Posted by Mario D'Alessio on 24, 2000 at 9:28 PM:
I went to a hamfest this past weekend, and it was
a great place to look for electronic parts. I recommend
going to one, especially if you're looking for older
stuff for, say, a Mame machine.
I found big knobs suitable for spinners for 25 cents.
Bearings suitable for trackballs for $1 each (I've seen
these usually for about $15 for a set of 4). I found
old hard drives for 50 cents and I got a few for free
(usable for the Spinner from Hard Drive project).
I picked up 18-pin connect strips for 25 cents.
Altec-Lansing speakers with subwoofer for $10.
For those who don't know what a Hamfest is: they
are like computer shows, but for amateur radio
operators. You'll find all kinds of radio equipment,
but you'll also find all kinds of computer equipment
and electronics parts. Think of it as a big electronics
flea market. You can find almost anything electronic.
And you can talk down most prices (a guy wanted to sell
me an old hard drive for $10, and I got him to give me
both of them for free! Most people just want to get rid
of their old stuff).
Do a web search for hamfests in your area.
I hope you find this information useful.