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Goodwill/SA/Thrift Store Discussions & Finds

Last Friday's GW find Lafayette LR-1100 receiver, $10 the only problems are that the dial lamps are out, but it sounds really good (listening to it right now).
Other finds are a SA $2 Sansui FR-1080 it came with a nice Shure cart, and my first 'good deal" a 2220 found at a GS for $10 with a wood case. Only needed the pots cleaned.
 
I guess I need to move. I live in North East Georgia and you have to really get lucky to find anything worth a $hit. Most of the time all there is in thrift stores around here are crappy Sears or Soundesign all-in-one units with a turn table, 8 track, and tuner built in. I wish I had a nickel for every one of those I passed by. A lot of black plastic digital tuners and dual well cassette decks as well. I seem to NEVER find anything good. If I do, there is almost always something wrong with it. I am sure if I went further down the highway to Atlanta I might do better, but I don't know my way around and I hate the traffic down there. My range is all north of the city. I guess all the hicks here never could afford any good hi-fi, or they are smart enough to hold on to what they have. I have only been collecting for about a year and a half, but here are some of the units I have come across:

Kenwood KX-1030 3 head cassette deck. I really like this unit, but I think it needs new belts. $5

Pioneer SX-750 Receiver - Doesn't even power up. Plug it in and something starts to smell funny. $5

Technics PL-J33 Linear Tracking Turn Table - One of the few I got out of a thrift store that actually works! I have heard some negative comments about the linear tracking TT's, but this thing sounds good to me. $5

Pioneer SA-9800 Non-Switching Integrated Amplifier - I thought I had struck gold when came across this thing. I have seen this model sell on eBay for over $1000! Works perfectly, but it has one of those [bleep]ing vacum tube displays that went bad. So, it works as it should as far as putting out sound goes, but it has no display which drives me nuts. Planning on offering it up as a parts unit. $10

Technics SL-BD20 Belt Drive Turn Table - Piece of poo. $8

I use nothing I found at a thrift store in my personal system. Not that I wouldn't, I just cant find anything worth a $hit. I have to say that the stuff I have purchased on eBay, although better quality gear, is in about as good a shape as anything you will find at a thrift store. Seems like everything needs to be tweaked in order to bring it back to life. My tech loves to see me walk through his shop door that is for sure.

Like I mentioned earlier, I need to relocate to an area more densly populated and with a higher per capita income in order to score better thrift store Hi-Fi.
 
herbman1975 said:
Pioneer SA-9800 Non-Switching Integrated Amplifier - I thought I had struck gold when came across this thing. I have seen this model sell on eBay for over $1000! Works perfectly, but it has one of those [bleep]ing vacum tube displays that went bad. So, it works as it should as far as putting out sound goes, but it has no display which drives me nuts. Planning on offering it up as a parts unit. $10
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Before you consign her to the boneyard, check to see if all the voltages to the display are present. I've never worked on one but I suspect the HV caps might be bad. If the display tube or other electronics are bad, maybe you could steal a display from one of the cheaper int. amps or receivers with the VF power meters.

If you are willing to ship it, I'm sure EW could find a solution.
 
Everything listed here was in mint or near mint condition when purchased. This list could be alot longer but I'll keep it down to the ones that come to mind as the best scores.

DBX 14/10 Free!!!!! Came with a QRX-9001 I paid $180 for!
Klipsch KG-2's $20
Pioneer SX-990 $10
Pioneer HPM-100's $30
Marantz 2245 $10
Kenwood KR-5150 $10
Pioneer SG-9800 $5
NAD 7250PE $8
NAD 5170 $8
Marantz Superscope $5
Dynaco A10's $5
ADS L400's (walnut) $5
Sansui AU-217 II Int. Amp $6
Sansui AX-7 Mixer $5
Sansui 5000A $40 (still had the blue plastic film on metal surfaces as if it left the factory yesterday)
 
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I went thrift store shopping over the Easter weekend.

I found a Pioneer PL10 turntable with a Shure M91 Cartridge (which is why I bought the turntable) for $10

I also picked up a JVC 50 watt integtated amp with big VU meters for $20. It works pretty well other than the obvious cleaning it needs.
I don't know the model number off hand. I will post that tomorrow.
It is a sweet sounding amp..

Harry
 
Ah, what might have been

Was in a GW this morning, and saw something I seldom see in my local thrifts--a turntable!

Looked closer, and saw it was a Dual 1229.

"Eh", I thought. A Dual idler-wheel table. Oh. boy. who. cares?

Now, it was in beautiful condition; even the dust cover was unscratched. And it was only $19.99, so I really did consider it. But then thought, "Nah, what would I do with it?" and went home.

Checking my email, I thought to look on d'bay to see if it was popular. And saw this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/DUAL-1229-PROFE...oryZ3283QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

On Angel's wings, I flew back to the car and out to GW again.

But you KNOW the rest of the story already, don't you?

Moral: Buy the stupid thing the first time, especially if its cheap.

I just hope somebody here got it.
 
Happy to report I found a Pioneer CT-F7272 tape deck. Works perfectly and the cosmetics are nearly perfect as well.
 
Get this, I go to an estate sale. The lady has this stuff but no price. I asks how much, she says make an offer. So I says how about this.

Since this one thing is model No. 23, how about $23?

And, since this other one is a model No. 26, how about $26?

Then she says SOLD!

The one No. 23 thing was really heavy, glad it had handles on the front and back.

Any of you guys heard of Mark Levinson gear?









Well, I am entitled to dream, aren't I? :)

Seriously, about my best was a 9090DB for $20 at a garage sale. Turned it for $140 a number of years ago, wish I hadn't done that...
 
