I have a route that I go on every week that takes me by 6 Goodwill's, 2 Salvation Army's, and a St. Vincent and I usually talk with employees just to see if there has been any sightings. The GM for the Goodwill that is always first on my route told me that they crush all old "silver box tape players" as he called them. My jaw dropped!! He said that if they are old cassette players that don't look like anything special, he crushes them!!! I have found a couple at Goodwill, but usually little black ones. He brought out one that he was going to crush in the compactor and gave it to me. It was a SANYO M-X520 with just a little drywall mud on it!!! How many of these are being destroyed??? Has anyone had any decent scores at Goodwill lately? I wonder if this is a nationwide policy or what?

What an idiots!, tel them they are!!

Imagine all the poor silver walkmans!

Yep. Most Goodwill's or Salvation Army's see them as junk radios no one would buy because they are old and useless. Some won't take them without a CD player. I have one I go to that I picked up an 8-Track Panasonic stereo boombox from today. Never would have survived sally or goody depending on the manager.

wow,that's pretty weak! So that's why sal army and Goodwill are weak on box finds!~
Hey os cool score and save on the panny 8 track(see more below)
Funny thing too,i just went to Goodwill right nr me(it's next to my bank... bad for me,LOL!) Was just about to leave when the mgr brought out some junk,they just got in,a bunch of cass tapes,incl some sony's and maxells 10 for a buck,scooped up 30 of those suckers,and lo and behold a PANNY Rq 833 S 8 track player!
Yes it works fine 5.99 for that,30 tapes and the 8tack player for under 10 bucks not bad! This goodwill is open believe it or not til 6pm tommorow,independence day,if i have a chance to go back i will ask if this store has the same policy,i honestly don't think so,iin this paticular store i have gotten a pioneer sk21,and a jvc pc 47 in the last few months,but if that is corporate policy for goodwill it's pretty dumb,i know for a fact NONE of my other thrifty joints ever dump anything,! Come to think of it,this goodwill doesn't either,there is a black with blue trim Mono Magnavox,did not interest me in the least but that's been on the shelf for at least a month,i've been to the store at least 4-5 times in the last month it's still there! Started at 9.99 i think it's like 5 bucks now,if anyone wants a pic,i'll try to go tommorow if i can,and snap a pic. Later All!

quote:

Originally posted by CREK 173:
"...they crush all old "silver box tape players"..."these are being destroyed??? Has anyone had any decent scores at Goodwill lately? I wonder if this is a nationwide policy or what?"

Phew...less harsh policies in effect here! I'm happy to report that the Goodwills, SA, and other thrift stores this side of the border look at 'em a little differently. For the most part here, thrift stores have an abundant supply of decent, mostly functional and even mint bbxs...and the best part...usually priced between 5 and 20 bux. No long dry spells between hunts, and lots of variety. They even have regular half-price sales!

That sucks! It might explain why I never find any old boxes at my local Goodwill. Why would they crush them? All they have to do is put them on the shelf with any price, if they sell they made money. Seems pretty dumb if you ask me.

I am wondering if it is worth all the trips I take. Atleast at SA they have the same workers taking donations so you can't get buddy buddy with them and let them know your looking. Goodwill usually has guys working off community hours so you don't see the same face that often. With all the crap I see for sale in there it seems stupid not to sell old boxes even if beat up.

quote:

Originally posted by CREK 173:
With all the crap I see for sale in there it seems stupid not to sell old boxes even if beat up.

They put some real junk on the shelves so why not old boomboxes?

That sounds like a local level decision (hopefully store level!).You might ask at one of their bigger distribution outlets to find out.As I recently found a silver PC-200 at Goodwill I'd say it's not a universal policy.They have no reason to crush something donated for free as they can at least get something for it.Most likely a radio that is really filthy might be discarded by sorters as even collectors here struggle with what is safe to use to clean them up.A recent Goodwill find of mine was a Magnavox D8300 for $8.00.I'm surprised they decided to mark it for sale as it was really dirty!It cleaned up looking close to new.

I collect old G.E. radios from the early boombox era also and have found a few at Goodwill recently.Anything with a radio on it is going to sell despite having a cassette or no CD on it.If they're really crushing "silver boxes" nationwide,I'm sure this one wouldn't have escaped the same demise.



