The Basement Audio Field Guide
The full guide, sized 6 × 9 inches so it reads well on a phone or tablet, with clickable contents and bookmarks for every chapter and model.
7,188 real US sales · dated and counted
Before it goes to the curb, find out what it really sold for.
Clearing out a house full of old stereos, speakers, turntables and radios? Most of it sells for very little. A few pieces sell for a lot, and you can't tell by looking. This guide shows you which is which, model by model, from what each one actually sold for.
Instant download, nothing ships6 files: PDF and EPUB guide, worksheets, 2 spreadsheets, quick-start7-day money-back guarantee
Why the exact model and condition matter
The same receiver sold for three very different prices.
"An old Pioneer" could sell for $80 or $3,000. The model number and the condition decide it, and the book gives you both for every model it covers.
Pioneer SX-780
Median US eBay sale, by condition group
From the book: the SX-780 profile (page 338) and the receiver table (page 40). Sales dated July 15 – October 11, 2026.
Broken still sells.
Families toss valuable equipment because it's heavy, old or doesn't work. These units sold as not working, for parts, or untested:
- $1,500Sansui 9090 / 9090DB receivermedian of 5 sales
- $1,400Pioneer SX-1250 receivermedian of 3 sales
- $1,090Marantz 2270 receivermedian of 4 sales
Across the 89 models with enough sales to compare, the not-working median came out at a little over 60 percent of the working median. Chapter 1 explains what to do before anything leaves the house.
How it works
Three steps, and nothing to wait for.
Buy through Gumroad
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Download your six files
The guide in PDF and EPUB, the worksheets, two spreadsheets and the quick-start sheet are ready right after checkout.
Keep them
Gumroad emails you a receipt with a link to your download page, and your purchase stays in your Gumroad library under the email you used.
Nothing ships. The PDFs open on a phone, tablet or computer, the EPUB opens in ebook apps like Apple Books and Google Play Books, and the spreadsheets open in Excel, Google Sheets or Apple Numbers.
Look inside
Real pages from the book.
Unedited pages from the 734-page PDF. Tap a page to read it full size.
Swipe or scroll sideways for more pages.
What's in it
Five parts, eleven appendices, one job: knowing what you have.
The PDF and the EPUB both have clickable contents and a shortcut to every chapter, section and model, so you can jump straight to the receiver in front of you.
- Part 1
Triage
pages 9–28The first hour, finding and reading the model number, the tells that separate a $40 stereo from a $1,000 one, and judging condition safely.
- Part 2
Field guides
pages 29–76Receivers and amplifiers, speakers, turntables, tape decks, console stereos and radios, each with its price table.
- Part 3
Selling
pages 77–155How to check current sold prices yourself, 67 case files from real listings, where it really sells, listing, packing and shipping, and avoiding scams.
- Part 4
Keep or let go
pages 156–177Keep, fix or sell as-is; when it's truly junk; and one basement worked through from start to finish, room by room.
- Part 5
Makers and models
pages 178–65375 maker histories, then 496 model profiles with every sale plotted.
- A–K
Appendices
pages 654–733Glossary, worksheets, the price index A to Z, a model-number decoder, reissues and look-alikes, questions heirs ask, and every search behind the prices.
734pages
7,188real US sales, each dated
496model profiles
67real-listing case files
What you get
Six files, one price.
Download them all at once. Print what you need and keep the rest on your phone.
The EPUB edition
The same 734-page book, word for word, as an ebook whose text resizes to fit your phone. Opens in Apple Books, Google Play Books and other ebook apps, with clickable contents and every chapter and model in the app's contents menu.
Worksheets
Basement field card, room-by-room sweep, inventory sheet, triage checklist, sold-price worksheet, listing template, packing checklist, questions for a technician, offer log and family keep-or-sell sheet.
Price Lookup
All 497 models from the price index in one searchable sheet. Type a model and see its prices and the book pages to read.
Estate Inventory Tracker
One line per item. Pick the model and condition and the book's price fills in; track decisions, offers and sales, with totals. Easy to share with family.
The First Hour quick-start
Chapters 1 to 4 on a single printable page: the three rules, what to photograph, where the model number hides, and the quick score.
Get the guide
The Basement Audio Field Guide
Old Stereos, Speakers, Turntables & Radios, and What They Really Sell For
- 734-page guide in PDF and EPUB, built on 7,188 dated US sales, with clickable contents
- Price tables, 496 model profiles, 67 case files and 75 maker histories
- Worksheet pack, Price Lookup and Inventory Tracker spreadsheets, and a one-page quick-start
- Safe, practical steps: what to check, how to sell, how to pack heavy gear
$29.99
Get the guide $29.99
One-time payment, no subscription. 7-day money-back guarantee: if the guide isn't useful to you, you get a full refund (refund policy). Sold through Gumroad.
Questions
Straightforward answers.
Is this an appraisal of my equipment?
No. The prices are a dated record of what each model actually sold for on eBay in the US between July 14 and October 25, 2026. They tell you what similar units brought, not what yours will bring. Chapter 11 shows you how to check current sold prices for your exact model in about five minutes.
Where do the prices come from?
From 601 searches of eBay's US sold listings. Parts, lots, reissues, wrong models and duplicates were removed, leaving 7,188 sales. Appendix D explains the method, and Appendix K lists every search so you can repeat them.
What if my model isn't in the book?
The price index covers 497 models and groups. If yours isn't there, Chapter 11 walks you through finding its recent sold prices yourself, and the Price checks tab in the tracker does the math.
Is it safe to plug old equipment in?
If it has sat unused for years, the book says don't, at least not yet. Aging parts can fail at first power-up. Chapter 4 explains your options, including selling it untested, and the checks you can do with the power off.
Will I have to open anything up?
No. Everything in the book is done from the outside: reading labels, looking, photographing and checking prices.
Is it a physical book?
No. It's six digital files: the guide as a PDF and an EPUB, the worksheets PDF, two spreadsheets and a one-page quick-start PDF. Nothing ships.
What devices does it work on?
The PDFs open on any phone, tablet or computer. The EPUB edition opens in ebook apps like Apple Books and Google Play Books, and its text resizes to fit a phone screen. The spreadsheets open in Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets and Apple Numbers.
Who is Vern Hollis?
Vern Hollis is the host character of the Vern Hollis YouTube channel (@vernhollis). The prices and facts in the guide come from recorded sales and the named sources listed in Appendix D.
What if it isn't useful to me?
Email help@vernhollis.com within 7 days of your purchase for a full refund. No reason needed. See the refund policy.
How do I get help?
Email help@vernhollis.com with your order email or Gumroad receipt. Help with downloads, files and refunds is also on the policies page.
VERN HOLLIS
Vern Hollis is the host character of the Vern Hollis YouTube channel (@vernhollis), about old stereos and what they're really worth. This guide puts the channel's approach on paper: name the model, read the tells, and look at what that exact model actually sold for.
Every price in the book comes from recorded sales, and every fact from a named source in Appendix D.
Know what it is before it leaves the house.
734 pages in PDF and EPUB, 7,188 real sales, and four companion files, for one payment of $29.99.
Get the guide $29.99