v-verb
Hall of Fame
Unbelievable!!!!! Great score
Best items you found at thrift stores (Goodwill)?
- Thread starter flashfire276
- Start date
Unbelievable!!!!! Great score
frinton
Professional
Not sure when i last reported a find here, but there were some...but the last one seems worth noting, as I took it out to hit a bit Sunday afternoon to end a short practice session. A pretty nice looking Lacoste LT360, dark green and fitted with a fresh blue-grey Fairway leather...no overgrip necessary, the Fairway is really nice and tackey! Not as nice as the one shown here of course:
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?goto/post&id=8963175#post-8963175
...but still in very decent condition
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?goto/post&id=8963175#post-8963175
...but still in very decent condition
Rock Strongo
Legend
Kneissl White Star Big for 4€.
Oversized for its time, but a 98 which is normal now. Didn't feel heavy but at 385+ it definitely is. Can't wait to try it out.
Oversized for its time, but a 98 which is normal now. Didn't feel heavy but at 385+ it definitely is. Can't wait to try it out.
MrRandom247
Semi-Pro
Dunlop Max 200g Pro with cover - $7
MrRandom247
Semi-Pro
Found a pair of OK condition Adidas Tirand III size us13, lots of tread left.
Perfect for training on rough courts where fashion is not a priority.
Mid Level version of Barricade IV. $5
Perfect for training on rough courts where fashion is not a priority.
Mid Level version of Barricade IV. $5
MrRandom247
Semi-Pro
Adidas Ivan Lendl CF25-XS MID, 7/10 condition, blue metallic racquet.
My first Adidas, I'm quite excited...for loose change...
My first Adidas, I'm quite excited...for loose change...
ItalianStallion
Rookie
Today at my local thrift store - I found my holy grail!!!....for $9.98 - Wilson ProStaff 6.0....I believe a St. Vincent model from what I've read on http://thetenniswiki.com/Wilson+Pro+Staff+6.0+Original+Mid+85
frinton
Professional
Nice trip this time. The PS Classic is the best out of the lot, the Borg pro looked mint, but is warped :-( ...the prince has a cool PJ and the other 2 have taken some hits and I will take them for a hit at some point!
...still waiting for the day I actually find PS 85 St. Vincent ;-)
...still waiting for the day I actually find PS 85 St. Vincent ;-)
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ItalianStallion
Rookie
Normally - I look over wood racquets I see in thrift stores, but I couldn't pass this one up, it was in too good of a condition - Looks like it was only hit with a few times - no scrapes on the hoop or worn out leather grip.
Plus...it's a "Pro Staff" after all ;-)
Looks like it has spent years in it's cover, which was also in great shape. The racquet had some dirt and grime - used "Goo Gone" to clean, then light furniture polish spray to shine it up. The leather grip was in excellent shape, still had the "Genuine Leather" and Wilson writing in gold. Just used some leather conditioner to clean it up.
Anyone have any context about the Jack Kramer Prostaff? I knew Mac used it for a bit early in his career before moving to Dunlops.
Plus...it's a "Pro Staff" after all ;-)
Looks like it has spent years in it's cover, which was also in great shape. The racquet had some dirt and grime - used "Goo Gone" to clean, then light furniture polish spray to shine it up. The leather grip was in excellent shape, still had the "Genuine Leather" and Wilson writing in gold. Just used some leather conditioner to clean it up.
Anyone have any context about the Jack Kramer Prostaff? I knew Mac used it for a bit early in his career before moving to Dunlops.
ItalianStallion
Rookie
Found one of these today at another local thrift store for $2.98, but it needed some TLC to fix up and don't need another "project"
http://www.thetenniswiki.com/Wilson+SC2000+MS
http://www.thetenniswiki.com/Wilson+SC2000+MS
Ciaron
Semi-Pro
What does the butt code say bud?Nice trip this time. The PS Classic is the best out of the lot, the Borg pro looked mint, but is warped :-( ...the prince has a cool PJ and the other 2 have taken some hits and I will take them for a hit at some point!
...still waiting for the day I actually find PS 85 St. Vincent ;-)
retrowagen
Hall of Fame
Well, no Head Elite Pros or PS85's this time, but I bagged a rather old Wright & Ditson "Comet" in fairly good condition yesterday for a fiver. Looks to be pre-WW2 in vintage.
ItalianStallion
Rookie
Nice find on the W&D!
Steve_j_theo
Rookie
Just missed a radical tour candy cane and. Blx PS 95, for $5 each
TR3NT
Rookie
That would have hurt!
I got an old donnay allwood and a pro kennex infinity for $5 on the weekend.
