My search for old gear isn't as fun as it used to be :( --> saw a pair of Advent 4002 speakers (read the model # on the rear connection plate) at the local resale shop I've been visiting for three years now.

Woofer surround was shot of course; dome tweeter looked O.K.; grill in good shape; but the vinyl veneer on *top* was severely scratched up so someone was playing these upside down for a long time (why??).

Tag on top said "sounds good".

Price? $35 per pair!

What are they thinking? :confused: I did not buy them.

But back in 2004: I bought a pair of Smaller Advents ('74 vintage) same condition without all the scratches though, for just $10/pair. Around the same time they also sold off a pair of AR 2ax speakers w/real wood veneer in very good condition (only the pots were questionable) for $40/pair which seemed reasonable.

They also have some old, really cheesy Hitachi speakers (8" woofer, 8" passive radiator and huge cone tweeter, probably only weigh about 15lbs each at most) from an all-in-one system priced at $20/pair. Not surprsingly they've been sitting there for months now.

Yesterday was also at a Salvation Army store and saw 10-15 year old mid-fi cassette decks (probably $100-150 when new) none of which priced lower than $30! There's no way I would pay that much for a used mechanical component that old.

Anybody else seeing rising prices at their local resale shops?

It'll stop, when the gear starts piling up. Some people don't realize that they ain't Ebay... and that the gear they have won't be worth top dollar, UNTIL it's fixed properly, as well.

Seen it happen around here- store gets new manager, who's all gung-ho about pricing stuff by "online pricing"... stuff piles up, nobody buys anything. Manager is promptly replaced... prices go back down, stuff starts selling again. It's almost cyclical in some places...

Regards,
Gordon.

I hope you're right Gordon. I'm not trying to cheat these places, particularly the church-based ones, but yikes IMO those prices are just too high.

I don't fix this stuff and then sell it on auction sites, but rather I just like to fix up old gear for my own pleasure and to give away to family and friends who need (well *I* think they need them anyway :D) a decent sound system.

I don't fix this stuff and then sell it on auction sites, but rather I just like to fix up old gear for my own pleasure and to give away to family and friends who need (well *I* think they need them anyway :D) a decent sound system.

Everyone NEEDS a decent sound system, whether they know it or not. You're doing a public service!

I think schools should teach about stereo systems and quality music reproduction as part of music education. Then again, many aren't teaching MUSIC as part of music education anymore, so... the state of what people tolerate in terms of sound quality is abysmal, people don't understand what they're missing. Most people don't care or don't know any better.

It cracks me up every time I see an ad for speakers that says: "Sounds good." or an entire paragraph about why they are selling them. Usually a sob story.

It's these same ads that tend to omit the important information such as a model number? Or measurements? And in many cases, even a BRAND name.

The state of what people tolerate in terms of sound quality is abysmal, people don't understand what they're missing. Most people don't care or don't know any better.Well, it's all relative, isn't it, after all?

We're whingeing about $30 pricing of speakers perceived as actually worth but $10 here.... :p:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=018&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&viewitem=&item=280126767595&rd=1&rd=1

It's these same ads that tend to omit the important information such as a model number? Or measurements? And in many cases, even a BRAND name.

Of course, some of those can be the BEST Craigslist ads. "Big Speakers- $50" = Cornwalls, sometimes! :yikes: :jawdrop: :banana: :nutz: :zoom:

Regards,
Gordon.

It's getting to the point here where it's cheaper to go to a shop that sells stuff that been gone through (we have a vintage-only shop here now, guy used to be in the pawn game) than to hit the thrifts. I used to find good stuff and now three's nothing but junk. I suspect the good stuff goes to intermediate resellers or some such.

