Where do I find a local stash of tubes?

BBQLS1 · Post by **BBQLS1** » Tue 12/12/06 3:44 pm

I'm not asking for your secret spot, but who should i hit up localy that might have cool tubes? TV repair? Give me some ideas.

Alexo · Post by **Alexo** » Tue 12/12/06 4:24 pm

Got any industrial surplus stores in your area?

You can usually find antiques dealers who visit estate sales and collect stuff to sell, you might try talking to them, giving them your contact info and tell them to keep you in mind if they see anything tube-related.

I've had luck with both. TV and audio tubes seldom overlap, but they can.

tunghaichuan · Post by **tunghaichuan** » Tue 12/12/06 4:49 pm

Are there any hamfests in your area?

http://www.arrl.org/hamfests.html

Hamfests can be kind of hit and miss, but every once in a while you will find a good deal.

Be sure to get there early, the good stuff is usually gone pretty fast.

tung

novemberrain · Post by **novemberrain** » Sun 12/17/06 5:50 pm

BBQLS1 wrote:I'm not asking for your secret spot, but who should i hit up localy that might have cool tubes? TV repair? Give me some ideas.

You're down near New Orleans, right? There's gotta be water damaged console stereos somewhere down there. Shucks, how 'bout water damaged amps? 12AX7s and EL84s can be SUBMERGED without damage. Oh, the lettering will wash off and you'll have to clean up the pins but they'll work.

I did some tradin' with a guy who snagged a bunch of stuff that was above the high water mark, capacitors, pots, trannies. Don't know where he got 'em, just got 'em.

Don't worry, I already donated to Katrina's Piano Fund.

Ripstich · Post by **Ripstich** » Wed 04/02/08 3:31 am

deleted

Poppatwang · Post by **Poppatwang** » Wed 04/02/08 8:10 am

Ripstich. Second paragraph, last sentence could use an edit for content.

Phil_S · Post by **Phil_S** » Wed 04/02/08 10:06 am

deleted

ScottS · Post by **ScottS** » Tue 04/29/08 12:11 am

Another idea is simply to let it be known among your friends/relatives that you're into old radios/TVs/tube gear. Then, when they hear of stuff getting tossed out, they might communicate it back to you. Case in point: my ex-girlfriend's grandfather offered to have me buy up his old audio gear after watching me fix up said ex-girlfriend's record player.

- Scott

Komboking · Post by **Komboking** » Tue 04/29/08 11:55 am

2 premo places -
Flea markets - (real flea markets - not the "tube socks and el cheapo tool" variety - yeah there's a lot of duds and some guys think all tubes are big dollar items - but I buy a lot of decent 5Y3GT's and 6V6's for a buck or two a piece.....and every once in a while a NOS jewel surfaces...
Trift store organs - they get tired of tripping over and wotking around old organs - I bought an old Conn church organ that had about 30 12AX7's in it for $20......
TV repair guys are THE WORST to get things from (IMHO) - they never throw anything away - even if its below marginal - and they're used to getting whatever they want for what they got...lol

demonufo · Post by **demonufo** » Wed 04/30/08 12:27 pm

tunghaichuan Posted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 7:49 am Post subject:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Are there any hamfests in your area?

http://www.arrl.org/hamfests.html

Hamfests can be kind of hit and miss, but every once in a while you will find a good deal.

Be sure to get there early, the good stuff is usually gone pretty fast.

tung

+1 on this. The radio Ham guys all seem to have lots of good NOS stuff. There's a guy I used to work with has a massive stash of Mullard CV4004's, and various other tubes. No power tubes though!

TV repair guys are THE WORST to get things from (IMHO) - they never throw anything away - even if its below marginal - and they're used to getting whatever they want for what they got...lol

+1 on this as well. There are a lot of people who pull any old crap as long as it works functionally in one application or another. Not exactly "hi-fi" tested!

marshman · Post by **marshman** » Thu 05/01/08 9:05 am

I've been to a few hamfests and scored pretty well. If you're not too hung up on NOS, NIB, ultra-tested, the scores are plentiful. I found grey & Blackplate 12AT7s, 6V6GT and 6K6GT, as well as some 6SN7s at the last fest, paid less than $2 for any of 'em--most I paid from a Ham guy was $4.50 for a boxed 5U4GB.

There as a real 'tube seller' there as well, from whom I scored a few nicer 12A?7s and 84s.

Then, I was tellin' my next door neighbor about it, and he said "You use tubes? I got a big bag full from work, they were gonna throw 'em out. You want 'em?" A sleeve or two of RCA 12AX7, a couple Amperex labelled Mullard ECC83s, a few 84s, lots of 6V6GT, and 2 used TS 5881s, just off the top of my head. I guess you just gotta keep your eyes peeled.

BooBird · Post by **BooBird** » Fri 05/02/08 2:12 pm

Here !

Boo

sub · Post by **sub** » Fri 05/02/08 7:12 pm

I love wild cherry vanilla stuffs

ur12 · Post by **ur12** » Fri 05/02/08 9:03 pm

Tube scores are cool. Here is my last score . They had these left over at the plant I work at and just gave them to me.

ScottS · Post by **ScottS** » Sun 05/04/08 12:45 pm

That is a sweet score indeed. As far as rectifier tubes and octal preamps go, you're set for life!

- Scott

Chappy · Post by **Chappy** » Mon 05/05/08 7:11 pm

BooBird

Are those used MIL spec tubes in those boxes or are they NOS? Would you be interested in a trade for some used Mil spec octals?

Chappy

apexjr · Post by **apexjr** » Mon 05/05/08 9:16 pm

This is the hardest thing to do...

Locate USA NOS tubes..............

I go to Garage sales, Swap Meets, and watch and have
customers tell me of deals... FEW AND FAR BETWEEN....

I've been pushed out of the way at swap meets by the
ASIAN Co-Op ands have been lucky being at the right place
at the right time but NOS AMERICAN Tubes are hard to get.

It's been a long time since AUDIO tubes have been made in
the USA that they demand a premium...

The search always continues............................................

Steve @ Apex Jr.

BooBird · Post by **BooBird** » Mon 05/05/08 9:44 pm

Apex, I used to buy at the local Military base's, they did hold monthly auction's for old tube gear and NOS tube's, what you see in the pic i posted was part of my 100,000 + tube collection i started over 35 yr's ago, I used these for 30 yr's rebuilding and restoring old amp's ! i just sold 55.000 tube's to Ageless Audio, you can see them on Ebay now, I'm retired now and only mess with my own junk now, I did keep enough tube's to last me to the end, I can't stand the Chinzey tube's of today, if you have any military base's in your area, there may be someone buying, and salvaging this stuff, if there is, you may find some very good used tube's for cheap,
Chappy, Email me at johnhenry2112 at sbcglobal dot net and i'll see what you need, I may be able to help you out !
Boo

doctornorbert · Post by **doctornorbert** » Tue 05/06/08 8:12 am

I found a bunch of RCA and GE 6AU6s and other things I didn't recognize at a flea market here in MA a couple days ago. Didn't buy them because I couldn't think of a use for them.

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Where do I find a local stash of tubes?

Where do I find a local stash of tubes?

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