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Wow.lets go back in time and drool.

97.95.43.235
Posted on September 17, 2016 at 23:53:00
Michael Samra
Dealer

Posts: 36118
Location: saginaw michigan
Joined: January 30, 2005
 I'm a tube guy but I remember this from my college days.
"For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong" H. L. Mencken

 

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What's the story? The video was from 2012., posted on September 18, 2016 at 01:25:58
J.Mac
Audiophile

Posts: 3553
Location: Colorado
Joined: November 6, 2002
 Eccentric audio shop owner, closed up shop 25 years ago, locked the doors and forgot about all the inventory, or figured that he'd open up the shop up again when the economy improved?

Probably 95% worthless, except maybe to some collectors and a few nostalgic old timers. But that 5% is probably worth a nice bit of coin. I looked up a few things - circa 1993, so that gives an idea of when the place was padlocked.

Weird. But in the world of retail audio, weird is common. The owner was a hoarder. They probably also found 50 cat carcasses and a fridge full of yogurt dated 1989 within that mess.

 

RE: Wow.lets go back in time and drool., posted on September 18, 2016 at 01:33:26
John Elison
Audiophile

Posts: 23900
Location: Central Kentucky
Joined: December 20, 2000
Contributor
  Since: January 29, 2004
 What's the deal with the tag hanging from the guy's hat? That's rather odd.

The equipment all looks like a bunch of junk to me. To each his own!

 

When this video was posted in 2012, posted on September 18, 2016 at 05:59:43
1973shovel
Audiophile

Posts: 10117
Location: Greenville SC
Joined: February 25, 2007
 some of the items from the video (actually an ad) were listed on ebay.

I took a look at what they were asking for a JVC 1010 CD player (link to Asylum discussion below) and saw the prices were insane. Not Crazy Eddie insane, but buy it now for list price on a (then) 23 year old unit insane.



 

RE: Wow.lets go back in time and drool., posted on September 18, 2016 at 07:17:30
fantja
Audiophile

Posts: 15524
Location: Alabama
Joined: September 11, 2010
 Thanks! for sharing- Michael.

my query;
would any of the gear "work" after so many years of non-use?

 

RE: Wow.lets go back in time and drool., posted on September 18, 2016 at 07:18:34
fantja
Audiophile

Posts: 15524
Location: Alabama
Joined: September 11, 2010
 Agreed-

the down side of our wonderful hobby, in that, there are many "flakes".

 

RE: Wow.lets go back in time and drool., posted on September 18, 2016 at 07:27:46
Mike K
Audiophile

Posts: 13976
Location: 97701
Joined: September 23, 1999
 Most of that stuff is not high-end, with the possible exception of the Nakamichi and Accuphase.

Lack of skill dictates economy of style. - Joey Ramone

 

It would be fun to dig deeper in the service area, posted on September 18, 2016 at 07:50:01
airtime
Audiophile

Posts: 11287
Location: Arizona
Joined: February 4, 2003
 It was interesting to see but the vast majority of that stuff is just fun to look at. Those Pioneer turntables were pretty much at the low end of quality - because I actually still have one!

And all those JVC DVD players - ahhh what-cha gonna do with them?

But when he moved into the service area - NOW we're talking interesting!!! There was some great stuff just laying there. I think the service area would bring in more cash then all those DVD players and turntables.

Thanks for the Sunday video. It was fun to watch.

 

RE: Wow.lets go back in time and drool., posted on September 18, 2016 at 07:50:03
bcowen
Audiophile

Posts: 1076
Location: North Carolina
Joined: December 19, 2015
 I'm guessing he was going to try and sell it as new once the video was done. :)

 

Mini Pearl homage maybe? (nt), posted on September 18, 2016 at 13:13:46
Sondek
Audiophile

Posts: 9632
Location: Fort Worth
Joined: May 17, 2000
Contributor
  Since: April 5, 2002

 

Drool? Over that crap?, posted on September 19, 2016 at 08:25:50
madisonears
Audiophile

Posts: 1587
Location: midwest
Joined: September 6, 2006
 Oh boy, 40 year-old electrolytic capacitors in mid-fi junk that I wouldn't have considered even when it was new.

