I went home to visit my family this past weekend. There's a fleamarket near them that I used to practically live at. For the past few months there has been a guy there selling home stereos/turntables/tape decks for really low prices. My brother and I took a look around as I commented about how I haven't found a boombox in a few years. We left and continued on. A little while later we were walking past the stand again and I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask if he had any portables. He said yes, and picked up a Sony egg something or other. I told him I was looking for older and bigger, with only a radio and cassette deck. He said he had something in his trailer outside. He came back in with this:
I knew what it was a soon as I saw the back of it. The slot deck had a bad hum in the left channel and the AM/FM/SW switch cog is busted, but there was a sign of life. He said to make him an offer.. I hate making offers, but I said "Is $20 unreasonable?". He said, not at all. I took it home and cleaned it up. It still needs a few things cleaned, like the handle. I cleaned the head switch on the slot tape deck and got both channels back. That still needs a head cleaning. The transformer had ripped out of it's mount, so I fixed that. I set the AM/FM switch to FM internally. She's pumping out the tunes again!
I knew what it was a soon as I saw the back of it. The slot deck had a bad hum in the left channel and the AM/FM/SW switch cog is busted, but there was a sign of life. He said to make him an offer.. I hate making offers, but I said "Is $20 unreasonable?". He said, not at all. I took it home and cleaned it up. It still needs a few things cleaned, like the handle. I cleaned the head switch on the slot tape deck and got both channels back. That still needs a head cleaning. The transformer had ripped out of it's mount, so I fixed that. I set the AM/FM switch to FM internally. She's pumping out the tunes again!
Nice rescue.
Ya always gotta ask if they have anything "in back"... 
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