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                                                                    EXHIBIT 10.1


                          SECOND MODIFICATION AGREEMENT




         This SECOND MODIFICATION AGREEMENT entered into at Boston as of
November 17, 1999, between ROBERDS, INC., an Ohio corporation with its principal
executive offices at 1100 East Central Avenue, West Carrollton Ohio 45449
(hereinafter, the "Borrower"), and BANKBOSTON RETAIL FINANCE INC., a Delaware
corporation with an address of 40 Broad Street, Boston, MA 02109 as agent (the
"Agent") for a syndicate of lenders (the "Lenders").

         WHEREAS, Agent established a revolving line of credit (the "Revolving
Credit") pursuant to a Loan and Security Agreement dated as of March 3, 1999 (as
amended and modified from time to time, the "Loan Agreement") for the Borrower
under which the Agent and the Lenders agreed to make advances to, and other
financial accommodations for the benefit of, the Borrower until the Maturity
Date subject to the terms and conditions of the Loan Agreement. All initially
capitalized terms shall have the definitions ascribed to them in the Loan
Agreement, unless otherwise defined herein.

         WHEREAS, the Borrower has requested that the Agent waive certain
defaults under the Loan Agreement; namely, the Borrower's failure to comply with
the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio covenant (the "Existing Events of Default") and
to make other accommodations to the Borrower as set forth herein.

          WHEREAS, subject to the terms and conditions in this Agreement, the
Agent is willing to modify the terms of the Loan Agreement in order to
accommodate the Borrower's request.

         NOW THEREFORE, for good and valuable consideration, the receipt and
sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Agent and the Borrower
mutually agree as follows:

         1.       EFFECTIVE DATE: The "Effective Date" of this Agreement shall
                  be the date upon which the Agent receives this Second
                  Modification Agreement, duly executed by the Borrower and the
                  Agent, and the Modification Fee, defined below.

         2.       AMENDMENTS TO LOAN AGREEMENT. The Loan Agreement is hereby
                  amended as follows:

                      a)   The words "Zero Percent (0.0%)" shall be deleted
                           from the definition of Base Margin Rate and the words
                           "one quarter percent (0.25%)" shall be substituted
                           therefor.

                      b)   The number "250" shall be substituted for the
                           number "225" in the definition of Libor Margin.

                      c)   The words "one quarter of one percent (0.25%)"
                           shall be deleted from Section 2.12 and the words "one
                           half of one percent (0.50%)" shall be substituted
                           therefor.

                      d)   The Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio set forth in
                           Section 5.12.1 of the Loan Agreement shall be deleted
                           and the following shall be substituted therefor:

                           "The Borrower will not suffer or permit its Fixed
                           Charge Coverage Ratio as measured on a
                           rolling/trailing 12-month basis, to be measured on
                           the last day of each of the Borrower's fiscal months
                           commencing with its month ending December, 1999, to
                           be less than as follows:





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                             December, 1999                      0.78
                             January, 2000                       0.84
                             February, 2000                      0.74
                             March, 2000                         0.78
                             April, 2000                         0.83
                             May, 2000                           0.83
                             June, 2000                          0.84
                             July, 2000                          0.85
                             August, 2000                        0.91
                             September, 2000                     0.84
                             October, 2000                       0.96
                             November, 2000                      0.98
                             December, 2000                      0.97
                             Thereafter on a
                             rolling/trailing
                             12-month basis"

                      e)   The following shall be added as a new Section 5.12.3:
                           "5.12.3 Excess Availability. The Borrower will not
                           suffer or permit Availability at any time during the
                           month of December, 1999, to be less than
                           $2,000,000.00, after giving effect to rents which are
                           currently payable under Leases and overdrafts.

                      f)   The Interest Rate Pricing Grid shall be deleted
                           and the following grid shall be substituted therefor:



- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                     FIXED CHARGE RATIO       ROLLING 12 MONTH      BASE MARGIN   LIBOR MARGIN
                                              AVERAGE EXCESS          (Basis         (Basis
                                               AVAILABILITY           Points)        Points)

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                          
         I          Equal to or greater     Equal to or greater         25             200
                          than 2.3            than $7,500,000

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         II         Equal to or greater    Less than $7,500,000         25             225
                          than 2.3

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         III        Equal to or greater            N/A                  25             250
                     than 1.8 but less
                          than 2.3

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         IV            Less than 1.8               N/A                  50             275
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


3.       WAIVER OF EXISTING DEFAULTS. The Agent hereby waives the Existing
         Events of Default, which the Borrower represents to be all the defaults
         existing under the Loan Agreement as of the date of this Modification
         Agreement. Agent's waiver of the Existing Events of Default is not a
         waiver of any other presently existing or future arising Events of
         Defaults.





