This was on the news here tonight. Everything I like is slowly going away.. Well I mad a video that would have made this thread much more interesting but it will not work for some reason, I think the file became corrupted somehow. Anyways, they are not accepting tvs at the goodwill after the digital switch. Instead, they are going to partner up with a recycling facility to take care of them. They say they do not want to be inundated with what they call "useless tvs". This sucks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ss15_B-okhw

Wow, thats some bad news. I would make friends with the guy in charge at your local Goodwill and see if maybe the old sets can still be saved before they go to the recycler. Long shot though, since they might have the EPA or sanitation department on their case...

I'm afraid that will happen at our local SA. That will be bad if it does happen because the local SA has been my source for vintage TV's here lately. The manager did tell me that they have been selling most of the working TV's that they get. Of course, that could all change in a few months. I plan on staying on top of them and maybe I can prevent the vintage sets from getting crushed.

My main local thrift is an independent charity so they have no plans to turn away ANY donation items. I did inquire about the TV transition. The man in charge assured me there are still plenty of people in need of an older TV. He says I'm not the only guy who goes in there and buys the old sets. (competition?!)

I made up a flyer early in the year with a photo of a roundie, basically a 'wanted' poster. Sent it to all the thrift stores. I figured that would at least let them know I was interested. The only response I got was from a volunteer at an independent store who had a few 'black box specials' in her garage. I took them, because I didn't want to get the reputation for being too picky!

This weekend is our local electronics/hazmat dropoff day. I sent one of my flyers to the coordinator (we had met once, which helped) and he called me. They have a contractor who handles the electronics but from the sound of it they aren't too crazy about TV sets and won't take wood cabinet models at all. (he was hoping I would be willing to take them; just what I need, a yard full of 90's Zenith consoles!) Anyway, it never hurts to make contact. He is adding me to a list of "landfill alternatives" for people looking to get rid of old sets; I don't expect much, but who knows?

This was on the news here tonight. Everything I like is slowly going away.. Well I mad a video that would have made this thread much more interesting but it will not work for some reason, I think the file became corrupted somehow. Anyways, they are not accepting tvs at the goodwill after the digital switch. Instead, they are going to partner up with a recycling facility to take care of them. They say they do not want to be inundated with what they call "useless tvs". This sucks.

I'm not an old TV nut like you guys, but that makes no sense. If it is hooked up to cable it works fine. I would think most folks have cable these days and don't want to spend 250 bucks or more on a bedroom TV. We are looking for one, but hoping a HD CRT comes through. I know it is a longshot, but to the thrifts, an old TV is an old TV.

I got the video working, it needed to be re-uploaded. I totally agree with you VinylHanger, it really doesn't make sense at all.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ss15_B-okhw

I think the answer to this is to take it a step further... Find out who the recycling contractors are, and get with them. They get paid by the pound (at least here in CA it's 42c/lb, I think). Just offer them 10x whatever they get from the government, and I bet they'll be all ears! And, you won't have to go to all the different charity thrift shops.

Charles

I got the video working, it needed to be re-uploaded. I totally agree with you VinylHanger, it really doesn't make sense at all.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ss15_B-okhw

You hit the nail on the head when you said "bullshit" to the guy talking about the "unusable TV's". I am so sick & tired of everyone making out like the old TV's will be totally worthless after 2/17/09. Most of my TV's are connected to cable and Comcast claims I'm not going to miss a beat. I currently have two converter boxes and will obtain more boxes as the funds become available.

Yeah it sounds like semi politico/eco stunt. Every week i see old Kodak instant cameras all over the place and they haven't made film for them in over 20 years.

This is horseshit.

Guess I better start looking for my Trinitron STAT.

I hope it does not come to that. If my old CRT bits the dust, I rather get a old CRT and a digital converter box than buying a new flat screen monitor.

I'm not an old TV nut like you guys, but that makes no sense. If it is hooked up to cable it works fine.

Very good point.

On the surface, this sounds like a bad deal. I see a lot of people buying the old T.V.'s at GW. Not everyone can buy a new one when their old one dies. Hell, GW will probably have the converters on their shelves by March.

I agree, this is bad news. Not sure about you guys, but its been quite a number of years since I found a "vintage" TV at the resale shop. Anything with tubes that is. Estate sales are your only chance at saving whats left!!!!

You're right Doug, but you do run across XL-100s, Chromacolor IIs and other cool '70s stuff from time to time. You are right about the tube sets too, it has been a while since I found a decent one at a place like that. AnalogDigit, I also would rather find another CRT set and a converter, cable or satellite rahter than getting a flat piece of crap. Glad I have a few saved off tho the side for later daily use.

Yes very true. Chroma II's and XL-100s do show up every so often. That will be the death some of the best sets ever. Lots of those seem to still be out there working just fine.
I can't tell you how many people ask me at the estate sales what Im going to do with all my old TVs once the transition takes place. Its annoying too, as it makes you wonder if people have seen the millions of digital converter box commercials.

I guess its like the old sayinig "its not cable ready" so that means the TV is junk. Yet people didn't realize for the last 30 years that you can tune the old TV to channel 3 and watch it through a cable box or VCR. WTF are people thinking? We're seeing the same thing with the digital converter box now.

Good point. You can't sit through a half hour sitcom without seeing the DTV spot at least once these days! Guess advertising doesn't work...I agree it hasn't registered with people here either. I've been asked this a few times already. "Guess you're gonna have to buy a new one now!" was one line I heard, almost as if the guy enjoyed that :D

This transition marks a special time in our hobby IMO. You can bet there are a lot of old sets sitting in attics and basements all over the USA. Hopefully they'll still turn up years after the transition; although the new e-waste recycling laws are upon us too..... Double whammy to the hobby.

