When collecting grows out of control...

[Jovie]

I'd like to know what you all think about an issue concerning collecting which has troubled me.I for one have a fascination with virtually ALL boomboxes.However,I have had to ease up a bit buying every good deal I run across even if it has decent sound.There's only so much space in my house.Though I like having a variety of boxes to choose from,my collection of old school gear will keep me amused for a long time.That said,I do have a lot of 90s and 00s in my rotation but I really had to chill getting anything unless I felt it could generate some interest if I ever wanted to resell it .Most newer boxes generate "0" interest on Ebay.With me it has become a matter of if my space at home is worth more than the great deal I am getting.Of course it's arguable that something you find for a few bucks could painlessly be re-donated to charity when you move on to another box.However I can't part with a blaster that easily to be truthful.

My questions are for those who might share my appreciation for a wider range of boxes.Do you buy newer boxes at thriftstores and yardsales?Even if they have no resale value,do you figure the enjoyment you get out of them will be worth the few bucks you spend even if you have to end up re-donating them for purposes of freeing up space at home?

 

[Gluecifer]

I share your concerns, deeply!
I'm up to about 35 now, and space is becoming a genuine issue, the irony is the more I collect the more I say to myself 'ok, only try and get the ones that are important'. Then I find I can make an excuse up all too easily as to why one becomes super-important.

I'm in the process of adding some more shelving, and I made an executive decision that I will only try to have ghettoblasters on display in my living room that are 100% (or close to) working. No shelf queens that don't earn their keep. The one's on the waiting list to be fixed are now stored in my bedroom. I think this system will let me add a few more painlessly, but the recently added VZ-3000 has become quite a headache to get in a workable position.

I must say though I've no intention of selling any of my radios currently, and haven't re-sold any in the past, and I hope 'space' doesn't become the reason I start.

It's hard to manage though,.. I'm sure many share my situation on here too.



Rock On.

 

[ViennaSound]

True. My place to store new boxes is nearly over now.
I´m just going to sell a few of them, but i only want to give it in loved hands.
A few tiny ones will get parted out next time (only when dead).

The problem is when i seen an poor and cheap box at flea, i can´t pass it.
At ebay i don´t buy a box any more.
The real problem of us collectors is the storage space.
An good storage place!
Not like this:

http://www.boomboxery.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=833

 

[Johnny]

That is why I have to sell some of my boxes, it has gotten out of control, If I'm at the goodwill or salvation army I can't pass by almost any box

I don't have enough storage room to store all my boxes the way they deserve, so off they go

Don't get me wrong though, I make room for a very special few

 

[MasterBlaster84]

Obviously there is a point where our collection is just to intrusive and I think most of us here have reached that point allready. For me that means I only have a few on the want list which were part of my youth and anything else I bring in to my collection will requre me to sell something. This has brought my buying to a near stand still with the exception of upgrading a few existing boxes that just aren't up to my standards. This really means no room for any 90's boxes at all but I can live with that.

My new focus is on restoring what I have, I'd like to have as much of my collection as possible up to %100. If done right restoration work can take many hours or even days but it's all part of the hobby and will allow me to completely enjoy each box to it's full potential.

 

[blah blah]

it's a good question jovie- i have quickly gotten out of hand.... I have picked up almost all the decent boxes I find depending on a few things, in line, vu meters, equalizers and just unique looks. At first though I grabbed anything...

Most of my early pickups probably have little resale value as they are not "grails" just decent, nicely designed objects that have faded from popular use and are not super iconic.

I think I am up to 46 or maybe more. Storage space is gone... I guess you finally fine tune what aspects really intrigue you and try to control the impulse to buy every damn on you see.

Maybe we should have a coop-boomboxery storage unit and tag and collect them all in the hopes they eventually become a freakin museum. Hate to chuck em.

 

[BoomBoxDeluxe]

When collecting grows out of control........

This is when the BoomBox Bug has truly got yooouuuu!

When I look around my room, and figure how I can shelve all my boxes, I think to myself....

Supposing I just wanted a few more? The shelves go from floor-to-ceiling, and there's no more space. Now what?

Well, let's just say that, in the middle of your room, there's a big empty space......or even for that matter...... a coffee table.

OK, if you have the coffeee table......Chuck it. If you don't have the coffee table, then you can move onto this next step:

Make a coffee table that that is effectively just a BIG rectangular perspex box! Put boomboxes inside it, facing outwards with a removeable top so that you can rotate them and give them the occasional dusting-off, and there we have it!

MORE storage space for even MORE boxes, AND you have the most funky WGM-Style BoomBox coffee table!

Yeah, baby!!!!