ItalianStallion
Rookie
Saw a Garcia X-15 this weekend for $4.98 with cover, looked pristine, but I wasn't interested. Looked like a T-2000 clone.
dak95_00
Hall of Fame
I feel so guilty. I just told myself I wasn't going to buy anymore racquets. Then I walked into a used sports store and saw a very new looking Prince Classic Response 97 strung with Technifibre Xone for $30; not a mark on it! I couldn't resist because I'd been wanting to try it out. It's nice but I believe I've already found my grail in the Prince Mono.
Then there was another Prince racquet that looked like an O3 Tour but had no graphics and was completely blacked out. There was nothing but the butt cap that even said Prince. There was no engraving and the paint is way too nice to not be factory. I couldn't resist it either. I'M SO WEAK!!!
I'll post pictures tomorrow.
Then there was another Prince racquet that looked like an O3 Tour but had no graphics and was completely blacked out. There was nothing but the butt cap that even said Prince. There was no engraving and the paint is way too nice to not be factory. I couldn't resist it either. I'M SO WEAK!!!
I'll post pictures tomorrow.
Zielmann
Semi-Pro
Without more information, it's just a nondescript used Prince O3 with a black paint job. Can you measure the weight, length, beam, and balace? That might help key in on what model it truly is.
Does it marked "90" on the top of the hoop, or is it "midplus" ? (different versions)
BTW, if you ever think about selling it or trading it for bigger grip POGs ... let me know, I actually prefer smaller grips like 1/8 or 1/4 nowadays
jonestim
Hall of Fame
Does it marked "90" on the top of the hoop, or is it "midplus" ? (different versions)
BTW, if you ever think about selling it or trading it for bigger grip POGs ... let me know, I actually prefer smaller grips like 1/8 or 1/4 nowadays
Taiwan version - 90.
Hope you didn't get the 13+ oz early 1st gen 4-stripe version...
It can be as heavy as the earlier 1-stripe version and due to the head-heavier balance caused by the smaller grip size, which can cause it to swing like a club.
For me, the later 12.0-12.2 oz version is the best.
Great catch regardless!
Again, don't hesitate to let me know if somehow the honeymoon does not go well enough for ya
It can be as heavy as the earlier 1-stripe version and due to the head-heavier balance caused by the smaller grip size, which can cause it to swing like a club.
For me, the later 12.0-12.2 oz version is the best.
Great catch regardless!
Again, don't hesitate to let me know if somehow the honeymoon does not go well enough for ya
jonestim
Hall of Fame
Hope you didn't get the 13+ oz early 1st gen 4-stripe version...
It can be as heavy as the earlier 1-stripe version and due to the head-heavier balance caused by the smaller grip size, which can cause it to swing like a club.
For me, the later 12.0-12.2 oz version is the best.
Great catch regardless!
Again, don't hesitate to let me know if somehow the honeymoon does not go well enough for ya
350 strung. 357 and 9-10HL with overgrip, grip band and dampener.
I have a question for you. My email is in my any of my for sale posts.
retrowagen
Hall of Fame
Bucked up some lumber today:
All three in almost unused condition! It's rather unusual to see the adidas in California, and the Cliff Richey Ultra is also not often seen.
All three in almost unused condition! It's rather unusual to see the adidas in California, and the Cliff Richey Ultra is also not often seen.
joe sch
Legend
That trio of mint wood classics is a dream find. Im soo jealous of your field trips around beautiful SCal looking for gold. What other items are on your lookouts ? Surfboards and classic bikes would be two items I would also be scoping out. Any of these items would inspire me to get out and use them escpecially on a nice sunny day in the bay area. Keep on trucking !
Hope the powder is up this year ... I know surfs up is never a problem
Hope the powder is up this year ... I know surfs up is never a problem
retrowagen
Hall of Fame
Well, Joe, I'm actually located up in the Mother Lode gold country of Northern California, not SoCal, though once in a while, I do wander down there, or over to the SF Bay Area on my travels.That trio of mint wood classics is a dream find. Im soo jealous of your field trips around beautiful SCal looking for gold. What other items are on your lookouts ? Surfboards and classic bikes would be two items I would also be scoping out. Any of these items would inspire me to get out and use them escpecially on a nice sunny day in the bay area. Keep on trucking !
Hope the powder is up this year ... I know surfs up is never a problem
I don't surf, so that's never been a temptation. My other hobbies include higher-end bicycles (modern and classic), classic European sports cars, horology, and collecting prewar German cameras. I do ski, too, and live near a decent ski hill, though there hasn't been significant snow here in the last two years for us to properly enjoy it.
If you participate on facebook, send me a friend request--
joe sch
Legend
Hey retro, I did know you were in Norcal, the SoCal was a typo, and why I noted bay area and lack of powder after. Do have a fb accnt and will try to friend you looking for retrowagen ?
retrowagen
Hall of Fame
Yes, try searching under retrowagen at yahoo dot com...
