Strip Down

We don't talk about cities in America

Once my dad and I were in a thrift shop, stuffed with a lot of overpriced random junk. On top of an old piece of furniture, sitting outside the store by the entrance, was a big old Marantz stereo receiver from the 1970s. Its wood or faux-wood case was pretty beaten up, but it looked like it had a shot at being functional. We almost didn’t even bother asking how much it was given the rest of the store, but I went ahead.

“Excuse me, is that old stereo for sale?”

“That thing? You can have it.”

“For how much?”

“Eh, take it.”

I think I clarified that he actually meant take it for free, which he did. I might have clarified twice. His store was out of business a month or two after that.