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4.       MODIFICATION FEE. In consideration of the willingness of the Agent to
         enter into this Agreement, the Borrower shall pay the Agent for the
         ratable benefit of the Lenders a Modification Fee of $30,000.00. The
         Modification Fee shall be fully earned and payable upon the Agent's
         execution of this Agreement. The Borrower authorizes the Agent to
         charge the Loan Account for such fee.

5.       ENFORCEABILITY, ETC. Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, the
         Loan Agreement and the other Loan Documents are, and shall continue to
         be, in full force and effect and are hereby ratified and confirmed in
         all respects, except that on and after the Effective Date hereof (i)
         all references in the Loan Agreement to "this Agreement", "hereto",
         "hereof", "hereunder" or words of like import referring to the Loan
         Agreement shall mean the Loan Agreement as amended by this Agreement
         and (ii) all references in the other Loan Documents to the "Loan
         Agreement", "thereto", "thereof", "thereunder" or words of like import
         referring to the Loan Agreement shall mean the Loan Agreement as
         amended by this Agreement. Except as expressly provided herein, the
         execution, delivery and effectiveness of this Agreement shall not
         operate as an amendment of any right, power or remedy of the Agent or
         the Lenders under the Loan Agreement or any other Loan Document, nor
         constitute an amendment of any provision of the Loan Agreement or any
         other Loan Documents.

6.       GENERAL PROVISIONS

           a)     INTEGRATION; AMENDMENT; WAIVERS. This Agreement and the
                  Loan Documents set forth in full are terms of agreement
                  between the parties and are intended as the full, complete and
                  exclusive contract governing the relationship between the
                  parties, superseding all other discussions, promises,
                  representations, warranties, agreements and the understandings
                  between the parties with respect thereto. No term of the Loan
                  Documents may be modified or amended, nor may any rights
                  thereunder be waived, except in a writing signed by the party
                  against whom enforcement of the modification, amendment or
                  waiver is sought. Any waiver of any condition in, or breach
                  of, any of the foregoing in a particular instance shall not
                  operate as a waiver of other or subsequent conditions or
                  breaches of the same or a different kind. The exercise or
                  failure to exercise any rights under any of the foregoing in a
                  particular instance by the Agent or the Lenders shall not
                  operate as a waiver of their right to exercise the same or
                  different rights in subsequent instances. Except as expressly
                  provided to the contrary in this Agreement, or in another
                  written agreement, all the terms, conditions, and provisions
                  of the Loan Documents shall continue in full force and effect.
                  If in this Agreement's description of an agreement between the
                  parties, rights and remedies of Agent or Lenders, or
                  obligations of the Borrower, are described which also exist
                  under the terms of the other Loan Documents, the fact that
                  this Agreement may omit or contain a briefer description of
                  any rights, remedies and obligations shall not be deemed to
                  limit any of such rights, remedies and obligations contained
                  in the other Loan Documents.

           b)     PAYMENT OF EXPENSES. Without limiting the terms of the Loan
                  Documents, the Borrower shall pay all costs and expenses
                  (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising under or in
                  connection with the Loan Documents, including without
                  limitation, in connection with the negotiation, preparation,
                  execution, delivery, and enforcement of this Agreement and any
                  and all consents, waivers or other documents or instruments
                  relating thereto.

           c)     NO THIRD PARTY BENEFICIARIES. Except as may be otherwise
                  expressly provided for herein, this Agreement does not create,
                  and shall not be construed as creating, any rights enforceable
                  by any person not a party to this Agreement.