BTW-I never check Salvation Army.Judging from the 2 around here,you just might get a better deal on Ebay!

That's a Beaut Jovie,!

quote:

Originally posted by oldskool69:
Yep. Most Goodwill's or Salvation Army's see them as junk radios no one would buy because they are old and useless. Some won't take them without a CD player...

I've been on a forum about sneakers (bear with me) & mentioned my b-box habit. They asked to see some pics & the general response was: "cool, I didn't know anyone had use for these anymore".

It's sad but true, we are bit a tiny, tiny minority on the world, we few dozen regular posters on here. Add in perhaps a few thousand more worldwide who have an interest & that still represents a drop in the ocean of humanity.
That's why I think Lasonic are to be applauded for even bothering with the i931 at all, IMHO. Sure it isn't everyone's cup of tea, but what would be?
...rant over

The prestige of boomboxes has undoubtedly been lowered considerably by this crushing discovery...

you're trouble, you are ed

Oh, happy 4th of wossname & all that.

It really is a local level decision. The other stores I go to will mark that the tape does not work or whatever. Another one cuts the cords to identify them as having a problem and most people buy them (busted stereos/tv's/computers)for parts anyway. And yes, Goody & Sally make their decision because they will post a return policy. They've also said they don't have room to store broken items.

That's ridiculous!

I wish you hadn't told us...

That sort of thing turns my stomach. There could have been Conions and M90s in all that lot they've crushed.

I feel like getting a plane there and going into those shops with a shotgun!

From first hand i can tell you what happens to stuff not bought at Goodwills in NYC.

Monday through friday we send a truck to the depot where they get returns from there stores that they can get rid of the items. We back our trucks into a bay and they toss out all the junk that got returned from the stores. I was on that particular truck the other day and i did not see one radio go into the truck hopper. I did find those mini speakers that can plug into an ipod for external speakers. TRUST ME i was on the hunt. Examining every box and what every went into the truck.

Iso,

Are you trying to be argy-bargy?

quote:

Originally posted by Retro Addict:
That's ridiculous!

I wish you hadn't told us...

That sort of thing turns my stomach. There could have been Conions and M90s in all that lot they've crushed.

I feel like getting a plane there and going into those shops with a shotgun!

Thank God this doesn't happen at all these places!

Shotgun? I would've bulldozed the b@stards!

My local goodwill takes anything that will not sell to a company outlet next door to their training center.This place is just a few miles away from the distribution center store I frequently check for boomboxes.It is open 4 days a week for about 4 hours on those days.Before opening their doors,the items deemed individually unsellable are dumped into large rolling baskets which line the center aisle of the place.People lined up outside will pour in when the doors finally do open.It's first come first serve.Whatever you can grab you can get for 40 cents per pound.From what I've heard it can get quite violent in there.I've never actually checked this place out because I don't want to die.Also I figure anything that makes its way to this place has been previously damaged and would be only good for parts.Though I'm not sure,I suppose it's possible that only items from a distribution center like my local Goodwill find their way to this place.Perhaps the smaller stores actually do throw away anything that hasn't sold in a certain amount of time.

Goodwills version of the blue light special!

Don't give up hope just yet...
On my thrift runs I have found many walkmen, bbx, and parts of them. Just today I came across a nice 90s SONY and speakers from a Sharp gf-7002 (unfortunately, the main chassis was missing). When you think of all the stuff we throw out, it is amazing what actually does wind up in thrift store, just waiting to be brought home and cleaned up

quote:

Originally posted by enskanker:
Iso,

Are you trying to be argy-bargy?

Not very good at it, am I?
I should leave it up to the experts, like Tim & Cris...

Ja, dem is mad as a box of frogs

if you don't mind blurring the lines of legality, you can "compactor-dive" at any Goodwill that has a crusher. it's a bit unnerving to lean half (or all) or your body into the crusher, but i've found a couple of WORKING reel-to-reels and other nice stuff that they deem unsellable. the ones around here don't run the compactor every day, so if you figure out the schedule, you probably stand a better chance of finding something. it helps to have something you're donating & you car's trunk open, if the authorities decide to check in on you. it also helps to have a cohort that can do the donating while you do the "rescueing".

if your local Goodwill doesn't have a crusher, there is probably one at the next nearest location.

it really sucks that people have generously donated to Goodwill and Salvation Army, only to have the items destroyed.