He keeps invoking "audiophile" as if that would legitimize this stuff.

There is a good reason it's piled in an abandoned warehouse.

Peace,
Tom E
berate is 8 and benign is 9

 

Thanks, posted on September 19, 2016 at 08:54:48
airtime
Audiophile

Posts: 11287
Location: Arizona
Joined: February 4, 2003
 Thanks I did need that laugh!!!!

I was thinking the same exact thing when he kept talking about audiophile and standing next to a stack of JVC DVD players and those Pioneer SX digital tuner receivers - Yikes!!!

The gems were in the repair and service areas. And he BLEW past those!!!

 

RE: Thanks, posted on September 19, 2016 at 09:22:26
Coner
Audiophile

Posts: 3703
Location: S.W. Washington state, USA
Joined: November 17, 2001
 So I guess that's a foolproof test to check for foam rot...just
shine a flashlight on 'em!!!. Not!!!.

 

Living in the past...(nt), posted on September 19, 2016 at 09:46:38
mkuller
Audiophile

Posts: 38130
Location: SF Bay Area
Joined: April 22, 2003
 (nt)

 

RE: Drool? Over that crap?, posted on September 19, 2016 at 10:25:10
Sondek
Audiophile

Posts: 9632
Location: Fort Worth
Joined: May 17, 2000
Contributor
  Since: April 5, 2002
 I had the same response five years ago when this story broke the first time. Who would want that midfi crap? I guess somebody did.

 

I bet he has cassette decks, too, posted on September 19, 2016 at 12:16:58
jedrider
Audiophile

Posts: 15168
Location: No. California
Joined: December 26, 2003
 Good riddance: I am SO GLAD they are completely, unquestionably, OBSOLETE.

I remember the sound of the JVC receiver I had: I would NEVER want to relive that again. They should send them to Guantanamo as torture enhancement devices.

 

Reminded me a little of the..., posted on September 19, 2016 at 17:25:18
Jim Treanor
Audiophile

Posts: 2167
Location: Pacific Northwest
Joined: June 1, 2003
 "Horsetrader Ed" commercials I saw way back when in the SF Bay Area. I wasn't buying then...deja vu all over again.


Jim

 

RE: Wow.lets go back in time and drool., posted on September 19, 2016 at 19:01:48
audiomaniac
 I really like those dubbing cassette decks eh?

 

RE: Wow.lets go back in time and drool., posted on September 20, 2016 at 07:53:51
raya
Industry Professional

Posts: 662
Joined: May 9, 2014
 Where is the dust and cobwebs? If i go a month in my home without dusting it looks 100x worse than that. All i saw was a bunch of boxes. He seemed more interested
In showing all of the boxes and never gave the viewer a real look at what was there.

 

RE: Wow.lets go back in time and drool., posted on September 20, 2016 at 08:16:48
airtime
Audiophile

Posts: 11287
Location: Arizona
Joined: February 4, 2003
 You made a good point there. My garage turns into Wild Kingdom if I don't go out there every once in a while.

Also something very curious I kept noticing with the camera shots. There were a lot of very interesting pieces off to the sides of the shots. Like when he was drooling over those crappy cassette decks. Just out of frame was something interesting. And sitting on a few of those piles were what did look like some interesting pieces out of boxes.

What the hell are you going to do with a circa 1985 JVC DVD player and cassette deck????

 

My own experience of two different places..., posted on September 20, 2016 at 09:27:56
Smelly_Socks
 The first was a repair guy's shop. He felt proud of the thousand plus objects lining his walls. All Japanese giant receivers from the 60 through 80's. IMO a wasteland of junk. I guess a treasure of cheap spare parts?

