Highest-end gear you've found at a thrift
- Thread starter anytune
- Start date
Mac 1900
I have prowled the local thrifts for 30 years. The best find, I think, was a McIntosh 1900 for 40 dollars. I plugged it in, no power, checked the fuse -blown . Quick drive to a nearby Radio Shack, replaced the fuse and it powered right up. Ive had it for nearly 25 years. Another get was a pair of Canton CT-80 speakers which have served me well for 15 years. Another nice find was a pair of Klipsch series H, speakers , serial numbers 356 and 358, which I bought at a yard sale for 20 bucks and the guy threw in a Benjamin Miracord turntable with an Elac tonearm that didn't work, just needed the power cord reattached. My most recent find was a Pioneer Elite PD-65 cd player. It powered up but wouldn't load a disk. One power supply and 75$ later its working like a champ. Thanks to all those folk who would rather give it away the get it repaired.
I have prowled the local thrifts for 30 years. The best find, I think, was a McIntosh 1900 for 40 dollars. I plugged it in, no power, checked the fuse -blown . Quick drive to a nearby Radio Shack, replaced the fuse and it powered right up. Ive had it for nearly 25 years. Another get was a pair of Canton CT-80 speakers which have served me well for 15 years. Another nice find was a pair of Klipsch series H, speakers , serial numbers 356 and 358, which I bought at a yard sale for 20 bucks and the guy threw in a Benjamin Miracord turntable with an Elac tonearm that didn't work, just needed the power cord reattached. My most recent find was a Pioneer Elite PD-65 cd player. It powered up but wouldn't load a disk. One power supply and 75$ later its working like a champ. Thanks to all those folk who would rather give it away the get it repaired.
richmond2000
Member
in the 80's I found a Beovision 8000 Tele sitting on the curb worked perfectly and my parents where not happy my free TV worked better then there SONY did
I almost had a 70s? McIntosh integrated amp at the local salvation army for $100
Bought a Luxman amp+tuner+tape deck for $20 at a pawn going under and got my Telefunken amp and a ROTEL receiver from a movie prop shop for 20 for both untested
I almost had a 70s? McIntosh integrated amp at the local salvation army for $100
Bought a Luxman amp+tuner+tape deck for $20 at a pawn going under and got my Telefunken amp and a ROTEL receiver from a movie prop shop for 20 for both untested
2DualsNotEnough
Addicted Member
Luxman R117 receiver.Most powerful amp Ive ever owned,and I had an M80.
Yamaha TX-1000 tuner.
Marantz 4240 quad receiver with wood case and original manual.
Klipsch Chorus II speakers.
Dual 701 turntable.
Bose 901 speakers without the equalizer.
Of course,none of these were restored,so they all would have required servicing,either sooner or later.
Jimmy
Yamaha TX-1000 tuner.
Marantz 4240 quad receiver with wood case and original manual.
Klipsch Chorus II speakers.
Dual 701 turntable.
Bose 901 speakers without the equalizer.
Of course,none of these were restored,so they all would have required servicing,either sooner or later.
Jimmy
gladiator335
MRTI
Found a pristine Mac 1500 receiver in our local GW store for $8.
A Dragon in a clean out?!?! :drool:
sqleich- That case is beautiful. It makes the Marantz. :thmbsp:
Sandstrom
Seldom turns out the way it does in the song
No real high end at the thrifts although I have seen some expensive stuff at some pawn shops, but it is priced accordingly. Best thrift finds have probably been a TD145, SX-727 and on a non-audio related note a 14K white gold mechanical Movado from the sixties which looked like it had never been worn. Traded that to a watch maker to get an early fifties Omega that I had repaired.
cratz2
Addicted Member
Not gear and not really hugely profitable in terms of dollars, but in terms of percentage, I bought 28 LPs at a local Goodwill and sold seven of them to a guy around the corner for $200 about 20 minutes later.
