If you live anywhere humid, the leads tend to corrode after a few years rendering the parts almost useless.
This is especially true for SMD parts as soldering them is very unforgiving.

Luckily I live in a cool climate. However, I did notice my capacitors need a light sand before soldering them or using them in a breadboard. Thanks for the tip.

 

At the moment, I suppose the components are not taking up a lot of space. So, I could keep them. Selling them on eBay is not really an option, I agree. However, if someone reads this and thinks I could help out, that could be something I would consider.
I could breadboard LM370s and see what they do I guess. There does not seem to be much about using them on the internet. Happy to be proven wrong.

 

I bought the last two cd4070b from Jaycar electronics last week. Then I received seven from another supplier. I had only ordered two. I needed two for a MFOS matrix keyboard controller.
I hope through hole ICs stick around for a long time. SMDs are not that easy to breadboard.

 

If you have to ask - it's probably time to junk them. If there was any real demand - there would be a company making them. Finding a buyer would be tricky, I suspect.

Resistors are about $0.01 a piece when new and with specifications. Junk bin resistors are worth significantly less (~10x). Some of the other parts are maybe worth a few dollars on ebay for audiophools - but probably not worth your time after ebay fees and stuff. Even if you had a few parts worth $100 would that be worth your time to research what you have, determine a price, make a listing, and ship them, have the seller say they were fake, and lose the money and the parts (Don't ask how I know)? I'd guess not, but hey - that's up to you.

The discussion was about active components that were new. "Junk Bin" resistors were not mentioned.
In addition, what is the cost of a resistor, or any other cheap commodity part, that you do not have and do not have any means of obtaining in a reasonable time?? I have been in that situation a few times.
It is one thing if one has a large stock of fresh components in the always open parts store next door. It is an entirely different situation when one is an hours drive from the nearest supply shop, which would be closed at the time anyway.

Besides that, the discussion was not about used resistors, but rather new active devices from an older generation.. The two are rather much different.

Try to find a source of an LM370 today. It is an externally gain controlled opamp, and the closest available similar function is a SMD IC from Analog Devices that is not very close, really.
Once again, the discussion NEVER was about used parts or about resistors.

 

If you live anywhere humid, the leads tend to corrode after a few years rendering the parts almost useless.
This is especially true for SMD parts as soldering them is very unforgiving.

Indeed this is a problem, although for everything and not only parts (especially if you live by the sea). The use of silica-gel bags and enclosed/waterproof plastic containers is almost mandatory if you want to find the equipment/parts in good shape.

 

Indeed this is a problem, although for everything and not only parts (especially if you live by the sea). The use of silica-gel bags and enclosed/waterproof plastic containers is almost mandatory if you want to find the equipment/parts in good shape.

I live in Thailand, I just threw out my entire 1/4 Watt resistor stock as they were almost unusable due to lead corrosion.

 

I like collecting used components as well. However, I will only keep what I can find a datasheet for and I can think of a potential use in my line of interest. Such as opamps, 74hc24x, analogue switch ICs and regulators. Some caps are handy if the legs still have length. Pots come in handy for experiments. Some connectors can be reused provided they don't melt during the extraction process. Motors are cool but I have too many of those. I don't know enough about chokes to be bothered, but I have a collection. Stuff that could potentially be used for a sensor interest me, such as coils from VHS heads.
I tend to be a dreamer of 'one day ...'.

 

I live in Thailand, I just threw out my entire 1/4 Watt resistor stock as they were almost unusable due to lead corrosion.

Would a light sand of the leads before soldering or breadboarding help?

 

It often works to apply a bit of anti-corrosive spray to parts prior to storage.
Of course for automated assembly systems the part condition is much more critical.
And often times using flux-core solder,or even a bit of extra solder flux, is useful.
BUT this discussion was started asking about new parts that had been in storage a long time. Quite different from resistors.
And in all instances, component storage conditions matter quite a lot.

 

Are germanium transistors still used in new builds? Do they have an advantage at any time? I have a collection of those as well.

Thanks for all the input.

 

Try to find a source of an LM370 today. It is an externally gain controlled opamp, and the closest available similar function is a SMD IC from Analog Devices that is not very close, really.
Once again, the discussion NEVER was about used parts or about resistors.

Seems I struck a nerve. Lol.

As I said - if there were a serious market for this sort of thing, a company would make them. Capitalism is about making money. The LM370 is not made today because it's not needed, and it is a junk bin part no matter if it's new-old-stock or not.

The original post said they had $100 worth of resistors. so roughly 10k resistors. would you want someone else's junk bin of resistors? I wouldn't - they are a penny a piece at digikey - new and on cut tape.

Are germanium transistors still used in new builds? Do they have an advantage at any time? I have a collection of those as well.

I've never seen a germanium transistors or diode used in a legitimate new build from the last 40+ years. I do know some audio applications still use germanium, but mostly diodes. So there are folks that will buy them for their homemade kits or to repair and old amplifier - pretty niche though. There are advantages to them, but they are also leaky.

 

Just a few years ago I bought some germanium diodes thinking they might make better detectors for HF radio signals and that there might be sometime that the difference in temperature coefficient of junction voltage vs temperature and current might be useful. I have corresponded with people who would love to have some germanium transistors, not necessarily for practical reasons, but mainly because their historical significance.

I too live in Thailand where the humidity, but have only had lead corrosion problems. Years ago I threw out a hundred 2N3904 transistors to which I absolutely could not solder. I mourn the loss today. I can only guess that some leads are susceptible to corrosion and some, like those of the earlier days when gold plated leads were the norm on the nicer "bugs" as we called them then.

 

Germanium transistors are seldom used in new construction, but are common in much older equipment that might need repair parts such as germanium transistors. Germanium diodes are still used in some applications because of their much lower turn-on threshold voltages. One common example is the crystal radio, which is far more sensitive when a germanium diode is used.
So if one may possibly visit older designs and want to experiment with older technology then there is a reason to hold on to those parts. OR, if one finds another in need of such, a chance to do a service to another person.

 

XR8038, ICL8038, MAX038, XR2206 Waveform Function Generator ICs are in high demand.

Those, and the LM391x bar graph ICs are being made by a Chinese company. I don't know how the new chips compare to the originals.
http://hlf-ic.cn/

 

Are germanium transistors still used in new builds? Do they have an advantage at any time? I have a collection of those as well.

Do you have part numbers or photos?
More than one person in this forum would be interested in acquiring some.

 

Those, and the LM391x bar graph ICs are being made by a Chinese company.
http://hlf-ic.cn/

I am very curious; how did you find that company?
I have attempted, more than once, to find companies which would still manufacture legacy ICs which have been orphaned by the original western companies.
Google has been to me a totally useless tool to find such companies.

 

I have five each of the 2N1305 and 2N1304.
For the record, the thread is about any component including resistors. Thankfully, despite the age of the resistors, they are all still as new, housed in individual compartments and I am privileged to have a vast collection at my disposal.
I found some other components that I could take photos of for you. One has four legs like a plus sign named V766A. No idea. Came housed in a Panadol tin. The tin could be a collector's item!! Lol.

 

NEC 766A. The note that came with it says 'caution'. Why would that be?

 

There are also people that buy these types of parts to harvest the gold and other precious metals. A metal scrap house would maybe be interested too.

 

I will keep an eye out for gold recovery companies in the local area. Microwave diodes and gold legged ICs could go there one day. Not sure the cost, to process removal of gold, breaks even. Maybe it does in bulk. A discussion for another thread.