Collecting · Digital & Tech
Retro Tech Collecting
Most of it arrives broken, and the capacitors go first
What separates it from other collecting is that most of it needs repair: decades-old capacitors dry out or leak and will keep a machine from powering on or damage the board, so half of this hobby is actually electronics repair. Second-hand markets are the main source, cheap and unknown. Plan the space; old gear is bulky.
First stepBuy a cheap old console or cassette player secondhand, open it to check the capacitors for bulging, replace them, and get it to power on.
Barriers
Cost to start
$50–300
Going deep → $2k–10k
Alone or with people
On your own
Effort
Sitting
Without a teacher?
Self-taught
One session takes
1–2 hours
Where
At home
Why people take it up