Max Marine Electronics (MME) takes a different approach to the business of old electronics. In fact, the sale and service of used marine electronics is pretty much the sole focus of the company since being established in 2011.
A lot of dealers don’t have time to deal with old equipment, so we buy it, perform any repairs that need to be done then resell it with a 90-day warranty,” says company founder Max Stein. Most of the old electronics they get come from local installers and some out-of- state companies. “Once the bigger installers began hearing about us, they’d get in touch and say they had 20 years of old electronics in their shop or in storage. We’d buy the entire lot—we still do.
MME also sells a wide variety of old parts on the Internet. “We started on eBay and we’re still there offering products,” says Stein. “We also have an eCommerce site, and get a lot of phone calls from dealers or customers’ friends. We’ve spent zero on marketing but a lot on eBay fees. Exposure on eBay is invaluable.” The company’s warehouse/workshop and office are located in Pompano Beach, FL.
Much of the equipment MME sells dates back to before Stein was born—he’s 33. “A lot of the old Hatteras yachts have a Furuno FR1411 radar made in the 80s,” he says. “They’re pretty bulletproof except for an occasional CRT module that goes bad.”
Stein says they have to be selective in choosing which electronics to repair. Not all manufacturers are forthcoming with schematics and many aren’t in business anymore. Repair strategies often involve reverse engineering. One repair request that worked out well involved a MAN Diesel display. “Since a new one cost $10,000, we said we’d give it a try. We now do 30-40 a year.”
“Most of the guys (who deal with old electronics) are borderline retired,” says Stein. “I started the business in 2011, mostly by accident.” He says the future looks even busier. “The life cycle of electronics is getting shorter. Manufacturers compete to come up with the latest stuff, which means people are constantly upgrading”—and trading in their old equipment.
