Local garage sale and auction finds

[turquoisedude]

This weekend in Ogden there were two major events - a big auction and a garage sale to benefit the local animal protection society.  I'm not big on auctions, but I couldn't pass up on this - it's a really old Electrolux vacuum!  I think it may be a pre-war model and lookee lookee, it was actually made in Montreal!

 

I have most of the accessories with it, but alas the hose is shot so there is very little suction when using it.  I think I'll need to renew my Vacuumland profile and start looking for solutions to leaky old vac hoses (I have a few...)

 

 

[turquoisedude]

Much to Hubby's horror, I picked up this ancient floor lamp for just a few bucks.  It's not in great shape and it needed re-wiring (the power cord scared even me... LOL), but I was able to redo that and get it working pretty quickly.  

 

[turquoisedude]

Vintage audio bonanza!

It's a terrible photo I know, but this is a Luxman L340 Amplifier that I picked up for the princely sum of $5!

 

I'd been looking for something decent to replace my beloved 1978 Sears (Sanyo) amplifier and had been discouraged at how much vintage audio can go for.  I had to take a chance on this one...  

 

It seems to work well enough - there is actually a 'warm-up' light that goes on when you turn on the power and goes out after about 7 minutes.  I hooked it up to my horrible old speakers and found that I was getting distortion on the right channel.  That went away when I switched channels, though!  I tried another set of speakers (Missions that I bought from a neighbour at their garage sale in May) and same thing - one good speaker, one bad.  I'll be on the prowl for a decent set now for sure!!

 

[turquoisedude]

And here's something quite unusual... A 1967 Clairtone 'Duchess' Italian Provincial style console stereo.   I was stunned - Clairtone was a very high-end, hoity-toity brand of audio and TV products here in Canada but their quality and performance were highly-rated.  

 

It comes with what looks to be a fancy turntable, a Garrard Lab80 series.  And yes, that is a wood tone arm!

I had to give the unit a test-drive before I bought it and was amazed that it still works and wow, did it sound good!!   I will need to give the turntable a tweak to get it to auto-return again and the volume and balance controls will need a dose of contact cleaner to cure to the crackle and fading that I noticed as I adjusted them. 

 

It came with the owners manuals for the unit, the turntable and some promotional info about other Clairtone items - bonus!!

 

But wow, is this ever going to be a fun thing to have in the new house.

 

 

 

 

[luxflairguy]

I think you blew your allowance for July!

 

[turquoisedude]

No, I blew it for the year apparently... LOL 

 

[twintubdexter]

That console stereo is very nice. That's Afromosia wood on that Garrard turntable. Naturally resistant to termites, they'll probably chew on the cabinet and leave the tonearm alone, legs first I assume (unless they don't like dark meat.) Now you can sound like a real audiophile when showing the unit off.

 

ps...you can try an inexpensive mogul to standard light bulb adaptor

[this post was last edited: 7/5/2015-15:29]

 

[supersuds]

The center bulb on the lamp uses a Mogul base, no? Haven't seen one of those lately. I doubt there is an LED equivalent but you never know!

 

[lordkenmore]

>I'd been looking for something decent to replace my beloved 1978 Sears (Sanyo) amplifier and had been discouraged at how much vintage audio can go for.

Prices can be discouraging. But one thing worth thinking about: building some of the best vintage equipment NEW today would probably result in stratospheric prices.

 

[lordkenmore]

Afromosia wood on that Garrard turntable.

The Linn Sondek LP12 turntable also used afromosia for the turntable base for many years. It seems to be the most common wood on older models--indeed, I don't think I've seen anything but afromosia, except once years back on a dealer's demo LP12.

The LP12 is a high end turntable, and at times has had people who've felt it was the best turntable in the world. So...you can say that Garrard has one element in common!

Link to a Wikipedia LP12 photo, showing the base:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Linn_Sondek_LP12.JPG

 

[volvoguy87]

Mogul Lamp.

The floor lamp is called a Mogul Lamp. The center socket is a mogul base (large) 3-way. Mogul bulbs are still available and while not terribly efficient, they do put out a heck of a lot of light. The mogul socket has its own switch. The 3 arms share a common switch which can activate one, two, or all 3 bulbs. Those are standard or candelabra base bulbs, for which you can swap in LED or CFL bulbs without issue. Sometimes, there is a night light in the base of teh fixture at floor level.

Mogul floor lamps are versatile. They were popular into the 1950s and were originally designed for use in a room without an overhead light. By selecting differing levels of output from the big mogul bulb and different combinations of using the side bulbs, one mogul floor lamp can light up a whole room, provide a reading light, or anything in between.

Parts for these lamps are easy to get.

Dave

 

[askolover]

would this bulb fit?

LED

http://www.ebay.com/itm/LED-Corn-Bu...259?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3aab4a0da3

 

[tolivac]

Afromosia wood for audio products-It was claimed to be non resonant-thus making it good for tonearms and TT bases.Micro-Trac tonearms sold thru broadcast suppliers had Afromosia arms.Installed MANY of those on QRK and Rek-O-Kut TTs in radio stations.Lux amp for 5 bucks----SUPER DEAL!!!Pay them and RUN!!!The Hi-fi Clairtone console with the Garrard Lab80 TT looks like a real bargain and keeper.Used to have a Garrard Lab80.You could use it as a changer or single play TT it came with two spindles-long for changer use and short for single play.Wished I still had that LAB80.When you get something with a LAB80 or one alone-make sure both spindles come with it.You can also balance the Lab80 arm as a real weight balance tonearm.Better tracking than typical changer tonearms.

 

[philr]

I'm a bit jealous now!

I recently missed a console with a Lab80 turntable...

 

[circlew]

That LED bulb on Ebay looks interesting, but it's very expensive. You'd have to use it alot to justify the cost. I also notice the overall length is over 10", which might extend above the reflector bowl the shade usually sits on.

 

[philr]

I guess you already have this:

 



 



 

 

[turquoisedude]

I do have something similar, but it didn't have the price.  $789 in those days was a pretty penny indeed! I think my father bought a used Ford truck for way less than that around 1967 or 1968... 

 

[ovrphil]

Stereo, LED for mogul base, and Electrolux date....

Paul - that's a good looking Clairtone. I've come across Clairtone consoles before if only rarely. Now I have some insight on the origin and quality. There's a rare Clairtone available in case someone with deep reserves is interested.

We have two mogul base lamps, a brass floor lamp and a another tall brass table lamp. I am hoping they will come out with LED lamps for these mogul base lamps, but the $109 is too much. A lamp technician told me, "don't expect a mogul LED lamp that's reasonably priced, anytime soon.". That one on eBay would make sense for outdoor applications and yes, it would rise above the milk-glass shade brass floor lamp I have, at 10".

Did you get a date for the Electrolux? I like the world globe badge. [this post was last edited: 7/14/2015-23:11]

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/fud/5050276144.html

 

[firedome]

Clairtones with the Round Globe speakers

are highly sought after MCM icons. The one above has a Benjamin Miracord turntable, a very good unit, as is the Lab 80, Garrard's TOL of the time and about equivalent to a Dual 1019, as was the Miracord. The same Miracord was in the Fisher President we had once, picked up for around $150 in Lake Placid NY when we were living up in the North Country. Back in the early 2000s some good deals were still to be had, since eBay hadn't completely taken over yet.

 

[philr]

Roger, I thought this was an Elac? I never heard about Benjamin. When I was a kid, my great uncle had an Elac Miracord and so did one of my neighbors (my former English teacher, his first language was Creole, that probably explains my strange accent!).

 

I liked the look of these turntables a lot!