Then another place.. two guys with a love of audio. Their place was lined with an astounding array of classic famous audio gear perfectly restored.
Plus a large number of classic speakers, also restored.. Naturally it was all really high priced.. but they know their customers. Who want perfection from the product. I go there and drool excessively.

 

I don't know. I kind of like the stereo shops in Hong Kong a lot better, posted on September 20, 2016 at 13:24:20
alaskahiatt
Audiophile

Posts: 7508
Joined: December 9, 2000
Contributor
  Since: November 1, 2005





















nt

 

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah - Yeah like that !, posted on September 20, 2016 at 14:01:40
airtime
Audiophile

Posts: 11287
Location: Arizona
Joined: February 4, 2003
 Can I be his friend please!!!

 

Reminds me of a shop in Atl from the 70s, posted on September 20, 2016 at 18:09:54
E-Stat
Audiophile

Posts: 37666
Joined: May 12, 2000
Contributor
  Since: April 5, 2002
 called "Dirty Don's Warehouse Audio". That would be Doity Don's as pronounced by the owner. He had all sorts of crap stacked to the ceiling at his business. Don used to visit FJA where I hung out and talk about the business.

I'll never forget his stance on customer service: "I give them a 30/30 warranty. I'll take care of any problem for 30 feet or 30 seconds outside the door."

 

RE: I don't know. I kind of like the stereo shops in Hong Kong a lot better, posted on September 20, 2016 at 19:06:15
A.Wayne
Audiophile

Posts: 2527
Location: Front row center
Joined: November 30, 2011
 Thats unbelievable .....

 

RE: Reminds me of a shop in Atl from the 70s, posted on September 20, 2016 at 19:20:54
jaydacus
 That guy seemed a little off of his rocker. Agree that the vast majority of of stuff in the stacks of boxes is now completely obsolete and wasn't even top of the line in the first place.

I kept wondering how much of that stuff would even still work. All of those dried up and or gooey belts on the turntables and cassette decks that would fall off when powered up and ran for the first time. Not to mention the dried up and or leaking capacitors, cracked solder joints, etc.

 

THAT is drool gear... N/T, posted on September 20, 2016 at 22:01:22
musetap
Audiophile

Posts: 31879
Location: San Francisco
Joined: July 8, 2003
Contributor
  Since: January 28, 2004
 aa
"Once this was all Black Plasma and Imagination"-Michael McClure



 

Even though I don't know as much as the rest of you folks about this gear,, posted on September 20, 2016 at 23:07:03
alaskahiatt
Audiophile

Posts: 7508
Joined: December 9, 2000
Contributor
  Since: November 1, 2005
 I still enjoyed going to these shops every time I was in Hong Kong. It was like walking through a museum.

Over a 10 year period I did manage to pick up a lot of tubes, Riken resistors, Black Gate caps, Rogers LS 3/5A speakers, Harbeth LS 3/5A speakers, Diapason Micra speakers, Oppo's 971 Chinese equivalent, several Watts Manual Parastats, a Rega RB300 tonearm, a ZYX R30 cartridge, two cheap Dynavector 10 X 4 cartridges, one cheap Denon DL103R cartridge, and a cheap ASR Mini Basis phono preamp. The shop with all the speakers hanging from the ceiling custom made me a star grounding power strip with spike protection. I haven't had the nerve to try it yet, and I haven't used most of the items listed above. I just wanted to take advantage of my free travel and the money I once had before retirement.

The equipment you see in the pictures does not go cheap, but the thrill was that all this vintage gear was in numerous commercial stores for easy access and purchase on the spot if you wanted. I really miss it, but my retirement pocketbook doesn't.

 

I quite enjoy living in Hong Kong , posted on September 22, 2016 at 19:12:16
RGA
Reviewer

Posts: 15177
Location: Hong Kong
Joined: August 8, 2001
 Pretty much everything is here.

 

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