Hey,I'm looking for some ideas out there.

I have my home garage(approx14'x28'),where I actually spend a lot of time,doing various construction,mechanical and automotive projects. I've spent some time planning and finishing things in there,it is fully outfitted with special built shelving,cabinetry,slatwall,stainless steel work becnh and so on.I pre-wired it prior to sheetrocking the walls and ceiling with plenty of extra electrical circuits,CAT5 cable,RG-6 and in wall 14ga speaker wire with Leviton quickport boxes and connectors.
It's now time to replace my little plug and play radio and put some of that speaker wire to use. Inside the garage I just plan on putting in 2 decent bookshelf speakers on opposite sides of the garage(where the quickport connectors are now mounted).

Another factor is that I plan on using this garage receiver to power outdoor speakers ,either for speakers I permanently mount outdoors or for some floor speakers(now gathering dust) that I will hook up for parties and outdoor gatherings.In other words,at times I may need some decent power.

So what I have is a $500 budget to get a receiver/amp and bookshelf speakers.As far as my CD collection goes,I'm going to rip it to FLAC very soon,so I'm not even sure if I will go with a CD player as I will probably stream it to my stereo at some point (a whole other subject I'm starting to research).

I want to get the most bang for my buck,I'm thinking used equipment.I'm active on Ebay and have bought over 150 items there without getting burned,so I'm not afraid of going in that direction. Could I go with a receiver 10 or 15 years old something really decent when new and come away with a solid system? How about speakers? While I could do research on new equipment,it's a lot tougher to get info for equipment that is older,I'm not sure what I am looking for.Any ideas?Any suggestions for my research? Any sources/forums? There seems to be such a fascination with "surround sound" that a good vintage stereo might be a good possibility.

I have done well with vintage stereo equipment from the late 70s/early 80s. Might work for you. If you need a remote control, you may have to go with something more recent.

An amp like the Yamaha CA-810 might meet your needs. Plenty of power, nice sound quality. You can connect two sets of speakers, running either pair or both together (they would need to be at the same load, for example 8 ohm, to be run at the same time). Marantz, Onkyo, and Fisher are among some of the other well-regarded brands from that era.

Many good speakers from that time as well. I'm a fan of the ADS speakers. Recommend that you do dome research at audioasylum.com in the vintage section.

You shouldn't have a problem coming up with a good vintage amp and indoor speakers for your budget. I have read postings on audioasylum from people who have gotten great buys at Goodwill and Salvation Army stores., as well as on eBay.

Yes,I think a remote is needed.The location of the receiver is going to be a little out of the way for easy access to the controls (about 6' off the floor).

When did the remote become generally available/standard equpment? This will help me refine my search and define exactly,how vintage I am talking.

This receiver is also going to carry audio for a small LCD TV nearby and somehow a squeezebox is going to be worked into it all,I'm still designing/researching/wiring to be able to configure it all to meet the needs of multiple locations for listening,and the switching required.

I guess that is another hardware related issue,how to control audio to locations A,B,C and D or only A or A and C, B C and D,C only,etc.