How about screwing big chunky hooks into the ceiling, and hanging boomboxes from them?

People do this with model airplanes, so why not 'boxes?

Provided that you don't hang VZs or big GFs or Conions, your ceiling will stay where it is.

Now THAT is what you call a BoomBoxed-up room!

Shelves with BOOMBOXES, coffee table with BOOMBOXES, and hanging from the ceiling? BOOMBOXES.

If you have a wall that is a separating-wall to another room, why not carve-out a BoomBox-sized window, and instead of placing glass in that window.....

YEAH, you guessed it............BOOMBOX!

ROFL!

LMAO!

Come along now! There's been record-attempts for "how many people can fit in a phone-box", so take this one to the max, and see how many 'boxes you can fit in a room , AND have them all on display, and not have them all shoved endwards-on into shelves.


......You know that The Original BBD has the answer!



-BoomBoxDeluxe.

 

[floyd]

i think its out of control when you have 50 boxes and no money.

 

[Radio raheem]

i think its out of control when you have 50 boxes and no money.

 

[Jovie]

Great replies guys,thanks! After giving this a bit more thought,I'm thinking that anything from a thrift store is probably a good decision.There are so many things people pay for and have nothing tangible to show for it.This includes movie rentals,eating out,cable TV,and various other services.It's very arguable that these expenditures represent flushing money down a toilet.By contrast paying 5 or 10 (even 20 occasionally) for a thrifty boomer seems like a cheap price for the joy and experience you derive from it.

The problem is when we become too attached to ALL the objects of these experiences.As space problems demand downsizing there comes a time when we have to get rid of some.Unfortunately If you are into many post '80s boxes,there's just no interest on Ebay.Even so its human nature to want to get a little something if you decide to let it go.However if we look at it as if we are renting some time with a different box it begins to make no less sense than various other service oriented things we pay for.At least you have something to show for your money if you really do want to keep it.To be practical,however, you have to consider many of your really good thrift store buys as fleeting experiences.

I'd say that if you buy many of the post golden Era thrift store boxes just for the experience you should be sure you have no problem with eventually donating them back.There's really no resale market for them,at least at this point in time.Be sure to take pictures of these good times though (as you should with every hot date you ever go on ).If you have the space I suppose you could store them away for some future time when they might become collectible (the boomboxes,not the chicks ).However,this just isn't practical for most of us.In the end result having workable living conditions is an invaluable necessity.

 

[Johnny]

Thank you Jovie for asking this excellent question, I honestly believe we all a little bit OCD.

 

[redbenjoe]

Thank you Jovie for asking this excellent question, I honestly believe we all a little bit OCD.

wish this was not so much fun :'-(
and full of mixed emotions

 

[vladi123456]

After selling a few of my boxes I have about 13 left. And I feel like I still have a couple too many. So I guess I am not as bad (or not as good) as some of you guys

 

[ViennaSound]

i think its out of control when you have 50 boxes and no money.

The money will not be the problem (for me).
Because i only get cheap ones from flea that i like.
I´m not willing to spend all my money on "grails".
But i can´t save every boomboxsoul i see.
Very hard to take a choice....

 

[floyd]

oh if i had the room and the money i dont think there would be a limit for me , i would collect and save as many boxes as i could ,i think it would be cool to have a real life boombox museum.

 

[ViennaSound]

F*ck, i did it again....
Today at flea and seen so many nice boxes.
Left many nice ones.
Then it came over me again and i took 3 poor souls home.
After passing about 20 others.
It´s hard to be a boombox-freak.

 

[MasterBlaster84]

It´s hard to be a boombox-freak.

That's the truth, it takes seriuos will power to walk away from boomboxes on the cheap.
So which three did you take home?

 

[ViennaSound]

It´s hard to be a boombox-freak.

That's the truth, it takes seriuos will power to walk away from boomboxes on the cheap.
So which three did you take home?

Check the flea thread.
Coming in a few minutes.

 

[monchito]

the hobby is great and for what i see is space is it gets to be sometimes a problem the other thing is having time to play with boxes if thats your only hobbie the thats good but if you find yourself doing other stuff and finding your stockpile growing out of perportion then it starts to create other issues especialy if you have wife and kids if you have the space and money is no object i would say go for it there is nothing wrong with boombox collecting, if the wife does not mind and enjoys what you do then by all means but if money is tight and wifey not too happy then a small collection is in order just to keep everything at bay if you are a lonely person then this could be the best therapy you could ever have if you dont belive me ask ira

 

[ahardb0dy]

well if you run out of space just put them in your kitchen like the Texas guy does, lol


"hey (your name), you want something to eat? just move those 9 boomboxes out of the way there should be some cereal over there"