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THRIFT STORE FIND

Sonar

Sr. Member
Apr 8, 2016
1,501
1,018
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95% of what my brother owns as far as his station goes was purchased at Colorado thrift stores. My brother was the one who got me interested in CB. That was back in 1974. I was 10 and he 12. My first contact was made with a Lafayette walkie talkie (that belonged to him) with its telescopic antenna sticking out of our bedrooms second story bedroom window. Back to his thrift store searches and finds.
He's quite the tinkerer. He recently scored a 40 channel single side band cobra I'm not sure what the model number but he paid $12 for it. It worked fine except for it being or frequency a bit. He used another radio in order to get it on frequency and gets great reports with it. I'm going to try to talk him into starting a YouTube channel so I can share with you the incredible stuff he finds at these thrift stores. This is his most recent find. A drake receiver that came with its external speaker a set of headphones and a wire dipole for $25. Unfortunately I can't share the video of it as he's sharing them with me via Facebook messenger and I haven't figured out a way to save and share them via that form. This is a photo of the Drake. He did mention the model number in the video but I wasn't paying attention so I can't relay which Drake receiver it is but I'm sure some of you will recognize it. It works excellent and sounds great on the video that he sent to me. $25! imagine that! He actually became friends with most of the workers and owners at his local thrift stores and when radio equipment comes in they actually are nice enough to put items on the side for him and give him a call so that he can stop by and check them out. The Drake did not happen that way. He just popped into the store and the worker wasn't sure what the owner was going to price it for as it just came in. The worker put a note on it saying that Vinny would like first shot at this. And they actually held it for him. The owner called my brother and my brother stopped in the next day. The owner told him $25 sounds good to me Vinny. And of course he jumped on it.
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good finds. my thrift store puts a price on radios about the same as a new radio. he prices cobra 29 radios around 75.00 just as an example of what he does.
 
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good finds. my thrift store puts a price on radios about the same as a new radio. he prices cobra 29 radios around 75.00 just as an example of what he does.
In all honesty my brother is great with people and is extremely friendly. He's got the Jena se qua. People instantly like him. They always have. Some people have that type of personality. And he is certainly one of them.
 
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I used to score radios right and left but the market has dried up so much. I miss the early 2000’s. I picked up a brand new in box Uniden Washington for $50, and one time got a bin of 10 radios for )$100, all SSB models and all working.

I looked at eBay this morning and people are paying ridiculous amounts for old radios now. $100 or more for old 146’s.
 
Picked up an old realistic mobile 40 channel last week, in working order for 10 bucks at a little junk store.
 
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I picked up an essentially new in the box Icom IC-R71 receiver and SP-3 speaker at a thrift shop a year ago that was left there to sell for the owner who put an ad on Craigslist for $100. The shop owner seemed real disappointed at the $100 price so I gave him $150. Still a heck of a deal and then he was thrilled too. I think there was some miscommunication between him and the actual owner about the price vs. his profit for selling it for him.

Around here the Goodwill puts the CB radios and ham gear they get on Ebay. Everything is untested so it is a gamble!! Someone got an Icom IC-730 for $150 a couple months ago.

Best deal I ever found was a new sealed CD of Microsoft Front Page many years ago for $5. I sold it on Ebay for a little over $200. It was still new software at the time.

Keep your EYES open in them places!!
 
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Wow! At the time me and my brother were Facebook messaging each other he hadn't looked up what the Drake was going for used as far as the price. I'm sure he knows now. He did say he was going to check it out sometime today. Another thing I know about my brother is he will not sell it even though he could probably use the money. He really enjoys his Radio toys. Once he gets an item he rarely sells it. That is actually incredible that the Drake receiver is worth that much. Even if the ad you sent me was overpriced I'm assuming it's worth $7 - $900 on the lower end.
 
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This is a photo of the Drake. He did mention the model number in the video but I wasn't paying attention so I can't relay which Drake receiver it is but I'm sure some of you will recognize it. It works excellent and sounds great on the video that he sent to me. $25! imagine that! He actually became friends with most of the workers and owners at his local thrift stores and when radio equipment comes in they actually are nice enough to put items on the side for him and give him a call so that he can stop by and check them out. The Drake did not happen that way. He just popped into the store and the worker wasn't sure what the owner was going to price it for as it just came in. The worker put a note on it saying that Vinny would like first shot at this. And they actually held it for him. The owner called my brother and my brother stopped in the next day. The owner told him $25 sounds good to me Vinny. And of course he jumped on it.
View attachment 29315

The Drake is a GREAT find. I found an SW3 (I think that is an R8?) been looking for one of those!

Drakes were the last of the great Made in the USA receivers (I think they still were on 2011, mine is a 1998).
 
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The Drake is a GREAT find. I found an SW3 (I think that is an R8?) been looking for one of those!

Drakes were the last of the great Made in the USA receivers (I think they still were on 2011, mine is a 1998).
I do believe my brother said the Drake's model was an R8 in the clip he sent me. So I'd say you're correct. I kinda knew what his answer would be but I asked him if he was interested in parting with it? I told him I'd be glad to list it here on WWDX.
His answer was exactly what I thought it would be.
"If I sell it illI never be able to afford another or anything close to the quality of the R8".
I don't blame him. He's having a great time using it and learning hot to as he goes along. 73
 
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His answer was exactly what I thought it would be.
"If I sell it illI never be able to afford another or anything close to the quality of the R8".
I don't blame him. He's having a great time using it and learning hot to as he goes along. 73

I can't bring myself to sell my Drake either and it is not as valuable. I lusted after a couple Drake radios back in the late 90s they were just outta reach. Tell him to keep it and enjoy!
 
I do believe my brother said the Drake's model was an R8 in the clip he sent me. So I'd say you're correct. I kinda knew what his answer would be but I asked him if he was interested in parting with it? I told him I'd be glad to list it here on WWDX.
His answer was exactly what I thought it would be.
"If I sell it illI never be able to afford another or anything close to the quality of the R8".
I don't blame him. He's having a great time using it and learning hot to as he goes along. 73
The link I posted was an R8B. There were 3 models...The R8, R8A and the R8B.
The R8 is the cheapest, then the A and finally the B.
If the writing on the front is white, it's an A. If it's blue, it's a B. The R8 doesn't have all the switches on the right like the A or B models.
 

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