Goodwill/SA/Thrift Store Discussions & Finds

Okay. This one is kinda freaky. Picked up this Realistic Microcassette Recorder. From the early 90s, but looks brand new.

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Open it up and even though it looks brand new, there’s (dead) batteries inside and a tape. New batteries and it works. The tape (new looking, unmarked blank tape) is spooled to the wrong side. I flip it over, and listen for a few seconds, expecting maybe some doctor’s notes or something… nope. Put it back like it was and rewind it all the way.

Stopped and randomly listened. "They’ve shut off the power and I’m hiding in the closet."

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After a sparse 2017, scored two weeks in a row. Sunfire hrs 10 and a HP 11c calculator. Calculator was $1 sub was $50. Both in nice shape and working perfect. Almost walk by the sub as it is pretty small. Picked it up and it was about 4 times as heavy as you think. Knew it was a quality item then turned it around and saw Sunfire...totally nerded out on the calculator as I always wanted one of them as I use scientific calculators every day at work.
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Picked up an Onkyo TX-NR737 with remote for $29.99. It's only a couple of years old, which is an unusual find in our thrifts. Has lots of HDMI hookups, and is equipped with Bluetooth and Wifi capabilities. THX certified and Atmos capable, 110wpc 20-20K @ 0.08% thd. I have been wanting an HDMI-equipped receiver to replace my old Yamaha V2400 so I could listen to the various HD soundtrack formats. I have tried a couple others, but they never sounded as good as the Yammy, so I hope this one is up to the task. It was $30 cheaper than a lesser, older, non-HDMI Onkyo they had, so I'm hoping it works. I didn't get a chance to fully test it other than a power up, but I figured even if it doesn't work I could sell the remote for $20 or so with not much lost.

Stock photo:
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Picked up an Onkyo TX-NR737 with remote for $29.99. It's only a couple of years old, which is an unusual find in our thrifts. Has lots of HDMI hookups, and is equipped with Bluetooth and Wifi capabilities. THX certified and Atmos capable, 110wpc 20-20K @ 0.08% thd. I have been wanting an HDMI-equipped receiver to replace my old Yamaha V2400 so I could listen to the various HD soundtrack formats. I have tried a couple others, but they never sounded as good as the Yammy, so I hope this one is up to the task. It was $30 cheaper than a lesser, older, non-HDMI Onkyo they had, so I'm hoping it works. I didn't get a chance to fully test it other than a power up, but I figured even if it doesn't work I could sell the remote for $20 or so with not much lost.

Stock photo:
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That's a great price for a well spec'd HT receiver ! Nice pick up :)
 
After a sparse 2017, scored two weeks in a row. Sunfire hrs 10 and a HP 11c calculator. Calculator was $1 sub was $50. Both in nice shape and working perfect. Almost walk by the sub as it is pretty small. Picked it up and it was about 4 times as heavy as you think. Knew it was a quality item then turned it around and saw Sunfire...totally nerded out on the calculator as I always wanted one of them as I use scientific calculators every day at work.
View attachment 1109372

Nice find! That sub can move some major air. Ran over $1000 new.
 
Not much at the recyclers this morning but I did pull -

A Fuji S800fd 8.0 MP / 16x bridge camera, complete in box with manuals for $10
A Sansui P-50 turntable, complete with Grado cart, missing counterweight and stub (see thread in Turntables forum if you can help), $20
A full Pioneer HT system which has the VSX-420 100w x 5 AV receiver, a huge powered sub and five speakers, $100. More than I normally pay, but my son wanted it for his room to blast out The Weeknd and Suicide Boys. I figured $100 was a good buy to stop him playnig that crap on my gear, plus he has a job now so he can pay me back !!

Man, you guys are lucky you can pull stuff from your recyclers. Around here there all sorts of signs posted that taking anything from the recycler is a crime, and will be punished as theft. You can't pick up a freaking piece of dirt without being give the stink eye by the patrol guy out in the trash/recycle area. Good or bad, once it's at the recyclers, the county considers it their property. And for God's sake, don't steal from the Government.
 
