Interesting Things I Found At Thrift Stores! - or, a record of my treasure hunts.
By: Erin
Posted: September 12, 2021
Updated: November 18, 2023
Click the thumbnails in this article to view them at full size!
I love thrifting! I mean, obviously. It's not like I have a whole section on this site dedicated to posting about neat tapes I pick up or anything. But the thing is, I don't just pick up neat tapes! I pick up other things - odd signs, obsolete tech, things that catch my eye and spark joy. I love to visit my local thrift store, used game and video store, and Goodwills all over, so I thought why not make a section on this site about the fun stuff I found on my journies? Of course, being me, a lot of this will have to do with media, but the difference in my eyes is that while a dive into the VHS Vault is often about what is on the tape itself with the packaging secondary, there are often pieces I pick up for aesthetic value or because I just think they look neat. With that said, let's check it out!
Jump to an item:
Confessions of a Pit Fighter on DVD - Sony CFD-501 Boombox - Radio Shack Wireless Baby Monitor - Sony Watchman FD-C290 Alarm Clock - Scatman John - Scatman (CD Single)
Confessions of a Pit Fighter on DVD
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Back | Inner Case | Disc
I'll be honest - I do not care about what kind of movie Confessions of a Pit Fighter is. I bought this because I thought the case was fascinating. I don't even know why, but it tickles me. It's a hard plastic shell from a company I've never heard of offering a DVD I've never seen before. The inside of the case is lined with what seems like felt, so you can easily slide the DVD in and out of the shell, and on the DVD itself there's an extra label with what might be a bar code or QR code, presumably for scanning at their warehouse.
According to Wikipedia, The New Release was a company founded in 2002 that served as a DVD rental kiosk, I assume functioning like the Redbox DVD rental kiosks do nowadays (which makes sense, considering their kiosks were acquired by them in 2012). It's funny how I had never heard of them before until stumbling upon this cool case, and yet they were at one point one of the largest DVD rental kiosk companies out there. The Wikipedia article is short but intriguing as it spins a tale of corporate buyout after corporate buyout. I'm not here for that, though. I'm here for the weird plastic case and the amusingly generic company name. Fun fact, this isn't even the oddest DVD I've picked up at a Goodwill based on factors unrelated to the movie, though it is the oddest one I ever paid for.
Sony CFD-S01 Boombox
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Front | Back | Open
I picked this bad boy up in Wisconsin, near Oshkosh, at a Lutheran charity shop. I was looking for one for a while that worked because I was considering doing experiments with cassette tapes and while I love my cheap little all-in-one unit in the living room it only plays tapes, no recording. This one was such a cool get, and I transported it lovingly back to my home. I know it has a dent in the speaker grille, but I could not tell you if that happened during transport or not.
I love boomboxes because I grew up having one in my room. I have since switched to an internet radio that can tune into my locals, SiriusXM, or WTMK Mario Radio, but I still love the vibe of having this media machine. And this one is super cool, because it has digital tuning! I had honestly never seen digital tuning on a non-car radio before - I'm using to fiddling with the knobs for imperfect reception. But no, this one, with a touch of a button, can scan all available radio stations and save them as presets. The display is a little damaged but hey, the whole thing works and the sound is so rich, too. Shockingly so, honestly, with deep bass and crystal clear tones. It's also portable as it is battery powered, and we've attempted to take it to the drive-in theater and it works great with the EMN Radio transmitter too. Super neat.
Radio Shack 49-2534 2.4 GHz Wireless Baby Monitor
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Back | Side | On (GIF - Flashing warning)
This tiny CCTV/Baby Monitor just sparked joy from the moment I laid my eyes on it at a thrift store in Columbus. Initially I was hoping that I could use the A/V ports at the back to directly plug a game console or similar into it just to have an amusingly small TV to play Nintendo 64 on, but unfortunately according to this manual I found online those ports are solely used for outputting to a VCR so one can tune into the feed that way or record. It also seems that this thing receives a signal via a unique curved 2.4Ghz antenna that is intended to capture from a security camera unit I do not own. Despite that, part of why I just had to have it was because the picture and static it outputs is just absolutely beautiful. It's impossible to capture in video, though I tried, but it has some really pretty luminescence and would make for a fantastic art project or prop in a film. The refresh rate on my camera is a killer, so you'll have to take my word for it.
