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The "I Missed It by THAT MUCH" thread

bluesky said:
I missed out on a nice used pair of Sansui SP-100i speakers locally (60 miles away one way).

Don't know if the matching 'Reference' speaker stands came with it?? That would be like finding gold alone!

I regret not jumping on it - like 'immediately'. I really do. :dunno: DUH. Doom on me.
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Not to rub it in, but years ago some CL seller begged me to take a pair of SP-100 for free, that had had since he bought them when he was in Nam.
 
I have always wanted to join the McIntosh club, but being a bargain hunter (aka cheap), I've been waiting for a good deal. I thought I may have found that today. I saw this posting for a "Complete McIntosh System" for $4,000. There were no details or list of everything, only the following picture:

118883394_3166133260145289_2579554202846462826_o.jpg

Looks like I see the back of 3 mc2100s, a C39, an MC2105, and I'm not sure what the bottom left one is. I'm not sure what else might have been included in the system. Looks like a cd player and a tuner, plus who knows what.

The ad was up for 4 hours when I saw it. Unfortunately it went to the first person who came to see it.

Not exactly a steal at $4,000, especially since there may have been questions about the condition, but I figure I probably could have sold off 4 of those pieces and kept two of them for a net of next to nothing.
 
Saint Johnny said:
Not to rub it in, but years ago some CL seller begged me to take a pair of SP-100 for free, that had had since he bought them when he was in Nam.
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These SP-100i speakers are quite different from the SP-100 kabukis. The SP-100i speakers are quite nice. And their companion speaker stands (Reference L-100 I believe) are simply outrageous.

I was told about the 'sale' but didn't 'act' on it. Doom on me. What I should have done was immediately 'jump on it' and answer the ad and get in the car and IMMEDIATELY drive to buy them - 60 miles away, one way - all Interstate Hwy. I have no idea what I was thinking. Temporary insanity I guess... blew it big time! I screwed up. :wtf:
 
Harvestor said:
Holy crapppppp!
Wow I might have come unglued...

I will be Remembering this story of your experience forever..
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A GOOD story. I'm forever grateful to the estate sale guy for saving me. Been looking for the perfect speaker for months and years to land in my living room. Finally one of those "you know it when you see it" the mighty Klipsch Bell's. Was 23rd in line and bought the pair and got a receipt but had to go get a moving van. Turns out another guy try to buy them from behind me when I went to go get the van. The Russian guy who worked for the estate company looked at him said "I don't remember it was you" . The Russian guy went to the lady who owned the estate sale and asked if someone had payed for the speakers and the lady said yes and I was coming right back.
POS. People will be so dishonest to do this. He relayed the story to me and I was so grateful to him. The POS guy went so far to say he paid the estate sale lady. Russian wasn't buying it because I had talked to him before I bought it and showed him the receipt but didn't tell him I'd get a truck. A good man.
 
A pair of big JBLs at a yard sale.
Sunday night and the seller was at his wits end after getting foreclosed on in the 2008 mortgage debacle.
I really had no idea what they were but knew they were big and vintage.
Long story short he accepted my offer of $3000, but the thing was I had to go to the bank the next day which was fine by him.
He left a message with me Monday morning that his mother was in the hospital and had to be by her side.
Again, long story short they were a pair of 1956 JBL Hartsfields in very nice condition that later sold for 54,000 on Ebay.
 
From the same sale that I picked up my Infinity RS1bs. The guys garage was packed with killer stuff, most of which was priced in score territory. Marantz 4400 w/scope? $400. A pair of music reference RM-9 tube amps? $400 bucks. Modern solid state B&K amps? $50 each etc.......

I was happy to grab my infinity speakers but wasn’t sure what some of the other items were since I didn’t know the names. Since the sale was happening the next day, I figured I would run back by when they opened the next day and get some more. That gave me all evening to research what was there

I spoke with a few members here and figured out there was one more set of speakers that I should pick up the next day. I arrived 15 minutes early and see the people outside so I’m allowed to shop. Immediately I ask about the other set of speakers to which I’m promptly informed have been sold already.

So, what did I miss? A pristine pair of Genesis Advanced Technologies “Genesis III” in piano black for $600 bucks
 
How about a I had it it was mine but couldnt make arrangements to pick it in time as the owner was moving.
While cruising FB market place I came across a Hammond A-100 basically a b3 for $100.heres a photo of the actual organ.
Screenshot_20190519-171020.png
 
tubed said:
A pair of big JBLs at a yard sale.
Sunday night and the seller was at his wits end after getting foreclosed on in the 2008 mortgage debacle.
I really had no idea what they were but knew they were big and vintage.
Long story short he accepted my offer of $3000, but the thing was I had to go to the bank the next day which was fine by him.
He left a message with me Monday morning that his mother was in the hospital and had to be by her side.
Again, long story short they were a pair of 1956 JBL Hartsfields in very nice condition that later sold for 54,000 on Ebay.
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Now that would hurt... I guess the mother thing wasn't the truth and he decided he couldn't take that kind of a hit? he knew for sure what he had and puts them out in a yard sale where people are expecting to pay next to nothing. Desperate and not thinking clear but the delay woke him up.

