Another Sticker Shock at the Thrift

[jryan464]

I know I posted a couple weeks ago about the "inflation" hitting my local thrifts, plus sparce selection (guess I shouldn't have cleaned them out so much last year LOL). So today, there is a Sansui SM-3000A. I looked it up on classicaudio.com and found out it is from the 1968-71 era. I love old Sansui's...but it's only a 22 wpc receiver and the thrift wants $99 for it! Next to it was a Pioneer SX-650 for $70! And it was nasty! I picked up my SX-680 last year there, it was nasty, but it was only $10! This SX-650 was just as nicotine stained and stinky as my 680. We're not talking mint here guys! Wow, I am glad to see the value of our vintage gear rising, but I still love getting a good deal or occassional "steal" on something...

[saltwater]

Hey inflation sucks! at least you got good thrifts!

[similost]

It's not inflation, it's ebaytion©... BTW.. I just coined and copyrighted that word :D

ebaytion - The cost increases on the whole of used products caused by stupid e-bay bidders. - ebaytion

[saltwater]

ebaytion

E....B.......A......Y.....T....I.....O.....N.... EBAYTION...

Lol!

[speakerguy72]

Yup pickins are pretty slim..I had dreams of picking up some pretty good deals when i started into this hobby with a purchase of ann old Sherwood 7100 a while back and have found very little since then. Our local Salvation Army even has a big sign @ the drop off that they will not take ANY electronics and Stereo equipment that is more than 5 years old. I dont understand. :tears:

[wyoming777]

In other words, they won't take any audio gear unless it is a completely worthless pile of excrement. Why would you give away something less than 5years old unless you paid $20 at Wal Mart for it? Waste of shelf space.

Meawhile, grandma Moses takes her dead hubby's lovely hi-fi candy to the dump instead because her kids don't want it; after all they just got a real nice new Bose 7.1 or whatever system at BJ's that really rocks and looks modern. Don't it just make ya wanna spit?

[hypertone]

I'd be happy to see anything worth buying at my thrifts. It's been nothing but garbage the past couple of months. :(

[hypertone]

Yup pickins are pretty slim..I had dreams of picking up some pretty good deals when i started into this hobby with a purchase of ann old Sherwood 7100 a while back and have found very little since then. Our local Salvation Army even has a big sign @ the drop off that they will not take ANY electronics and Stereo equipment that is more than 5 years old. I dont understand. :tears:

That sucks. You should ask them if you can put a sign next to it that says "Please bring old electronics to" with your address on it. :smoke:

[soundweasel]

Our local Salvation Army even has a big sign @ the drop off that they will not take ANY electronics and Stereo equipment that is more than 5 years old. :tears:

You need to post a sign with your phone number on it right next to their sign. Your sign should say you'll take anything 20 years or older! :yes:

[speakerguy72]

I like the sign idea lol. Its pretty crazy imho. Beautiful new building too. I just cant say i understand because every time ive ever seen vintage audio equipment in these places it seems to go fast. Usually gone the next day. I just need to find a different spot i suppose.
cheers!!!:music:

[arrow 68]

I find stuff every couple of weeks. Sometimes I do go a couple months though.

[whoaru99]

Coffee pots and 30-year-old golf clubs at my nearest SA....

[Chazb11]

It's not inflation, it's ebaytion©... BTW.. I just coined and copyrighted that word :D

ebaytion - The cost increases on the whole of used products caused by stupid e-bay bidders. - ebaytion


:D I like it! You need to make an entry on Urban Dictionary.com

[yrly]

Still a lot of stuff out there these past two weeks-

Saw at least 3 seperate Technics TTs, those direct drive jobs which are common as heck around here, I only buy them if they've got a special cartridge on them these days. None was over $15

Saw a Pioneer direct drive TT from the mid 80s PL-600 or something, didn't look at the price on it.

Saw a bunch of CD players-
Sony CD changer, Kenwood CD changer, Technics single disc player (at least 3 of these), Technics CD changer, JVC CD changer, Realistic CD player, Optimus 6 disc changer (same is the early 90s Pioneers), there were probably others. Everything was $30 or less, many were as low as $5.

Receivers- Onkyo this is/was the current production stereo one $30, Technics Pro Logic job (a relatively fancy one but missing the Technics badge) didn't see a price on it. Panasonic but those are generally junk, I think it was $15. I bought a Realistic mid 80s one, a relatively large one for $8.98. There were quite a few all in ones. I don't think I saw anything for over the $30 of the Onkyo.

