I blogged about what I had purchased after a day of thrift store shopping back in December of '13. I wrote, "It's a sickness; I know. I can't turn down a $1 Walkman... you just never know when you need one."
Turns out, that was kind of prophetic.
I'm not a hoarder, but I do have a small box of these CD players in the basement. It wasn't abnormal to see a Walkman every time you stopped at a Goodwill a few years ago. If I saw a really nice one for a buck or two, I'd pick it up. Now I'm glad I did.
Charlotte has been listening to books on CD in the car for a couple of years. As a parent, it is really nice. We don't have to entertain her the entire trip. She rides without much complaint when she has a good story to listen to. As an English teacher, I know that listening to a professional reader enhances your own reading ability. It's a win-win.
Last summer we took a trip from Seattle, WA to Victoria, BC. We packed five audio books for Charlotte to listen to, but our rental car didn't have a CD player. Char was crushed.
I thought, I've got this!, and I drove to the nearest thrift store. Nope. Nada. I hit a few more thrift stores, but there wasn't a single Sony in sight in Seattle. It was the same in British Columbia.
I introduced Charlotte to the one-dollar-Walkman when we got home. Since then, Char has listened to over 50 books on it. She listens to books in the car, but also when she plays with her toys or when she draws and colors. That Walkman also makes shopping at the grocery store a whole lot easier. Char carries it in a grocery bag slung over her shoulder, and she quietly walks along.
Most people assume she's listening to a phone, and they smile when they see the large, round player. One gal said to her, "Is that a Walkman? I haven't seen one of those in years! That's awesome!"
Like most seven-year-olds, Char isn't the most graceful person, yet. Her CD player takes a beating. The player pictured above has tumbled down our stairs more than once. It had survived multiple drops to the floor, but it died when a glass of milk was spilled over it yesterday. I whistled "Taps" as I dropped it into the wastebasket.
This is when my thrift store sickness comes in handy. Before Char can even start to cry, I get to say, "It's not a big deal. I've got another one you can have. Dad's got your back." Actually, Dad has about six more that you can have, but I'm not telling you that.
Here's what her "new" one-dollar-player looks like. It is currently playing James Patterson's Robots Go Wild!
I Googled the model number out of curiosity, and this CD player is selling for more than a dollar on Amazon.
No wonder the thrift stores have run dry. Walkmans have become collectible. (Note: used D-NF420PS cost between $50 to $200.)
That makes sense to me. Something that was widely popular, brings back nostalgic memories, and is now hard to find will usually become valuable.
Will I sell my collection of players and make a profit for once? No.
That would be dumber than buying them at Goodwill in the first place.
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