Who Throws Audio Gear Away
- Thread starter Freds.Bands
- Start date
sax6
Loudness always ON
Not a throw away but, I put whatever I don't need or do not use anymore by the side of the street in front of my house.
Usually, it doesn't take long for the stuff to find a taker.
It makes someone else happy and, this way, I can get more stuff.
Wheels are turning....
For my part, never found something valuable by the side of any street, in front of any house, in the yard of any dump.
Usually, it doesn't take long for the stuff to find a taker.
It makes someone else happy and, this way, I can get more stuff.
Wheels are turning....
For my part, never found something valuable by the side of any street, in front of any house, in the yard of any dump.
I threw a few components away before the city set up e-waste recycling. The ones that ended up in the trash were not economically repairable.
These days I generally post my surplus gear on Barter Town as freebies or low-priced fixer-uppers. If I don't get a response, the gear goes to the recycling yard on e-waste day.
These days I generally post my surplus gear on Barter Town as freebies or low-priced fixer-uppers. If I don't get a response, the gear goes to the recycling yard on e-waste day.
BayouTiger
Super Member
I've thrown a good bit away after having it languish in the closet for years. I come from a family of "hoarders" and sometimes there is a special satisfaction of taking a piece of "junk" that my dad would pick up at any opportunity out of circulation. My dad is one that would pick up anything on the side of the road and throw it on his pile, but never had any use for it. I have many buildings of this garbage to sort through at some point and none of it is valuable "vintage" gear, but truly junk.
OTOH, In a moment of weakness, I threw away my X-1000R which I am sure only needed some minor repairs. Sure regret that. I am also sure I tossed some KLH processors that might have some value, though I had hacked them up by cutting the rack mounts off.
I was about to start a similar thread, but about the mass of cables that seem to accumulate in my house. Every year or so I take a huge box of audio, usb, and other cables to the thrifts, yet they seem to multiply. I must not be the exception as my local GW won't even take them. Last time I had to go to three stores to find a taker.
OTOH, In a moment of weakness, I threw away my X-1000R which I am sure only needed some minor repairs. Sure regret that. I am also sure I tossed some KLH processors that might have some value, though I had hacked them up by cutting the rack mounts off.
I was about to start a similar thread, but about the mass of cables that seem to accumulate in my house. Every year or so I take a huge box of audio, usb, and other cables to the thrifts, yet they seem to multiply. I must not be the exception as my local GW won't even take them. Last time I had to go to three stores to find a taker.
Kahoona
Super Member
Never in the trash! I fix em if it is worth it and I can. I sell them cheap for parts just to keep them out of the trash. I pull the reusable parts and take them to the recycle center where hopefully it gets recycled right. We all need to keep these things ouht of the waste stream. It is the least we can do.
wingman0121
Active Member
I threw away a Panasonic boombox like this one before, it quit playing CDs and the radio stopped getting stations. Hope it isn't crime against audiomanity.
michaelhigh
mind's eye music
I'll give broken spares not worth refurbing (as much as I try to avoid owning them) to diy fans.
Thrift stores want stuff they can tag and sell. I give furniture to friends in need rather than to have thrift store management scrutinize and devalue my offerings.
That's how I keep stuff out of landfills. Out of my hands, not my responsibility (or hassle, however one might perceive).
Thrift stores want stuff they can tag and sell. I give furniture to friends in need rather than to have thrift store management scrutinize and devalue my offerings.
That's how I keep stuff out of landfills. Out of my hands, not my responsibility (or hassle, however one might perceive).
Like many things, it's valuable IF you can find the right nut at the right time. My motorcycle was rescued from a dumpster - yes a complete 1979 Suzuki GS750 with 9,000 miles on it.
Nice lookin bike, that's from back in my riding days.
Rowrbazzle
Active Member
Yeah, I should have said that. I don't throw broken electronic gear (TVs, computers, monitors, audio gear not worth repairing) into a dumpster or leave it curbside. If it can't be sold, given away or taken to the local thrift store, we have a licensed electronics recycling centre across the highway which is part of a bottle recycling depot. They'll take anything electronic. So I keep a stack of unrrepairable, unredeemable stuff in the corner of the garage and take it all down when the accumulation gets to a certain size. That's only happened a couple of times, because I try to be somewhat discriminating about what I acquire. But sometimes you want a particular piece of eq and someone says "please take it all," so you can end up with some unwanted junk. Or..you're just curious to see if you CAN fix something and then find out that certain key, broken parts are made of unobtainium.
