Why should I pay you more than just going to eBay and getting a unit?

Old saying - "You get what you pay for."  I've bought many units on eBay.  They are hardly ever what the seller describes.  Most sellers on the bay are estate buyers, "I found this in my attic" people, garage sale guys and "anything for a buck" types when it comes to audio gear.

I'm not saying they're out to cheat you, it's just that they're moving stuff as fast as they can.  Most times they just plug the units in and if some lights come on, then it's ready for sale. (See my comments under the test gear we use). This is especially true of the E-Bay 'Drop-off' stores.

Look closely and you'll see that the premium price gear is being sold by people like me.  The units have been carefully gone through by an expert and brought back to factory specifications.  Most of the time a decent warranty is offered. Many of the units I have for sale required 8 - 20 hours or more of time for servicing.  A basic service at most electronics stores costs (if you can find one) around $150 so you can start to see why my units cost more than e-Bay.

If you want to take a chance and are handy with electronics, eBay offers some great deals. Also expect to remove large quantities of dust and bugs and deal with intermittent problems. I get at least several calls each week from people that bought their 'hearts' desire on the bay only to be extremely frustrated once they get the unit.  Then they want me to fix it for them.  I generally decline as I have too much work already.  The best I can do is sympathize and try and point them towards the right direction.

If you want a plug-n-play unit, buy it from me.

Who services your audio gear?

I service it (see my page) along with my wife Laura.  She graduated with an AAS degree in robotics 14 years ago and is a darn good tech!  We build robot systems and work on all the audio gear we sell together.  Pretty neat eh?

What is your Warranty?

15 days on amplifiers, receivers, speakers, tuners and pre-amps.  15 days on reel to reels and cassettes.  Warranty only covers correct operation of unit.  Buyer pays shipping both ways.

Warranty doesn't cover lamps that may be shocked in transit.  Best I can do is send you replacement bulbs.  30 year old filaments sometimes just don't make the journey.

Obvious damage caused by improper hookup like blown amp output transistors or blown speakers are not covered under this warranty.  25% restocking fee on any returns - just like Best Buy. 

 If you plain just don't like the unit, you may return it for the 25% restocking fee.  Unit must be in the same condition as when it shipped.

Local buyers in the Brainerd Lakes area may schedule an appointment to come and listen to the gear that they are interested in prior to purchase.

I will try my best to resolve your problem as it is also my problem.  Resolution of customer issues is important to me.  I want you to be happy with your purchase as this then makes me happy.  I can't do much about buyer remorse though except as noted.  Please be sure of what you're purchasing.  Ask questions if you're not sure.

What are your payment terms?

I accept:

Do you charge sales tax?

Only to Minnesota residents.  6.5%.

How do you rate your units Cosmetically?

"Mint" is a word I will rarely use.  To me, mint is new in the box.  In other words - NEVER USED.  "Minty" means some wear and minor scratch marks. Excellent means a scratch or two that doesn't really detract from the looks.  It's hard to get equipment with new looking cosmetics that's 30 years old.  Almost every piece of equipment seems to have had something stacked on top of it and you get scratches, You need to be able to compromise a little.  I try and detail any other cosmetic flaws by pointing them out.  It's up to you to decide if you can live with it or not.  Going on a scale of 1-10 is so subjective, I don't use it much. Besides it's like a new car - you're gonna get a scratch on it somewhere.  It sucks but it happens.  Soon you forget about it.  If you're real anal about cosmetics, be up front about it and tell me what's important to you.  I'll do my best to answer your questions.  But I won't tell a story to get your sale.

Do you repaint or refinish the exterior?

I generally don't repaint metal or refinish wood for a number of reasons. The main reason is that it's not original anymore.  If it only has a few minor scratches or scuffs, it's better to leave it alone.  Painting metal with a paint can or sprayer just doesn't cut it as the paint is going to come off. If I do paint something, it will either be powder coated at a local factory and heated to 500 degrees or professionally painted by a custom car artist. 

Same thing with wood.  Most are simulated or veneers and if they have normal wear, I leave them alone.  Sometimes the wood sides are in such poor shape from being moved around that they detract from an otherwise beautiful machine.  In that instance if I can't find an original replacement, I may re-veneer the wood or fabricate new wood sides.

If I paint the metal or replace the wood, I will state so in the units description.

How are your units refurbished?

They're taken apart and then cleaned with dry compressed air. 

Unit is then inspected for any obvious mechanical damage.  All surfaces are well cleaned right down to using the Q-tips in the corners. We don't like dirt. Various cleaners are also used depending on the surfaces being cleaned. You might smell the residue of these cleaners for a short while.

Reel to reels and cassettes have the heads cleaned, demagnetized and adjusted.  Internal mechanisms are cleaned, lubed and adjusted as necessary. Pinch rollers and belts are cleaned or replaced as necessary.

All controls and electrical connections such as inputs and outputs, wire harness connectors, potentiometers, and switches are then cleaned and lubricated with various Caig Laboratories products or manufacturers' suggested cleaning products.

The unit is tested for all functions.  Any burnt out lamps, bad/leaky electrolytic capacitors, fuses, missing knobs, bad wheels, stretched belts, dry/brittle rollers etc are replaced as deemed necessary.  Some units may have all of the electrolytic capacitors completely replaced but this will be noted on the units description.

Any manufacturer required adjustments are done after repairs if possible.  Some service manuals are just not available anymore.  In that case other tests may be done to insure that the unit is working properly.

If wood casing is present, it's cleaned and treated with an furniture oil to make it glow.

I hook up the unit to the proper gear and let 'er crank.  I usually run the unit for at least 8 hours or more at various volume levels.

Are manuals included with the unit?

Only as noted.  If it doesn't say, there are no manuals included.

What kind of test gear do you use?

We've got all the usual stuff.  100MHz dual trace Tektronics oscilloscope.  Absolutely essential for making factory adjustments such as bias current and clipping, tracing signals and troubleshooting. We've got a signal generator for inputting test signals. Frequency meter, capacitor and semi-conductor testers, digital and analog VOM's, logic probe, wow and flutter meter, dummy loads for speaker connections etc.  We don't just clean em - we test em and adjust em like they're supposed to be.

How do you package and ship the item?

Unit is bubble wrapped and placed in the proper size box with foam peanuts.  On heavier units (or upon request for an extra fee), unit is double boxed with rigid faom.  I ship via the shipper of customer choice - UPS, FedEx or USPS.  I have had good luck with all of these shippers.

Shipping price includes insurance.  If damaged in transit, I will file the appropriate claim forms for UPS and FedEx.  You can elect to file the claim for USPS or have me do it.

What are your terms for purchasing equipment?

I want to see pictures from all angles before deciding on whether I want to purchase or not.  The seller then sends me the unit for inspection after we've agreed on a price.  If the unit is as described, I cut a check for the unit and any shipping costs.  I generally don't send out money prior to the sale as I have no way of insuring that the unit or person actually exists.  I also trade equipment for items I want.  Both sides pay their respective shipping costs.  See "I Buy Vintage Audio" for more info.

What strange items have people packed their gear with and sent to you?

I gotten hospital gowns (twice), sweat pants, underwear, table cloths, sheets, shirts and socks as packing material.  You will not receive any of this stuff from me in your package!