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The best audio steal or deal you've ever gotten?

Linn Sondek LP-12/Basik Plus/Denon & Dynavector carts
an Audioquest sorbathane mat, PS Audio phono stage and Rega
RB250 (spare) tone arm and 2 set of brass tip toes

All of the above in excellent condition, save some swirls on the dust cover, including shipping costed me a whopping...

"$200.00"

How it came to be I had purchased another item from him at a way inexpensive price and at the time I was ready to plunk down $1500 on a new vinyl rig. I inquired, basically, out of curiosityabout he having a TT for sale and he mentioned he had the above tucked away for the last decade. He was kind enough to dig the turntable out that day, took digital pictures and emailed them to me. He even shipped it all out to me before I mailed him the money. Everytime he found another TT related item he mailed it to me free of charge, like belts and such.

I know this all sound entirely too good to be true, but it is true! I will never sell any of this rig and if for some reason I ever decide I am going to give up on vinyl the next owner will pay what I paid for it.

Thanks for the read and now let me hear about your best steals and deals!

anacondastan
13 responses Add your response
hifimaniac
508 posts
 
I forgot to add my Vendetta Research phono preamp in that 2500.00 analog rig I bought from the widow. How could I forget the collector's item?
ed_sawyer
588 posts
 
Stax DA-300 amp, $50, right here on Audiogon. Works perfectly. 150wpc, pure class A, flagship amp from Stax. It was $4000 in 1975 (about $15000 today's money).

Dynaco Stereo 80 (solid state) amp, $20 at a yard sale, works fine.

Aerial 6's in Cherry: $1100 (a $4000 speaker new), here on Agon.

Tubes: too many to count that were great deals. Of course most were bought in volume lots (with a lot of useless ones thrown in).

-Ed
jeffloistarca
1,004 posts
 
Sansui TU-517 tuner, mint. Garage sale, $2

Pioneer receiver, $0. My son was out walking the dog early one morning and a guy was throwing it away and offered it to my son. Needed a new fuse.

My dealer gave me a NIB Cambridge Audio isolation platform cuz he didn't think he'd find anyone willing to pay for such tweaks. Free. Gratis.

I think I'm winning the cheap sweepstakes here so far
maxgain
526 posts
 
I once bought 4 Luxman 3045 mono tube amps for $25 each! One needed some work but was still a STEAL! I got a working Dynaco ST70 out of the dumpster behind the HiFi shop I worked at once too!
abb58
8 posts
 
At the local thrift for $175.00 Canadian !!!!! Gotta love it.
swampwalker's avatar
swampwalker
5,138 posts
 
Dynaco PAS-3 and ST-70 amp with functioning tubes at tag sale for $12.50!!!. Used them for a while and then sold thru rec.audio.tubes for $125 each.
glen's avatar
glen
714 posts
 
Bought a pair of MIT ref 350 interconnects here at the gon for $200.00. Dumped them at an auction six months later for $600.00.$$$$$
hifimaniac
508 posts
 
Wow! Reminds me of the analog I scored years ago. A SOTA STar Sapphire III with Vacuum pump, SME V arm, Kiski Ruby Agat Cartridge and a Nitty Gritty Record cleaner for a whopping $2500.00. I bought it from a widow whose husband was an audiophile. Also bought 250 albums for $75 dollars.
rockvirgo
587 posts
 
My best deal ever was a Dual 1215 with Shure M91ED cart for $2.50 at a garage sale. It came with base and dustcover with sliding rails attached for cabinet mounting. The auto shut-off prongs were bent so I doubt it saw much service. The like-new Shure sounds great in my 1219!
rar1's avatar
rar1
1,770 posts
 
3 come to mind:

1. Purchased 2 pair of the Acoustic Research 302 speakers for $250 per pair (list $1000 per pair) when Accessories4less first came on the scene (November 2000).
2. Purchased a Proton 300 table radio (cosmetic blemish) for $75 from Harvey Electronics (September 1991). Still in use.
3. Won an ebay auction on a vintage Harman Kardon 710 tuner, in excellent condition, for $33 (December 2002).
kinsekd
252 posts
 
Bought a used pair of Magneplanar MMG's on eBay for $300. Sold them 2 years later on eBay for $450. I've had similar luck with some ARC equipment.
richardyc
28 posts
 
an used Bryston 4B about 15yrs old, paid $500 for it, used it for about 2yrs, and sold it for $650.

rich
kotta's avatar
kotta
649 posts
 
That's great what you're willing to do for the next guy. I really believe, "What goes around comes around." I haven't had a deal quite as yours, but, many years ago (1980-81) I worked
at a audio chain store where the JBL Rep. offered all of us
a 65% discount off retail for any new JBL loudspeaker. That was really great, unfortunately at the time I was cash poor so I only ordered a pair of L40's.(Which I really enjoyed for many years.) Given what I know today (not a whole lot more, but, now armed w/gold and platinum)...oh my!
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