Integrateds/rack systems- I saw a Realistic from the 80s, one of the 100wpc jobs that sports a rather nice design, kind of like the LXIs (did Sherwood make these?) for $12 so I bought it. Saw a nice small Magnavox and matching tuner but it had other components with it and I think they wanted $50 for the complete set. Saw a complete Fisher system, with rack and speakers for $100. Saw a Kenwood integrated, no price but at a cheap thrift, nothing special, lower end model, can't imagine they'd have told me over $10 had I tried to buy it, I got B&Ws at that store before for $20. Saw a complete LXI "rack system" but it was one of those fake ones where it was all in one box, but not a real low end one, kinda like the Sharp units, a bit of guts but nothing I'd want. Panasonic, tape deck/receiver combo, an OK one, I have a very fancy Pioneer I bought like this when I got my first job back in the later 1990s this was heading in that direction but this wasn't quite that good, $12, and for $12 this would have made a nice little stereo for someone.

Cassette decks- could have had a field day if you used them, DBX, full logic and other fancier higher end ones from the likes of Technics, Akai and others abound at $15 or less.

Speakers- saw two pairs of Infinity speakers that needed a refoam. I passed. Saw a pair of small Wharfedale Achromatic, W-25 or something $6 would have had the pair but the cabinets needed some work

Other oddities- Akai EA-A7 computerized EQ with spectrum analyzer, $24.96, unfortunately this cool device ended up at the thrift that tends to price flashy newer gear (this wasn't exactly new but newer looking) for more. I bought it anyway, I've got the matching CD player.

So if you seriously are looking for stuff depending on where you are you might still be able to find something and not necessarily expensive.

[RastaFish]

I picked up a California Audio Labs Icon CD player for $10 at the local SA yesterday, which previously had not yielded anything other than a set of old-school speaker stands. Sometimes you just get lucky!

[Pretzellogic]

I have yet to find any electronics of value at the various thrift shops I haunt. The occasional album, sure, but no equippment that isn't clapped-out and overpriced.

Still, I keep going.

[jimbofish]

On Friday, the SA we stopped at had a pair of Infinity Studio Monitor 120 for $399.99!

[sheltie dave]

Who cares what the prices are at GW/SA? The best finds are at estate sales and garage sales, along with talking to people you know, work with, and see at church and other functions.

Walking into GW and picking up a set of $50 JBL L100s is not a right or expectation - it is luck. The thrifts generate a miniscule amount of revenue from the stereo pie slice of their electronics section. If the people complaining about it here spent as much time and energy talking to the store pricing manager, and/or volunteering to help at a place, we all would be better stewards of the stereo gear and music we seek. Point out to them that well picked over electronics and albums bins means a steady flow of revenue, and that vintage stuff sells just as well as "modern" stuff.

I "trained" two guys at a local thrift how to do a few electrical checks, why speakers should be handled with care, who to call locally to get speakers refoamed, and not to throw tube stuff away at the earliest opportunity. Went back a week later, and they had a set of mid 60's JBLs waiting for me. It was Friday, so they were half off an already cheap price:thmbsp: Good karma is always win-win!:yes:

[sdmf]

I wish there was anything to buy at my SA,GW,yard sales. They all suck a@@ around here!

[jimbofish]

Who cares what the prices are at GW/SA?

I thought that was the topic of this thread?

[Alucard]

i was at a GW about 3 - 4 years ago and i saw a speaker just 1 speaker

and i looked at the price and they wanted 350 for it and it had the
ebay print out where it said it sold for 500 something

[sheltie dave]

Jimbofish, the revenue at GW/SA and other worthwhile thrifts go to help people, so I will NEVER complain about whether prices are too high. If something is worthwhile, I will buy it and be happy.

If the pricing, or pricing schedule, is ridiculously out of whack, I may find the pricing manager and try to help educate them. They often are not too cognizant of the market, be it records, BPC, or collectible gear, and will gladly receive advice if it is presented in friendly and organized fashion. It is important for them to know the local market is NOT EBay!

I'd wager 95% of the albums and stereo gear donated to the thrifts start as either an estate sale or garage sale. What isn't sold at the house is then taken to the thrift and donated, or thrown away. As a small business model, we either evolve and improve, or go out of business. Find cheaper source material(ie cut out the GW middlemen) and purchase from the supplier, buy new, or continue complaining that the thrifts are too expensive.

I think most of us are cheap, motivated, and have learned that buying at supplier prices make GW and SA price increases moot. That is why I said "Who cares." :thmbsp: