If you're lucky, you might find something in a pawnshop or thrift store that's decent, but most of it's not. I have known people who've found rather vauable gear at thrift stores, though- very expensive 'tables and LPs sometimes find their way there after a divorce or death of a husband (as most gearheads are men).
I suggest Ebay as a better source. You can often buy really nice stuff for a fraction of new price. Especially big brands like JBL & Infinity. I was just noticing last nite that some decent budget Infinity speakers from the 90's were going for not much over ten cents on the dollar!
The really good stuff tends to go for a much higher percentage of retail- just supply & demand.
I've bought & sold gear on Ebay with good results. In fact, I just sold an amp there today (got all my money out of it & saved the buyer a lot of $, too). And I have 2 more peices listed right now.