Our thrifts are brimming with Conair bath spas and Mr. Coffees. There is the occasional find, and it's really good when it happens. Our Goodwill prices "newer" speakers higher than "older" speakers. Usually there are crappy RCA bookshelves and cordless Technics CD players, but I have made it a point to look more often. I did see a Realistic STA-2200 and tried to buy it, but they wanted $75.00 for it with a junk shelf unit, Soundesign speakers and a 1/2 pound MCS turntable. They wouldn't separate the items. I'd like to have had that 2200.

Saw a pair of Technics speakers with a $150 price on them at a local thrift.Probably cost that new.Funny at that same thrift picked up a near mint Pioneer tx-7100 tuner for $10.They had a nice Sherwood receiver 7300 maybe?not sure of the model number but it was nice for $100.It didn't power up and asked if I could make an offer.They say no it goes back to the main store.For what? You know damn well they are not going to fix it.Probably ended up in the trash.Who knows what is going on in this business.

They are thinking purely in practical terms, but from a vantage point of total ignorance. The complete set that actually produces sound (even bad sound) is worth more than a single purpose item like a tuner, which, as far as they are concerned, does absolutely nothing.

I do better at the town dump.

Things are great here in beautiful Dayton, Ohio, big AF base here. The usual scenarios, last week I bought an pair of KLH model #33's for $5.00, right beside an large pair of Sound design speakers priced at $20, also a pair of SP-3500's for $20 next to an old pair of Bose 901's priced at $350.
BTW, METALMANDO 2 weeks ago I bought an mint STA-2250 for 10 bucks at the Sally, I usually do not buy Realistic gear but this is a nice little receiver, lights up nice!

The Goodwill in my area recently hired an "audio specialist" who has taken the liberty of pricing things obscenely high. Make, model, condition and original cost carry no weight in the matter-if it works, it is at least $100.00. Late 80's era Sherwood junk marked $125.00 because they saw a vintage Sherwood piece on eBay go for $100's. Sometimes a little knowledge and eBay access can be a dangerous thing.

It's kind of sad because my standard operating procedure (unless it was something of particular interest) was to get stuff, perform any minor repairs and give it to a church group for their youth group or "donate" it to any of my working poor friends. IMHO, the purest form of bureaucracy free charity and recycling.

That said, I was in the Goodwill of an upper-income Wash. D.C. suburb a few years ago (helping a friend move and dropping things off) and it was like walking into a stereo shop circa late 70's-mid 80's. A product of the the High income and highly transient population of D.C. I guess.

I think schools should teach about stereo systems and quality music reproduction as part of music education.

When most people my age can't write a sentence without using "ur", "prolly", "wut", or "tho", I think there are some priorities ahead of teaching them about hi-fi :D

I stopped in a thrift yesterday for the first time in forever. I've gotten good things in the past - Thorens TD145 with M97, Lux receiver, Marantz 125 tuner and 1060 integrated - but it's rarely worth the time. Heaps of whipped VCRs, tape based answering machines, alarm clocks, cordless phones with no adaptors. It's sad and depressing. I did find a nice Donna Karan dress shirt, horribly wrinkled but with original tags, in my odd pencil neck/long arms size. That's a $75 shirt for $5. I love to look in those places for old funny looking Harris tweed jackets. If they're not completely shot - and you'd just about have to literally shoot one to ruin it, they're incredibly rugged - I have the tailor across the street repair and alter it. Great fall jacket with jeans.
Sacrificial clothes are another good thrift buy. If I have to work on something particularly filthy like an old motorcycle or lawnmower I'll do it in an oversized $2 sweatshirt and used jeans. These get cut up after one use and converted to disposable rags for the next grimy job. Why risk fouling the washing machine?
I have noticed an escalation in prices, along with a depressing trend to try and sell 'systems'. A plastic receiver and a pair of '300 watt' particle board speakers somebody brush painted blue to match the rug for $200. Not in this lifetime.

I've mentioned it before, but we've got 2 sets of "Theatre Research" speakers (say White Van) at a local thrift here for $1299.99/pair.
Looks like they've drank the Kool Aid too because they've got the $3599.99/pair hype plastered all over them.