Man, you guys are lucky you can pull stuff from your recyclers. Around here there all sorts of signs posted that taking anything from the recycler is a crime, and will be punished as theft. You can't pick up a freaking piece of dirt without being give the stink eye by the patrol guy out in the trash/recycle area. Good or bad, once it's at the recyclers, the county considers it their property. And for God's sake, don't steal from the Government.

Based on the prices given, he seems to be making purchases at the recycler's store.
 
Based on the prices given, he seems to be making purchases at the recycler's store.

Exactly. The waste transfer station is contracted out to a private company, by the City. The private company pulls all the stuff that shouldnt go to landfill and puts it in their onsite recycle store. There's also a recycle drop off point so that most stuff doesn't get covered in garbage.

In the UK however, we had a local recycle station but it was purely drop off only. If you even looked at anything the wrong way, a worker would give a lecture about Council policy, liability etc. Funny because I know for a fact those workers were skimming stuff and selling on EBay......
 
Just won a Fuji HS10 30x zoom, 10 Mp bridge camera on our auction site. I found out our biggest pawn shop in town often clear stuff by auction after an item has hung around for a while.

The Fuji was advertised faulty, shuts off when taking a photo. I figured for $20 its worth a go. Arrived today, put fresh batteries in, works perfectly and its in great shape. Cost me $20 :)
 
Exactly. The waste transfer station is contracted out to a private company, by the City. The private company pulls all the stuff that shouldnt go to landfill and puts it in their onsite recycle store. There's also a recycle drop off point so that most stuff doesn't get covered in garbage.

In the UK however, we had a local recycle station but it was purely drop off only. If you even looked at anything the wrong way, a worker would give a lecture about Council policy, liability etc. Funny because I know for a fact those workers were skimming stuff and selling on EBay......

Ok, interesting.
 
Okay. This one is kinda freaky. Picked up this Realistic Microcassette Recorder. From the early 90s, but looks brand new.

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Open it up and even though it looks brand new, there’s (dead) batteries inside and a tape. New batteries and it works. The tape (new looking, unmarked blank tape) is spooled to the wrong side. I flip it over, and listen for a few seconds, expecting maybe some doctor’s notes or something… nope. Put it back like it was and rewind it all the way.

Stopped and randomly listened. "They’ve shut off the power and I’m hiding in the closet."

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Oh man. You have to listen to the rest now and let us know. Then again, that also sounds like a good start to a horror movie.
 
I like this thread! I'll have to sprang some time reading about all the good finds later but here are some of mine from this year.

Marantz 6110 turntable at a yard sale 5.00
Pioneer SD1100 signal scope, estate sale 20.00
2 pairs of Acoustic Research AR2AX speakers at an estate sale, 200.00
On 3 separate occasions, KLH Model 20 Plus assemblies, none over 150.00 at various garage sales/estate sales
2) mismatched KLH Model 6 speakers (early style with working oil caps) 10.00 each
JVC 4VR5414 receiver, purchased with the model 6's, 20.00
2) JBL Lancer 77 speakers, 40.00
2) Boston Acoustic surround sound speakers (used as a garage radio) 5.00
1) Boston Acoustic 8" home theater sub, 5.00
 
Oh man. You have to listen to the rest now and let us know. Then again, that also sounds like a good start to a horror movie.

I tried to get a recording of it on the computer, but I don't have a 1/16" adapter. I used a small action camera to record it, but the volume is all over the place, and I really need to get it into Audacity. I may have to break out the Tascam.

It's really creepy. There's one woman recounting events. Something about an argument with a roommate (lover?) over buying them out of a condo, and then the roommate threatened her with a gun and she left and when she got back the place had been burned. Then there was an incident at the hospital where she worked and that's where the 'hiding in a closet and they've shut off the power' bit came in.

Freaky stuff, but my wife ruined the fun when she said 'it sounds like somebody's dream journal'.
 
Today's Thirst store haul.
Normally it is a big zero.
Some times a few CD's or LP's.
Once in awhile a big score of 10 or more CD's and or LP's from one store.
Today was a rare double hit.

About evenly split between two stores, approx 30 CD's.
As you can see they cover a wide range of types.
And I am sure several are dup's to me, still for a buck a pop I could not pass them up.
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