We can get into debates about what the recycling center does with the electronics -- I know that there have been horror stories about bins of toxic circuit boards, CRTs, batteries, etc. being shipped to third world countries where untrained, unprotected people strip them down for salvageable materials and expose themselves in the process. Seems like there's always something to worry about. I think that some government regulations exist (here, at least) as to where the electronics is sent and how it's handled. But once it leaves for another country, all bets are off.
BTW, I've talked to a couple of locals who have told me told me about taking a couple of pieces of BPC or an old boat-anchor TV down to these depots and occasionally seeing a Marantz or vintage Sansui faceplate peering at them from under the pile. But no picking, sorting or removing is allowed, so you just have to walk away, shaking your head.
R-2-R
Super Member
Heck, you'd be surprised at what individuals throw away perfectly good audio equipment :sigh: saddly though, not 'all' audio equipment that does get thrown away is actually recovered :tears: it's unfortunate but it's a fact of life.
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Like many things, it's valuable IF you can find the right nut at the right time. My motorcycle was rescued from a dumpster - yes a complete 1979 Suzuki GS750 with 9,000 miles on it.
Some times you just NEED the space I guess.
did they throw the title in the dumpster, too?
Allie
Bottom Feeder
No, the person's neighbor actually intercepted it on the way to the dumpster (in several pieces). He put it together and decided to get rid of it, as he's not really into bikes. I was happy to take it (and the title) off his hands.
MoTeD
Who cares
Everyone should have a stereo in their garage.
c-atle-79bay
Super Member
Perhaps said already, but some states have E recycling at no charge on many items. In Washington GW is a member, so don't feel bad about dropping non working items to them.
thefragger
Certified Crazy.
In the more affluent areas I've picked some respectable gear from the trash. Around here if it's still useable it's got a 'free' sign on it and it's set out the day after garbage day to give it the best chance.
Soren Hammer
B&O-infected
99% of trash is sorted here in Denmark, not feeling bad at all when tossing unusable, irreparable or generally unworthy stuff. BOTL casette decks in need of belts and adjustments aren't worth it. Blown output transistors or power supply in any cheap old receiver/amplifier isn't worth fixing either.
It gets pretty interesting with higher end stuff as the build/parts quality makes them easy to repair. Have saved quite a few B&O stereos from being scrapped, all of the linear tracking Beogram models included.
Not working? They are pretty complicated decks, but easy enough to repair and service... Usual issues related to age are: arm not lowering or rising when cued (dried grease in air dampening cylinder), Arms not parallel or moving to fast/slow to catch up (light sensor needs adjustment), Arm not moving when cued (dried grease on spindle and new belt needed between servo motor and spindle), speed instability (bad trimpots), sound missing in one or both channel (bad mute relay), Arm setdown and pickup points are misaligned, Bad motor caps causing a lack of torque (only in early 4002's, 6000's and the 4000.)
Got a bad MMC20/MMC4000 cartridge? Get it restored for 99 euros by Axel Schürholz in Germany.
Part it out and sell spares if you don't want it fixed. Is the dust cover and aluminium trim nice? How about the basic mechanic parts that inexperienced DIY'ers screw up if they don't know how to fix it?
It gets pretty interesting with higher end stuff as the build/parts quality makes them easy to repair. Have saved quite a few B&O stereos from being scrapped, all of the linear tracking Beogram models included.
Not working? They are pretty complicated decks, but easy enough to repair and service... Usual issues related to age are: arm not lowering or rising when cued (dried grease in air dampening cylinder), Arms not parallel or moving to fast/slow to catch up (light sensor needs adjustment), Arm not moving when cued (dried grease on spindle and new belt needed between servo motor and spindle), speed instability (bad trimpots), sound missing in one or both channel (bad mute relay), Arm setdown and pickup points are misaligned, Bad motor caps causing a lack of torque (only in early 4002's, 6000's and the 4000.)
Got a bad MMC20/MMC4000 cartridge? Get it restored for 99 euros by Axel Schürholz in Germany.
Part it out and sell spares if you don't want it fixed. Is the dust cover and aluminium trim nice? How about the basic mechanic parts that inexperienced DIY'ers screw up if they don't know how to fix it?