My story missed by That Much.

It's my habit to go to the flea market every Sunday morning. This one Sunday morning on the way I decide to buy myself a coffee, which I never do, and never should have done on this particular morning because I would have been there ten minutes earlier.
anyway I arrive and as usual there is this father and son team that I'm pretty sure has some kind of business buying up estates, then selling their haul at the flea market. they are always the first up front at the gate so the first I check out.
This morning I go to one of their tables and there are two electronic pieces like under a blanket and a woman is looking at them. I walk up to take a look, not knowing at first what they are, the woman turns to me and says, "mcintosh.... is that any good?" I looked at the pieces then a bit closer and see it is an MA6100 integrated amplifier and (I think, it's been a while now) an MR 74 tuner. I say "yeah I think it's pretty good, how much is he asking?" "fifty dollars" she says.
I didn't say anything more just walked up to the dealer and asked him how much for the equipment. "fifty dollars" he tells me. I start to get the money out when the woman, who has been watching me calls out "i still have my hand on it". I looked at her as she reaches into her purse, I look at the dealer and I just smile and walk away.
Still kicking myself a bit today, and this happened maybe eight/ten years ago, wondering what else I could have done. The dealer didn't know what he had, unbelievable to me. Good news is I went back to him later that day and I ended up getting a nice pair of JBL L100 speakers for 50 bucks that he was just putting out and a Dual 1228 turntable too. But man I felt pretty awful about the whole thing.
 
BilboBaggins said:
My strategy when I see something nice in someone’s hands and they look undecided, is to hang near by and definitely do not engage in conversation with them. If they decide not to get it, I swoop in.
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I think I could have just gotten the money out and given it to the dealer, let him decide who gets it. but I was thinking playing fair, I wouldn't want someone cutting in front of me if I was undecided and still hovering. but yeah if she had walked away it was going to be my new system. I started watching Craigs List and Ebay, sure enough the pieces show up and sell, she did pretty well.
 
Human nature is to take a closer look if someone else is interested in what you are looking at. I learned this one real fast at the thrifts. If you see something that looks interesting in someone’s hands, you have to hold your patience until you see if he or she is committed. Once they are, you can go over and look. Otherwise, wait it out, but don’t hover. Try to be inconspicuous at a distance. Move in as soon as they move away.
 
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I was in my car on the way to pick up a Linn LP12 for $600. Got a text message mid-drive that he sold it. I was pretty miffed. I don't really care that I missed out on the turntable, but he knew I was on my way there.
 
I can't really complain too much, because I've had way more than my fair share of great finds, but a small recent one and a big old one come to mind....

I recently went to an estate sale and found a small handful of LPs I wanted, and every one I checked was in near mint condition. As I went through the small stack, I stopped "bothering" to check condition. The big prize of the haul was a Howlin' Wolf LP that's worth about $300, but I just wanted it for the music because I'm a huge Howlin' Wolf fan. When I excitedly pulled the LP from the sleeve, I was dismayed to read "Zorba the Greek" on the label. Damn. If I had seen that at the sale, I may have found the correct disc in another sleeve.

Long time ago, around 1974, I bought a 1957 or 1958 "pre CBS" Stratocaster off a local buy-sell newspaper. ("Vintage" wasn't a term yet, but pre-CBS Fender guitars were already generally thought superior to later ones). I paid about $300 for it. It looked just like Clapton's "Brownie" guitar as pictured on the Layla album. I got a call from the seller's mother explaining that her son had sold her guitar without her permission, and would I be so kind as to return it and she'd refund my money. I did the right thing and walked away from a guitar I wish I had to this day. In its place I bought a "parts caster" made from a stripped 1959 body and a 1963 neck with pickups from either the '63 or yet a third guitar. Still a cool guitar, but not as cool as the one I lost.
 
JonL said:
Long time ago, around 1974, I bought a 1957 or 1958 "pre CBS" Stratocaster off a local buy-sell newspaper. ("Vintage" wasn't a term yet, but pre-CBS Fender guitars were already generally thought superior to later ones). I paid about $300 for it. It looked just like Clapton's "Brownie" guitar as pictured on the Layla album. I got a call from the seller's mother explaining that her son had sold her guitar without her permission, and would I be so kind as to return it and she'd refund my money. I did the right thing and walked away from a guitar I wish I had to this day. In its place I bought a "parts caster" made from a stripped 1959 body and a 1963 neck with pickups from either the '63 or yet a third guitar. Still a cool guitar, but not as cool as the one I lost.
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Kudos, that is just doing the right thing. No joy in keeping Mama's guitar.
 
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