Sanglier
Professional
I more or less stopped visiting thrift stores after I began focusing on early US-made graphites, because these frames never show up at my local GWs, so I was very pleasantly surprised to come across this stick when I went to a GW to look for a cheap floor lamp a few days ago. Not only does this racquet actually fit my collecting interest (California-made graphites) for a change, but the model is completely unknown to me!
Kuebler lists a "Dimension II" in his book, which he estimates to have been released in 1985. However, I have not been able to find any mention of this frame in tennis magazines through 1985, by which time very few new models were being launched without a bumper, and manufacturing was moving irreversibly to the Far East. It really wouldn't have made any sense for Wilson to produce a racquet like this in the US at that time. It is far more likely that this frame was made circa 1982, either shortly before or alongside the Sting OS, with which it closely resembles (in both appearance and specs), minus only the throat stabilizer bar:
The two questions I am left with are:
1) If this is Dimension "II", what/where was Dimension "I"? Wilson recycled this model name during the "High Beam" era. As near as I can tell, all of the "Dimension" and "Dimension II" frames that had come through the Bay during the last few months were from the reboot series.
2) Is this model a detuned "Sting" that was only sold through department stores (which kept it from being mentioned in tennis mags)? Or was the green on black scheme too identifiable with that of the POG to escape notice (the color and finish are 100% identical in side by side comparisons, probably because the two racquets were made by the same Californian contractor), perhaps leading Prince to issue a 'cease and desist' letter to Wilson after the first examples showed up, thus forcing their discontinuation shortly thereafter?
Regardless, I would count this as my best racquet catch in 4 years of thrifting (even better than the "Black Ace II" that got me started on this whole madness), not because it's a highly sought after gem, but because it is a genuine discovery for me, the first one I've had in quite a while.
Kuebler lists a "Dimension II" in his book, which he estimates to have been released in 1985. However, I have not been able to find any mention of this frame in tennis magazines through 1985, by which time very few new models were being launched without a bumper, and manufacturing was moving irreversibly to the Far East. It really wouldn't have made any sense for Wilson to produce a racquet like this in the US at that time. It is far more likely that this frame was made circa 1982, either shortly before or alongside the Sting OS, with which it closely resembles (in both appearance and specs), minus only the throat stabilizer bar:
The two questions I am left with are:
1) If this is Dimension "II", what/where was Dimension "I"? Wilson recycled this model name during the "High Beam" era. As near as I can tell, all of the "Dimension" and "Dimension II" frames that had come through the Bay during the last few months were from the reboot series.
2) Is this model a detuned "Sting" that was only sold through department stores (which kept it from being mentioned in tennis mags)? Or was the green on black scheme too identifiable with that of the POG to escape notice (the color and finish are 100% identical in side by side comparisons, probably because the two racquets were made by the same Californian contractor), perhaps leading Prince to issue a 'cease and desist' letter to Wilson after the first examples showed up, thus forcing their discontinuation shortly thereafter?
Regardless, I would count this as my best racquet catch in 4 years of thrifting (even better than the "Black Ace II" that got me started on this whole madness), not because it's a highly sought after gem, but because it is a genuine discovery for me, the first one I've had in quite a while.
retrowagen
Hall of Fame
Nice catch, Sanglier!
Looks to me like the OS analogue to the concurrent Graphite Force mid (c. 1982). Possibly a chain-store SMU. Likely replaced by the oversized, PWS'ed Javelin version, which itself wasn't around for long.
Oh, and I wouldn't necessarily infer from the model name that there had been a direct predecessor... The sci-fi 1980's were rife with similar, very forward-sounding product names on many fronts.
Looks to me like the OS analogue to the concurrent Graphite Force mid (c. 1982). Possibly a chain-store SMU. Likely replaced by the oversized, PWS'ed Javelin version, which itself wasn't around for long.
Oh, and I wouldn't necessarily infer from the model name that there had been a direct predecessor... The sci-fi 1980's were rife with similar, very forward-sounding product names on many fronts.
Sanglier
Professional
That's true, Retro. There are many numbers attached to model names that are completely nonsensical. I just figured that 'roman' numerals are immune to such abuse. Maybe I am just naive.
Interesting theory about the possible link to the "Force Mid". My references show that the latter wasn't released until late '84, so the two racquets were probably not marketed concurrently. I should point out that the "Dimension II" is a square-beamed (18 mm) grommetless design, noticeably different from that of the "Force Mid" (20 mm semi-elliptic beam, grommet-stripped), but very much the same as the early California-made grommetless "Sting OS" (later ones were made in Taiwan).
"Tennis Man" reported in this old thread (http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/official-wilson-sting-fanclub.267441/#post-3779291) that he had a "Sting Mid" that did not have a stabilizer bar. Unfortunately, he did not post a photograph showing the entire frame, just the (unusually descriptive) text on the shaft.
