A New Beginning?
After a break from work (not due to COVID) I’ve had some time to start going
through the huge piles of old Mac gear that currently reside in my basement,
the remnants of the old store. Since the basement could certainly stand to be
cleaned out, I’ve started to create new listings on eBay and Etsy. I don’t
think I will ever get back to the level of inventory and time that I had with
the old store, but I have had some nostalgic fun going through all the old
stuff and cleaning it up for sale.
If you are looking for
something in particular, or have something you’d like to find a new home
for, you can contact me via Etsy or eBay messaging; the old store at macshack.us
email address has been abandoned to a labyrinth of spam.
Check out additional items on my Etsy shop here!
History:
The origins of the MacShack started circa 1990 when I was in grade school, and
had my first exposure to Apple computers. At that time, my school had mostly
Apple IIe computers, on which I learned typing and
played other "educational" games like Oregon Trail, Number Munchers,
Cross Country USA and the like. Gradually, the school transitioned over the
various models of Macintosh computers, including the SE, LC and Classic.
ClarisWorks and HyperCard were programs that we used daily, and also Netscape
when we got our first exposure to the graphical Internet--there was also a bit
of Gopher and Lynx before that, on the text-based Internet. Although I didn't
own a Mac of my own at the time, it set the stage for a lifetime of tinkering
with computers and electronics.
The first iterations of the store started around 2004, when I used a simple
website as a catalog for the various items that I scrounged up from friends,
garage sales, eBay lots and other sources. Ordering was done via e-mail and
PayPal, and the majority of my customers were from various Mac communities,
such as LowEndMac and Jeg's
(until he banned me). I even had a website and file repository running on a
Macintosh SE/30 for a while. Around 2008, I upgraded and created a real
webstore with Zencart, which brought standard
webstore features to the party such as automated inventory tracking, ordering
and payment. I can't say that the store was ever very "pretty", as my
web skills have generally emphasized the functionality of a site rather than eye
candy.
I moved for work, and with my various commitments I don't have as much time as
I once did to work on the store, and to be honest I sort of lost interest.
Although it's never been a sustaining business for me, I've enjoyed working on
the store over the years, searching high and low to bring you the best deals on
classic Apple & Macintosh systems, accessories, parts and other gear.
I'd like to extend a thanks to all my customers, and fellow Classic Mac
enthusiasts over the years who have helped me keep the store going, and to help
keep as many of the great old Macs and Mac stuff out of dumpsters and
landfills. Although I too feel the need for the latest and greatest technology,
I try and balance it with a modicum of sustainability and believe that all
technology can be useful to the right people in the right places--even if it's
just something to play around with and reminisce about the golden days of
Macintosh computing. I highly encourage everyone to recycle their old
technology, and help out nonprofits like FreeGeek and others that refurbish old technology and
get it into the hands of people who can appreciate it--and recycle it if it's
no longer of any use.
Happy computing; hopefully I'll see everyone again soon.
Greg Bennett
Proprietor, MacShacck.us
Purveyor of Classic Apple & Macintosh Gear