Shopping at Goodwill anyone?

snopes has no credibility......(not saying that I dissent, yet snopes has been seen as an all out container, and run by nutbars :) )

snopes has no credibility......(not saying that I disagree, but snopes has been found to be a total crock, and run by nutbars :) )

relax guys this is a decent forum, no hard feelings, who cares who makes what $$$?  apologizes are in ORDER!!

I just picked up a few albums, the Mama's amd Papas, beatles Yellow submarine (not in the best shape), and joe Cocker .  rare find cause most are Lawrence Welk, or Andy Williams type albums...LOL

Mofojo - please check your facts before circulating completely incorrect information. The Goodwill CEO made $729k in the last financial report filed with the IRS. 

The Salvation Army CEO did not make $13k. The last reported income of its CEO was $126k.

Before you again spout off conspiracy emails, please visits www.snopes.com and

https://www.snopes.com/politics/business/charities.asp

You have zero credibility on Audiogon.

Just remembered that I once found a large batch of early 60s folk albums of which I bought a few. But so many of them were of Burl Ives that I wondered how many Burl Ives records do you need. No disrespect intended. Burl's great but I think I can get by with fewer than two dozen of his albums.

I've bought quite a bit of gear from Goodwill over the years. Turntables, receivers, speakers, and many LPs. Where I'm at there's not too much good equipment to be found barring the rare exception. Used to be better years ago. Still find some quality vinyl now and then. Recently found some great titles but all were scratched badly. You have to pore through a lot of stuff to find something that's excellent condition or playable. However if you're there at just the right time there's some very interesting stuff that pops up. It's worth a regular visit to your local stores.

Seattle Wash. goodwill gets some ridiculous gear from estates. They sell at auction on ebay, but will not ship it. Like a Mint Nakamichi Pa-7 amp for $250.

I used to live in Omaha Nebraska,On Fort street Goodwill sold items by the pound! I found an Akai Gx77 reel to reel(black face) a Yamaha double cassette, and a pair of vintage Unversity speakers all in great shape for under 30 bucks total, all in great condition!

Today, it was a Yamaha HTR-3063, a Denon UD-M31 (slimline/compact CD receiver), and a pair of Monitor Audio Bronze B1 speakers. Candy! All mint.

I mean, I have custom Skanning driver type systems at home with other world class bits.

It may be cheap candy, this value village stuff....but it’s hard to turn those sort of almost free toys - down.

Now I get to take the Denon apart and see how it’s made...maybe put a third system in at the shop....

HK CD player, pioneer LD turntable and some old vinyl is the best I have found. Lots of Jonny Mathis and Burt Bacharach. Still hoping for that vintage tube amp...

My journey into the crazy world of hifi began when I picked up the iconic NAD 3020 at a Value Village (Canadian thrift store chain - not sure if it’s actually American?).

Now I make the thrift store rounds every few months, scouring the record bins for some mint Stravinsky or Kinks vinyl.

One day I walked into the local value village and picked up, side by side..a mint pair...of.... NAD3020 and a 3120. $14.99 each.

Last night....Picked up a Mint class d 150W 10" sub for $9.99...and.... a pair of Armani Sunglasses, $1.99. Oh the sunglasses. Dozens of sets of $200-600 a pair sunglasses. Mostly in the $200 range, but lots of them. The sunglasses in the car are worth more than the car....

At least I've learned one thing. If I donate it will be to Habitat for Humanity; not Goodwill.

I've personally have had not been lucky here az, however my buddy  who  goes every day scooped up a pair of a small pair of kefs not a top of line and I've seen Klipsch reference 2 for a ridiculous price and a pair of of reference 1 for $300 but sold. Other than that I check music section which is crap that are scratched.

My local GW/Thrift shops are nothing like the ones above. Good to read that some of you guys are finding killer gear. Happy Listening!

