[SOLD] Apple II Software Mystery Box

[BigO]

Seems I take it?

I'm still not completely sold on the Media Mail thing, but given the stated commitment to preservation and the highest offer, I am declaring Ianoid the winner.

 

I appreciate the interest and overall respectful conduct exhibited by the interested parties. You guys were just trying to give me an anxiety attack with these offers. I sincerely hope there's something in there that's worth a lot more than you're paying. I'll be disappointed if you end up disappointed.

 

PM on its way.

[c0op3r]

If you thought I was staying up until midnight for this, you are clearly more excited about this than I am.

No I dont think that you are, but it would be nice to hear when, how and if this has an ending plan. I hope you can see your way to letting someone that can take the box from you and getting the right thing done with it. I thank you for offering it up and there have been several that have offered you a decent amount and offered to make sure that anything rare or un-imaged, get it imaged.

[Keatah]

If there were a few select titles in there I'd be offering $200 or more. However I don't want folks to get wind of what they are, because ebay.. you know..

 

@Ianoid, if you find any unreadable disks in there let me know. I have experience in dealing with 4000+ disks of which about 50 or 60 were unreadable but now are.

[BigO]

No I dont think that you are, but it would be nice to hear when, how and if this has an ending plan. I hope you can see your way to letting someone that can take the box from you and getting the right thing done with it. I thank you for offering it up and there have been several that have offered you a decent amount and offered to make sure that anything rare or un-imaged, get it imaged.

Oh, now I see what you're saying.

The ending plan was in the first post.

[c0op3r]

Oh, now I see what you're saying.

The ending plan was in the first post.

Yeah sorry I often come off as a dick, and well I might be but usually for the right reasons.

[BigO]

.

[khyrox1]

Congrats Ianoid! I too hope there is some really good stuff in that box!

[+save2600]

Found the letter I received just this year after sending an Amiga AD&D computer game on floppy, as media. Handwritten note in the bottom right says "games not eligible, sent postage due". This of course after being told for years by various sellers and postal clerks, that *any* magnetic media qualifies as "Media Mail".

 

Interesting they list Sound Recordings, but then talk about video stuff. Never mind things like LP's, wax cylinders, cassettes, 8-Tracks, CD's, SACD's, etc.

 

[Tempest]

I like how they specify film only if it's '16MM or narrower'. Weird.

[BigO]

DMM 173 makes no mention of games, as an exclusion or otherwise.

[khyrox1]

Link: https://pe.usps.com/text/csr/PS-334.htm

 

A 2014 ruling states:

"While video games may be read on computers, unlike books or films eligible for Media Mail prices, which predominantly further educational or informational goals, games, including board games and games in an electronic format, are used primarily for entertainment and they do not serve the same purpose as books, films, or other qualifying Media Mail... In conclusion, video games, whether on CD-ROM, diskettes, or similar software, regardless of form, or playable systems including computers, do not meet the standards for Media Mail."

 

Unless there was a more recent decision that overrides this, USPS pretty much spells it out here.

Edited November 11, 2017 by khyrox1

[spacecadet]

That ruling is such complete BS.

 

So you can send a box full of Stephen King novels to somebody by MM on the grounds that they're "educational", but you couldn't, for example, send someone a box of computer civil war simulations on that same grounds.

[c0op3r]

Found the letter I received just this year after sending an Amiga AD&D computer game on floppy, as media. Handwritten note in the bottom right says "games not eligible, sent postage due". This of course after being told for years by various sellers and postal clerks, that *any* magnetic media qualifies as "Media Mail".

 

Interesting they list Sound Recordings, but then talk about video stuff. Never mind things like LP's, wax cylinders, cassettes, 8-Tracks, CD's, SACD's, etc.

 

USPS.jpg

Edited November 11, 2017 by c0op3r

[BigO]

That ruling is such complete BS.

 

So you can send a box full of Stephen King novels to somebody by MM on the grounds that they're "educational", but you couldn't, for example, send someone a box of computer civil war simulations on that same grounds.

It does seem a bit thin to exclude books from the entertainment category. It smells like a revenue grab. It's kind of interesting that they've held on to the Media/Library Mail option at all. Since FedEx and UPS start to get competitive with packages in the 5 or 6+ lb. range, USPS might lose a lot of business if they discontinued such specialty rates.

 

Since I'm not going to challenge it in court, I guess protest options consist of shipping exclusively via FedEx/UPS or putting a ton of miles on my car.

