2009 Thrift Shopping Tracking Log - Big Daddy Audio

[Big Daddy Audio]

It wasn't THAT amazing - it's a GM, and they used this same radio for a few years, in most makes and models of their vehicles.  It's nice that it worked so well.  These things have a "Theftlock" system on them that would render the radio useless if the owner had turned it on.  Lucky for me, they didn't.

But onto a tangent - it's facinating to speculate who had this radio in their car before me, based on the presets.

In my case, It was a guy, English speaking, probably early to mid 20's.

Clues?

1)  The radio worked fine - but it was stock, so he had to change it.
2)  Only one AM station was programed in - XTRA910 - which is a sports-talk station.
3)  FM stations were set to rock (not classic rock), pop, and hip hop.
4) No Spanish-speaking stations were programed in.

I am COLUMBO!

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[Big Daddy Audio]

Today I returned the three Brooks Brothers shirts.  They didn't fit anyone I knew (or they didn't want them).

I bought 5 cassettes:
Grateful Dead - American Beauty
Run-DMC - Together Forever - Greatest Hits 1983-1991
Scott Cossu - She Describes Infinity
Windham Hill Sampler - Soul of the Machine
Schonherz and Scott - One Night in Vienna

The last three are Windham Hill cassettes, which I collect.

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[Big Daddy Audio]

I wanted to add:

On 1-3-09, my wife and I purchased
- 3 nesting/stacking teak tables
- an album of didgeridoo music called Terra Incognita
- an album of Itzhak Perlman on the Angel label.

I want to be as complete as possible and include everything I spend money on at a thrift store.

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[Big Daddy Audio]

On 1-9-09 I bought a Laserline wall-mount cassette storage case - holds 100 cassettes - $5.99 at the Happy Valley Road Goodwill.

I already installed it and rearranged my tapes to make use of the new space.

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[Big Daddy Audio]

Milestone Message 700

At the Grand Ave in Peoria Goodwill I scored two new (essentially new, since they hadn't been worn but didn't have boxes or the paper still stuffed in the toe box) pairs of shoes (we had been talking about this, remember?)

I got a pair of LLBean hand-sewn leather slippers with fleece lining and a pair of Belleville combat boots with Vibram soles.

LLBean slippers:  http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?categoryId=35378&storeId=1&catalogId=1&langId=-1&parentCategory=503402&feat=503402-tn&cat4=503380

Belleville Boots:  http://www.gsaboots.com/moreinfo.cfm?Product_ID=1113&Category=235

The slippers retail for $34.95
The boots retail for $157.95
Total for the two pairs if purchased new: $192.90

My total cost = $40.95 (after coupon)

That's a good deal.  I'll wear the boots with my Utilikilt and the slippers when relaxing.

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[Troy McClure]

In my car, no one listens to what I listen to...every one has their own Ipod. 

[Big Daddy Audio]

Today was a pretty good day.

I hit 5 stores, but only bought in two.  I passed on a "Made in Hawai'i" Hawaiian shirt, for $4.99.  I passed on some Scotch recording tape (big 10.5" reels of 1/2" tape - 4 units, 2 sealed and 2 open) for $5.99 each.  I had a feeling that the tape wouldn't be as marketable as you would think, and I was right.  I didn't really need another Hawaiian shirt - I have one already. 

I purchased 6 TDK E-HG VHS tapes (Goodwill at 7th Street and Union Hills) , sealed, for $.99 a piece.  We use these to tape our favorite shows so we can watch them again and again.  Eventually, we may buy the DVDs of the season, but this way, we don't necessarily HAVE to.  No coupon as it didn't reach $10.00.

At my last stop (Goodwill on Happy Valley), I scored the biggie.  In a 2 piece deal, I bought a Kenwood KT-9900 tuner and a Kenwood KA-9150 integrated amp.  After the coupon, the total cost was $55.97. 

Once home, I checked the units and they both work (the lights are out for the meters on the amp, but they can be replaced) but they need to be cleaned in and out (cabinet, faceplate, glass, switch gear, pots, etc.).

I then did my research online, and the tuner is a variable voltage model of Kenwood's top-of-the-range tuner, the KT-8300.  The front face plate is a nice champagne color (both units have the same nice color).  The amp, from what I was able to find out, is 90 watts per channel, but in 1977 watts, not 2009 watts (Yeah, there's been "power inflation," and I'll take a 90 watt amp from 1978 over a 150 watt amp from 2009 any day of the week).

Anyway, I checked eBay, and the two most recent sales for this model of tuner were for $250.00 and $353.00, but they were marginally better (250) and way better (353) condition.  The most recent sale price for the amp was for $266.00, and my amp is in better shape, even with having to clean it and sort it out.

