Rehab
At what point is it enough?
- Thread starter jameswei
- Start date
Todd Dodds
Super Member
Well, the good news is that you are able to let go of stuff. That's gotta be a good sign.
I think if I were in your situation, I would make my mind up to select which pieces to keep for a single, basic system. Sell the rest. Then, I would resolve to only invest in LIVE music from that point. You're in a major metropolitan area, so there's got to be more live music available than you could ever take in. Every time you get the urge to buy the latest fancy piece of equipment, just order tickets instead. All the time spent going to the concert will keep your mind off buying.
Ok...there may be a flaw in that plan. You may start thinking you need new equipment that will duplicate that wonderful music you just heard live. In that case, just make your mind up that you must sell the piece of gear that is to be replaced before you can buy.
Yeah. That's what I'd do. Maybe I'll go to the garage and take a hard look at those motorcycles...
I think if I were in your situation, I would make my mind up to select which pieces to keep for a single, basic system. Sell the rest. Then, I would resolve to only invest in LIVE music from that point. You're in a major metropolitan area, so there's got to be more live music available than you could ever take in. Every time you get the urge to buy the latest fancy piece of equipment, just order tickets instead. All the time spent going to the concert will keep your mind off buying.
Ok...there may be a flaw in that plan. You may start thinking you need new equipment that will duplicate that wonderful music you just heard live. In that case, just make your mind up that you must sell the piece of gear that is to be replaced before you can buy.
Yeah. That's what I'd do. Maybe I'll go to the garage and take a hard look at those motorcycles...
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Mister Pig
Pigamus Maximus
The cure for owning a large pile of inexpensive audio gear is to buy higher quality, more expensive audio gear. Decide how much you are going to allocate to the system, and buy the best gear you can at that price point. Do the research, auditioning if you can, and then buy it once and buy it right. Determine the number of systems you need, if more than one, and then start laying out the architecture of it. If it doesn't work, strip it down and sell and accumulate funds before starting over. Build it once and build it right. Buying gear to just buy gear is a great way to tie up a bunch of money and not have any meaningful improvement to show for it.
Regards
Mister Pig
Regards
Mister Pig
This
And This
and...
What one can also do is really focus on the restoration and or modifying old pieces. What I see a lot of with this hoarding behavior is just the buying and storing. One sees a unit looks at the price and what it used to be 40 years ago and have pipe dreams. They then get it and tend to forget about it because their focus went out the window with the next unit they bought.
Nothing wrong with picking strong units that have great promise if fixed up, but have the funds and will to do it. Have a few extra pieces is fine put them on display and once in a while put them to use. However turn them into prime examples, the best of the best in cosmetics and function even if you have to send them out for the work.
The Pig buys new and used however when he buy's used it's a piece that he will send out and spend the needed funds to make it cosmetically beautiful and function it's best. In other words he takes a good buy and turns it into a prime example of that specific unit.
04blackmaxx
Well-Known Member
I for one don't understand the logic of accumulating tons of cheap gear from thrift shops, piling it up probably unhooked and not even using it. If you have a couple systems set up, OK I get that, id like to have an all tube setup separately but the only thing that makes any sense to me is improving the weakest link of my system I actually listen to. Why not take all that time and effort put into hoarding components into saving and researching improved gear for the system you actually listen to?
runnin'
Super Member
Sony DVP-NS999ED just arrive
James. If you are really serious about this, then you must decide to stop the cycle. The cycle begins with looking online for items to buy. So you must cut yourself off from the internet altogether, includes sites like this one. You have to stop the habit of talking about audio and looking at audio. You want to stop spending money, so what are you prepared to do about it?
Once you cut yourself off, you need something else to do, that doesn't involve spending lots of money. A new hobby that doesn't involve the internet. Good luck brother.
Todd Dodds
Super Member
But don't take up golf. Never tried golf myself, but I've heard horror stories from those that have.
Will S.
Super Member
I think pretty much all hobbies involve the internet these days, and offer nearly infinite ways to spend money acquiring stuff.
musichal
poet emeritus
Once had a neighbor three houses down who hoarded newspapers and magazines. Could barely get around in her house as they were stacked floor to ceiling - a real fire trap. At least until the roof started leaking. Then the plumbing did the same. She would go to the street to open the valve, collect some water, then shut it back down. Her lawn was knee-high weeds when her mower broke down, one of us neighbors would knock it down occasionally. By the time family intervened, her filthy house was almost worthless.
If your rooms and hallways are filled with broken hi-fi, then consider whether you might be the audio equivalent of the lady newspaper hoarder. Otherwise, do what you want - no law says you must be smart with your money, or your hobby. However, if you would be embarrassed for friends to see your home then you might want to rethink your approach.
If your rooms and hallways are filled with broken hi-fi, then consider whether you might be the audio equivalent of the lady newspaper hoarder. Otherwise, do what you want - no law says you must be smart with your money, or your hobby. However, if you would be embarrassed for friends to see your home then you might want to rethink your approach.
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When I visited Taiwan in the late 70's you could visit a section of Taipei that was electronics manufacturing. You could just tell them what you wanted and they would cobble it together as an assembled and tested unit. Pretty cool. Maybe you could get the "ultimate" system and find something else to spend your bucks on.
just dave
vintage rules!
Booooo!
whoaru99
Epic Member
I know, it's hard...
OTOH, I'm pretty sure I've seen a post or two where a plea for help was just a thinly-disguised boast about a collection or new acquisition.
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jameswei
Super Member
I am not in the hoarder state yet. I don't have cheap broken gear laying around the hall way. Most of the gear that I bought are $300 U.S to $2000 US. The house or apartment that I live in belongs to my older brother and it cost about 2.5 million U.S. I have a neighbor that showed me his stereo and it was all PASS stuff, I think his system cost somewhere in the $200,000 US range. He got a beautiful pair of speaker by Sonaus Faber called Amati. To these guys my gears are probably junk. By the way the techs here are excellent and very affordable, they can fix anything, that's why I don't have anything that's broken. I will put a stop to all these crazy buying and just enjoy music for a while and thanks for the support everyone.
freQ(*)Oddio
Super Member
research something you have that is not working, pull it out, get the model numbers, do a search online or on here about fixing it, nothing is better then finding out the problem and firing it up again saving something from the trash, or using it for a while in your system, also do not buy 20 black plastic $15 cd players and tape decks, think of what you REALLY WANT, your end all component of lust, and work towards that one thing.
04blackmaxx
Well-Known Member
I think his end all components of lust amount to $200,000 so its likely going to be a lifelong endeavor to get there, if ever. Agree though to avoid the junk along the way.
just dave
vintage rules!
What if they were a pair of Harbeth bookshelf speakers or a Luxman cdp or A killer Sansui receiver?
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