What was your best garage sale/thrift store/pawn shop find?

[uk03878]

Mine are spare parts (for DIY projects)
As much as I could carry - old Grayhill rotary switches built for Decca Consoles - all free
(non ROHS!!!)

(at the same time - I was also got to hold, not listen to unfortunately, a module from the very first helios desk - oh and one from the second as well)

[AudioHog]

1960's Harmony Rocket Hollowbody for $25 at garage sale.
TEAC EQA10 for $10 at garage sale
Vox Spitfire for $35 at church sale (very strangly modded-DiMarz mid dbl coil)

[Russian Recording]

well, if we're talking total giveaways....

my old job provided for me the following:

Fender Silverface Twin Reverb
Fender Blues Deluxe (re-issue)
Baldwin Upright Piano
TC Electronics M-One XL

[getreel]

4 years ago I bought an '83 black Strat that was beat real bad for $100. Recently I bought a Heil PR 40 mic for $75 at another Pawn shop in town.

[stinkpot]

2 of my best are a very early (and SWEET sounding) Small Stone phaser - $5 at a garage sale. Korg DW8000 + really nice stand for $36 at garage sale.

The guitar player in my band should hop on here. He's pulled some of the most amazing stuff out of dumpsters, the bastard...

[I'm Painting Again]

manley vari-mu $50 at the Salvation Army
fairchild 660 $10 at the local thrift shop
CMV3 $15 at a garage sale
too bad I just made this up..

[JGriffin]

Oh, yeah, how could I forget: 1963 Ampeg Reverbrocket 15"...free from someone's basement. "We don't have any use for this, you want it?"

[kdownes]

when some friends of mine moved out of a place that had been the local "party" house for 15 years, i was told i could raid the basement and take what i wanted. i got a wurlitzer, a fender jazz bass, a 58, a busted up crate amp, and a fender practice amp. the wurlitzer was obviously the best score.

[rjd2]

plate reverb=free on craigslist.

4 crown pzm mics-flea market, 25 cents a piece.

akg d19-20 dollars at pawn in switzerland.

various realistic dynamic mics-flea market, 5 bucks or less.

im still lamenting the day i showed up at my local fleas to find a 200a that just sold 10 minutes before i showed up. "how much did you sell it for?" "oh, 30 bucks"......

[lapsteel]

I haven't really found those hidden gems yet, but I remember reading about someone getting a Neumann U87 for $600. That will keep a guy looking.

[Mane1234]

Urei 1178 100 bucks from some audio tech guy. He said he could never get the right side to work. Got it fixed for another 100 bucks. Haven't ever found anything that good since.

[audio[LAB]]

My Gefell UM70s at a pawn shop in pasadena, ca for 20 bucks. It ddin't work so I took a chance not even knowing the brand. A 20 dollar service fee later to re-sauder a wire and BAAM! the best mic in my collection. All for 40 bucks!

[river]

A 1983 guild D25 M for $25 (water damaged to the finish only, which I restored) and an Electro Voice RE38N dynamic cardioid (greatest snare mic ever!) for $135 at an auction, retailed for about $900.

[RefD]

the first thing that comes to mind: near mint 1964 blackface Fender Princeton - FREE

second item: late 50s tweed Fender Harvard - $70

both are long since gone.

talk about seller's remorse!

there are other items, but i don't want to get suicidal here.

[MoreSpaceEcho]

i got nuthin. the closest i've come was about a year ago, my girl called me and said 'there's a big old reel to reel sitting outside on the sidewalk behind berklee.' i promptly left work and grabbed the bus over there. sure enough there's an otari mtr-10(?) 2 track sitting right there. massive thing. i try lifting it and figure that if i bribe a cabbie the two of us could get it into a van cab and get it home. and sure enough there's a van cab at the cab stand right down the street. so i am in business! and then i realize that all of the electronics are missing, there's no cards or anything. oh well.