Washington Apple Pi

A Community of Apple iPad, iPhone and Mac Users
December Garage Sale a Success
by Beth Medlin and Lawrence I. Charters

Washington Apple Pi Journal, March/April 1998, pp. 12, 14, reprint information

Twice a year, Washington Apple Pi hosts a "Computer Show and Sale," better known as "The Garage Sale." This semi-annual rite is hard to describe except to say that it involves everything you might think it covers: people buying and selling new and used computers, peripherals, software, video games, T-shirts, furniture, cabinets, boxes, books and lawn implements. Then there are those who attend for social purposes, trying to match up names and faces of people they read about in the Journal or on the TCS (the Washington Apple Pi computer bulletin board), or visiting old friends from a decade or two ago ("Hey, Linda! How you doing? Still have an Apple II?" "Is that you, Chuck? No, I've got a Power Mac 9600/233 and a Power Mac G3 desktop now. How about you?"), or just lending a hand, helping the world's oldest personal computer user group head into a new decade. Some stop by just to point out such things as the excessive length of the previous sentence.

This winter the show was a great success, with virtually all the tables filled. In addition to small pieces and entire systems from two decades ago, there were a surprisingly large number of new and relatively new Power Macintosh machines, and clones, for sale, and a constantly moving throng of buyers and tire-kickers. Scattered around the floor were also frequent clusters of "members helping members," asking and answering questions about hardware and software, modems, the Internet, and funny noises their cars make on cold mornings. The computer check-up tables were also busy as people brought in their machines for a semi-annual physical.

Thanks to generous donations by supporters of Washington Apple Pi, we had bags to give each visitor and many good door prizes. For the little ones of our group, we had "Stellaluna Bat" finger puppets, a character from a children's story, which also proved to be popular with many adults. (We hope they were just borrowing them from their kids.) As for what else was in the bags, and on the public tables, here is a listing:

The following items were given away as door prizes at the December 1997 Computer Show and Sale: two copies of Mac OS 8; two copies of Flashback; two copies of Stuffit Deluxe; two copies of Spring Cleaning; one copy of Quicken Deluxe; three copies of Aldus Persuasion; four copies of the Robin Williams book, Jargon; one of a Microsoft Press book on Excel 5; 20 T-Shirts; and five Washington Apple Pi Coffee Mugs.

Every Computer Show and Sale we try to get everyone who wins a prize to fill out a door prize winner form. However, like at all sales we missed a few. But we do know about the following winners: Don Libeau, Michael Donahue, Raymond Thompson, Ron Green, Howard Sproull, William Parsons, Elaine Kinard, Logan Sharp, Marck Schutt, Tom Wanat, Robyn Kobil, Sheila & Richard Allen, Ed Sevilla, Ryan Brook, Allen Brucato, Linda Schuster, Gabriela, Montell, Barbara Kahla, Bonnie Cox, Blair Goins, Ann Homtwick , James Ralley , Jaun Veiga, Richard Bray, Joy Miller, Scott Hartwick, and Charles Anderson.

A large Thank You goes to all the people who worked to make the Computer Show and Sale a success, both in the planning stages and at the show itself. Without the help of these dedicated volunteers we would not be able to bring you the wonderful day that was had by all. An incomplete listing of volunteers includes: Lawrence Charters, Lou Dunham, Lorin Evans, Pat Fauquet, Steve Fink, Jason Fink , Grace Gallager, Dave Harris, Mary Keene, Beth Medlin, David Mudd, Dave Ottalini, Jim Ritz, Rich Rubel, John Ruffatto, Bob Russell, Dale Smith, Neil Schreck, Jon Thomason, Dave Weikert, Bob Whitesel, Dan White, Tom Witte, Bill Wydro, Madeline Yeh, Lauri Zeman, and Rick Zeman.

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Washington Apple Pi
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