Plucked a few of my components from the trash

Friend was going to throw out his 1980s Technics SLD2 direct drive turntable before offering it to me. I bought a compatible phono cartridge on ebay for $20 and connected the turntable to my 1990s Denon receiver. It's my go-to turntable and gets used almost daily.

As I mentioned below, I rescued a mint condition Technics cassette deck from the same era from the trash.

Last Christmas I gave Little Contrarian a 30 year-old Technics rack system that someone was going to toss out. A little dusting and the thing sounds fantastic in his man cave.

Yard sales can yield better bargains than searching online, although Facebook Marketplace and Letgo.com occasionally have decent components for a good price.

If you are looking to spend a little more, there are plenty of people who refurbish vintage audio gear for resale.