A Thrift Store Stereo Shoppers Test Kit

Five Things to Carry When Shopping for A Thrift Store Stereo

There is one thing that every price tag at my local Goodwill store carries:  a disclaimer!  It reads:

This is a used appliance.  It is sold "AS-IS" with no Guarantee or Warranty Implied. 

The appliance disclaimer is why you should make every possible attempt to test out any appliance you buy before you buy it and walk out of the store.  Even when the price tag says "Tested," there is no guarantee that the appliance will work properly.  Commonly, I see that tested stereo equipment powers on and plays music.  But, there may be additional issues like Left-Right balance that don't quite work right.  It's enough to drive a guy to buy a brand new stereo receiver!

Still the bargain stereos in thrift stores draw me in like a moth to a flame.  Some of the old stereo equipment is just too cool.  Most of the time, I'm just browsing and--officially--I have sworn off buying any more old stereo receivers.  However, if I were to go to the thrift store for stereo buying purposes, I would like to bring a few useful things along.  This would be a thrift store stereo test kit:

1. Speaker Wire.  Two short 2-foot lengths of stereo speaker wire would allow me to hook up any available stereo speakers to a potential purchase.  Something like AmazonBasics Speaker Wire would suffice.

2. Headphone Jack Adapter.  A 6.35mm (1/4 inch) Male to 3.5mm(1/8 inch) Female Stereo Jack Adapter would allow me to plug a regular pair of earbuds into a stereo.

3. Earbuds.  A pair of earbuds (like these Sharper Image PIXIS earbuds) would allow me to listen to a stereo receiver using the aforementioned adapter.  They would also be small enough to fit in my pocket.

4. AUX Input Cable.  A 3.5 mm Male to RCA Male Stereo Y-plug adapter would allow me to pump music reliably from my smartphone into a stereo receiver.

5. FM Dipole Antenna.  Finally, it might be worth it to carry an FM dipole antenna.  However, that would add quite a bit of unwieldy bulk to the kit.

I would also recommend putting all of your gear into a pouch that is labeled with your name and even marking each piece of your gear with your initials in some manner.  That would minimize the risk that someone might think you were shoplifting.