What to Do with an Unexpected Treasure: Managing a Pile of Hard Drives

It’s not uncommon to come across unexpected items left behind by loved ones. Today, I find myself in a curious predicament — I suddenly have over 500 hard drives taking up space in my garage. Let me explain how I came to possess this rather unusual collection and what I plan to do with it.

Years ago, my late father-in-law stumbled upon an impressive haul of refurbished SCSI hard disk drives. He had big plans to resell them but, sadly, he passed away before he could put those plans into action. Now, I am left with the responsibility of deciding what should be done with these drives, which are currently sealed and neatly boxed for shipping.

My initial investigation into their value has been a bit of a mixed bag. After researching the model numbers, I discovered that these drives can range anywhere from $10 to $120 each in the market. However, I must admit that these particular models are quite dated, raising concerns about the demand for such hardware today.

The fact that they are factory refurbished does provide a glimmer of hope. Yet, there remains a lingering doubt about finding the right buyer who would be interested in acquiring them. Part of me wonders if it might be more practical to cut my losses—technically my father-in-law’s losses—and consider scrapping them. However, I can’t shake the feeling that there might be someone out there who could truly benefit from these drives.

So, what’s the best course of action here? Should I invest more time in exploring the possibility of selling them, or is it wiser to let them go and clear out the garage? I would greatly appreciate any advice or insights from those who have navigated similar situations.

For reference, here are the model numbers of the drives I have: