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What is your best thrift store find?

W

wormhole

New Member
When I use to raid thrift stores for electronics (many years ago), I found a pair of AR 48BYs. One had a damaged grill cloth, but otherwise they were cosmetically clean. There was a cheap stereo there I hooked up to them and they worked. I did not expect good audio quality from the cheap stereo. Took them home and was blown away by the sound, especially the bass, when I hooked them up to the bedroom system (Yamaha CA-610 ii and a 70s vintage realistic tuner -TM90). They wound up replacing a pair of Optimus 1 speakers that were on the system . I still have the Optimus 1s and am still running that bedroom system.

It was a real effort to get the ARs into the 1990 VW Jetta I was driving at the time, but I got them home.
 
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It's not a competition.:) I'm not bragging, just honestly answering your question.
There are others with even more impressive stories.
 
I found a pair of Sony SS-G7s just before Christmas for $40. Looks like I could get around $1500 or more if I were going to sell them.

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I bought a pair of G3s off Facebook Marketplace as a result of that find, just last night! The G3s are a lot rougher looking than the G7s. According to the woman I bought them from, they almost went to Sally Ann until her sister spoke up. I would have missed them in that case.

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I've had a couple really good finds.

1) Pair of Infinity RS-5B. Needed foam and Deoxit. oddly, these were the worst speakers I ever had for refinishing, when I started with the restor-a-finish and tung oil they got so slick I kept dropping them and having to fix little veneer chips! Didn't happen with any other pair of speakers I ever had.

2) Luxman TP-117 tuner/preamp

3) Acurus DIA-100 MkII integrated amp (listening to that one now.)

4) Madisound Sledgling bookshelf speakers. These are actually rather good and are in use in the spare bedroom now.
 
Time Frame TF-500's for $60.

More Cassette Decks than it's healthy to think about.

And for the Wife, several $100 worth of Fiestaware.:)

Mark Gosdin
 
There's been diddly squat in thrift stores for a while now. Nothing that turns my crank and regardless of what it is, the stuff that is on hand is an arm and a leg.

Or, it's been stripped of knobs, headshells, etc.

I've had a few finds of late at a recycle store similar to a a Habitat for Humanity. The last "score" was a Sanyo Plus P55 power amp. An interesting piece. A few scratches but fully functional for $10.

If that was in one of the so called thrift stores in the area, I can guarantee it would be tagged at $150 or more.

The fellow at that reclaimed building material place gets audio gear somewhat regularly but it doesn't hang around long. I think the only reason I got that Sanyo power amp was because it was way up high on a top shelf. When I walked it to the counter, he disclosed he'd also gotten some Carver gear from the same place but that it was gone in minutes.

I passed on it but on it but on one visit, while I wandered the store, he put out a nice looking (but low-ish power) silver Pioneer receiver, Philips turntable (also silver) and some PSB bookshelf speakers. Price for all - $40.

Not long prior to that encounter, I would have snapped it up immediately just because it was cheap. But I was practising "just walk away" and left it for someone else who maybe wanted a nice little system to actually use.

Wishful thinking probably as some flipper probably got it.
 
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