I Wish The Guy Well...But I'm Not Buying It

 That's a lot to pay for a Sony Walkman. 

I saw this ad on Facebook Marketplace yesterday. Those of us who lived through the era where a Sony Walkman was the pinnacle of high tec, think iPhone 16 of its day, know just how awesome these things were. Before the Walkmans came out, if you wanted mobile sounds, you had to carry around a boom box, or a transistor radio...both had their limitations.

Then Sony invented the Walkman, as good a sound as you could get from a cassette tape. The version in the ad also has AM/FM capability, so if you got good radio reception, it sounded decent, too. Millions of these (and knock-offs...) were sold. I had one, almost everyone I knew had one. They were great.

Now, they're paperweights.

Yes, having a pristine Walkman would be cool. If I saw this at a yard sale for $5 or even $10, I might consider it, except for the fact I think I have a couple of them myself in storage. $200...I'm going to pass.

I do hope the guy--I'm assuming it's a guy--gets the money. Maybe in ten or fifteen years it would be easier to get that kind of money for a Walkman. Of course, in that time it might cost that much for a McDonalds Happy Meal.

What something is worth is whatever someone will pay. There might be someone out there who, to them, it's worth two-hundred bucks.

Just not me.

Like Something I'd See At My Grandpa's House...

 We spent much of last week unpacking. We have so much more to do. I have several boxes in my office with the words, "Scott's Office" written on them. The things in these boxes are not so important that we need the items right away.

In fact, I may never need what's in those boxes ever again.

A lot of what's in the boxes came from the cubicles where I used to work. I'd be transferred or get a new position, I'd pack up everything in a box and move. Many times I wouldn't unpack everything (a sure sign what I didn't unpack I never really needed...), then I'd take the box home. I've got decades of old crap waiting for me to throw it away.

This one particular box I opened today had old gadgets in it. It had three cassette tape/radio players. It had two CD/radio players in it, and a Palm Pilot. I spread it out on the desk and snapped a picture. Why do I have so many of these things? Well, back in the day, I sort of collected them. Most came from thrift stores so I wasn't spending a lot. I was amazed at how these devices used to connect me to the world. Being able to listen to NPR, talk radio, sports radio, and music allowed me to exist in a world away from the workplace, the cubicle, the grind.

And this was not that long ago.

What wasn't included in the picture was my iPhone, which makes all that technology you do see obsolete. Now, I can listen to anything I want--I'm no longer hoping to have a cubicle close to a large window so I can get a clear radio signal. It's heaven.

Looking at the modern antiques reminded me of the times we used to explore the attic of my grandfather's house. He lived on a dairy farm in Driggs, Idaho. He was the only grandparent I ever knew and he passed away when I was ten. His house was amazing to a young child. I can't remember too many of the specific things he had (it's been about five decades since I was there...). I wonder if my grandchildren, if they were to come across a box full of my old Sony Walkmans--cassette and CD players--would they feel the way I felt all those years ago?

Don't know if they'll get the chance. I'm getting rid of most of the stuff. 

Who knows...maybe one day my grandkids will look at an iPhone the same way. Time will tell.