There were a few other reasons of course, but I believe the quality of an area's trash is something that ought to be considered important by more people.
Hmm, this really is a sickness, isn't it?
Yes, indeed it is...
That's why I like Phoenix, as well - plenty of tech stuff here if you know where to look; if you want to purchase some of it, Apache Reclamation and the lesser known Equipment Exchange are the two best places to go in the valley. Apache Reclamation tends to be more friendly for the regular hobbyist, as Equipment Exchange tends to deal in large pieces of tech equipment (you can easily get everything from wafer inspection stations, to electron microscopes, to SCARA pick-n-place arms - I once saw a full-sized Unimate there once, too!).
The other nice thing about Apache is that the owners have another place called "Surplus City" in Albuquerque, New Mexico - and we all know what's nearby; so some of that stuff undoubtedly gets shipped over here. I often wonder if the Altair I found at Apache didn't start out there in Albuquerque, since MITS was located there back in the day...
/just another junkmeister...