I wish them well, but feel for the buyer.
Then again, maybe not.................

I did find a nice Donna Karan dress shirt, horribly wrinkled but with original tags, in my odd pencil neck/long arms size. That's a $75 shirt for $5. I love to look in those places for old funny looking Harris tweed jackets. If they're not completely shot - and you'd just about have to literally shoot one to ruin it, they're incredibly rugged - I have the tailor across the street repair and alter it. Great fall jacket with jeans.
Sacrificial clothes are another good thrift buy. If I have to work on something particularly filthy like an old motorcycle or lawnmower I'll do it in an oversized $2 sweatshirt and used jeans. These get cut up after one use and converted to disposable rags for the next grimy job. Why risk fouling the washing machine?

You are so on the money, Ross. :yes:

I buy quite a few work clothes there. I'm not a clothes horse, but lightly worn $50 shirts for $4.99 works for me all day. I sometimes even go really low budget and load up at a church sale on bag day. Stuff a $3.00 grocery bag full of all the cotton T-shirts you can find and it's disposable clothing and rag heaven.

Lawnmower???? :dunno:

Lawnmower???? :dunno:

It's a Midwestern thing. A fetish object related to our worship of grass.

I've mentioned it before, but we've got 2 sets of "Theatre Research" speakers (say White Van) at a local thrift here for $1299.99/pair.
Looks like they've drank the Kool Aid too because they've got the $3599.99/pair hype plastered all over them.

I wish them well, but feel for the buyer.
Then again, maybe not.................

Oh my! Which thrift is that in? I'd love to see it if for nothing more than the comedic value.

The matching Theatre Research receiver was sitting in the local Deseret for $200. it was gone the second day. I have to admit if I did not know it for what it really was it sure looked impressive. All 6 lbs of it.

My Habitat for humanity store has gone to the birds!
Im with Gordon on the On-Line pricing theory,
They type in a make and model number and look
for the highest price it is going for-Auction & buy it
Now listings,that can have an Elevated $$$ Tag
on it.Yesterday I saw a Pioneer Laserdisc player in
nice Cosmetic condition for $425.00.
I told one of the volunteers that it was Way over priced,along with the Sony STR-V1 for $175.00,
She told me they have a "Pricer" come in on every thursday and Tag things and there bottom line is
"Its for a good cause"

I stopped in a thrift yesterday for the first time in forever. I've gotten good things in the past - Thorens TD145 with M97, Lux receiver, Marantz 125 tuner and 1060 integrated - but it's rarely worth the time. Heaps of whipped VCRs, tape based answering machines, alarm clocks, cordless phones with no adaptors. It's sad and depressing. I did find a nice Donna Karan dress shirt, horribly wrinkled but with original tags, in my odd pencil neck/long arms size. That's a $75 shirt for $5. I love to look in those places for old funny looking Harris tweed jackets. If they're not completely shot - and you'd just about have to literally shoot one to ruin it, they're incredibly rugged - I have the tailor across the street repair and alter it. Great fall jacket with jeans.
Sacrificial clothes are another good thrift buy. If I have to work on something particularly filthy like an old motorcycle or lawnmower I'll do it in an oversized $2 sweatshirt and used jeans. These get cut up after one use and converted to disposable rags for the next grimy job. Why risk fouling the washing machine?
I have noticed an escalation in prices, along with a depressing trend to try and sell 'systems'. A plastic receiver and a pair of '300 watt' particle board speakers somebody brush painted blue to match the rug for $200. Not in this lifetime.

