The Curse of The Great Internet Migratory Box Of Electronics Junk

Are you ashamed of something you’ve been neglecting to do? What if you have been neglecting to do it for 7 years?

A crowd-driven sharing of electronics called TGIMBOEJ (The Great Internet Migratory Box Of Electronics Junk) was started around 2008. Basically, you’d ship of box of stuff to other like-minded hobbyists, they’d take some stuff out, put some stuff in, and ship the box along.

In June 2009, I received a sizeable box of electronic parts and scrap. I was genuinely honored to be included and I had the best of intentions of participating in a timely manner. I went to their website to update the box’s wiki record and there was some simple registration required. I read that you are expected to post something socially about what you got and what you took. I thought to myself, “Well, I certainly want to do an awesome write up! So, I’ll just put the box over here for when I get time this weekend, or next weekend, or after that.”

That box has sat in my office, haunting me, for seven years.

This winter break, I committed to get that my box moving. So, I went to the TGIMBOEJ website to face my peers and find a recipient. What I found was shocking.

It seems that I am not alone in my paralysis and procrastination. It seems all 145 TGIMBOEJ boxes are under a desk, on a shelf, in the attic/basement, or mysteriously 'lost in shipping'. The plurality of the boxes were received by only one person, before getting stuck. Nearly all box traffic ceased by 2011.

Although I am greatly relieved to know that I have so much company, I am genuinely sorry for all the guilt that fellow hobbyists must privately suffer. More so, I am sorry for the people that put together multiple waves of boxes. The TGIMBOEJ was a really wonderful idea. But, something about our group’s psychological profile is incompatible with making it to the post office.

Moral Dilemma

Knowing the probable fate of my box (created by Ronald Moore of Gray, TN), and the internal torture that accompanies the recipient’s inevitable failure, is stopping this box with me the decent thing to do? Or, should I belatedly keep my word, but, in doing so, pass the curse onto some unsuspecting soul?

TGIMBOEJ Gray F box

TGIMBOEJ Gray F box

Answer: Look out, Peoria; box “Gray-F” is on its way!

Shipping labels

Shipping labels

What I Took

The received contents of the box are well documented by David Mcanulty, the last shipper, at http://hellspark.com/dm/tgimboej/gray-f/. Here are the items I took for myself.

L102 TF 775 Project boxes

L102 TF 775 Project boxes

These four aluminum project cases are still relevant, even in the age of 3D printed enclosures. It is impractical to show good manners by taking just one, as invaritably an enclosure will get damaged during machining, or the project will turn out well enough to make a copy.

Round rocker switches R13 130

Round rocker switches R13 130

Three rocker switches (R13-130). These were added to the box by Dave. Thank you! They will power on a robot or rocket, one day.

Light pipe with LED

Light pipe with LED

This is just an LED with an acrylic light pipe. But, I thought it was sort of cool.

What I Removed

You know the saying, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure”. Well, sometimes it is just trash.

Old Panasonic Easa phone

Old Panasonic Easa phone

This old Panasonic cordless phone is just taking up space and weight. It doesn’t seem environmentally conscientious to ship it forward. Out to the recycling with you!

What I Added

Half the fun of TGIMBOEJ is putting stuff into the box that you hope someone will find useful.

Logitech WingMan Rumblepad

Logitech WingMan Rumblepad

This unused USB joystick was going to control a robot. But, I lost interest in it many years ago.

AA Ni Cd Ni MH Battery Charger

AA NiCd NiMH Battery Charger

Here is a working RadioShack battery recharger. If you have a problem with it, I don’t think you can return or exchange it.

G14422 keyswitch

G14422 keyswitch

Four G14422 keyswitches. May they lock out something dangerous for you!

Cut tape capacitors LEDs and regulators

Cut tape capacitors LEDs and regulators

New old-stock cut tape capacitors (electrolytic, tantalum, and poly). Also some surface-mount red LEDs and LM117 regulators.

Yellow pushbuttons

Yellow pushbuttons

A bunch of yellow pushbuttons. At this point, you’ll notice that I am providing multiples of the same part, for the same reason that I took multiples of a part.

I have no idea

I have no idea

Alien artifact? Umm. Yeah. I don’t know what this is. I only know it isn’t mine anymore.

MiniMotor Micro MO and Maxon gearhead motors

MiniMotor Micro MO and Maxon gearhead motors

Finally, in an attempt to restore some karma, I’m including six precision gearhead DC motors from various manufacturers (Micro MO, Maxon, and Minimotor). Should you choose them, contact me if you need datasheets.

It’s Never Too Late

Although it took me seven years to get around to it, the simple act of sending the box places me in the elite top half of participants (*chuckle*). And, if you people from 2010 don’t get on the ball, I will quickly rise up the leaderboard in terms of responsiveness / mean-time-to-ship.

At this point, it will be a little more difficult to find an active recipient (many of the user name links are down). However, unless your next of kin are reading this, it is never too late to send your TGIMBOEJ.

Your spouse will thank you, the package creator will thank you, and there will be a bare spot surrounded by dust where the box used to be.