Taming the habit - actually managing to leave stuff behind and walk away
- Thread starter Markoneswift
- Start date
I've been attempting to cut back on my purchases in recent years. Unless I'm absolutely sure I can make use of something I see at a flea market or thrift store, I leave it behind. If I come back later and it's still there, I will consider it further; otherwise, c'est la vie. I've still brought home some stuff, but I've also left behind a lot of stuff I might've otherwise bought.
-Adam
-Adam
superdog
AK Member
In spite of having some pretty decent setups I can't say I'll never pick up anything else because I have said it in the past and all of a sudden I picked something up.I will say though that a lot of stuff I would have brought home in the past (mainly just to hear it and mess around with)I don't anymore.Unless I donate it it is just not worth the hassle to flip.I noticed recently on cl there is quite a few audio gear on there whereas in the past few years there wasn't anything.Its like people have caught on to vintage audio and are trying to make a buck.The love of picking something up just to mess with is still there but unless I donate it afterwards I am stuck with it as it seems no one wants the midfi.
rxonmymind
Super Member
This vintage collecting certainly isn't for the instant gratification crowd in my experience. Sure it'll work for a bit but then you'll notice the sound shifting from speaker to speaker, won't turn on etc. Anything found will more than likely have to be restored and that can be several years wait depending on who does it. Once it's done there is always a chance some other electronic glitch WILL develop and it has to go back out again and again. If patience is not your strong point then this probably isn't the hobby for you. Waiting on gear....no, waiting to be on the waiting list is something you'll have to get used to after finding that score. However, once you do get it back and everything is firing on all cylinders it was worth the price of admission. Once or maybe even twice. Certainly not a whole rack that needs to be fixed and that had me walking away from even a Pioneer sx-1980 with no sound. So, give thanks to those who do fixed gear here on barter town and pay them for their time for a fully restored unit. You'll be glad you did. In the meantime I'll pass on that gear in a garage at some sale.
ferninando
Lunatic Member
broke my habit by loosing hearing all sounds above 1khz.
now do not buy more audio stuff and liquidating all existing equipment.
Now life sucks.
now do not buy more audio stuff and liquidating all existing equipment.
Now life sucks.
Mister Pig
Pigamus Maximus
Start buying moving coil cartridges, especially those with Japanese sounding names. That will put a hole in your audio kitty big enough to drive a John deere tractor through.
Regards
Mister Pig
Regards
Mister Pig
OutlawSun
Well-Known Member
I generally set out to build one really solid system outright so that I don't have the need to upgrade a bunch. I did pick up a couple freebie projects at one point a Thorens TD 150 II and a Dynaco Pat-4 that I intend to eventually tinker with don't need any projects beyond that.
The KLH 17s are such pleasant speakers that I don't see much reason to replace them though I might for a pair KLH 5s if the opportunity arose at the right price. Also have a pair of Dynaco A-25s that I happened to want and intend to use as remotes.
The KLH 17s are such pleasant speakers that I don't see much reason to replace them though I might for a pair KLH 5s if the opportunity arose at the right price. Also have a pair of Dynaco A-25s that I happened to want and intend to use as remotes.
OutlawSun
Well-Known Member
Should try them out regardless they're nice speakers. But I seriously recommend getting the sealant kit from vintage AR if you're gonna redope them. Takes a few minutes apply a nice coat of the stuff with the brush then you pretty much just let them sit for a day or two and you're good to go.
soundmotor
super modified
Easy way to deal with it is consider that every time you take low-end gear out of the market you eliminate the opportunity for a newbie to get involved cheap.
Markoneswift
Quartz locked n ready to rock
Well, I have just tried that technique by bagging a Sharp RP-116 BSLT linear tracking turntable. Fallen off the wagon again....
It's easier for me to walk away, now that I'm headed in the right direction with the sound I want (thanks @Mister Pig ) for the guidance, I'm now on the right track and I enjoy all my gear everyday without looking for something to replace what I have. Instead I'm looking to improve what I already have which is small things at this point.
Audiofreak71
Audiofreak71
That is where I am at right now--I'll look at a listing and see something interesting, but now I stop myself because it would not fit in my high-end system, and I don't need anything else to build a second or third system. My last two CL purchases were upgrades for me. A pair of Vandersteens, sold dirt cheap because the family was moving within a couple of days and needed them gone. And the C-J Premier 11, sold at a deep discount because the owner needed money for medical bills.
I just don't have the patience for it anymore myself. With CL, all I've had is harassment. With eBay and Amazon, sellers claim the item is "garbage" just so they can send it back due to buyer's remorse. Or an idiot buyer from Audiogon who likely ruined a $700 item himself, and claims I was defrauding him. Thing is, I don't now what to do with all of this stuff I have. It's not a hoard, but is 35 years of buying stuff for my own use. And I could use the money for my next system upgrade. Some I don't really want to part with, but I really need the space also.
Of the thrift stores I have stopped at here, I have never seen anything I would want in my house. Really cheap low-end stereo gear (Soundesign, anyone?), old table radios that are stained and worn, or badly-beaten mass market gear like Sony, Technics, etc. Best I ever saw was a Philips CD recorder...yet one of the two drives was not working.
But on the other hand, get me away from Audiogon, US Audio Mart, etc. as I start seeking upgrades I really have no business buying.
I'm very satisfied with my system now.I can walk away from gear I see at thrifts and yard sales unless of course it's a really good score.It's funny that when you get into this hobby your eyes become trained or focus on every electronic thing you see and you start hauling everything home,I can't do that anymore,got too much stuff.