My two favourite tweed jackets were bought at the Sally's in Royal Oak, MI. I keep hoping to find something good in the audio line, but not lately. A decade ago I was picking up vinyl at the Sally's here for 29¢ each, once bought the entire Beethoven Bicentennial boxed set (huge number of boxes, all of his repertoire) for $60, completely mint, most unopened. In total I picked up around 2,000 albums over a couple of years or so, some really great stuff. Then prices went up to $1.50 each and that was me done with it. Now they're back down to 49¢ and I'm hunting; guess they just got too many collected and they don't recycle like cloth does. The hunting does get harder now as I found the majority of the common classical albums and the ones I'd like are fewer and further between.

RadShak1251,you're right on the $$$.I too am a long time thrift shop junkie,plus we surely prowl some of the same turf. Most places have gone insane!Sally Ann is probably the worst, GW not far behind.However, some places still have scores available. I'm still kicking myself over a pair of AMT #3, I think, with nice looking cabs and clean Heils, Grille frame was trashed.Woofers looked okay, BUT -I didn't have the space to hold them!!!!!!!I could have .... oh well. $20 for the pair. About 6 months ago...So... also less quality gear seems to make it to the shelves.I think more places are using spotters with "watch for Marantz,Pioneer, etc." instructions to consult upper management before pricing. Or pulling from store for auction.But there is no doubt, its getting tougher to find the gems.We must "endeavor to persevere"!!!Keep the faith,baby!( 10 points for ID'ing the quotation) Later,willhowl.

I find that it is getting harder at garage sales as more people look at ebay and see what stuff sells for. Too many people show up early and ask if there is any old stereo equipment for sale at sales. The competition is getting fierce. I also would like to use the snips that the guys running around onbulk refuse day to cut the wires off stuff so they can collect the meager amounts of copper to sell. on them. They ruin the item and just raise the price of copper when the wires they cut are replaced with new ones.

-- Rant alert, plus a digression.

The cycle of

quality--> success -->
profit driven lowered standards --> competitive irrelevance-->
Bankruptcy/Obscurity

Then another company/country fills the gap... shampoo rinse repeat...

Unless there are contravaling economic conditions, conspiracies, etc...

The American Automotive Industry experienced this, and just wait til the Chinese 'Cherry' cars reach the El Camino Real...

The ~1981 implosion of mass-market Consumer Audio meant that to get quality, I now must choose: Vintage, homebuilt, or pro gear.


I can fix my own 1991 TOTL Infinity and Lexus, and my 'new' ~1979 Concept 16.5 (just needs a knob :thmbsp:)... But I'm an outlier on the curve.

...But there is no doubt, its getting tougher to find the gems.We must "endeavor to persevere"!!!Keep the faith,baby!( 10 points for ID'ing the quotation) Later,willhowl.

Take your pick: fiction / historical:

1976, 1. Chief Dan George - Clint Eastwood movie "Outlaw Jose Wales."

2. Chief Joseph of Nez Perce Tribe; real name In-mut-too-yah-lat-lat (Thunder coming up over the land from the water))

3. Abe Lincoln

.

;1279731']When most people my age can't write a sentence without using "ur", "prolly", "wut", or "tho", I think there are some priorities ahead of teaching them about hi-fi :D

wit wut ur sayin yer prolly right tho!

Well done, Susurus! I was thiinking of the "Josey Wales" scene, but you filled in all the blanks. !0 points awarded + 20 bonus points added!
On to the lightning round! willhowl

And to think I passed up a pair of cosmetically mint (but woofer surrounds gone) Snell Model E speakers for $30 last week at a local GW. They lasted a couple of days.

Clothes are what GW focuses on. I buy mint, unworn Greg Norman golf shirts (hate golf, but like the quality) for $3.50.

I do better at the town dump.
Cool. It's where about 1/3rd of my stuff came from ;)

http://www.cutesphere.com/data/people/globulator/Hi-Fi/retro/index.php

The Sansui 5000x I have is totally mint, I drove up to dump of some old scrap and there it was, sitting next to my front wheel!!