It'll take some time to so a good cleaning job, and I really need to sell some of my superfluous equipment.  But I'm glad I scored these two pieces today.

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[valleythriftshopper]

Today was a pretty good day.

I hit 5 stores, but only bought in two.  I passed on a "Made in Hawai'i" Hawaiian shirt, for $4.99.  I passed on some Scotch recording tape (big 10.5" reels of 1/2" tape - 4 units, 2 sealed and 2 open) for $5.99 each.  I had a feeling that the tape wouldn't be as marketable as you would think, and I was right.  I didn't really need another Hawaiian shirt - I have one already. 


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I bought a really nice Made in Hawaii Hawaiian shirt today for my brother in law who is really into Hawaiian shirts & pineapples, which this one has.  It was only 1.49 so I couldn't resist, if it was 4.99 I probably would have passed.

[Big Daddy Audio]

I picked up two CDs today - Pretzel Logic by Steely Dan and (Jay - get ready for this - more show tunes) RENT Original Broadway Cast recording (a double CD set).  Total was just less than 11.00 - no coupon!  Wow - for me that's an amazing thing!

I started listening to the RENT CD, and got about 6 tracks in when I realized that there's just no way I could possibly be "in the closet or otherwise" since I am obviously oblivious (That's like "Allons-Y Alonzo!" from Doctor Who) as to what should pass as contemporary American musical theater, but I digress.  My daughter might be able to understand it, because I just don't see the attraction.

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[Big Daddy Audio]

I made a purchase last week at the Grand Ave in Surprise Goodwill - a wooden 4 legged folding card and sewing table (has the cut-out for a drop-in sewing machine - maybe Jay can help me figure out what year it was made and who made it) and a CD of Larry Graham and Graham Central Station (Very Funky - really good CD)

Total damage was $9.98

I'm refinishing the table, since the top was in fair to poor condition.  I know that refinishing can be a dicey prospect, because you may ruin the value of the piece, but I'm going to use this table, and want it to look good.

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[Big Daddy Audio]

Made about 4 store stops yesterday - 67th and Peoria, Grand and 85th, Sun City West, and Surprise.  Came away with a sealed Denon HD-8 high bias cassette, a sealed DVD of Bourne Identity, and a Pioneer DT-540 digital audio timer, for turning stereo components off and on.

Tape was .99
DVD and Timer were 8.78 after coupon.

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[Big Daddy Audio]

I haven't purchased anything at a thrift store since 2-10-09, but have stopped into quite a few.  There's just nothing out there that is catching my eye.

Stopped by the Goodwill on Happy Valley on Saturday (it was a 50% off day) and the place was mobbed.  I wouldn't have waited, even if I found something.

On another note, The two Kenwood pieces I bout for about $56.00 were sold on Craigslist for $300.00, so theoretically, I'm in the black for 2009.





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[Big Daddy Audio]

On Saturday, 3-14-09, I spent $24.95 for 5 albums at a Goodwill on Ina in Tucson.  I was down for a visit.

They price albums at $5.00, which is an outrage for a thrift store, but they had some good ones, in very fine to excellent condition, so I picked up 5:

The Doobie Brothers - The Captain and Me - half speed master
Pink Floyd - The Wall
Supertramp - Crime of the Century - half speed master
Styx - The Grand Illusion - half speed master
Fleetwood Mac - Rumours - half speed master

For those that don't know, half-speed master records are very high quality pressings, that sold for anywhere form $25-40.00 when new.  The sound quality is way better than regular records, and is in the CD range, but is much warmer.

I also stopped at the Salvation Army in Casa Grande, and picked up a "posture chair" (the ones where you rest you bum on a slanted platform, and then you shins/knees on two smaller pads in the front, with your feet under your bum - the store was 50% off, so for $5.95, I picked up the chair and a box of 10 sealed and blank Sony HF-90 (normal bias) cassette tapes.

Not a bad haul.

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[valleythriftshopper]

For those that don't know, half-speed master records are very high quality pressings, that sold for anywhere form $25-40.00 when new.  The sound quality is way better than regular records, and is in the CD range, but is much warmer.

I learn something new here all the time.  I only stop & look at the audio equipment now due to all the posts here too!

[Big Daddy Audio]

Picked up on Wednesday - 1 pair of BIC Venturi Speakers, Model V52 (they're smaller bookshelf jobs, with two drivers and a rear-firing vent) and two cassette tapes:

A Lionel Hampton jazz cassette on Telarc Jazz
and
Dazed and Confused Soundtrack

Total Damage was $17.97 (after coupon)

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