QUESTION: What do you do with older gear that doesn't work

[Montycat]

But in all seriousness, sometimes I bite off more than I can chew. I can fix many things and often come out way ahead. Sometimes I can't and don't. However I rarely lose much monetarily and make it back in parts or other things l take on. I always learn something in the process.

 

[motorstereo]

If it can't be gifted or fixed or it's not worth fixing toss it. If it does end up heading for the dumpster make sure to pull all the knobs, switch covers, feet etc. before sending it on it's way

 

[savatage1973]

As much as I hate to do it, I will part-out stuff that isn't worth the $$$ investment to repair, or is so "cosmetically challenged" as to never be "presentable". This is where all those "unobtanium" parts come from, and I have drawers full of them. I strip EVERYTHING that is still in working order or good cosmetic shape. You never know when someone will need something, and a lot of parts (especially stuff like knobs, switches, faceplates and power transformers) are near impossible to find for vintage gear, unless you can find a "donor" unit.

As others have mentioned, you could gift it or sell it cheap "as-is" to someone that wants to put the time and money into it to "resurrect" it. Your piece--your call.

 

[Fleischer]

Door stops and boat anchors. If it is a turntable, I will harvest the headshell and cartridge (as these frequently disappear from turntables set out for sale at thrift shops) and donate the rest to the Sally Ann. If other equipment is uneconomic to restore, I will donate it without harvesting bits, so that someone else can have a go at it.

 

[Bob]

fix or flip. no other choices. unless you have a barn. then you hoard.

I see a lot of "gotta make money" - sometimes it's not about the money.
for me, its the money you spend in pursuit of music.

before flipping became the rage, I used to upgrade then I would try to salvage
units simply because it was a challenge.

nowadays with flippers happy making 10 cents per flip, the newbies
who don't read the threads on how to learn to fix, how to fix,
how to troubleshoot, and how to refurb, I think the war is over.

as TTs are harvested for belts, carts, headshells, platter mats, dustcovers,
amps harvested for the VFETs, (telefunken) 12ax7s, Mullard EL34s, etc
the number of working units drops dramatically and rises in price. and
the flippers/newbies rush in - easy with a smartphone, access to discogs,
ebay, for pricing and flippability.

would you buy ANY unit that has had its 20-80 caps replaced by a newbie
who rips his BOM list from AK, doesn't read any threads on that unit, wires
caps according to incorrect stenciling, doesn't know about service manual
addendums, can't read a schematic, uses caps from eBay, and above all,
does not document what he/she did? then charges you a premium for
his flipper jenius?

learn to fix - no other option to trust. (other than the AK giants who
correctly fix stuff.)

 

[fleksta]

Anytime I build up a stash of broken gear, I just put it on the CL free section. Usually someone claims the stuff in less than an hour.

 

[satellite65]

Barter Town - pay it forward

 

[danrclem]

It depends very much on what the equipment is. If it's very good pieces you can have it rebuilt or just sell it as is. If it's middle of the road there's probably somebody who would still wants it. If it's lower end pieces they make good practice for learning electronics. They don't have as many parts and if you mess them up you haven't lost much. If it's a hopeless case then part it out or pass it on.

 

[motorstereo]

Another use for those stripped carcasses is they make great fillers for concrete pours. There's a Sansui 5000a entombed in the left corner of my garage floor and a few cassette decks tossed in some sidewalks I poured here years ago. At least they're serving a purpose rather than taking up space at a landfill somewhere

 

[Blue Shadow]

Another use for those stripped carcasses is they make great fillers for concrete pours. There's a Sansui 5000a entombed in the left corner of my garage floor and a few cassette decks tossed in some sidewalks I poured here years ago. At least they're serving a purpose rather than taking up space at a landfill somewhere

If you took the covers off they probably structurally improved the concrete getting in the nooks and crannies. Sheet metal rebar as it were.

 

[MannyE]

Auctions for AK.... That's one place where regardless of what happens to it, it did some good by keeping AK running a little longer.

 

[SoCal Sam]

All my broken gear that has value goes on ebay. It's broken already so the chances of getting a SNAD are low.

 

[jcamero]

I take it to a local tech, and trade it for cash. I have traded it for service too.

 

[markshan]

All my broken gear that has value goes on ebay. It's broken already so the chances of getting a SNAD are low.

I never thought of that. It's kind of brilliant, actually.

 

[blhagstrom]

1) give it to a fixer/tech, parts are parts
2) part it out, flip on eBay, people buy parts, all sorts of parts.
3) sell it on eBay, broken stuff sells.

Since I fix, I scavenge usefull parts from things that won’t sell broken and have zero parts demand.

The quickest easiest flip is a cheap whole unit.

Parting out takes time but can pull much more money. I know of a a Pioneer SX-950 that was messed up and was parted out and just about every part sold. It pulled $900 in parts.


Throwing it away is a waste unless it’s really a loser. Donating it is throwing it away, if it doesn’t work, Goodwill and others either trash it or send it to recycling. They don’t bother with it. Hell, I’ve seen them trash working gear because the lights were all out and the controls were dirty.

I learned to fix vintage because I could find cheap vintage in various condition to learn on. Because people didn’t “throw it away”, I have saved many pieces and helped many people get their vintage fixed or restored.

Luckily, WA state has an e-cycle law so a lot of vintage is being saved from the trash. Sadly, not all is being saved from the scrap.

 

[70'sMusic]

Gr

Post your location. Maybe somebody will fix one of them in trade for some of the others. Pretty good bunch on here, generally speaking.

Great idea, thank you!

 

[70'sMusic]

Anytime I build up a stash of broken gear, I just put it on the CL free section. Usually someone claims the stuff in less than an hour.

Thank you, what is "CL free section?"

 

[70'sMusic]

Barter Town - pay it forward

Bartertown.com ?

 

[Dazaa]

I give all my broken gear to my tech. He strips absolutely everything, right down to the pots, did you guys know how many types of potentiometers are damn near impossible to find?

 

[markshan]

Bartertown.com ?

Barter Town is a classified section on this board which is only available to subscribers. I've been a buyer and a seller there and have only had one negative experience out of dozens, maybe hundreds, of transactions.