[Closing: Last Call] Accepting BTC and LTC for surplus technology

[firefop]

Firefop : still mulling over my reply, I understand what you are saying and I agree tentatively. My largest concern is that I just cannot use BTC to cover any of my overhead, ESPECIALLY shipping. I'll sell you almost anything off that page for around 50-70% listed price in USD, and in a way I AM charging a premium for taking BTC. This may not be fair but, again, I'm terrified of BTC. I'd accept face value BTC at current price if I could get purchasers to pay USD for shipping, gladly. Still.... considering. Because I don't plan on 'cashing out' my BTC I'm somewhat insulated from market manipulations... except for the cash overhead in shipping costs.

Hm - looks like we might find a middle ground.

How about - 95% of usd cost on site... paid in btc... (marketed as a "5% discount for purchasing with btc) - and then the customer (in this case me) pays full shipping cost using fiat (credit card or paypal or whatever you'd prefer).

What I've suggested above could be integrated into the website to allow automated purchases. You'd effectively get the BTC upfront and then post a bill for the shipping (after you've assembled and weighed the package of course) - you'd be more protected this way. and would also be able to turn a better profit.

[capn noe]

Hm - looks like we might find a middle ground.

How about - 95% of usd cost on site... paid in btc... (marketed as a "5% discount for purchasing with btc) - and then the customer (in this case me) pays full shipping cost using fiat (credit card or paypal or whatever you'd prefer).

What I've suggested above could be integrated into the website to allow automated purchases. You'd effectively get the BTC upfront and then post a bill for the shipping (after you've assembled and weighed the package of course) - you'd be more protected this way. and would also be able to turn a better profit.

I could do that. I'm going to wait it out a few months and see if taking BTC for surplus is worth the hastle, and if I start getting more orders than I can process by hand I'll try to do something more automated.

Honestly my current concern is the lack of sales. If I don't make 10BTC+/month in sales I'm not going to bother with it.

[capn noe]

I saw this picture in one of the FPGA threads :


Do people want a few cases like this? I can put together some frames, gutted. I'm surprised everyone is using commercial hubs for this stuff too. They DO make enterprise grade USB equipment.

Hell, I'd love to build an actual server rack up to run a gob of ASIC or FPGA equipment. I probably have the kit laying around to knock a few of them out within a week. Golly, I'd even spraypaint it custom for a fee.

The build quality on those BFL machines is absolute garbage. I might put kits together of replacement fans and send it out to folks so they have them in anticipation. We literally have over 10,000 fans laying around of various sizes. Nice ones, usually. As a person who professionally destroys multi-thousand dollar enterprise computer equipment, sometimes, I can say that those 30k dollar units are in now way commercial grade. "USB powered from the PC" is like someone speaking in tounges, it is so alien.


hmmmmmm

[Cablez]

Do you happen to have enterprise grade USB hubs laying around?

[capn noe]

Do you happen to have enterprise grade USB hubs laying around?

I'll look around tomorrow, actually. 'Enterprise Grade USB' is probably a shitton of high end usb controller cards in a server with a backplane covered in ports. A 'usb hub' is some scrub-tier consumer garbage that I wouldn't count on for my livelihood at any cost. Boggles the mind!

Another thing ya'all might be into, we have literally thousands of power supplies. I'd sell most of em for 1btc each. Get a few bigger power supplies, you don't want to run 'em over 70% (hell even 50% is kinda crazy) capacity consistantly. (PS, Server power supplies are awesome)

Also, does ANYONE do powerline monitoring? I've got a 208 powerstrip that actually has a webserver with an rj-45 port, this allows network monitoring of power draw from each outlet. Even remotely. I'd almost say that if I owned any amount of a serious mining operation I'd want power monitoring available.

[firefop]

I'll look around tomorrow, actually. 'Enterprise Grade USB' is probably a shitton of high end usb controller cards in a server with a backplane covered in ports. A 'usb hub' is some scrub-tier consumer garbage that I wouldn't count on for my livelihood at any cost. Boggles the mind!

