My Kind of Store in Cedar Lake IN
- Thread starter TomBig58
- Start date
My hobby became my job when I got my first EE job, it took all of the fun out of experimenting in electronics. You are completely correct there.
When I asked Bobby Getchell (he is a member here somewhere) about timing to rebuild a Sansui amp he told me he has about a year + in backlog for customer repairs, I think that repair customers are easy to find for a good tech.
Maybe Billy will make it, hopefully so as there are too few people to maintain these aging beauties.
Hope he's checking out this sale today that's only a few miles away from him. McIntosh, Rotel, Sunfire, and more.
https://www.estatesales.net/IN/Saint-John/46373/2391777
No affiliation
https://www.estatesales.net/IN/Saint-John/46373/2391777
No affiliation
Dazaa
Super Member
It sucks every ounce of enjoyment out of your hobby, trust me on this.
Mystic
We're all born mad
Nice! My bro' lives in Crown Point, mere minutes northeast of Cedar Lake (they might even share a border?). Maybe I can get him to hop over to Cedar Lake 'n check out Billy's vintage audio repository (and haven), which is much closer to him that our traditional "used audio gear" stop @ Chicago, i.e., Saturday Audio Exchange, which (@ least used to be) is up @ Clark Street, either just above (north of) or below (south of) Belmont Ave. IIRC. It's be even better if Billy (unlike SAE in The City) has @ his inventory "vintage" geetar amplification gear; the audio gear I have well covered, though my brother does not and thus Billy could get him goin', so to speak, and simultaneously, if he's got anything of the sort @ inventory, show us the geetar amps. After recently selling (to Pete Townshend, but that's a story for a whole 'nuther thread) my factory-original 1953 Fender Deluxe Amplifier... recapped and re-tubed a few times since I acquired it in 1967, no other modifications, I'm jonesing some for a "new old" Fender tweed amp, but more @ The Champ variety than Deluxe, and definitely nothing (even) as large as, say, a (single-speaker'd) Pro or 2-10" Super.And not any year/model/configuration of Harvard or Princeton -- never had (or heard others') one of these models I liked... and I have had a lot of 'em, especially the Princeton (note: it was always good for throwing in as extra incentive @ a trading situation) o'er the last 45 years.
Billy's Vintage Stereo Equipment, Cedar Lake, IN. Gonna hafta look into this joint.
Thanks, @TomBig58, for starting this thread.
-M
Billy's Vintage Stereo Equipment, Cedar Lake, IN. Gonna hafta look into this joint.
Thanks, @TomBig58, for starting this thread.
-M
Mystic
We're all born mad
Hmm... I have a couple of (really) Big Block MOPAR machines in which TAS might be interested... But what would TAS have in return pour moi? In any event I like that the biz is "flexible" and willing to entertain trades that most would find, um, unorthodox, or @ least unusual. But for the **** of it, let's say my brother or sone arrives @ Indy w/ an unmoletsed (& spotless) 1959 (2-door) Hardtop w/ Golden Commando V8 and, let's also say, that the shop in Indy happens to have an unmolested (and not too worn) 1957 Gibson Les Paul Model (i.e., Goldtop)... Oh the possibilities presented @ this scenario getthe blood pumping. **** it, maybe I will come to "Chicagoland" for a visit @ spring 2020 for 2-3 weeks.
Mystic
We're all born mad
I must (respectfully) disagree: From approximately 1987 until circa 2000, Iand a pal/business partner, both AVID collectors of "vintage" (mainly American-made) geetars and "vintage" American- and British-made amplifiers (and effects), started up a high-end vintage musical instruments business -- FT for him, sideline/hobbyist thing for me -- and I not only loved every effin' minute of it but came away, so many years later, with not merely an array, but the array, of vintage geetars, amps, and effects I keep w/ me until this very day. Owned @ once as many as 500-600 geetars, couple hundred amps, & hundreds of effects boxes/rack-mounts/etc.; as I @ last pulled away from this "hobby as business", I emerged with 11 perfect electrics and four perfect acoustics, including two resophonics, both National-built, both Prewar, one single-coned, one tri-coned. And precisely the effects and amplifiers whose tone/shaping of tone I loved most.
