Some Good Finds

 My wife and I enjoy going into thrift stores just to see what we can find.  I am sort of looking for a pipe cabinet to store and display my pipes.  I just read of a man who bought a rare Swiss made watch from 1959 that was in "worn" condition and was priced at $5.99.  When he examined the watch he noticed that it was indeed a rare Swiss watch that he decided to buy.  He had it checked out and upon closer examination was quite expensive.  He sold it for $35,000 in addition to getting another $4,000 watch in trade.

Now, going to thrift stores isn't going to find you that rare Picasso or some other such piece of gold, but I have seen videos where collectors of electronic equipment like tape decks or CD players can be had at a good price.  I found an older Sony receiver that I know was $400 brand new going for $30 the other day.  I was tempted, but I don't either need or want a receiver, but I thought for $30 it was a great deal.

But the problem with old electronics stuff is that one needs old stuff to go with it.  I would need, for example, old speakers connected by wires, because the older receiver wouldn't have Bluetooth connectivity.  But I could add a CD player for another $10, but if I wanted to connect a TV for sound, the older receiver would not have an HDMI connection, but would have to connect by RCA Jack's which most newer TV sets don't have.  

There are of course adapters one can get to attach old stuff to new stuff, but the fact is that while a brand new receiver would cost some ten times more the connectivity would be so much easier.  A lot of audiophiles today are going back to vinyl records with tube amplifiers.  The record players cost more today and the tube stuff can be incredibly pricey.  I was told of a man who spent a quarter of a million dollars just setting up a home theater.  That is about as wise as buying a Ferrari. But some people have more money than brains.  

My wife and I like to watch the Antiques Road Show, and there are a few that find that rare piece at a garage sale for 50 cents and find out it's worth tens, if not 100's of thousand dollars.  But that kind of luck is like winning the lottery.  Frankly, I think $30 for an old receiver might be a good deal, until one begins to connect other stuff to it.  Then one might find connecting new stuff to old stuff can actually be quite pricey.  

Well, this morning I am on the patio at home smoking my only Peterson pipe I got as a good deal and have spent nothing on it but pipe cleaners and tobacco.  Pipe smoking in comparison to other hobbies is actually quite cheap.  The relaxation, however, is priceless.  I am smoking the last of my Autumn Evening with a shipment of new tobacco on its way.  Here is hoping your day is a good one and good luck in finding that rate piece at a thrift store.  Thank you for your time and Peace to each of you. 

Dave