Back in those days you couldn't buy phones at a store; you had to rent them every month from the phone company. Fortunately a neighbor down the street who was a general contractor would give me phones that people left behind when they moved out, so I had a huge stash of illegal phones in my room. Below is a very small sample:
As time went on I expanded beyond phones to using my calculator as a Raspberry Pi.
Me in college.
Youtube video - tour of Gary's room
Below is my laboratory in my first condo. It accommodated my activities in electronics, music and photography (there was a darkroom in the corner).
Lots of prototyping every day.
Lots and lots of prototyping.
Prototyping and doing software development for the Data Egg. Notice the two one-handed keyboards on the small table behind me.