Thrift diving

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Darth Weez, Aug 17, 2014.

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  1. JBStephens

    JBStephens I don't "like", "share", "tweet", or CARE. In Memoriam

    Location:
    South Mountain, NC
    I built those. :)

    What a lot of folks don't know is that you can rotate that little badge in the middle of the port for either horizontal or vertical placement.
     
  2. Ghostworld

    Ghostworld Senior Member

    Location:
    US
    Well, I just met the all-time champion thrift store diver. We all have our stories of great finds, myself included, but this one takes the cake. It's incredible. I went to a guy's house to buy a peice of gear and his man cave is stuffed with great electronics. A jumble of stuff, but a fun room. Real funky man cave cum garage. Then I notice his speakers. They looked oddly familiar; I hadn't seen a pair in 20 years since I auditioned them in Los Angeles. This guy picked up at a thrift store -- for $150 ---a pair of Wilson Watt Puppies. He got them in Thousand Oaks, Calif. I almost fell over. I bow to this guy as the king of finds. Can you imagine? He said it was "years ago" -- it had to have been before thrift stores became saavy of price searching on sites like ebay. A set of working Wilson Watt Puppies -- $150. I am humbled.
     
    Last edited: Oct 4, 2015
    SandAndGlass, hi_watt, timind and 5 others like this.
  3. JBryan

    JBryan Forum Resident

    Location:
    St Louis
    My... that is a find and a half! I'm not as persistent as I used to be at visiting thrifts and 2nd-hand shops mostly because my wife has put her foot down on any more audio gear coming in the house and the storage locker is full but its still hard to drive by a thrift without stopping. I guess its either in your blood or not but I've seen too much great stuff coming out of thrifts to pass them by. I now try to constrain myself to mostly LP's and CD's but simply can't pass up a good deal if its staring me in the face...:shrug:. I do agree with others that its not what to used to be and post-eBay, there aren't as many thrift shops as there once was because folks are more conscious of what their stuff is worth (see: Craigslist). My best finds have been musical instruments - a 1924 mandolin and 50's ukulele from Martin; a Rickenbacker 4001 bass and scads of decent tube amps and acoustic guitars. For audio gear, I've found a few nice TT's including a couple of Thorens TD-124's (from the same Goodwill about 2 weeks apart); a pr of McIntosh MC-30's, a Mx-110 w/Klipschorns (bought as a set); a pr of JBL L-200 StudioMasters along with a fair share of vintage receivers, speakers and tape decks.

    I can't hold a candle to my friends who have brought home some incredible stuff like ancient pro JBL and Western Electric horn speaks; EV Patricians and some drool-worthy vintage and modern tube amps and gear. Maybe that's what keep folks like us 'on the trail'...:righton:
     
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  4. BayouTiger

    BayouTiger Forum Resident

    Thrift stores in this are are pretty bare. I blame Katrina as so much stuff that might have entered the used equipment market was destroyed. Decent finds on CL are also very rare down here.
     
    PhilBiker likes this.
  5. searing75

    searing75 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Western NY
    This is very dependent on where you live. I sadly live in an area where higher pursuits mean bigger wheels on your tuck. Therefore, not much to find in the realm of good used gear, or even desirable old LP's.
     
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  6. PhilBiker

    PhilBiker sh.tv member number 666

    Location:
    Northern VA, USA
    One local thrift near me recently had a nice pair of Magnepan speakers - they wanted something like $500. That particular place always prices their electronics laughably high - like an old POS S-video only DD/DTS 5/1 receiver they'll ask $100 for (that I could get for $25 from someone on Craigslist).
     
    bru87tr likes this.
  7. action pact

    action pact Music Omnivore

    That must have been a VERY long time ago.
     
  8. JBryan

    JBryan Forum Resident

    Location:
    St Louis
    Yeah... I picked up the Khorns and McIntosh gear while I was in college back in the 80's and the rest came over the last 20 years or so. The last interesting audio I picked up was about a year ago when I found a Marantz 1060 integrated amp and a pr of Sony SS-M7 speakers. As others have pointed out, finding nice stuff at ridiculous prices (low) is becoming rare as the thrifts are much more informed (eBay)... Oh well.
     
    action pact likes this.
  9. bru87tr

    bru87tr 80’s rule

    Location:
    MA
    I go to the thrift stores often in many areas around me. It is fun, but I never found anything worthy.

    I have only found two pairs of Original Advents with toasted surrounds. I refoamed them and gave them to friends.

    When I was unemployed I made it a daily thing, there first thing in the morning. Tried mixing it up and go in afternoon too. Nothing.

