YouTuber LGR felt 'numbness at how powerless I was' as his one-of-a-kind retro PC collection took a direct hit from hurricane Helene, but seeing most of the trove survive now has him eager to share it with others

Gaming IndustryYouTuber LGR felt ‘numbness at how powerless I was’ as his one-of-a-kind retro PC collection took a direct hit from hurricane Helene, but seeing most of the trove survive now has him eager to share it with othersWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

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(Image credit:LGR)

YouTuber Clint Basinger (LGR) looking into camera with hurricane-damaged home visible in background.

Through his channels,LGRandLGR Blerbs, Basinger has chronicled his extensive collection of retro PC games, hardware, and other paraphernalia to an audience of nearly two million subscribers. I previously wrote about his beige Pentium 3 tower stuffed inside agiant Ikea Teddy bear, while some of my other favorites include a PC built inside anevil glass pyramid, a 2003 PC with afaux fish tank viewing panel, and his long running series ongoofy computer mice. The thing I’ve always appreciated is Basinger’s infectious enthusiasm for the material: Rather than Wata ratings or NRFB value, he’s always most interested in this stuff’s history, context, and cool factor.

I also did not expect them to fully cleave my roof and home right down the middle, front to back.

Given Asheville’s previous resilience to storms⁠—the town had been called a “climate haven”—and Basinger’s archival care with his collection⁠—humidity control and storage “on steel shelves elevated on casters or mounted on walls”—there didn’t seem much cause for concern. Basinger even had the trees on his property inspected for structural integrity ahead of the storm.

But then Asheville weathered record rainfall before Helene even arrived, priming the area for the flooding to come. With no evacuation order, Basinger stayed put. “What I did not expect,” Basinger said, “were two of the healthiest, largest, heaviest oak trees right in front of my house falling at the same time. I also did not expect them to fully cleave my roof and home right down the middle, front to back.” In the face of such damage, and fearing for his own safety, Basinger made the call to leave his home and shelter with a neighbor.

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LGR is postponed a while. But I’m safe! - YouTubeWatch On

LGR is postponed a while. But I’m safe! - YouTube

Miraculously, though, Basinger estimated that “95%” of the collection survived in hismost recent video, and he’s doing his best to keep things in perspective: “It could have been so much worse, but thankfully it was not,” he said the new vlog. “Just looking at my actual neighbors down the road or on the other side of the mountain, unfortunately they don’t have a home to even restore. Some people lost their lives⁠—a lot of people did.

“Just extremely grateful for what I’ve got here: The community, the support, all of it. I’m gonna be fine.”

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I’d rather see a good chunk of it spread among other enthusiasts and collectors, hopefully being enjoyed and used more often than I’m able to do myself.

A great deal of old hardware still took the hit⁠—in his vlog, Basinger stopped to inspect the remains of an absurdFerrari branded laptopthat cost $2,000 in 2005⁠—but he expressed optimism that even some of these pieces can be saved: “There are many retro items in far worse condition that I’ve brought back to life before.”

“I’d rather see a good chunk of it spread among other enthusiasts and collectors, hopefully being enjoyed and used more often than I’m able to do myself. I also found myself thinking that if the worst case scenario happened and all of that stuff was irreparably ruined, that there’d be very little of it I’d want to reacquire. I’m not sure what to make of that last part yet, other than some part of me was ready to accept the loss and felt ready to move onto whatever’s next. And I’m still ready for that, but I’m also glad that not much of historical significance was lost either.”

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