Here in the Pacific Northwest we have a lot of ecology minded folks that all wring their hands in mortal fear that the next round of global warming, PCB waste, nuclear waste, fire retardant waste, trans fat, or USN sonar vs. the killer whales issue will surely signal the demise of the World as we Know it.
Some guys have started a recycling business where for a small fee, {about $5 for the avg PC, $15 for the monitor} they will dispose of that obsolete when you bought it electronics gear, with an assurance that it won't get into a landfill ever.
Well the guy posted on CL offering a bunch of vintage stereo gear for $500.
Now there's a racket for you, you charge folks to bring you your product, then sell that same product to someone else, when the product is actually what many folks classify as garbage.
Hell, I'd take all the Sansui stuff he gets from John Q Public for free, and even do local pick-ups.
Casey

Cool. It's where about 1/3rd of my stuff came from ;)

http://www.cutesphere.com/data/people/globulator/Hi-Fi/retro/index.php

The Sansui 5000x I have is totally mint, I drove up to dump of some old scrap and there it was, sitting next to my front wheel!!

Welcome to AK!!!!
Casey

I posted earlier agreeing with the topic of this thread.Wellll...I have recently found a couple of scores in Three different thrifts in my area(Houston).I actually found Quality gear for very good, nay, VERY GOOD prices. I'm inept at linkage skills,so forgive me.Search my posts for JBL-Yamaha,and the one for a/d/s/.

I was really amazed-it is not over yet! We just have to be patient,I guess.Also,we should try to earn a little good Karma. Someone I turned on to this site told me I had done a good deed. So I have been rewarded? Works for me!!

Disclaimer-From a strict philosophical viewpoint,any or all of the above may be incorrect-but-hey-I'm gonna keep trying!!!

Peace,and the other good stuff, be with you, willhowl:thmbsp:

Anybody else seeing rising prices at their local resale shops?

YES

i sold a Luxman receiver recently on CL.. for $80 to a local person.. he flipped it on Epay and got $175 for it. :scratch2: i didn't want to go the hassle of listing it for auction and packing it up and shipping it out.. boy was i dumb.

I myself have flipped a couple pieces of stereo gear for a good profit margin. but i'm not finding any good deals anymore at local good wills and the like. :thumbsdn:

Here in the Pacific Northwest we have a lot of ecology minded folks that all wring their hands in mortal fear that the next round of global warming, PCB waste, nuclear waste, fire retardant waste, trans fat, or USN sonar vs. the killer whales issue will surely signal the demise of the World as we Know it.
Some guys have started a recycling business where for a small fee, {about $5 for the avg PC, $15 for the monitor} they will dispose of that obsolete when you bought it electronics gear, with an assurance that it won't get into a landfill ever.
Well the guy posted on CL offering a bunch of vintage stereo gear for $500.
Now there's a racket for you, you charge folks to bring you your product, then sell that same product to someone else, when the product is actually what many folks classify as garbage.
Hell, I'd take all the Sansui stuff he gets from John Q Public for free, and even do local pick-ups.
Casey

I actually remember seeing that CL ad. i was reading through it figuring it might actually be a goldmine, with him selling off random stuff for $5 or something... then i noticed that he would only sell it as a lot. to his credit though, i think that's one of the places that doesn't charge for disposal.. if it's the one in pioneer square i'm thinking of.

the entire electronics recycling craze here is probably getting rid of a lot of nice vintage equipment for good though. that occurred to me after going to a bunch of garage sales over the summer, and not seeing anything but one or two cheap plastic bookshelf cd changer stereos. not even a few years ago it was a complete goldmine, i picked up some klh bookshelf speakers(model number slips the mind, but it's basically one of their many reissues/reproductions of the model 6) for $5. i passed on a lot of even better deals at the time because i didn't have room for any more equipment. now you're hard pressed to find anything locally, be it at thrift stores, garage sales, or even craigslist. and this has the effect of everyone who posts an ad on craigslist thinking what they have is "rare" in most cases... or maybe it's just the ebay pricing theory from a few pages back.