If that stabilizer-free "Sting Mid" is indeed a legitimate early variant, my "Dimension II" could have been its OS counterpart. Given that the earliest mid-size frames were often downsized versions of OS designs, my "Dimension II" may even have come before that "Sting".
The head cover too, shows all the signs of a US-made product, exactly like the head cover on the Californian "Sting OS"; something that again suggests very early '80s production.
The butt cap code is "WF".
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namja
New User
Got these at $5 each via Craigslist garage sale. Per owner, these have been just sitting in the garage for at least 9 years (since 2006 or maybe longer).
I have zero use for them. I just bought them for sentimental reasons, because I grew up playing with Prince 110 racquets (and I'm a hoarder). What should I do with these? I'll probably keep the Graphite and give away the other two.
The 3 racquets with covers:
Close-ups. Top 2 photos are of the same racquet (Graphite 110).
- Prince Graphite 110: Still has the shrinkwrap on the grip. Zero scratches. Looks like it's never been hit with. Brown suede cover.
- Prince Graphite Comp 110: Has head guard tape on, covering nearly 90% of the oval. Don't wanna remove the tape yet (sticky). Probably 8/10 condition. Grip is pretty worn out though. Cannot determine grip size. Green suede cover.
- Prince Tournament Graphite 110: Beautiful racquet. I'd give it 8/10 except for the grip which is just torn up; I removed the tournagrip after taking the photos, and the grip underneath looks very worn. Cannot determine grip size. Black "Fullsize 110" cover.
I have zero use for them. I just bought them for sentimental reasons, because I grew up playing with Prince 110 racquets (and I'm a hoarder). What should I do with these? I'll probably keep the Graphite and give away the other two.
The 3 racquets with covers:
Close-ups. Top 2 photos are of the same racquet (Graphite 110).
Sanglier
Professional
Yes, this is a common design for covers made in both the US and Taiwan during that period. However, if you looked at them closely, you could see several small differences between the Taiwan-made covers (the two on the left: "Sting Mid" and Taiwan-made "Sting OS") and US-made ones (the two on the right: California-made "Sting OS" and "Dimension II"):
1) The Taiwan covers have a thick piping. The US ones have a much thinner piping.
2) The Taiwan covers have a zipper with a normal-sized pull tab. The US covers were made with a zipper that rightfully belonged on a dress.
3) The Taiwan covers have a square corner reinforcement clip. The US covers are reinforced with a fancy wingtip-like clip.
4) The Taiwan covers are labeled as such per Title 19 of the US Code. All the US-made Wilson covers I've come across are unmarked.
This exact type of wingtip clips can be found on US-made head covers going back decades. They must have been sourced exclusively in the US, as I've never seen them on covers made anywhere else. A handful of Taiwan covers also have wingtip corners, but they look very different from the US ones up-close.
I have a strong feeling that these covers were made by Stewart Enterprises of Monrovia, north east of LA. Stewart was the main supplier of head covers to SoCal racquet makers. None of them stayed in the business past the '80s.
Hnefi
Semi-Pro
I just found a like new condition I.radical MP with no grip on it. $20. Handle covered with a ton of old black sticky crap, going to fix it up I think.
Plan is to CAP it, change the buttcap to one that has a trapdoor (it looks like the original intelligence one doesn't come off but I haven't exactly tried), and silicone/lead it up. Sick platform project!! Will post before/after as this happens.
Plan is to CAP it, change the buttcap to one that has a trapdoor (it looks like the original intelligence one doesn't come off but I haven't exactly tried), and silicone/lead it up. Sick platform project!! Will post before/after as this happens.
Rorsach
Hall of Fame
Some nice finds lately.
I've been away from the forum and my local thrift stores lately due to health reasons. Can't play tennis either, so i have no idea why i keep buying these things, but today i found these boys:
5 euro's for the lot. That's a MAX200G, a MAX500I and a Yonex RD-8
I've been away from the forum and my local thrift stores lately due to health reasons. Can't play tennis either, so i have no idea why i keep buying these things, but today i found these boys:
5 euro's for the lot. That's a MAX200G, a MAX500I and a Yonex RD-8
YamahaSecret
New User
I found this Wilson Pro Staff midsize made in belgium. Anyone have any more info? http://imgur.com/a/tBjlM
frinton
Professional
Wow, very nice! Congratulations.
Beautiful! I would not use it. I remember they were the first PS85 produced, by Donnay? And it seems there were quality issues. They. Tend to break? Not sure anymore! But if you search the forum you'll find it.
Steve_j_theo
Rookie
I found two Belgium models there myself, I believe it was produced for just year there....
MrRandom247
Semi-Pro
Prince precision 720 longbody mid plus. Silver & black paint scheme . DB silicone at 6 o'clock. Very good condition. Looks like Babolat pro hurricane strings intact. Grip is old, dry & black marking my hands. A couple of overgrips & rubber band damper & it's a cheap addition to the collection.
