For 20 years, a computer scientist had more than 2,000 computers in his barn and, when he was about to throw them away, he decided to try his luck selling them online. He has now discovered that it has been one of the best ideas he could have had and is achieving success that he did not have decades ago. His wife doesn’t come out of her astonishment either.
In the 1980s, there was a computer manufacturer from Canada that went ahead of the world by creating what was considered one of the first versions of the Internet. It was called the NABU Network and it managed the sending of information through the cable television network. Unfortunately, it came too soon and failed. And that is when the protagonist of our story enters the scene.
failed entrepreneur
NABU was launched in 1982 and the company closed in 1985 due to the little support it had received. His computer allowed him to download information, upload data to the network and even play online. However, the closure was devastating and thousands of computers remained that the company leadership wanted to sell as soon as possible.
Computer scientist James Pellegrini came across a large stock of brand new NABU computers, in their factory boxes that had not been touched by anyone. Initially, the vision of this resident of Massachusetts, in the United States, was to tear them apart and remove the Z80 processors they had. It was very logical because it was one of the most coveted components of the time and even today it has applications in all kinds of devices.
These processors, for example, powered other classic computers and were also in the most mythical arcade machines, such as Pac-Man. For Pellegrini, the purchase of the computers turned out to be a good deal. But before starting to tear the equipment apart, he thought about what exactly he could do with the Z80 processors, since selling them was not in his plans. It occurred to him to undertake creating a telephone exchange system that would use the processors. The problem is that he soon discovered that the idea was beyond his possibilities and that he would have needed many more means to carry it out. Therefore, he decided to forget. At that time, his 2,200 NABU computers moved into his barn and stayed there for 20 years.
the business of his life
“You have to get rid of them.” That’s what Pellegrini thought 20 years later, now retired and realizing that his home hadn’t stood the test of time as well as he might have hoped. The barn was no longer in a condition to accommodate this huge number of computers, so he had to get rid of them no matter what. The idea of ​​taking them to the scrapyard possibly crossed his mind, but before throwing them away he wanted to do something different and resort to the Internet.
He started using Craigslist, which continues to be a reference in the United States, a kind of Second Hand that works for everything. The price she tried her luck at was only $20. In a short time, she began to find that there was much more demand than he expected and decided to put the brakes on, because it was obvious that he had a little candy on his hands that could earn him a lot of money. After all, who has more than 2,000 computers from the 80s in perfect condition and never taken out of their box?
As much as it is not a famous computer, the circumstances surrounding its launch and the innovative concept that it displayed at the time have made its current fame higher. For Pellegrini, this online success has become the reward for having a barn full of computers for 20 long years.
Due to this success, the computer scientist decided to leave Craigslist and go to eBay. The effect was devastating. The computer units were selling faster and faster even at the $60 price he had set for them. It was so popular that, seeing that the stock of the computer was dwindling, Pellegrini decided to raise the price to $100. And no one should be surprised if, in the end, the last units reach a much higher cost. Surely there will be no complaints, since what the seller has had to go through due to the bad decision he made at his time is hard to imagine. Right now, the computer is already at a new price of $119.99 on eBay as you can see at your listing.
Now he talks happily about how he’s found himself shipping dozens and dozens of computers every time he goes to the post office. And not only that, but the business is doing so well that he even comments that, when he finishes selling all the NUBAs, he will start developing software for the computer in full view of the many users who will have it in their stores. houses. What a story!
