Where are the Boomboxes in the US ?

[AZA]

Even back in the 'S2GO' days i noticed members from other countries
posting about local finds having 'dried up'.

I put this down to location, assuming that maybe where they live
is similar to some 'outback' locations i have lived over the years.
Some of those small towns i lived in never have Swapmeets and
the chances of finding anything at a garage sale is very unlikely.

So as i said, i just assumed that this would be the main reason
for some of our members not finding much 'in the wild'.

BUT..... even though i had very high hopes of finding some nice boomboxes while
in the States that i could steal back to OZ , this turned out to be
NOT the case !!

Now we travelled to Vancouver, San Fransisco, Vegas and from Vegas we
drove to Memphis, Chicago, NewYork and everything in between.

And believe me i looked in every second hand shop, thrift store, Bric-a-Brac market,
antique shop i could find. You name it, i went there !!

And i did not find one cool radio all the way from the West Coast to the East ????
(aside from my encounter with member Jameswp67in Canada)

So my question is the same as some US members, where are all the boomboxes ?

Im going to post pics of what i found in just 3 weeks of being back in OZ next but i dont
want to offend the good members in the US, im not trying to be smart, this is a genuine
question, plus i want to share a few more of my finds.
I really expected i would find at least a few really good radios and am surprised i found
none at all.
Did i not go to the right places in my searching ?

 

[Superduper]

I never seen anything considered "good" either. Every grail I owned or own was via either craigslist or eBay or via the forums. Some guys have tons of patience and visits all the fleas, thrifts and do it consistently. I guess I don't have that kind of patience and in the end, feel like the time, gas and effort expended to find one, if I ever find one, is no less than that spent online. Some of the more modern boomboxes that I can't give away are being sold in our thrifts here for $20. Of course, I'm just talking SF bay area here. Your mileage may vary.

 

[Gluecifer]

Oh crap.. I'm not sure I want to see what Aza's picked up in the last 3 weeks if it comes with a warning before he posts.

After the C-100, GF-777 and other stories...

*shudder*



Rock On.

 

[AZA]

Oh crap.. I'm not sure I want to see what Aza's picked up in the last 3 weeks if it comes with a warning before he posts.

After the C-100, GF-777 and other stories...

*shudder*



Rock On.

 

[alfie]

Oh crap.. I'm not sure I want to see what Aza's picked up in the last 3 weeks if it comes with a warning before he posts.

After the C-100, GF-777 and other stories...

*shudder*



Rock On.

Help!!!

Where are you finding these in .au???? I bust my hump at every available opportunity to not much avail (gf777 aside). Did you seriously find a conion in .au in the wild??? Surely not!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[AZA]

Oh crap.. I'm not sure I want to see what Aza's picked up in the last 3 weeks if it comes with a warning before he posts.

After the C-100, GF-777 and other stories...

*shudder*



Rock On.

Help!!!

Where are you finding these in .au???? I bust my hump at every available opportunity to not much avail (gf777 aside). Did you seriously find a conion in .au in the wild??? Surely not!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, i feel i was very lucky to find a Conion localy. I was always sure that the C-100 would be something i would have to
buy off Ebay from the US. The old guy that had it in his shed said he bought it years ago from the local swap meet !!

Alfie, i do cover a lot of ground with work and on the weekends and i also put out flyers everywhere i go. Plus i have
a few people who keep an eye out for me and regularly come up with something interesting.
Plus it took me years before i found a GF777 so if you found one you are doing really well

 

[skippy1969]

I think all the grails are stored at Ira's house and in Houston............

 

[monchito]

I think all the grails are stored at Ira's house and in Houston............

sorry but i have to with skippy on this one

 

[AZA]

I think all the grails are stored at Ira's house and in Houston............

sorry but i have to with skippy on this one

I knew 50% was in Houston, just wondered where the other 50% was

But in all seriousness, i was amazed i could not find any. I really thought
that with the greater population in the US that there wold be lots to find

 

[monchito]

well you know aza even thou we are really joking but most boxes really saw the garbage,, its a sad note but its true if you think about it after all these years there had to be thousands apon thousands of all types of boxes sold in the 25plus years you would think you can find them by the tons but still you only see very little ,, i only just recently picked up a small sanyo locally which was in great shape, but makes you wonder have people got rid of them already or do they still sit in the dark room where it has not seen any light or maybe in the garage as a beater

 

[Fatdog]

I think, in general, you don't find a lot of "in the wild" grail boomboxes in the U.S. because we have been a "throw-away" society for so long. If something breaks, like cassette belts, just throw away the entire boombox. If something has a newer model, just throw away the old one. It has always been a race to "keep up with the Joneses" here. It's a shame really. In the States, the best time to have picked up all the grails would have been the late 1980's.