10 years ago, I bought my first matched separates, a Tandberg tuner, amp and pro that appeared in 3 nearby pre-owned shops. This perfect match hooked me on component matching. Browsing on Audiogon and there, I eventually went all matched Proceed/Lexicon components. I’ve been happy since converting my front speaker cabinets (15’s, 7’s and tweets) from passive to fully adjustable active crossovers/tone controls.

Pre-owned Audiogon vintage components can be connected easily to modern components with newer convertors. The sound quality of modern USB/RCA digital/HDMI/Optical/analog “connections and convertors” is clean enough to integrate great sounding vintage components. I connected my iMac27 Thunderport audio digital output to my Proceed Pro with an Amazon HDMI to digital RCA 110 volt convertor and a pass-through HDMI to my Sony TV.  Sounds and looks amazing. Happy Trails !       

My journey into the crazy world of hifi began when I picked up the iconic NAD 3020 at a Value Village (Canadian thrift store chain - not sure if it’s actually American?).

Now I make the thrift store rounds every few months, scouring the record bins for some mint Stravinsky or Kinks vinyl.

Goodwill's in Florida are all for profit.  Reason being if it's a non profit the Ceo's are only allowed a certain amount and no bonus.  If for profit, the Suit's salary and compensation can be the sky's limit.  I'm pretty sure  All Goodwill's are for profit.  It suck's because Goodwill pay's their employees $1 - $3 an hour and they get everything free.

I like Goodwill for tee shirts.  I have to look through hundreds to find a couple but I save a chunk of change (which I'd rather spend on LP's/CD's)

Sansui au555
Snell C ii
Kenwood a3500
Thorens td160?
Various Pioneer silver faced receivers
On and on.
Not as good as it use to be. The economic collapse of 08 sent a lot of people to thrift stores to find things to flip. Keep looking.

My wife works at the local Goodwill and her family and known friends are not allowed to shop there, on the days that she works and employees are not allowed to hold items - so a great find there is pretty rare for me. I got very lucky a short time back - when we went in on her day off - while she was strolling through clothes and china, I browsed through electronics and found a very nice psb, powered sub. that had just been put on the floor. I scooped it up fast - a very lucky and Nice Find...Jim

Go for it with something like that. It's cheap and easy. Besides, it might be good hardware for putting into a DIY cabinet. Several years ago I ran into an acquaintance who picked up a SOTA Moonbean for 25 bucks at a Goodwill.

I once got a Bose Wave Music System for $4.99 at a retail Goodwill store.  It even came with the manual and remote. Another time, I found a Noble guitar accordion amp at a Goodwill outlet store for $5.00. Don't recall the model now, but it's a beauty from the late 50d. Noble amps were manufactured by Dan Electro. I love Goodwill!

I found ADS 710s there once but all the drivers had been pushed in. I passed. I did get an OPPO CD player with remote for $10 or so and I use that in my system today. The Seattle Goodwill posts their stuff on eBay all the time. They had Dahlquist 905 and an old Mac amp that was rusty recently. There's a Teac reel to reel that's been bid up to $158 on there now. They will not ship these larger items.

I found a Sony HD radio for $8

@ mapman  Not heresy , its the thrill of the hunt no matter where you find it! Personally I was more excited about finding those speakers at Goodwill than when I purchase something brand new. 

@drabina  Generally that's about what I find at Goodwill.....not much. the LP section in AZ. is terrible. But I need to go more often and get lucky again.  I'd love to find some of the goods my peers have listed they found...wow those are some good finds!! 

My point was the CEO and quite a few of the top officials pay themselves 500k and up salary’s. Not saying it’s totally out of line but compare that to the Salvation Army whose CEO gets paid 13k per year. 

I guess that I have been missing out by not checking Goodwill stores out.

