I seem to remember that guy. In fact, I think he's still around. From what I understand, those stories about finding all those grails were actually true. Research suggests that he was into home audio well before boomboxes, sort of slid into boomboxes sideways from that, did originally intend both to "rescue" and re-sell boxes, but ended up "hooked" on both and keeping the boxes instead of selling them. Problem was, Hong Kong is the most densely-packed place on the planet, with real estate prices that reflect that, so his space to put boomboxes filled up after a while. Once it was full, he kind of had to cut back on the acquisitions. He's still managed to add a couple of finds, though, including an "in the wild" (NOT in the audio warehouses!) M90 score, a big Fisher 982, and just today, I heard that he picked up yet another GF-9000. He's still typing away on the same old computer, albeit with a larger hard disc in it now, and some upgraded software, but still doesn't post many pics. Over on Audiokarma, he's got more than 14,000 posts going back over about five years, and you can count the original (not taken off the web) pics he's posted on the fingers of one hand, with room to spare. But he doesn't make up stories --the finds are all truth, as some visitors and locals can attest to. (Henry Tai here has seen some of the boxes, and the hunting grounds).
Okay, I'll stop writing in third person...
This thread has to be one of the weirdest things I've ever read... sort of like being a ghost watching people talk at your own funeral, I suppose!
Anyway, "Thank you!" to those who wrote nice things, apologies to those who didn't like my long posts, and no offence taken at those who thought I was evil incarnate for posting about my finds here. The aim was never to make anyone jealous, etc... but just to share the excitement and fun of the finds, and hopefully let others enjoy them, at least a little bit, vicariously. I was --and am-- grateful for the opportunities I've had to obtain a lot of boxes that I know are extremely hard to find in most places, and I do intend eventually to share more of that luck with others. Those posts complaining about my posts weren't the reason I stopped posting --there were other things going on in my life at the time. To some extent, there still are, and (for the reason explained above, plus a greatly diminished local supply, compared to back then) I don't get many boxes any more, so I may not post so often here as I used to there, but having found this place, I'll try to pop in at least at regular intervals. And yes, eventually I'm going to have to sell off a lot the boxes I have, whether I want to or not... my storage room is technically an "illegal structure", and eventually the government will make me tear it down, forcing me to sell off a lot of the contents. It's already on their radar, so it's only a matter of time. I definitely WILL let you guys know when the time comes, and give y'all first shot at stuff; I'd like the boxes to end up in the hands of appreciative collectors. Actually, I'm doing the same thing with my regular home audio collection, gradually shrinking it down to a much smaller collection of only the "choicest" pieces. I'll do the same with the boomboxes. I wish I had the kind of space that a lot of people have elsewhere, to display LOTS of boxes, but space here is just too limited, and it isn't much fun having boxes all crammed into a "boombox morgue" (as I call it, seeing them lined up like sardines vertically, instead of mounted like pictures on a wall, to be enjoyed).
Oh, and Bredgeo, you may be be interested to know that the GF-9000 I found today has all the buttons (sliders, etc...) intact and original, except one that is partly cracked off, leaving only part of it there. I'll bet you can guess which one the cracked-off one is. Yep, that same one! :annoyed:
OOPS! Another l-o-n-g post. I was going to try not to do that again. Well, I guess since this is catching up after a long absence, maybe I'll be forgiven?
i enjoyed most of arkay's posts,although they got a little 'windy' 
Wish he posted some pics tho...
