Adventures searching for Vintage Audio Stuff.....

[Leland]

I was shocked last week, when I did a bit of my routine searching on the local Craigs List......and found listed for sale "pair of 50's Tannoy cabinets and speakers.....$250" !!

Of course I send an email right away....and said I'd be glad to take them, and pay her very reasonable asking price. Mean while I looked at a few Japanese audio sites and saw these type of speakers with asking prices upwards of 10 thousand dollars per pair.

I waited all day for a reply.........yes, I was very much counting my chickens before they hatched....but none came. Craig's list is a tough game.

That evening, I checked the post again, and it had been changed to "give me your best offer" for the speakers......I imagine she had been swamped with replies.

I sent off an email, saying I had a couple jars of silver dimes on my desk....worth a few thousand dollars....and could I please see the speakers.

The ad had a Chevy Chase Md., address....and I just imagined the divorced wife or perhaps widow selling her late husbands "old" outdated equipment.

To make a long story short....she was polite enough to send me an email that night.....

"sorry, I sold them"

[Leland]

Craig's List find #2

Last year.....I did my routine of checking out Craig's List Free section for audio stuff....and was happily surprised to find an ad for a free stereo console.

I immediately sent an Email, saying I would be glad to pick it up, right away. This type of ad is very tricky....as you never know what you will find when you get there.....and I have been on more than one wild goose chase. But, there is a sub-sect of vintage audiophile that loves the old console tube amps.....I believe it is that industrial look. (I am one of them)

This time it payed off. I got an answer to my email....with an address in Arlington Va. which is right next door to me....saying that I had been picked...and could have the console. I headed right over.

It was a typical story......the son was selling his parents things...and moving his mother to Arizona...for retirement. The "console" had been his father's pride and joy....but it "had to go."

I was shocked, and had to keep a straight face when I saw it.....a PILOT console with an SA-212 tube amp paired with a nice pre amp. These are perhaps the most sought after amps and pre-amps of all the console tube gear. They routinely sell upwards of $500 bucks EACH on the flea bay.

Today it sits in a box in my garage.......awaiting restoration.

I'm thinking of a white plexiglass slab....perhaps about 1 inch thick....and mounting the amp flat.....and the pre-amp standing on end, next to it......It has one of those umbilical cords from the amp to pre-amp for power.

[Leland]

Craig's List adventure #3......."How I got my La Scala speakers for $300 dollars"

Last year....I was taking a look at the FREE section of Craig's List for vintage audio gear and about fell off my chair when I saw an ad for a pair of Klipsch La Scala speakers for free. The address was in Alexandria VA.

I hemmed and hawed with myself.....then came to the conclusion....aw what the hell....did a Map Quest, printed out the directions, jumped into my car and rushed over.

Well, I got there, and sure enough.....there was a La Scala speaker....and a late 60's vintage one to boot.....sitting out in front of a house, on the sidewalk. BUT there was only one speaker. I looked all over....but just the one.

So, I backed my minivan up and loader her up. While I was loading....at least 3 cars cruised by.....and I am sure were there for the speakers.

When I got back home, I posted and ad on CL Free....and said " I got one La Scala....If you got the other one, please contact me"

Sure enough, I got an email back. The respondent was rather huffy.....saying that I had done him wrong....that he had no room in his car to take both the speakers...(they are rather large)....and that I had "stolen" his speaker....he had gotten there first....that he was shocked when he returned to pick up the second speaker...and it was gone...bla bla bla..."

So, I said look, I have a nice pair of Vintage tube Fisher mono blocks and these high efficentccy speakers are just what I need to round out my system....and that they are no good as singles....and that he should sell the one he got to me.

To make a long story short....he agreed to sell his speaker to me for $300 bucks. So, he made a very quick 300......and I got a nice set of La Scala speakers at a bargain price.

[Leland]

Wow, gotta love Craig's List. Saw this tonight.

Curb Alert - furniture/old audio equipment

But truth be told....easier to have a good job, make the money and just buy it.

[Panomaniac]

I like adventure #3 =)

[Audio_by_Goodwill]

Here' mine.....happened just today.

Last night I find an ad on Craigslist..... Free Altec Voice of the Theatre cabinets........Need picked up soon before they go to a bonfire. xxx-xxxx. Ok they were posted 2days ago, no problem, I waited until today, the 3rd day, to call because it was very late when I saw the ad. On the phone today...... Oh, I burned those a few nights ago. You only posted the ad two days ago (actually 3 but I can't count)! Well, I had to get rid of them, if you know what I mean. I'm thinking, No, not really..... why would you post them, and then burn them a few hours later????

I see no logic behind what the guy did. If you can't wait for people to respond, why post something at all? On top of that..... the ad is still up.