As far as actual gear, the best deal I ever saw was probably a set of Mcintosh speakers from probably the 90s... two woofers and three tweeters. They were marked $20 each but another guy in the store bought them before I saw them.
Best deal on gear I ever got was a Sony BDP-S500, a Denon DVD-2800, DVD-2800 II and DVD-2900 for $10 - $15 each and a Dual 1226 and a Project/One for $15 each.
As far as actual gear, the best deal I ever saw was probably a set of Mcintosh speakers from probably the 90s... two woofers and three tweeters. They were marked $20 each but another guy in the store bought them before I saw them.
Best deal on gear I ever got was a Sony BDP-S500, a Denon DVD-2800, DVD-2800 II and DVD-2900 for $10 - $15 each and a Dual 1226 and a Project/One for $15 each.
Bonsai Akustik "Ideal" bookshelf speakers. As new, 50 euros. Retail price 750 euros back then.
Bonsai Akustik was a tiny German High End factory and went bankrupt some three years ago. :tears:
Bonsai Akustik was a tiny German High End factory and went bankrupt some three years ago. :tears:
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pa24pilot
Member
I have been pretty lucky.
DCM Timeframe 600 @ Goodwill $24.95 for the pair.
Akai AP-307 @ Estate sale $30.00 was filthy, cleaned up had to sand/polish the dust cover.
Sony STRDG1100 7.1 surround receiver $20.00, very nice condition w/no remote, @ GW.
Sony ES C85ES 5 disc changer $19.95 @ GW.
Mission SC-5MK bookshelf speakers $4.00 a pair @ Goodwill.
DCM Timeframe 600 @ Goodwill $24.95 for the pair.
Akai AP-307 @ Estate sale $30.00 was filthy, cleaned up had to sand/polish the dust cover.
Sony STRDG1100 7.1 surround receiver $20.00, very nice condition w/no remote, @ GW.
Sony ES C85ES 5 disc changer $19.95 @ GW.
Mission SC-5MK bookshelf speakers $4.00 a pair @ Goodwill.
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vintagetuber
Spin to Win
Technics SL-D3 turntable for $7 in perfect plug in and play condition.
Marantz 5 disc changer for $8.
Marantz professional cassette deck/disc player/recorder for $7.50.
Marantz 5 disc changer for $8.
Marantz professional cassette deck/disc player/recorder for $7.50.
vintagetuber
Spin to Win
Technics SL-D3 turntable for $7 in perfect plug in and play condition.
Marantz 5 disc changer for $8.
Marantz professional cassette deck/disc player/recorder for $7.50.
Marantz 5 disc changer for $8.
Marantz professional cassette deck/disc player/recorder for $7.50.
•Yamaha M-85 power amp: $35 about 10 years ago. Works great.
•Found the almost-matching Yamaha C-80 preamp a few years later at a different store for $8. I couldn't get any sound out of it so I stowed it in the garage for another 5 years. I got it out recently and it worked intermittently-- turned out the output transistors had bad solder joints. All fixed now.
•Tannoy T-185 speakers: $8 for the pair. The foam on the passive radiators needed to be re-glued and the cabinets have minor water damage on the bottom, but I love how they sound.
•Bose 901 Series I's for $5 each. Found stands for them a few years later for $3 each. Working great.
•Onkyo TX-8500 TOTL receiver for $10.
•Found the almost-matching Yamaha C-80 preamp a few years later at a different store for $8. I couldn't get any sound out of it so I stowed it in the garage for another 5 years. I got it out recently and it worked intermittently-- turned out the output transistors had bad solder joints. All fixed now.
•Tannoy T-185 speakers: $8 for the pair. The foam on the passive radiators needed to be re-glued and the cabinets have minor water damage on the bottom, but I love how they sound.
•Bose 901 Series I's for $5 each. Found stands for them a few years later for $3 each. Working great.
•Onkyo TX-8500 TOTL receiver for $10.
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