Found a trick at the thrift store for checking if electronics work before you buy...

I've been burned a few times buying old DVD players and lamps at the Goodwill on Elm Street, stuff that looks fine but doesn't power on. Last week I brought a small power strip and a basic outlet tester with me, cost like $15 total. I plug the tester into their wall sockets first to make sure they're live, then hook up the power strip to test whatever I'm buying. It's saved me from grabbing a dead VCR and a busted desk lamp on my last trip. Anyone else carry their own gear to test thrift store finds, or am I just being paranoid?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_wyatt2mo ago

Wait, has anyone else started sniff-testing the plug on older electronics before you even bother testing the voltage? I had a fan that smelled like burnt dust and sure enough it smoked out after ten seconds when I plugged it into my power strip. Now I do the sniff test first just to save myself the trouble of unboxing anything that's already cooked.

alex3072mo ago

Honestly never thought to bring a power strip but that's a solid move. I've started doing something similar with old speakers and headphones at garage sales where I bring a 3.5mm adapter and my phone just to hear if they crackle or cut out. It's funny how so much of life is just assuming things will work until they don't and you learn to double check everything.

sageadams2mo ago

Right @alex307, the 3.5mm adapter trick is genius and I'm kicking myself for not thinking of it sooner since I've definitely bought a pair of speakers that had a blown out driver that I couldn't test on the spot. It's wild how we just learn these little workarounds one painful experience at a time.