    I am amazed at what I hear people find. I am not one of those people. Although craigslist has come through for good stuff cheap.
     
  10. bru87tr

    bru87tr 80’s rule

    Location:
    MA
    You should have seem me try to convince the lady clerks the speakers surrounds were toast. I convinced her, but it was not easy explaining to her how the speaker works. I think she took my word for it and still didn't believe me.
     
    PhilBiker likes this.
  11. ronm

    ronm audiofreak

    Location:
    southern colo.
    I think it is slim pickens anymore.Also some stores have it and some stores don't.
     
  12. Ash76

    Ash76 Wait actually yeah no

    I've only found worthwhile records in thrifts a couple of times, let alone equipment. have seen junk though marked too high
     
  13. bru87tr

    bru87tr 80’s rule

    Location:
    MA
    Yes, but me going dates back right before I joined here. So many many years and never found any gold. Nor any silver. :)
     
  14. Robin L

    Robin L Musical Omnivore

    Location:
    Fresno, California
    Thrift stores are my primary source of audio gear and my secondary sources for LPs. Amazing what people just throw away. This year, two blu-ray players, two surround receivers, a dual-well cassette deck, $150 total.
     
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  15. bru87tr

    bru87tr 80’s rule

    Location:
    MA
    Most of my vinyl came from thrift. I am picky and only grab mint vinyl.

    Around here they are a dollar or 5 for 4. All from 70'-80's and have found many original sealed ones too.
     
    Sailfree likes this.
  16. ChadHahn

    ChadHahn Forum Resident

    Location:
    Tucson, AZ, USA
    Most of my records come from Goodwill or Savers. Goodwill charges .49 cents a record and Savers a buck. Lately I've been having better luck at Savers although I bristle at having to pay their high prices.

    I 10 years ago I used to find lots of great stuff. My living room receiver is a Sansui 8080DB that I paid $30 for. I still sometimes find good stuff, but not nearly as often. Last year I found a complete with instructions AR-XA and last week a Magnavox CD player with the TDA1540 DAC. But great finds aren't the weekly experience like they were.

    Chad
     
  17. Bhob

    Bhob Forum Resident

    Location:
    Atlanta Ga
    Good stuff still shows up from time to time, but now the stores try to sell it for retail. ??
     
  18. Carl Swanson

    Carl Swanson Senior Member

    Saw a Rotel CD player for $50 at a SA store a few years back, tagged "guaranteed to function," didn't bite. Don't recall the model.

    EDIT: Next time I was in there, about two weeks later, it was gone.
     
  19. krisjay

    krisjay Psychedelic Wave Rider

    Location:
    Maine
    The main thrift I check out used to have some decent electronics, it has been a long time since I've seen anything good though. Luckily it is still a treasure trove for vinyl. I've found some incredible records at this place, in fairly large quantity.
     
  20. nbakid2000

    nbakid2000 On Indie's Cutting Edge

    Location:
    Springfield, MO
    My parents have a pair and think they're the greatest thing ever. I used to until I heard better speakers.
     
  21. nbakid2000

    nbakid2000 On Indie's Cutting Edge

    Location:
    Springfield, MO
    On this note, my friend trawls Ebay, the thrift stores, and Craigslist for stereo equipment deals. He walked into a Salvation Army or whatever and found a pair of Monitor Audio tower speakers for $400 or so. I think he said the ones he got retail at 700 or 800. Bought them on the spot. They were practically flawless and he uses them constantly.
     
  22. The Seeker

    The Seeker Forum Resident


    Largely due to threads like this one...
     
  23. quicksilverbudie

    quicksilverbudie quicksilverbudie

    Location:
    Ontario
    KEF tower speakers for $34 a pair
    Pioneer Reference series Cassette player $35
    (RR) Reference Recordings LPs for $1.49

    Makes me keep coming back.

    sean
     
  24. Ghostworld

    Ghostworld Senior Member

    Location:
    US
    I just got a pair of B&W DM23 yesterday for $40. Interesting speaker. A three-way, which is nice for a change. Warmer than the modern DM601 I had (and hated). They were voiced by Bowers to sound like the 801s according to their literature. But I need to replace a tweeter, although the tweet crosses over at 5k and only seems to do light lifting -- although important.
     
  25. Casey_S

    Casey_S New Member

    how would I operate the 8-track player a zenith allegro 2000 record/8-track/tuner/etc? this unit ONLY has the program selection button, no other buttons that I noticed. this is a nice unit with good sound quality. i have operated the AUX setting and that works nice for mp3, if you have the right cords. the record player works fine, after a little toying round with it since it would not spin. the tuner also works fine. what would be a good suggestion, since I do not now much about the unit itself.
     
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