Another thing ya'all might be into, we have literally thousands of power supplies. I'd sell most of em for 1btc each. Get a few bigger power supplies, you don't want to run 'em over 70% (hell even 50% is kinda crazy) capacity consistantly. (PS, Server power supplies are awesome)

Also, does ANYONE do powerline monitoring? I've got a 208 powerstrip that actually has a webserver with an rj-45 port, this allows network monitoring of power draw from each outlet. Even remotely. I'd almost say that if I owned any amount of a serious mining operation I'd want power monitoring available.

dang it - you keep sucking my back in with your 'real hardware' arguement.

Yes Quote me on that 208v w/management and one of those massive rack cases. And some weight in patch cables or cable fragments...

[dentldir]

Do you have any low RPM alternators? Say 100RPM-200RPM or so?

[capn noe]

dang it - you keep sucking my back in with your 'real hardware' arguement.

Yes Quote me on that 208v w/management and one of those massive rack cases. And some weight in patch cables or cable fragments...

I'd sell you a rack mount housing and a monitored PDU for 180USD, but it's big enough to require freight shipping. Where are you, regionally? I could be enticed to deliver it....

At that price I'd load it up with patch cables, power cables, fans, wire management brackets, mount the PDU, and throw some more goodies in there. I could probably find a working rack mount APC backup unit, I'd throw that in if you wanted to buy a 1u-2u server for 100-200 bucks. I also have a 4u RAID array that takes 16 sata hard drives if, you know, you are into that kinda thing.

I'll get you an exact make and model from the PDU tomorrow so you can check out the specs, it's not on the webpage it's in my personal kit. Because it is awesome.

[capn noe]

Do you have any low RPM alternators? Say 100RPM-200RPM or so?

Sorry, I don't think so.

[capn noe]

Update about the USB hubs: I didn't see anything after a quick look. I don't see why you couldn't just use a patch panel and run them via serial port though.

[Cablez]

Update about the USB hubs: I didn't see anything after a quick look. I don't see why you couldn't just use a patch panel and run them via serial port though.

Thanks for looking capn. I will go a different way.

[gusti]

Other than not trusting any of the exchanges, I also value BTC (for now) differently for shipping costs and product. For product I'm valuing BTC at around 10USD but for shipping I'm cutting this in half. For 30 dollars worth of product that costs 20 dollars worth of shipping I'd charge 7BTC.

So you come to these forum to promote your products in exchange for btc, but you value btc as a second class currency ? Sorry, but I will not buy from you, good luck either. 

[capn noe]

http://www.apc.com/resource/include/techspec_index.cfm?base_sku=AP7862&tab=features

That is the specific pdu i have for sale.

[bitcool]

Great, bookmarked your site.
I see great growth potential in your business.

[capn noe]

Great, bookmarked your site.
I see great growth potential in your business.

I hope so, I've made exactly 0.0000 BTC so far. 

Do I really have to sell scrap wire derivatives or have some kind of electrical supply ponzi? Such a strange market....

[fgervais]

Holy hell, the hours I'd loose just wandering around a place like this...

I'm making a note to come by if I ever come down so far south.

In the meanwhile, I'll be keeping an eye out for various things server cluster related.

[capn noe]

Looking for platinum plated wire or sheet for a hydrogen fuel cell, don't see anything listed on the site but asking just in case. Thanks.

We have none, I just confirmed. I have been told where I might find some, will advise.

I do have something new to announce!


Military Surplus Stuff!

I just picked up a lot of military surplus stuff, mostly clothing. I'll be inventorying it and figuring out what I have shortly, but it's all available! Sadly all of it seems to be small and medium, but I'll know shortly for sure.

Most of the lot.

[capn noe]

I am taking a large lot of equipment to Boston in a few weeks and can do deliveries along the way if anyone wants to order some large things and save on shipping.

Also, a couple of rack mount line conditioners came in http://www.kpsurplus.com/buy/panamax_max_1000_surge_protector_line_conditioner_8_outlet/87110

[capn noe]

Alrighty! It's been long enough and I've received 0.0000btc via orders from this posting. I'm going to go ahead and close up shop and go back to good ole USD. I don't know if it's a trust issue or a hoarding issue, but there just doesn't seem to be a demand here for surplus electrical and data center equipment.

Cutoff time for orders accepting BTC is going to be Friday the 26th, in case anyone was planning on ordering but waiting for a better time. Pro's don't close up shop without notice, no matter what. 

[BitLucky]

This is a shame. If I was in the US I would buy stuff from your store with BTC.