| Business Name: | 3R Technology |
| Address: | 1920 Occidental Ave. S, Suite G Seattle, WA 98134 |
| Phone: | (206) 957-2682, or toll-free (888) 957-2682 |
| Hours: | 08:30 - 18:00 Mon - Fri, and 10:00 - 16:30 Saturday. |
| Web Site? | |
| Primary Line: | Computer systems, parts, and accessories of all kinds. |
| Secondary Line: | Network hardware, telephone equipment, audio & video gear, both 'prosumer' and professional, and miscellaneous electronics. |
| Pricing (Primary Line): | A - |
| Pricing (Secondary Line): | B + |
| Variety Grade: | Variable: Expect A to B - |
| Customer Service Grade: | A++ |
| Overall Grade: | A |
I've often found, in my travels, that some of the best scrounging spots are those which you hear about only through word-of-mouth. Such was the case with myself and 3R. A friend of mine suggested I check them out, but he couldn't remember the name clearly. Fortunately, he knew the directions well, and that's a good thing because this is one of those hole-in-the-wall places you'd completely miss if you didn't know where to turn and where to look, and Occidental in that part of town is partly unpaved gravel.
I'm going to repeat those directions here, because Google Maps doesn't show it well.
TRAVELING EAST ON HOLGATE FROM 1st: Stay in the right lane. Watch CAREFULLY for a right turn not even a full block after turning east on Holgate. There's usually a reddish-colored sandwich board out near the street with 3R's name and other details.
After turning right, you will be on a small strip of pavement parallel to the railroad tracks. Said tracks will be on your left, and the building will be on your right. Proceed south, off the end of the paved strip onto gravel. 3R will be on your right about another 150 or so feet after leaving pavement. Look for a set of wooden stairs from gravel to dock level.
TRAVELING WEST ON HOLGATE FROM AIRPORT WAY, 6th, or 4th: This one's trickier because of the way you need to turn. You will cross three full sets of railroad tracks. Almost immediately after crossing the third set, you will need to take a left turn onto that same strip of pavement, but there will be a traffic island partly blocking your path (you'll have to cross a pair of double-yellow lines in the turn). Keep the building you see on your right, and the tracks to your left, and you will find it hard to miss.
If you hit 1st Ave. traveling west, you've gone too far.
Now, with that said: 3R is both a recycler and a reseller. Anyone can buy from them, from individuals to governments, and I'm pleased to say the place exceeded my expectations in many ways. Don't be fooled by their deceptively small appearance from the front! They have a well-organized store area, and an extensive set of shelves in the back crammed full of goodies.
Some notable examples: 2.8 GHz P4 systems from IBM (ThinkCentre series), with a 40 gig HD and 512MB RAM, plus a DVD multi-player drive, $55. Server power supply for a Compaq ML370 G2/G3, $15. 36GB 10K-rpm Compaq-branded SCSI server drives, in their carriers: $20 Ea. 146GB Seagate SCSI 'Cheetah' series drives, around $100. Multi-channel audio mixing board, $75.
And that's just a tiny fraction of what they have. Cables, hardware, fans, standard power supplies, printers, SCSI controllers, motherboards, network gear... well, you get the idea. Essentially, they are very worthy competition to RE-PC.
On the downside, remember that no surplus place is perfect. I found some of their prices on networking gear, notably the gigabit-capable Ethernet switches, a bit hard to swallow. $400 for an eight-port?
Other network deals are, however, much better. A recent visit netted me a half-full box (originally 1,000 feet) of CAT-5e bulk network cable for $20.
One of the best features of 3R is their phenomenal customer service! I had bought an APC SmartUPS UPS which turned out to be DOA. They were very willing to work with me to make it right, including offering a full refund or store credit, my choice, and they could not have been more pleasant about the whole affair.
I had also, during the same visit, expressed an interest in a DVD video recorder which had not yet been checked out. No problem! They were happy to assist me in testing it, and setting a (very reasonable) price, all in less than 20 minutes.
This place, as far as I'm concerned, goes in the "Absolutely Required" stops list for any scrounger in the Seattle area. Happy hunting!