           d)     SEPARABILITY. If any provision of this Agreement is held by
                  a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal or
                  unenforceable, the remaining provisions of this Agreement
                  shall nevertheless remain in full force and effect.

           e)     COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement may be executed in any number
                  of counterparts, which together shall constitute one and the
                  same agreement.

           f)     TIME OF ESSENCE. Time is of the essence in each of the
                  Liabilities of the Borrower and with respect to all conditions
                  to be satisfied by the Borrower.

           g)     CONSTRUCTION; VOLUNTARY AGREEMENT; REPRESENTATION BY
                  COUNSEL. This Agreement has been prepared through the joint
                  efforts of all the parties. Neither its provisions nor any
                  alleged ambiguity shall be interpreted or resolved against



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                  any party on the ground that such party's counsel was the
                  draftsman of this Agreement. Each of the parties declares that
                  such party has carefully read this Agreement and the
                  agreements, documents and instruments being entered into in
                  connection herewith and that such party knows the contents
                  thereof and sign the same freely and voluntarily. The parties
                  hereto acknowledge that they have been represented in
                  negotiations for and preparation of this Agreement and the
                  agreements, documents and instrument being entered into in
                  connection herewith by legal counsel of their own choosing,
                  and that each of them has read the same and had their contents
                  fully explained by such counsel and is fully aware of their
                  contents and legal effect.

           h)     GOVERNING LAW; FORUM SELECTION. This Agreement has been
                  entered into and shall be governed by the laws of the
                  Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

           i)     FURTHER ASSURANCES. The Borrower agrees to take all further
                  actions and execute all further documents as the Agent may
                  from time to time reasonably request to carry out the
                  transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

           j)     NOTICES. All notices, requests and demands to or upon the
                  respective parties hereto shall be given in accordance with
                  the Loan Agreement.

           k)     MUTUAL WAIVER OF RIGHT TO JURY TRIAL. THE AGENT AND BORROWER
                  EACH HEREBY WAIVES THE RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY ACTION OR
                  PROCEEDING BASED UPON, ARISING OUT OF, OR IN ANY WAY RELATING
                  TO: (I) THIS AGREEMENT, OR ANY OF THE AGREEMENTS, INSTRUMENTS
                  OR DOCUMENTS REFERRED TO HEREIN; OR (II) ANY OTHER PRESENT OR
                  FUTURE INSTRUMENT OR AGREEMENT BETWEEN THEM; OR (III) ANY
                  CONDUCT, ACTS OR OMISSIONS OF THE AGENT, THE LENDERS OR OF THE
                  BORROWER OR ANY OF THEIR DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES,
                  AGENTS, ATTORNEYS OR ANY OTHER PERSONS AFFILIATED WITH THEM;
                  IN EACH OF THE FOREGOING CASES, WHETHER SOUNDING IN CONTRACT
                  OR TORT OR OTHERWISE.

           l)     COPIES AND FACSIMILES. This Agreement and all documents
                  which have been or may be hereinafter furnished by the
                  Borrower to the Agent may be reproduced by the Agent or the
                  Lenders by any photographic, photostatic, microfilm,
                  xerographic or similar process, and any such reproduction
                  shall be admissible in evidence as the original itself in any
                  judicial or administrative proceeding (whether or not the
                  original is in existence and whether or not such reproduction
                  was made in the regular course of business).

         This Agreement is executed under seal as November 17, 1999.


                            Intentionally Left Blank




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         This Second Modification Agreement is executed under seal as of the
date written above.

Witness
                                     Roberds, Inc., the "Borrower"


/S/ Gearry Davenport                 By:/S/ Robert M. Wilson
- ---------------------------          ----------------------------------------
                                     Robert M. Wilson, President


Witness                              Accepted:  BankBoston Retail Finance Inc.,
                                     the "Agent"



/S/ D.M. Murray                      By: /S/ James R. Dore
- ---------------------------          ----------------------------------------
                                     Name:  James Dore
                                     Title: Vice President

Agreed to by:
Witness
                                     Roberds Insurance Agency, Inc.


/S/ Gearry Davenport                 By:/S/ Robert M. Wilson
- ---------------------------          ----------------------------------------
                                     Robert M. Wilson, President






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