Author: Dave Farquhar

How to sell baseball cards

Dave Farquhar Baseball , , , , , ,
How to sell baseball cards

If you want to know how to sell baseball cards, chances are you want maximum value for them. Here are some tips on how to sell baseball cards without getting ripped off.

Selling cards starts with knowing how to value baseball cards. So I recommend you read that first, or at least skim it. Then, come back here to read about your options.

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How to value baseball cards

Dave Farquhar Baseball , , , , , , , , , ,
How to value baseball cards

If you have a collection, knowing how to value baseball cards is helpful. That way, if you need to insure or liquidate the collection, you’ll receive a fair price.

But fair also means realistic. A lot of factors go into value. It’s not too different from valuing other vintage collectibles, so if you already know about those, you have a head start.

Also, even though my focus here is on baseball cards, more or less the same principles hold true for any vintage trading cards: football, basketball, hockey, or non-sports cards.

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Patch screw holes in wood fast

Dave Farquhar DIY, Landlording
Patch screw holes in wood fast

I was working with a construction professional to fix some doors in a rental house. We had some holes that didn’t line up, which meant we needed to patch them before we could drill new ones. He asked me for some toothpicks. It turns out toothpicks are a fast way to patch screw holes in wood.

Insert a toothpick in the old hole, along with a drop of glue, then break it off flush with the surface. Insert additional toothpicks as necessary.

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Find words in all caps in Word

Dave Farquhar Office, Software ,
Find words in all caps in Word

Sometimes it’s helpful to be able to find words in all caps in Word. Microsoft Word, that is. This helps you find all the acronyms so you can make sure you spelled them out or explained them properly.

Double-checking acronyms is especially important when writing government proposals, which require you to spell out acronyms on first usage. If you’ve never written a proposal, be glad, smile, and nod. Many acronyms make good index material, so this trick helps when you’re writing an index. Also, acronyms are frequently jargon, so making sure you explain them adequately is just part of good writing. Or, if you’re a fan of high quality typography, you might want to find them all so you can set them in small caps for improved aesthetics and readability.

Here’s how you do it.

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Self stick vinyl tile in a basement

Dave Farquhar DIY, Landlording
Self stick vinyl tile in a basement

Someone asked me if you can use self stick vinyl tile in a basement. The answer, usually, is yes.

Vinyl can be ideal for basements because it is inexpensive and water resistant.

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Did Microsoft steal DOS from CP/M?

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing , , , , , , ,
Did Microsoft steal DOS from CP/M?

Did Microsoft steal DOS from CP/M? There’s $100,000 in it for you if you can prove they did.

Digital forensics consultant Bob Zeidman still says no. I’ve written about him before. But the rumors persist, hence the reward. So how would one go about claiming it?

Start with what we know.

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Clean malware from a router

Dave Farquhar security ,
Clean malware from a router

I see a few misleading articles out there promising to tell you how to scan your router for malware or viruses. Unfortunately they don’t really explain the problem. They also don’t explain the alternative way to solve the problem you want to solve. What you really want to do is clean malware from a router–and viruses too. And that’s something you can do pretty easily. For free.

Yes, that’s right. You won’t have to pay 50 bucks a year for a subscription to keep your router clean.

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Gary Kildall’s memoirs released

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing

Gary Kildall’s memoirs are legendary vaporware. Until now. Today, the Computer History Museum released 79 pages of it. What was released today isn’t the whole manuscript. But it’s better than what we had yesterday.

Gary Kildall is one of the unsung heroes of early computing. As such, he’s one of my favorite people to write about.

Late in his life, he started to write a memoir. I’ve only had a chance to read parts of the first two chapters, but they explain the man and his motives. It’s not the whole manuscript, and some people aren’t happy about that. But it’s better than what we had yesterday.

Most of what exists of computing history came from the victors’ point of view. Gary Kildall wasn’t one of the winners. But without his contributions, the winners wouldn’t have had much to build on.

Maybe someday Gary Kildall will get his due. Releasing his story in his own words is a start.

Undoubtedly I will have more to say after I read all 79 pages myself. But this release is too important not to mention.

DECT wifi interference

Dave Farquhar Servers and Networking ,
DECT wifi interference

Wifi interference is still a common problem, so sometimes people ask me about DECT wifi interference. I have good news. DECT doesn’t interfere with wifi. This is by design.

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What did a Commodore 64 cost?

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing
What did a Commodore 64 cost?

It’s pretty widely known that the Commodore 64 was the first 64K computer to sell for under $600. But what did a Commodore 64 cost over time? And what was the exact Commodore 64 launch price?

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