this post was submitted on 22 Sep 2025
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The Onion

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[–] saltesc@lemmy.world 113 points 1 month ago (3 children)

Yes, yes. Make the jokes... Forget all those times the box of cables saved the day.

[–] fading_person@lemmy.zip 6 points 1 month ago

People like to make fun of the ones with cable boxes, but they always come to them in times of need

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[–] nymnympseudonym@piefed.social 72 points 1 month ago (3 children)

Rookie. My box has been growing since the '90s

Never know when you're going to need an RJ11 POTS connector!

[–] Gnugit@aussie.zone 46 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

I just picked up someone else's box from the roadside trash to add to my collection.

[–] BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today 11 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Great idea. Now you have to sneak it into the house without the wife knowing

"Whatcha got there?"

"Nothing, just some cables."

"More cables? Don't we have enough? Where did those come from?"

"Nowhere, just found'em"

"Found'em where?"

"Just around"

"Around where?"

"By...some trash."

"Are you trash picking tech again? I told you, we have enough junk, we don't need to collect other people's junk, too!"

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[–] Rhaedas@fedia.io 28 points 1 month ago (1 children)

looks at token ring hardware

You never know.

[–] SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 9 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I think I actually finally threw out the token ring hub.

But I kept all the BNC cables and terminators.

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[–] Noite_Etion@lemmy.world 39 points 1 month ago (4 children)

What if i need that coax cable 10 years from now, what am I going to do, buy another one?

[–] warbond@lemmy.world 14 points 1 month ago

You can buy them? Is that where they come from??? I have so many from cable boxes and modems over the years

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[–] explodicle@sh.itjust.works 38 points 1 month ago (1 children)
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[–] devedeset@lemmy.zip 22 points 1 month ago (3 children)

My wife jokes about this a lot but there's been at least 5 times over the past few years where I just happened to have the exact cable required in the box.

I do go through it every so often. I'm not hoarding VGA and DVI cables

[–] coronach@lemmy.sdf.org 11 points 1 month ago (3 children)

Just keeping the one VGA cable which does get some use!

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[–] Chivera@lemmy.world 22 points 1 month ago

I threw away an RCA cable a while ago. Yesterday I needed it and had to buy a new one 😞. Never again.

[–] Alcoholicorn@mander.xyz 21 points 1 month ago (3 children)

Listen, some day I will need to hook up a dot matrix printer.

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 6 points 1 month ago

To print data off my Zip drive.

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[–] expatriado@lemmy.world 18 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (3 children)

i keep them in labeled containers: data cables, audio cables, power cables and extension cords

[–] 9tr6gyp3@lemmy.world 7 points 1 month ago (2 children)

I still keep them all in one giant box, but they're all sorted and velcroed together

[–] WhyIHateTheInternet@lemmy.world 7 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Amateur. You're supposed to just throw them all in a giant tangled mess. I'm gonna laugh when you need one and you don't even have to spend an hour figuring out what's what.

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[–] Zachariah@lemmy.world 6 points 1 month ago
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[–] paequ2@lemmy.today 18 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (3 children)

What if I need my firewire cable this year?!

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[–] Railcar8095@lemmy.world 18 points 1 month ago (3 children)

Laugh all you want, but the week after I recycled the mini USB cable I had never used we were gifted a baby monitor that, of fucking course, needed a mini USB.

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[–] silt_haddock@lemmy.world 13 points 1 month ago (5 children)

Just like the box of screws my great grand father passed down to my grand father, then to my father and finally to me. This multigenerational collection of screws from goodness knows where will keep growing until I bestow it on the heir to my estate.

[–] Flax_vert@feddit.uk 8 points 1 month ago (1 children)

At this point you cannot even get rid of it because it's an heirloom

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[–] SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 11 points 1 month ago (4 children)
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[–] leftzero@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 points 1 month ago

since 2002

Amateur.

[–] Yawweee877h444@lemmy.world 11 points 1 month ago (1 children)

We are all Man on this blessed day.

I'll keep my growing box of crap I'll never use forever and ever... ya never know, I might need that old DB9 cable for something...

