I spent a little over $100 on an untested mystery computer on eBay. Why? I ordered it while inebriated, that's why! I'm documenting my experience to make it feel less like a stupid decision and more like a small project.
The pictures revealed a classic beige PC of some sort, complete with 5.25 and 3.5 inch floppy drives, a reset and turbo button, and a massive toggle power switch. It's clear that the PC was stored somewhere slightly dirty for a while and maybe in the elements a little. There is a bit of corrosion on the external bare metal parts of the case and the slip cover is dirty and pitted.
The auction was won with a bid of $67.00 with a whopping $41.50 in shipping charges. The PC weighs 27 pounds, afterall. They were made of stout stuff back then, likely forged from raw iron and silicon by hand in a garage somewhere on the west coast of the USA. $5.46 contributed to taxes, for a grand total of $113.96.
Will I feel validated? Will my spouse be pissed? Will my house burn down the moment I flip the turbo switch? We shall see.