Bay Area Junk Shops
Updated: August 1, 1999
WARNING |
| This page's information was last updated in August of 1999. That's over 10 years ago. I've put it back up (from an archive.org copy) for my friends' reference.
Many of these places are out of business now..
Call or do a web search before heading over to look. |
| I may get around to updating a version of this page for the 2010 era,
so feel free to contact rnovak at indyramp dawt com if you have suggestions or
comments. |
After a recent and rare post to Usenet regarding junk shops in the
San Francisco Bay Area (mostly Silicon Valley/San Jose area), I
decided to put my observations and information on the web for others
to enjoy.
This project is based on published information and my
own observations; your mileage may vary. I do not work for any
of these companies, and actually stand to lose opportunities to
get cool stuff if I impress people too much with them, so take this
info as-is.
Note: There's space for third party comments--if you have civil comments,
good or bad, about any of these places feel free to email me at rnovak
@ indyramp . com and I'll be glad to consider them. If I add your
comment, I'll link to your web page or email address upon request.
If I left your favorite shop out, let me know. There are also a
few others at
http://www.kce.com/junk.htm, although Kevin
hasn't updated this page lately.
Return to my web page or continue below.
Contents
Haltek
Curtis Trading Co/Surplus Stuff
Alltronics
Weird Stuff Warehouse
Halted Specialties Co
Action Computer and Surplus
RA Enterprises
To be added/verified
Foothill College Swap Meet (web site requires java, faq here in case you don't have java
Livermore Amateur Radio/Electronics/Computer Swap Meet
Excess Solutions (San Jose)
addresses/maps for these places
1062 Linda Vista Ave, Mountain View. one block south of Shoreline on Terra Bella, just off 101... hang a left.
Summary: Clean, well-lighted, really nifty! Best cable prices I've seen for what they carry, and there are a lot of little things (and some huge things like a PBX set and an older Intel computer of some sort) that really made me happy.
High point(s): Clean, comfortable, wide selection of bits and parts
Low point(s): I didn't realize they were there when I worked 3 blocks away :)
Third party comments: none yet
776 S Milpitas Blvd, Milpitas. Half a mile south of Calaveras,
or half a mile north of Montague.
Summary: Lots of furniture, a bus, a warehouse worth of "y2k"
survival rations and such. They have some old PC bits, terminals, old
laptops, motherboards and cards, and occasionally other potentially cool
stuff.
High point(s): I think they're open on Sunday
Low point(s): Much less computer stuff, lots of political content
Third party comments: none yet
Update: (7/31/1999) Apparently changing management. The y2k
rations aren't as easy to find (I didn't see them), the political banners
are gone, and they're playing music instead of talk radio in the background.
They've cut back on hours (closed Sunday now), but the computer section
is beginning to grow again.
2300-D Zanker Rd, San Jose. Zanker Road, way south of 237, south of Montague and Trimble
Summary: electronics, monitors, computer parts, the coolest electronics
catalog I've seen in years
High point(s): Recent vintage Pentium processors, sense of humor
Low point(s): They close at 3pm on Saturday
Third party comments: none yet
Update: (7/31/1999) Out of catalogs and yarmulkes, nice selection
of ISA/VLB controller cards for two bux.
384 W Caribeean Dr, Sunnyvale. Near Baylands Park and the water
treatment plan... take either Mathilda or Lawrence/Caribbean exits
off 237.
Summary: Some old, some new, lots of surplus junk. weekly sealed
bid auction has gems sometimes, lots of mac stuff.
High point(s): Recent motherboards/CPUs (Pentium, Ppro, 486) and
other bits are great for building slightly-less-than-cutting-edge machines
Low point(s): Auction has been going way downhill, sun stuff is
priced about right for 2-3 years ago
Third party comments: none yet
Update: (7/31/1999) The as-is computers are now apparently
getting stripped before they go on the shelves... a couple of people
mentioned that the $10-35 486s had no CPUs or cards, and the one I picked
up today was empty as well. Bring a flashlight, and buyer beware. Lots
of Sun stuff in the auction (SS2s with memory and a couple of 4/330s
this week).
3500 Ryder St, Sunnyvale. In the Central/Lawrence cloverleaf
(southeast corner)
Summary: parts, cables, electronic components, monitors, usually
some special on drives and/or motherboards. Usually have racks and cases
in abundance, and lots of strange stuff I couldn't identify.
High point(s): broad selection of reasonably-priced cables, always
a case for your next DIY PC.
Low point(s): things disappear quick (not their fault)
Third party comments: none yet
Update: (7/31/1999) Micronics motherboards and hard drives
are marked down. Good deals if you don't need bleeding edge P3 boards
(although they had a box of as-is problem P2 boards too).
Action Computer and Surplus
500 Lawrence Expy #F, Sunnyvale. In building with Subway and
Disk Depot, near Computer Literacy and St. John's Grill.
Summary: cables, old software and dubious as-is hardware
High point(s): Good selection/pricing on cables (esp. scsi), lots of
connectors too
Low point(s): Misleading labeling on their as-is stuff, unreasonable
prices on some of the more expensive stuff
Third party comments: none yet
691 Walsh Avenue, Santa Clara. South end of Central Expwy just north of De La Cruz.
Last visit: May 1999. Web site update: March 1999 (main page updated
recently for ebay link, other pages 3/99).
Summary: Mostly electrics/electronics, not much computer stuff left.
Military/commercial surplus. Unlike the other places I haven't been here
but once, and they had just dumped a lot of computer stuff apparently,
so it wasn't as impressive as it might have been a week ago.
High point(s): Cool bus
Low point(s): Not much computer stuff
Third party comments: none yet
Other pages with applicable links
- http://pangaea.dhs.org/misc/links.html (near the bottom)
-
Credits:
- background image courtesy of DesktopPublishing.com--thanks!
- some comments and inspiration from the folks on ba.internet/ba.market.computers
- Thomas Edison, for that whole recorded sound thing
