Chip Collecting

EPROMS2Yes, chip collecting is a hobby. I tell people it is the high tech equivalent of bottle cap collecting. I would estimate that there are about 200-300 crazy chip collectors (our C3s) world wide (i.e more than 1,000 chips in their collections). There are probably another 1,000-2,000 collectors with collections greater than 100 chips. I wouldn’t even hazard a guess to the number of causal collectors with 10 or more chips. Here are some of the questions you need to think about before you jump into chip collecting. Come on in the water’s fine…

What is a Computer Chip?

The small silver square in the picture to the right is a computer chip. It is tiny, just a couple of millimeters across. This chip was made in 1974. It is very early chip technology. By today’s standards the features on the chip are huge. This chip is a memory chip made by RCA. You …

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Why Collect Computer Chips?

Why collect computer chips? This is an obvious question that I never asked myself. But I was recently asked this and found myself fumbling for my reasons. I spent a lot of time thinking about it since. The answer to this question will vary for all types of collectors, and for each individual collector. So …

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What’s Your Type?

In determining your collecting goals, it is important to come to grips with the type of collector you are. The primary types are Hobbyists, Collectors, Historians, and Investors. Generally, all chip collectors display some attributes of each of the “collector” archetypes that follow. The Hobbyist Hobbyists are chip collectors that prefer to display their chips …

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What Should I Collect?

“What chips should I collect?” This is one of the most often asked questions by new comers to the hobby. The answer is collect what interests you. This may seem like a useless answer, but it is ultimately the only reasonable answer. Based on the type of chip collector you are, the question might be …

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How Should I Store My Collection?

So, you want to collect chips. The natural question is how should I store them? As your collection grows another question will arise, what chips do I have? And another question that joins these two questions, where is that chip? So the three things you should address right  away when collecting are: 1. Chip Storage …

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What’s My Chip Worth?

The factors that go into determining the value of a chip are as follows: State (New, used, etc.?) Condition (The physical condition of the chip?) Rarity (How many are left?) Notoriety (How many people know about it?) Popularity (How many people care?) Functional (Does it work?)

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How Can I Learn More?

Great!!! So you want to learn more about chips and collecting. Keep in mind that most of the information in the world on chips is not designed or organized for chip collectors. You will need to spend some time sorting through the information that is valuable to you and your collecting goals. Here are some …

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Where Can I Find Chips?

There are lots of places to find computer chips. There are easy ways and ways that require more hunting and pecking. If you take the easy ways you will pay closer to “retail” prices for chips. If you are willing to put in more time searching for chips in the more obscure places, then you …

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