I have found much more at pawn shops and Habitat for Humanity Stores:

Pawn:
Altec Valencia pr $100
Nak Dragon $75
Arcam CD player $50 
NAD 7060 $35
NAD 3020 $25
Harman Kardon Cit V $250
2pr Klipsch Heresey $200
McCormack ALD 1 Preamp $100

Habitat:
Heathkit AR3a pr $25
Dual 1229 with full base and dustcover $20
Janszen Z300 pr $20
Dynaco A10 $10
KLH 17 $10
Abt 30 assorted RCA LSC, London Blue Back, Mercury LP for 50cents ea.

Goodwill:

I dropped off some household goods after a move.  I was sent to the back/intake section of the store.  When unloading my stuff, I noticed a full KLH system 20 system on a table.  I inquired about it, and was told it "had to be checked out by the electronics guy".   The 'guy' would be in the next day and I was given a time.  I went back the next day, about 30 min after the time the "guy" was supposed to arrive.  I found neither the guy, nor the KLH.  When I asked what happened, the clerk I spoke to the day before pleaded ignorance, and said he did not remember talking to me....

Goodwill is a non profit and does not pay any property taxes for the stores they own or operate.  Most of their labor is either volunteer or people enrolled in a work skills program for which Goodwill receives a subsidy to offset any wages paid out.   ALL of their merchandise is free- donated by people.   One perk of donating is you receive a blank goodwill branded donation form, with their tax id number, as a receipt for your donation.  The staff members signs the form, but does not fill it out.  YOU fill out what you donate, and assign a value.....    This can be quite useful.  

There are no good deals at my local Goodwill stores. Just a bunch of VCRs, table clocks and speakers with attached cables that used to be part of an all in one system. Not much audio CDs or vinyl neither. Plus vinyl got a lot more expensive.

mapman: I bought a pair of Heresy's at my local CT GW for $25! Over the years I found many hi-fi bargains at that store! One time I arrived just a few minutes too late and missed buying a pair of JBL 77's! A particularly good score was a pair of JBL 640's for $48!

At least twice a week. I do the rounds throughout the town. I have got a couple of good deals on SACD players and cables, but only one of the cables is currently being used. I passed on an early pair of Vandersteens because $300 is a lot to get back in credit if they didn’t work. I am not sad I passed them up.

As for music... too many to list. 

I'm just happy to see I'm not the only one. Still looking for gold, though.

Is it heresy to talk about Goodwill on a high end audio forum?  

Speaking of heresy, I'd love to find a pair at Goodwill. 

I got a pair of Large Advents for a dollar at Goodwill, got a working Fisher 400 tube receiver for $30.00. Unclaimed repair at small town electronics store. It’s not a rip off if the seller doesn’t know what he has.

Goodwill International CEO Jim Gibbons made $729,000 in salary and deferred compensation in 2017, nowhere near what comparable CEOs make....

Teo,

You’re giving away valued information to your competitors😱. 

I love Goodwill! Great place for finding LPs and CDs.

electronics usually go out to the shelves near last in the sorting, testing and pricing workday.

you have to go in at approx 2:30pm, and be there until about 4pm. Arriving past 4pm means you probably missed the good stuff.

the pickers (which would be you, if you follow that schedule) will get the best, generally, if you go to the given store past those times.

I rely upon people’s ignorance but the pickers are getting to be too good and too many of them.

by all means stop in if driving by. It’s like fishing. You can’t expect to catch your fish with one single cast. You have to cast that line lots of times.

This means visit. Often. And pick the right times and right stores.