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I stopped by my local Salvation Army store yesterday to drop off some humidifiers and other stuff and saw my friendly Audio Advisor. He said a well dressed old gentleman had dropped off a pair of speakers a few days earlier. The Advisor did not recognize the brand name, but upon hefting them and checking the solidity of the construction, determined they were of quality. After he saw "Made in England" legend on the data plates, he assumed I would recognize them, and placed them behind the counter so no one would screw up the removable grills or otherwise damage the pair prior to my next visit.

He told me all this as I brought my donations into the store. We went behind the counter and he produced an absolutely mint - no scratches, not even dust - pair of Mission 761i speakers in black ash. I pulled off the grill covers, which no one had likely done before, and saw that all the drivers were pristine and perfectly clean. I paid the $39.99 and tipped the Advisor. I did not even audition them, assuming they would play fine.

My Fisher 400 sings through these speakers. They do not present the same sonic picture that my other home office speakers do, Fisher XP 15s and Omega Grande 6s, but they sound truly fine and balanced. I spoke with Mission in the UK this morning and learned they manufactured them from 1992-1994 and cost £179.99, or about $325. The Mission rep even emailed me a spec sheet and manual.

A worthy thrift store acquisition!
 
Freecycle Find

A local Freecycler saw a neighbor had left some stereo equipment at the curb for trash. She listed in the local Freecycle emails. After two no-shows, I was 3rd on the list and picked up 4 Realistic Nova 7B speakers and very good condition Realistic STA-90 receiver. Total cost - Gas for a 5 minute drive to pickup equipment!
 
HPM900 original cone needed.

Hi.. I have read your message and wanted to know if you can help me finding a HPM900 woofer cone. One of my speakers cone accidentally was damaged and if possible I want to fix it. I beleive I can manage to install a good cone since the voice coil spider are still intact. I am also willing to purchase a complete woofer if it is in accepteable condition.
Thanks.

Oguz.
oguz@kfshrc.edu.sa

GordonW said:
Hey tracer... if the voice coil and spider are still intact on the broken HPM900 woofer (as in the standard shattered cone but everything else still intact syndrome), I may be willing to "take it in trade" toward the one original woofer in my HPM900s.... ie, you send me the dead one and some $, I send you an original one, with a good original cone (and a fresh re-foam job).

I already had to recone one of them (and have a second aftermarket replacement paper cone available, to do another one, so I could have a matched pair of reconed drivers, as long as the original voice coil is intact on the broken woofer), and the cabinets on my HPM900s aren't that great, anyway. I wouldn't mind terribly having aftermarket woofer cones (sounds identical to the original, anyway, AFIACT, so it's not like there's any significant performance alterations) in both of them. Would actually be kinda nice for both to look the same, even if they're not original...

Email (gwaters@postmaster.co.uk) or PM me if you want...

Regards,
Gordon.
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Goodwill:
EPI 100V (need refoam) $14
HK AVR 45 (decent surround receiver, mint) $30
Kenwood KR 5200 receiver (missing a few knobs) $7

Garage Sales:
Small Advents (need refoam) $5
Kenwood KR 5150 (needed deoxit) $2
Yamaha CDX 450 $15
Pioneer SX-3800 (bad channel havent figured out whats wrong) $5
Marantz SR 2000 $10
Sansui SP-2000 $10

Thrift/Consignment:
12 in realistic sub (need refoam) $15
EPI 100V (VG) $50
 
Thrift store finds

1. Klipsch Kg4's $50.00
2. Onkyo T-9 tuner $25.00
3. Infinity RS-4000's $8.00 (New surrounds $25.00)
4. Polk Audio RT-7's $20.00 (Had to reglue the spiders back onto the basket)
5. Polk Audio Monitor 5jr+'s $20.00
6. Infinity SL-30's $6.00
7. Infinity Qjr's $18.00 (Non original woofers but good EMIT's. Mids Need repair but haven't figured out how to do that yet.

I love treasure hunting.
 
:scratch2: Pioneer SX 950. Looked kinda nasty. No nicks or scratches.Just a thick brownish-gold layer of I don't know what. Maybe a one owner never been moved unit. Lights lit up, controls felt good. No sound through headphones. $30 bucks why not. cleaned up nice. Guess I'll have it serviced and keep it. It looks great. :D
 
sansui tu-717
pioneer sx-3600
kenwood kl-5050s
v nice kef bookshelfs
dcm timeframe set
technics sld1
each for $20 or less, all in perfect condition...except stylus for ttable
 
Three weeks ago, a pair of Wharfdale Linton XP-3's abandoned in the street (with a TV and remote, I passed on that), a long walk home, but well worth it. A bit of veneer scratch and sun-bleach, they are now gracing my friends' "Gentlemen's Drinking Club". Touch!
 
Best Thrift Store / Goodwill / SA finds

Marantz 4300 (e) - $45.00 at a thrift store. :banana:
Also bought 53 LPs at 70 cents each that look like many came out of my collection. :music: Somebody got rid of their TT and gave away some good stuff!

As to the Marantz:
A lot of surface dirt and grime - all easy to clean.
A few panel lights are out - easy to replace.
A few scratchy switches - DeOxit, all done.
This thing sounds great! A real beauty with power to spare. :D It's a keeper!

I will search AK for info on the 4300 but if anyone has any hot tips that I must know about this monster, please let me know or point me in the right direction.
 
This is my recent thrift finds.
Coral Triaxial Speakers in a Karlson Cabinet ($40)
Yamaha C-50 preamp ($20)
Eminent Technologies LFT-11 ($13)
 
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