[khyrox1]

I agree it is a nonsensical decision by the USPS and does feel like a cash grab... especially when it's ok to ship a Dungeons and Dragons rulebook via Media Mail but not a Dungeons and Dragons computer game.

 

Computer and console games are culturally and historically significant in my opinion.

[c0op3r]

So whoever got the software box - please post pictures and tell us about it.

[ianoid]

Media Mail went fine. The box was pretty awesome. I am very happy with it. It was a combination of productivity, education and games. I'll keep several complete games, a large number of loose disks (since I collect those indiscriminately), and image a couple dozen disks. A small percentage of stuff is non-functional. Most of it is dusty. Fortunately the box was thick so despite minimal packing it shipped fine. Several incomplete items, missing disks and labels and such (such as an Oregon Trail plastic MECC box with no disk, most notably).

 

I'll pass along the spares in trades. If I get sick of them taking up space I'll sell them, but I mostly keep Apple II games for trades. Edu and productivity I'll sell off as soon as possible to clear up space. It's not worth a lot.

 

It has been a really fun lot to go through and test and image, and I'm not quite done yet.

 

Thanks to the seller!

[Tempest]

Media Mail went fine. The box was pretty awesome. I am very happy with it. It was a combination of productivity, education and games. I'll keep several complete games, a large number of loose disks (since I collect those indiscriminately), and image a couple dozen disks. A small percentage of stuff is non-functional. Most of it is dusty. Fortunately the box was thick so despite minimal packing it shipped fine. Several incomplete items, missing disks and labels and such (such as an Oregon Trail plastic MECC box with no disk, most notably).

 

I'll pass along the spares in trades. If I get sick of them taking up space I'll sell them, but I mostly keep Apple II games for trades. Edu and productivity I'll sell off as soon as possible to clear up space. It's not worth a lot.

 

It has been a really fun lot to go through and test and image, and I'm not quite done yet.

 

Thanks to the seller!

 

I'll be there to trade for your spares.

[BigO]

Glad to hear the "jam it so full that nothing can move" packing scheme was successful. Always works when loading a truck. I kept that double thick box for years knowing that I'd need to ship something heavy some day.

 

Did USPS inspect the shipment? Just curious.

 

I'm glad to hear that the contents weren't a total disappointment.

[ianoid]

Very happy with the contents.

 

It was not inspected. I ship loads of Media and never have a problem. I think large light packages would be more suspect, or with things rattling around that don't sound like media. Or in places where they have nothing better to do than inspect packages. It happens only rarely.

 

 

 

Glad to hear the "jam it so full that nothing can move" packing scheme was successful. Always works when loading a truck. I kept that double thick box for years knowing that I'd need to ship something heavy some day.

Did USPS inspect the shipment? Just curious.

I'm glad to hear that the contents weren't a total disappointment.

[Keatah]

I'll be happy to take a look at any unreadable disks.

[c0op3r]

Oh if you dont want that OregonTrail Plastic box I would gladly pay shipping to have it, I have a complete one but the plastic case is destroyed!

[c0op3r]

Let me ask are this some of the software that was in the box?

 

https://www.ebay.com/sch/ianoid/m.html?item=401446269182&hash=item5d780ff0fe%3Ag%3A85QAAOSwZB9aFHbz&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2562

[ianoid]

Let me ask are this some of the software that was in the box?

 

https://www.ebay.com/sch/ianoid/m.html?item=401446269182&hash=item5d780ff0fe%3Ag%3A85QAAOSwZB9aFHbz&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2562

None of that. But I won't deny that some of the edu stuff will end up on eBay eventually, after it is imaged and then cracked by @a2_4am . The games I keep for trades (although I could sell them, but generally I don't sell Apple II games often on eBay). I would be happy to sell them here. I have stuff on eBay that is from recent lots I bought to image (and maybe keep one or two things) and from legacy auctions I had up that I needed to image, that I'd put on eBay before I'd become more serious about imaging disks. I'm sure it's shooting myself in the foot in a way, since some of the people buying these things were doing so just to image them.

 

There are a couple of multi-disk edu collections I'll probably post from that lot as soon as I get successful images from them. And probably several others eventually. My goal really wasn't profit- it was to add some stuff to my collection and image a lot of disks. I think I've imaged 40 disks from the lot so far. Check that above Twitter feed for some of them.

 

And if someone wants to buy edu stuff from me, please reach out. I would be happy to sell it in bulk reasonably. Or trade it generously. But I doubt that is the case. That's why I end up eBaying it- too hard to get rid of otherwise.

 

And as far as the Oregon Trail case, I haven't decided what to do with it.