I check out Goodwill, Salvation Army and St. Vincent De Paul once or twice a week.  Here is a small list:  Paradigm Studio 60's in mint condition $150
Yamaha NS200ma-$80
JBl GA200- $20
JBL Pro Performers-$10
JBL2060-$30
Infinity RS325 w/speaker stands.  All still in the box-$120
Infinity TSS450 Sub $22
Polk R30's Polk PSW50 Sub-$20
Polk LS50's-$50
Polk LSFX-$25
Polk CS275-$25
Technics SB a32-$40
Klipsch THX computer speakers-$40
Denon AVR681-$20
Pioneer SX 315-$20
Yamaha RX V377-$40
Harmon 3270-$30
Marantz 2252B-$45
Pioneer SX205-$30
NAD C316BEE-$10!!!!!!!!
SonySTRD350Z-$20
and a whole bunch of Sony,Technics &Toshiba CD players for $10.
The Marantz cost $45 and $58 to repair.  Polk sub $40 repair by Polk authorized dealer.   Both now perfect. That's my only repair jobs.  I always bring a pair of speaker wire and rca's inside to test before I leave in order to test.  I have a system in every room in my home.  Even the master bathroom.  There is a small town an hour away from my home that is Full of millionaires that has 3 thrift stores that is loaded with equipment.  The secret is finding the stores in wealthy communities.

Love Goodwill!  Shop there often for CDs and the occasional surprise.  Best finds: NAD 3020, DCM TimeFrame TF600s, Acoustic Energy 24" cast iron speaker stands, Sony component Minidisc recorder, and a Sherwood vintage receiver.  Lately though they seem to be getting wise and are putting their best stuff on eBay for higher prices.  Too bad for us.

I go to several Goodwill stores here in AZ once a week, but no luck with quality audio gear. Most of my scores are mid century ceramics from California, great signed handmade pottery, and other decorative stuff from Italy and other European countries. Incredible prices. 

Yea i will be stopping by more often.  I have 4 or five within a 5 mile radius

I have found at my local Goodwill, a pair of KLH Seventeens for $1 ea., a Thorens TD-165 for $3.50, a pair of Pioneer HPM-40 for $.50 ea.(needed new surrounds), and a Sansui AU-517 for a decent price that I can't recall right now.

I check it out a couple times a week.

My Goodwill had a nice pair of JM Lab tower speakers in good condition for $100 recently.  I was tempted but have more speakers than I probably really need already.   You never know what might pop up....

Man, You have hit the jackpot quite a few times!! where is your Goodwill located, I'll go there!  LOL

Pioneer HPM-100’s (200 watt C series)
KEF Cantata (Teak)
Realistic Mach 1 (series 1 original)

Too many to list so, go by brands, maybe...
Paradigm
PSB
Rotel
Denon
Sansui
Hitachi
Pioneer
Boston
Akai
Sony
Harmon Kardon
Luxman
Aiwa
Toshiba
Kef
Yamaha

& many many others

It’s difficult to not go back when it feeds you so well.....

Most recent: Technics SA-200, B&W 24" speaker stands, and a 24" set of UK made ’apollo Support Systems’ speaker stands

More Manfrotto Tripods than I can shake a stick at, even a brand new Carbon Fiber unit (in it’s carrying bag) worth $600.

Over a hundred quality 35mm Camera lenses. Probably closer to 200 (you look down into the display case and see a 200mm Pentax SMC takumar prime, for $15! Special day, fer sure...)

Probably close to 100 pair of quality binoculars.

I’ve got a big double cardboard box of a good..uhm..40+ camera bodys left over from selling off the lenses. Must be at least 50-60lbs of camera bodies.

It’s an addiction. But....It’s difficult to turn down such quality gear at such low prices. Candy!

However, it has really dried up in the past few years.

To clarify, this is the Ken Hotte part of Teo Audio, Taras K would never be caught dead in the goodwill store. He’s way too cool for that.

Me? I’m an audio guy, hardcore. I’ll willingly dumpsterdive if I think there is some deserted and hurt piece of classic audio gear in there, which I can save.. that I can somehow hear crying for it’s life (about to be crushed).

And there is nothing more educational in the world of knowing audio circuitry than fixing every fault and every quality aspect of every kind of circuit that's ever been made.

Nice! Goodwill can be a great source for music. I recently purchased a new 5-disc box set on Amazon from a Goodwill store in Florida for $2. Shipping was $3. Just saw others listed for $50-60.
Now, about that Rolex and those Magicos...