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Janice CookFlag for United States of America

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What is the value in old hardware?

Perhaps you can answer this question. I occasionally junk old computers, printers and scanners when they no longer function or have become obsolete. Can you tell me why today when I put out some of the latter a man in a pickup truck couldn't wait to take them off my hands. His face looked like he found a goldmine. If you can enlighten me, let me know.
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From a financial perspective, there's little "value" ==> but the old saying that "... one man's trash is another man's treasure ..." applies to computers just as much as many other areas.

Some folks collect these for recycling (very small value, but it's good for the environment & if you do enough of it the numbers add up -- just like collecting discarded aluminum cans);   some for parts (older add-in cards; hard drives; etc.);  and some just can't resist getting something that once cost hundreds of dollars for free.

A quick look at e-bay shows that even old, non-functioning systems can often bring at least a few dollars [it's arguable whether it's worth the hassle of selling/packing/shipping these].    

I've thrown away dozens of old systems, displays, printers, etc. -- they rarely make it to the actual trash pickup :-)
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As a IT/Computer instructor
I would be bereft if I did not mention the security angle

We often get PCs donated at one of the training centers I work with
some just ask that the HD be wiped
many do not ask
or students bring in PCs they have salvaged

students occasionally build PCs and end up with a HD that has data
they 'have fun' looking at others JUNK DATA
1 PC had 30-40 GB of music in the itunes folder

so some of the more nefarious characters may just like getting a hold of older PCs to gain some info on you or acompany you may have worked for...

best way to avaid this - wiper the drive
there are several reasonably good shareware/freeware products
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I ususally take out the HD before I leave malfunctioning computers. However, I have never thrown out a HD because of the fear of what you said, DarinTCH. Can you recommend some good software to clean off my HD's so I can recycle them as well? Thanks in advance.
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Eraser - I've used - it's good

I heard good things about Active Kill

and Darik nuke and Boot

try CNET and look for disk utilities
Thanks for all the great input!