Consul
Well-known member
I put out a want ad on Craigslist to find people with reel-to-reel tape decks that are in working order. One lady says she has one, gives me the model number (Sony TC-350 or something like that - I'm too lazy to look at it), I look it up, and good ones are going for $100 or so, from the looks of things. I tell her I can only afford about $30 or so, she says she has extra tapes and another smaller and non-working Aiwa deck, $45 for the whole thing.
I got ripped off. But I had agreed to the price, and I decided that my word overrode my wallet, and I paid and walked away with sickly but still slightly functional gear. I have another meeting for a second deck pending, and I'm being strict this time: no offers or amounts set before I see the item.
The Aiwa deck doesn't spin up, but you can hear the motors going, and if I spin the tape manually, you can hear it play back, so I'm guessing that might be an easy repair (belt, most likely). The Sony works, but the take-up motor doesn't spin up from a stop unless you give it a push. Maybe also a belt issue?
I got ripped off. But I had agreed to the price, and I decided that my word overrode my wallet, and I paid and walked away with sickly but still slightly functional gear. I have another meeting for a second deck pending, and I'm being strict this time: no offers or amounts set before I see the item.
The Aiwa deck doesn't spin up, but you can hear the motors going, and if I spin the tape manually, you can hear it play back, so I'm guessing that might be an easy repair (belt, most likely). The Sony works, but the take-up motor doesn't spin up from a stop unless you give it a push. Maybe also a belt issue?