Unless you live near Birmingham, Alabama.

 

[monchito]

I think, in general, you don't find a lot of "in the wild" grail boomboxes in the U.S. because we have been a "throw-away" society for so long. If something breaks, like cassette belts, just throw away the entire boombox. If something has a newer model, just throw away the old one. It has always been a race to "keep up with the Joneses" here. It's a shame really. In the States, the best time to have picked up all the grails would have been the late 1980's.

Unless you live near Birmingham, Alabama.

no way if you lived in bama

 

[blu_fuz]

I think the last big grail find in the wild that I know about is my Dynasty Wheely for $15.


Fleas, garage sales, and craigslist are all dried up around here. Only thing worth getting that I see is on flea-bay and are rarely the price I think I should give for them. (price is usually ok, it's the shipping that kills ya!)

 

[bill]

the simple answer for where are the boxes in the us is this.

tucked aways in a 60 somethings closet carefully preserved and forgotten about.

that is the fact.
i still think there is lots of nice boxes out there.
a lot of people would not dream of giving things to thrift shops like value village. i mean they only give 2 percent of there profit to charity. not really a thrift store is it.
so i think a lot of boomboxes are still in the possesion of there original owners.
i mean for the most part a kid did not run out and buy a m90. sure there are exceptions but for the most part that was 40 something dads who bought those.

 

[restocat]

As far as the US, cultures can vary by city. Some areas are more thrifty than others. Isolated towns in the Southwest USA you may still find something. Just not very big somethings.

All my grails came from members here, except for the 1 original toshiba I bought in the 80s.

 

[mellymelsr]

Sometimes you can get lucky at local flea markets or garage sales, but that takes lots of time and patience. All of my boomboxes have come from either Craigslist, Ebay, or members of this site. I simply don't have the time to visit the hundreds of flea markets in the Bay Area. It is much easier for me to find the grail I want, knowing I may have to pay top dollar for it, and just get it. I don't really stop to think about the price because the enjoyment far outweighs the cost. I sometimes wish I had time to visit all those fleas because I am sure there are lots of forgotten boomboxes to find....but with a wife, kids, honey-do's, and other hobbies there just isn't time.

 

[el cad]

Going to thrifts and fleas is like playing the lottery. You gotta play to win, and even if you do play you're not gonna win.

This whole summer I've only only found two boxes at the thrifts and both weren't even close to grail worthy, but they were less than $10 each. Though I have found some other good stuff this summer. A pair of Polk speakers $15, a pair of Sansui speakers $15, a 2 head Nak deck $15, HD Roku $25, and new Bocce set $10. Plus I've found about 30 cassette tapes this summer and most were 50 cents.

 

[Lasonic TRC-920]

I think, in general, you don't find a lot of "in the wild" grail boomboxes in the U.S. because we have been a "throw-away" society for so long. If something breaks, like cassette belts, just throw away the entire boombox.

I totally agree with FD on this. As sad as it is...

I too have searched and searched and have found NOTHING! Hell, I thought living near Bakersfield, California (California's equivalent to Birmingham, Alabama) that there would be old dusty pawn shops FILLED with such items.

NOPE...Not one!

 

[AZA]

I think, in general, you don't find a lot of "in the wild" grail boomboxes in the U.S. because we have been a "throw-away" society for so long. If something breaks, like cassette belts, just throw away the entire boombox.

I totally agree with FD on this. As sad as it is...

I too have searched and searched and have found NOTHING! Hell, I thought living near Bakersfield, California (California's equivalent to Birmingham, Alabama) that there would be old dusty pawn shops FILLED with such items.

NOPE...Not one!

Thats exactly what i expected Lasonic ! We even traveled along Route 66 and stopped in at heaps of small
towns along the way and plenty of them did have 'dusty old pawn shops' but not one serious boombox
was found !

I guess both FD and Bill a right on this. On one hand you have the people who followed the 'throw away'
generation and moved on with the latest audio gear and then the other generation of people who would
have paid good money for thier boomboxes, way back when, who are still keeping them.
The few straglers in between are already getting picked up by collectors like us

 

[SINISTER]

i gotta say its been pretty dry im my area for a month or so, but!!!! thanx to don i found a GRAIL!!! and a couple of kool boxes too