So how do I take a chance on this?

[MIPS]

Originally Posted by old_tv_nut

First, I'm wondering how you know who to contact, or are you waiting until you see someone there?

I think the most I would say is "I collect old radios and TVs, and if there's anything in there you want to get rid of, here's my contact info."

So what I gather from my friend's mom is that she knows the neighborhood and does talk to the property owner from time to time, though it's been a few years, so there is a contact option there, somehow.
They have not lived in the house for a number of years. The fire initially happened back in 2016 but they had vacated the house before even that. It's a tough one, because even to ask *if* there's anything like that inside, they might not know themselves, given the context.

[Electronic M]

Maybe mention that you saw a post about it on an urban exploration forum. If they ask to see the topic just say it got taken down because it mentioned the address.

[init4fun]

How about just come right out and tell them that when some of the plywood covering the windows had blown down you looked in and saw an old console TV, your hobby is fixing up old TVs, and that you'd be willing to give them a few dollars for it depending on what model it is ? I wouldn't go into the whole rare & valuable thing, I'll bet they'd be happy to have one less thing to have to pay to have taken to the dump...

[MIPS]

That might actually work. There is a somewhat active urbex community in Vancouver since there are so many abandoned foreign owned and rezoned commercial properties. I'll give that a try next time I'm in town.

[init4fun]

I truly wish you well with getting it, provided it turns out to be something worth keeping