I looked online and it turns out that 2.4Ghz A/V transmitting units are fairly common - I'm curious to see whether I can purchase one of those, connect it to the EMN distribution center, and use it to transmit to this TV. If not, that's fine, but it's such a cool piece of tech either way. The circular antenna just fascinates me. Perhaps you'll see me experiment with it some day.
Sony Watchman FD-C290 Alarm Clock
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Back | Side | Operational
Ever since making EMN and seeing Probnot's Tech experiment with his own portable TVs I've wanted a proper Watchman. Well, honestly, I've wanted one since I was a kid! And now I have one! The Beavercreek Goodwill does provide sometimes. It's a really cool little unit, completely monochrome. Sadly, the clock part doesn't actually work! I think the buttons may be broken. It's a shame because I'd love to actually set it up somewhere as a conversation piece. However, the thing that does work on it is the TV!
I wish it wasn't so hard to show off in video or image form because the black-and-white display is fuzzy but very attractive and the sound works just fine. You can get it to tune in if you have a Coaxial-to-3.5mm adapter, but originally I had to use the dubious method of using an F/F connector on the end of a coaxial cable to connect an antenna to something distributing an RF signal and then I had to place this thing's antenna directly between the rabbit ears. So it's not exactly practical...but it is VERY cool to fiddle with a standard radio tuning dial and see my own darn TV channels popping up! They feel so legitimate in black-and-white and on this thing. I hope in the future I can get a proper handheld Watchman, but for now I'm satisified.
For the record, I can't seem to find a model number on the unit itself, so I had to guess whether it was a C290 or a 0290 since they seem rather similar. Hopefully I guessed correctly.
Here's a video of it actually operational and surfing through EMN channels!
Scatman John - Scatman (Single)
Art scans, CD image & rips:
Archive.org Entry
Just like anyone who was on YouTube in 2008, I grew to love Scatman John. It's funny because since discovering him I've since learned about his Japanese popularity as well as demonstrable evidence that the original Scatman song was at least popular enough to be parodied in a Good Humor ad. Anyway, I saw this single at the thrift store and knew I had to snag it. It was a fun surprise, and as a fan it's nice to actually own some of his music physically. Fun fact - he must have really liked that lyric "While you're still weeping the saints are still weeping because things you call dead haven't yet had the chance to be born" because he used it in his early works and then reused it in one of the Scatman verses.
As for the album itself, here are my quick thoughts:
1. Original Radio Edit - A classic. Once a song I couldn't stop listening to. No notes.
2. Spike Radio Edit - Weaker than the rest because it makes the baffling decision to slow down John's vocals and not even a fun punchy set of hits in the chorus can make it more listenable. A bit funky but the lack of any processing on the slowed vocals just makes it hard to listen to.
3. Jazz-Level - Starting with a previously-unheard piece of John dialogue and some rockin' swing instrumentation, this was a surprising treat. A real toe-tapper with some pleasantly fake-as-hell piano and saxophone. Stands alongside the original and it's just nice to hear the guy talk a little bit more. It's also cool knowing that his background was in jazz singing (of course) so to hear something closer to his independent work as John Larkin is enjoyable.
4. Third-Level - Oh, I've actually heard this one before! I can't remember where I have, but I do really love the more plaintive and nostalgic sound of the synths in the background. It feels like the end-credits version of the song, a little melancholy which is backed with some quieter vocals at points that aren't present in the original! It has some great piano flourishes to keep it smooth and provide some excitement. It's a remix that doesn't try to reinvent the wheel, just provide a fun new take on an old classic. Probably my favorite on the single. Put this in Streets of Rage.
5. Spike Dub - If the last one was just a really cool spin on the original to mix things up, this one takes things in a totally new direction with a drum'n'bass-inspired floor-filler that uses John's vocals less as things to accompany with new instrumentation and more as samples to chop and splice with some dirty old school synths and snares. If anything, I think the weakest parts of the songs are when they just uncritically use the chorus's scatting with no transformation. Always more interesting when it's really torn apart into a brand new beat. Still, it's a cool, unique remix, if far too long. It's definitely 9 minutes of Scatman John.
There will always be more interesting finds to discuss, so stay tuned!