[–] SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 8 points 1 month ago

Literally needed a DB9 cable the other month, I had actually moved it from my standard cable bins to the vintage cable box that I was going to drop off at the e-waste facility. This was the second cable I've had to rescue from that box. I am now just keeping that box.

[–] Jaysyn@lemmy.world 11 points 1 month ago

Just one box?

[–] sirdorius@programming.dev 10 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I just threw out my mum's CRT TV last week (unfortunately was beyond repair, RIP). I decided to keep the SCART cable just in case I might need it some day...

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[–] Madrigal@lemmy.world 10 points 1 month ago (1 children)
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[–] CH3DD4R_G0BL1N@sh.itjust.works 10 points 1 month ago

Do not lose hope brethren, and stay the course! I had critical need of a random audio cable I’d had for over 10 years just a few months ago. It is worth it! Your times will come! Keep the faith!

[–] xep@discuss.online 10 points 1 month ago

I think it's fair that this is posted annually, but I don't like that it is.

[–] zergtoshi@lemmy.world 9 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Only cables?
Don't you have Sound Blaster for ISA bus in that box, for when... you know... just in case?
Or a Pioneer U03-S SCSI DVD-ROM drive for when you need something that plays all region codes?
Or a Pentium 60 for when you want to see that bug again?
Some things are just gone when they're gone. And no, the PS/2-USB adapter isn't up for grabs!

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[–] chicken@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 points 1 month ago (2 children)

I used to have a collection of cardboard boxes for this stuff, but I organized everything into ziplock bags and then a set of transparent storage drawers, way nicer setup, can actually find things if I need them again.

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[–] tiredofsametab@fedia.io 9 points 1 month ago

2002? Pfft, amateur (and I moved mine across an ocean!)

[–] magikmw@piefed.social 8 points 1 month ago

I feel seen.

[–] pikachus_ghost_uncle@lemmy.world 8 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Hey he’s me! Ten of the same power bricks. A bundle of Ethernet cable that I keep for just in case. 5 power cables. Six hdmi cables. A box of computer case fans even though I’ll never need them. Like 50 micro usb cables.

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[–] ellen.kimble@piefed.social 7 points 1 month ago

Emotional support cables

[–] ArmchairAce1944@discuss.online 7 points 1 month ago

No joke. I did keep the cables and some became useful again!

[–] morriscox@lemmy.world 7 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I swear that power cables breed.

[–] chiliedogg@lemmy.world 8 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Until you need a specific one.

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[–] Landless2029@lemmy.world 7 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

I've got a shitty 3ft cube Ottoman in my living room full of cables I'll never need again...

I'm talking about VGA, DVI, DVI/HDMI, VGA/DVI, coax, Component, composite, mini USB, micro USB, USB extention, 3.5m audio, 3.5 audio extention, digital optical, mini HDMI, HDMI and Ethernet.

Last week my wife was redoing her desk and asked for a long micro USB for her calculator and extension cables for USB speakers.

That box became a chest from a Zelda game when I dug in and pulled out the exact three cables she needed. 10ft micro USB, 6ft USB extension and 6ft 3.5 audio extension.

[–] prettybunnys@sh.itjust.works 7 points 1 month ago (3 children)

I have the chest open sound AND hyrule morning theme cued up to play on my smart speakers to annoy my family and kiddo, you should too

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[–] Chozo@fedia.io 6 points 1 month ago

I felt so called out by this that I just threw away a box of cables. Thank you for giving me the push I needed to wait hold on I think I still need those USB-A cables for that old printer I've got in storage so I should dig those out of the trash real quick

[–] Pulptastic@midwest.social 6 points 1 month ago

2002? Those are rookie numbers.

[–] NaibofTabr@infosec.pub 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

By reading this comment you are now cursed:

One week after you choose to dispose of any of those cables, you will need one of them.

[–] kkj@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 1 month ago

Joke's on you, I already had that curse. Now, I have tons of boxes of cables, all clearly labeled.

[–] Pistcow@lemmy.world 6 points 1 month ago

Over my cold dead body

[–] regedit@lemmy.zip 6 points 1 month ago

I'm in this article and feel personally attacked!

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