Seeking Guidance: What to Do with My Father-in-Law’s Collection of Hard Drives

It’s amazing what life throws at us, isn’t it? Years ago, my father-in-law stumbled upon an impressive cache of refurbished SCSI hard drives, although the specifics of how he obtained them are a bit of a mystery to me. His intention was to resell them, but, regrettably, he passed away before he could fulfill his plans. Now, I find myself with over 500 hard drives taking up valuable space in my garage, and I’m at a crossroads about what to do next.

After conducting some research based on their model numbers, I’ve discovered that the hard drives vary in value, ranging from about $10 to $120 each. While that might sound promising, it’s important to note that these drives are quite dated, and I’m uncertain if there’s a market for them at all.

To add to the intrigue, these drives are all factory refurbished, sealed, and neatly packaged, awaiting potential buyers. Part of me leans toward scrapping them to cut my losses, which are, in reality, my late father-in-law’s losses. However, I can’t help but feel that there might be someone out there who could truly benefit from these devices.

I’m reaching out for advice on how best to approach this situation. Should I attempt to sell them individually or as a bulk lot? Are there specific online platforms or communities that might have an interest in such vintage technology? Any insights or suggestions you could provide would be greatly appreciated.

To give you an idea of what I’m working with, here are some of the model numbers: