OMG Don't Do It

Can't believe that I come back here after all this time, and check this blog, and the One Thing on it -- an ominous foreshadowing of a day I've come to regret, the day I offloaded most of my 8 bit collection. "To make space". Omg, don't let this happen to you. Find an attic, a basement, a relative's closet, idk, find someplace, but don't abandon your 8 bit stuff just to "make space".  Bcz like as not, other stuff will just move into that space in short order, and you'll want to go boot up something like it's 1979 again, and then you'll realize your Mistake. (more after break)

OK ok, I suppose there could be good reasons to part ways with your 8 bit stuff. Perhaps "I haven't even turned it on twice in 20 years, the capacitors are all gonna dry out, maybe this stuff needs a more active maintainer". Maybe "that kid could really learn something from hardware like this". Either one of which would be great reasons to drop me a note, especially if you're in southern New England and don't know what else to do with it.  Honestly, I think my kid could learn more from a boots-to-BASIC than any of this glitzy stuff they aim at kids these days.