I'd do it all over again and again and again. Same goes for a (still) very large LP (and 78) collection of ~ 5,000 items, the "leavings"after having "handled" ~20-30G during 40+ years of buying, selling, and trading old records.
A hobby for which one holds a passion and a business re: the same can exist together. I know guys (in The States, obviously not in The EU) who would say likewise re: Firearms Collecting (and buying, selling, and trading). And "vintage" cars, American-made "muscle cars" in particular.
Mystic
We're all born mad
^^^ note: point is, if you have high-quality inventory and "get out" and meet the right people, business comes a-knockin'... and effin' near 90% of "my hobby-business" dealin' were exacted in the PRE internet era. We used (1) ads in the right trade mags, (2) inventory catalogues distributed periodically to persons on our mailing lists, and (3) Ma Bell (i.e., the landline telephone). About as "high tech" as we ever got was the (very) occasional "faxing" of a photo or two of X geetar, etc. I relented slightly and dared to put up a couple of geetars @ Ebay, circa 1999-2000, and while the bidding was frenzied (particularly for a post-CBS 1967 Firemist Gold Stratocaster w/ RW Board -- despite being POST CBS that '67 FG Strat was one scarce bird), I found the process uninvolving and, frankly, a bit annoying -- so many (often stupid) questions coming from hundreds of "lookers". I sold the '67 FG Strat (to Christopher Guest, also an avid collector of vintage American-made geetars), but that was it for me: if online selling was the future, I was out. And so I got out.
Depends I guess whether the owner there likes them as much as you do.
You could certainly trade up to a pair of new Sonus Faber speakers and New Mark Levinson amps, preamp, music server, EPI or other TT, ... JBL Synthesis and pair of used Krell Monoblocks maybe a bit less, ...
Much of what I had to step over there I can't afford (or at least justify) at this point in my life, but there was plenty that I can. Seeing old wood-case '70s McIntosh stuff in a teetering stack or layers of stuff in front of gorgeous esoteric tube-amps makes me believe that there are deals to be had with a stack of Benjamins though, everyone likes to move inventory.
Mystic
We're all born mad
Nah, my audio gear ain' goin' nowhere, I love my gear. The car & gun collections are more likey (by me) to be "in play", especially if they have vintage American (or certain British pieces) musical instruments.
As for "if he's a MOPAR Guy": I'll bet'cha a 1957 Chrysler 300 would command his attention!
Love that 392 hemi!
Lazarus Long
Super Member
One of my good friends fathers had a small mopar collection. 6 or 7 fun cars. He used to let us take the roadrunner out. That was a fun car. I remember being over at their house when his dad sold a hemi cuda for $30K cash. My buddy mentioned it a few years back. He says, remember that h hemi cuda my dad sold? It was worth closer to 10x what he sold it for! Oops!
wu6fiend
Well-Known Member
There is a store similar to that near me, and he has been around for many years. Sometimes when I go in, it is quiet. Others, it is packed, and the phone is ringing constantly. He ships internationally, and does a lot of business in repairs. His prices are on the high side IMO, so I don't know how well he does in sales. But I have purchased easily $5K in components from him, over the years, and spent several thousands in service for things I have purchased elsewhere. I think there are several keys to making a go with such a business: one, have a source (or sources) for desirable components at a low price (like a recycler who will sell to you for pennies); two, have a good tech, so you can offer repairs and service to the stuff you sell, and outside stuff; and three, have a location that has relatively low rent, so you are not burning the lions share of anything you make on keeping the landlord happy. I'm glad this vintage store is near me, and enjoy spending time there, seeing things I haven't seen for some 25-35 years.
RTally
Speaker addict
I agree. This is the key, back in the day, pre-Internet, things were different. It was easy and pleasurable to have a hobby/business. I had a friend that made a good living dealing baseball cards - enough to retire at a young age in the '90s. He is glad he got out when he did. It is strictly his hobby now, but he sees others struggling to make a living as good as he did back in the day.
Times were different back then. More people had disposible income, so the market and opportunities were great. Nowadays, it is tougher and I struggle in my business to make half of what I used to, and all the joy is gone.
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Criscross124
Member
According to his CL post he is selling new vinyl. Store is open Wed and Fri. afternoons and Sat. Sun. Looks to be part time. According to FB they had a Grand opening in May. Also looks like he was in a different location since early 2018 as well.
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