" on eBay, you will find these
products selling surprisingly high. My first dot matrix printer cost me
$1,000.
Click to expand...

Still being sold new, too. Companies still need impact printers for
multi-part forms (use pressure to "ink" the other copies). They also
guarantee correct alignment of the forms in the printer with continuous
feed. No misalignment from having someone shove a sheet into an inkjet
or laser printer or due to sticky or shrunken-by-age feed rollers that
result in printing outside the boxes or on their boundaries.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...escription=dot+matrix+printer&N=-1&isNodeId=1

They're probably still high-priced when compared to inkjet printers
because they are impact printers and have to be more durable versus a
tiny spray paint can whizzing back and forth on a rail.
 
Still being sold new, too. Companies still need impact printers for
multi-part forms (use pressure to "ink" the other copies). They also
guarantee correct alignment of the forms in the printer with continuous
feed. No misalignment from having someone shove a sheet into an inkjet
or laser printer or due to sticky or shrunken-by-age feed rollers that
result in printing outside the boxes or on their boundaries.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...escription=dot+matrix+printer&N=-1&isNodeId=1

They're probably still high-priced when compared to inkjet printers
because they are impact printers and have to be more durable versus a
tiny spray paint can whizzing back and forth on a rail.
Click to expand...

I have been looking for a small A4-size one for 4-part despatch forms
for ages. Of course finding one for Win7, 8.1 might be difficult.
I has to be of the drop-in type because the forms come in all shapes &
sizes. Tractor feeding is not necessary.
 
I have my origina IBM Graphics Printer that I bought along with my PCJr
in 1983 or 4. And I have another dot matrix printer, with pin feed and
a few more buttons, that I got cheap or free maybe 10 years later.

And a vey small dot matrix printer that someone gave me for trying to
fix her computer. I took it because I thought I'd take it to a summer
weekend where 100 people or so were paying to come.

What should I do with these things. AFAIK they all work and I have a
new ribbon for the second one. At least it's unwrapped.

I don't want to leave them with a sign Free at a hamfest and have them
thrown away at the end of the day. I haven't tried but wrt the
suburban Freecycle club around here, I can't quite see members of that
wanting these things. After all, what I want too, and have, is a
wireless color printer/scanner/copier/fax. At the time it was only 100
dollars and worth it.

If these are thrown away, is there any point to taking them to Best
Buy's recycling, or might it be as well the municipal garbage? ;-(
Click to expand...

I took my old OKI to bits & used the roller shafts for stirrers. These
are not SS, but rather coated steel.
 
In the last episode of <[email protected]>,
micky said:
If these are thrown away, is there any point to taking them to Best
Buy's recycling, or might it be as well the municipal garbage? ;-(
Click to expand...

You could always go Office Space on it and post it to YouTube.
 
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