I'm new to collecting Ghettoblasters, and I'm wondering what would be the best box to start with. I want something big, but small enough to carry on a shoulder without hurting myself. I want great sound and cool design as well, but I need it to be under $100 dollars in good condition. Any recommendations?

sharp gf8989 is a safe bet to start off with,happy hunting and welcome to the forum

i think 8989 would be more than 100 dollars, how about the great Sanyo m9935k, light and cheap.

hi and welcome to the forum. price is a variable that cannot be easily predicted. this said, if you find like i did recently a philips d8614 for about $100 you would get great sound, elegant design and a comparatively light box for its size

i bought a pioneer sk-31 for A $100 it has a good tuner for FM aslo external speaker output in the back, and cool UV meters that go with the music and they also help to tune in stations . welcome to this forum its a good site ! helps me all the time

depending on where you buy your box from,i agree with bison that the gf8989 is ideal-i got my last one from a cash convertors (like a posh thrift shop lol)for a mere £25 (about 45$ u.s?)but ebay can be rediculous prices for boxes-otherwise hunt round all the carboots/yard sales/thrift shops etc you can and try and get any of the following:

sharp gf9090

sharp gf8989

sharp gf9191

or even a gf8585 if you can get one-you woulnt be dissapointed with any of these

i also bought a telefunken cc-9000 portable stereo cassette deck for $100 its remarkable sound and cool funtions and sleak designe make it an easy buy if you happen to find one.

What about a Panasonic RX-5090 or 5050? Those look pretty good, don't seem too rare either...

since there is no such thing as an ideal boombox to start a collection, i offer 7 rules of thumb to guide your search:

1. if you like a boombox, go after it;

2. if you like more than one set your priorities according to rules #3 through 7;

3. keep your budget under control;

4. look for bargains;

5. stay clear of swindlers;

6. be patient;

7. listen to other people's opinion but go your own way.

the units you mention are wonderful, but they may cost more than $100. so if they are your top priorities (rules #1-2), follow rules #3-7 and sooner or later you'll get them.

happy hunting