Blast From The Past on Ebay

[DavePEI]

Hi All:

I came across this today when scouring eBay... My 2 cent computer generated QSL cards from 1987 are now worth $9.99!

In 1987, I did a lot of Ham Radio contesting, so for the contests, used a card made with my Commodore C-64 computer and a tractor feed printer and home written logging program to confirm contest contacts.

For normal contacts, I used a nicer looking printed card.

This was with my original call, VE1CIT before PEI got its VY2 calls - I am VY2AC now.

Amazing to see one of these again!

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=271011457017

This card was sent back to me by another gentleman who saw it on eBay, and here is an actual scan of the card are received back 25 years later!

Dave

[HarrySmith]

WOW1 That is pretty wild, Dave. You shoul sue the seller for advertising your name & address all over the internet
Demand half the profit!

[DavePEI]

WOW1 That is pretty wild, Dave. You shoul sue the seller for advertising your name & address all over the internet
Demand half the profit!

I'm not too worried about the address - it doesn't have a civic address.

Actually, she offered to send me the card back, but I don't want it  I still have a few I never sent out after printing.

Funny thing is, it makes me feel old - my 27 year old son, Jeff was only 2 years old when I printed that.

The card cost just about 2 cents to produce, and now 25 years later, is worth $9.99. Not bad!

Dave

[HarrySmith]

Cool. If it sells you can put the ones you have up for more, NOS!

[DavePEI]

Cool. If it sells you can put the ones you have up for more, NOS!

Yep. print out a dozen or so, and I could have a nice phone! This one other than the curl on the perf is pretty well NOS - I used to send most of them through the CRRL bureau, so they didn't have addresses on the back - cheaper for me, but I guess better for the seller, also!

Still have that computer and printer somewhere, but I doubt I still have my home written software!

Dave

[AE_Collector]

But just think of the bigger picture. No need to invest in all that radio gear when you can just buy your QSL's on ebaY now!

Terry

[DavePEI]

But just think of the bigger picture. No need to invest in all that radio gear when you can just buy your QSL's on ebaY now!

Terry

Hi Terry:

But what's the fun in that. Even more valuable are some of the very rare cards I have received from various dx-peditions - I have cards from tons of countries which don't even exist anymore!

Wish I had a decent antenna up now - I lost my beams during hurricane Juan - one came down through the roof of what is now the museum house - both towers just folded under the winds. Only have a little vertical antenna up now, but still have all of my equipment.

Dave

[twocvbloke]

I love Dot Matrix printers me, I got myself a modern one recently to play with (and for much faster powerup-to-print times, compared to our slow Epson inkjet), so much better than inkjet...

Not very good at graphics though (and yes, I tried printing dial labels, complete failure!!!), but I only wanted it for text prints...

[DavePEI]

I love Dot Matrix printers me, I got myself a modern one recently to play with (and for much faster powerup-to-print times, compared to our slow Epson inkjet), so much better than inkjet...

Not very good at graphics though (and yes, I tried printing dial labels, complete failure!!!), but I only wanted it for text prints...

Should have had the KSR-33 teletype I used the year before the dot matrix for a printer. Still have both, the KSR-33 displayed in the museum's teletype display, and the printer tucked away in a cupboard in the museum! Yes, the dot matrix printers were fast.

Dave

[twocvbloke]

My printer is an Oki MicroLine 280 Elite (the Elite bit means it has USB too, so can work on modern computers), it's crazy-fast when it gets going compared to videos of other brand printers... 

Never used Teletypes though, the only one I've seen is the one in The secret life of machines on the Word Processor (aka Personal Computer), it was modified to make up paper tape for early computers... 

[DavePEI]

My printer is an Oki MicroLine 280 Elite (the Elite bit means it has USB too, so can work on modern computers), it's crazy-fast when it gets going compared to videos of other brand printers...  

Never used Teletypes though, the only one I've seen is the one in The secret life of machines on the Word Processor (aka Personal Computer), it was modified to make up paper tape for early computers...  

This is the teletype I used as a printer back in 1985 - I loaned it to a friend about 20 years ago, and it spent about 20 years in a leaky barn. This is it after I rebuilt it...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=aMvs1t1CEH8

Dave

[twocvbloke]

So that's why some newsroom based shows (parodies, period dramas and all that) have that sound in the background...

I wouldn't like to spend too many hours around one of them though, I have bad enough tinnitus problems as it is.....

[AE_Collector]

So that's why some newsroom based shows (parodies, period dramas and all that) have that sound in the background...

Now if we can just figure out why some TV shows and movies have single slot payphones that make "dings" when coins are inserted!

Terry

[twocvbloke]

Now if we can just figure out why some TV shows and movies have single slot payphones that make "dings" when coins are inserted!

Terry

Or why 1930's GPO pyramid phones sound exactly like WE500s when they ring in some british period dramas...

[DavePEI]

I got a great email today - from a person who uses my page often. He emailed to tell me he had noticed this card on eBay, and had arranged for it to be returned to me.

How nice of him! It was incredibly thoughtful! It will be  nice souvenir of those days!

Dave