My prediction is that, in the future, a lot of people will realize that a CT-100 or roundie set is too interesting to just toss. However, the 70s and 80s sets will be doomed since they're 'just another old tv'. :sigh:

Yes very true. Chroma II's and XL-100s do show up every so often. That will be the death some of the best sets ever. Lots of those seem to still be out there working just fine.
I can't tell you how many people ask me at the estate sales what Im going to do with all my old TVs once the transition takes place. Its annoying too, as it makes you wonder if people have seen the millions of digital converter box commercials.

I guess its like the old sayinig "its not cable ready" so that means the TV is junk. Yet people didn't realize for the last 30 years that you can tune the old TV to channel 3 and watch it through a cable box or VCR. WTF are people thinking? We're seeing the same thing with the digital converter box now.

Many people just don't understand or they are looking for any excuse to buy a new TV. Just the other day, a girl in her mid 20's was asking me all about the DTV transition. She thought all she needed was a set of rabbit ears that proclaimed "digital ready". She knew nothing about the converter boxes or the coupon program. I was trying to tell her how the boxes worked and all I did was confuse her more. I ended up telling her to call me when she got her coupons and I'd help her from there.

I think the only reason I'm finding TV's at the SA is because I live in Hicksville, USA. Now, don't get me wrong. Hicksville is not a bad place to be sometimes. We haven't gone "totally green" yet; but, it's probably coming.

Over the past few months; I've found an early '60's Magnavox B&W TV/phono combo, a 17" CCII, and a 23" CCII. I might could find more if I'd visit more often; but, my financial status is sort of putting a strain on that. I don't go to many estate sales because my Mother hates taking me to them (I don't drive) and my neighbor who doesn't mind taking me recently broke his leg; so, no driving for him for now. What estate sales I have attended were not that great. In this town of less than 40K, there just isn't that many good ones. Most of the yard/garage sales are a joke. Most of the yard/garage sellers around here are young couples in their 20's and 30's just trying to sell off their unwanted clothes and modern furniture. Oh, you might find a 2001 19" Orion or some POS like that; but, nothing really of interest. They look at you with their finger up their butt if you ask about anything vintage.

Yes, I'd much rather have a vintage set with a converter than a newer DTV. At this moment, I have a 32" RCA SDTV with built in digital tuner that needed a new flyback and HOT. It's picture quality is lacking and it's DTV reception is not the best. I've been trying to sell this TV for the past 2.5 months with zero interest. I'm about ready to take it outside and shoot it!

been quite a number of years since I found a "vintage" TV at the resale shop.
I quit going to thrift stores about 10 years ago. Here it is illegal to throw TVs in the landfill. A few months ago, I paid a $25 recycling fee to get rid of a trashed 1980s TV carcass. Why would the charities take them if they have no way to tell on the spot whether they're working or repairable, and might have to pay to get rid of them?

Phil

Hey, I lived in Hicksville for a year! (lol, but seriously I did)

Last night my wife was trying to watch a movie on tv using the converter box. It kept freezing up. I've explained to her before that, sometime between now and February, I need to take the good antenna off of the shed roof and get it up on the chimney. She could not understand what I was saying. The way she understood things, digital meant you no longer needed an antenna of any kind, just that box. Now, this is a very intelligent woman who hangs around me all the time...and I know I had explained it all before. Lord help the average person out there.

I think the only reason I'm finding TV's at the SA is because I live in Hicksville, USA. Now, don't get me wrong. Hicksville is not a bad place to be sometimes.
I had to look at your location again to see if you were from THAT Hicksville. No thrift stores there that I know of, but there is an IKEA...and loads more traffic and sprawl than your Hicksville.

Bgadow, intelligent people don't seem to get this either. You know, us TV folks are a rare breed.....we understand stuff that most people never yearned to know and never will. Think digital will be more of an issue over analog since analog usually requires a mere paperclip to at least get 1 or 2 snowy stations. (with no lock-up naturally) But as you say, I have some experience with TV's and sometimes struggle to receive certain digital channels with a 3 story high rooftop!

colortrakker, somewhere down the road from that IKEA in Hicksville there's an old '81 Zenith 19 inch that I left there when I moved out (likely dumped though; too many sets. :thumbsdn:)

The Salvation Army by me quit taking console stereos about a year ago.:thumbsdn:

Well, sometimes there's a positive side of these things... Think about how common roundies would be today, if they hadn't lined the alleys on trash day all through the 80s. So as the 70s & 80s color TVs go to the recycler, they will become more rare, more interesting, and more young people will spot them and be interested to save them. The Chromacolor II of today will be the CTC-5 of 2020. Somewhere I have a picture of a backyard behind an old TV repair shop in West Los Angeles that I took in about 1978. The entire yard was set up like a Pick-A-Part junkyard for roundie consoles and combos. Hundreds of them, piled up in the rain. I couldn't understand at that time why anyone would keep those. Back then, the newest "collectible" TV was a late 40s B&W, and no color set was collectible, except maybe for the CT-100. I paid $300 for my first CT-100, and that was from a well-known collector who felt it was a high price!

Charles

It's clearly a space issue at the thrifts. I've noticed the Electronics shelves are packed with mostly 80's and 90's black plastic electronics and a lot of computer printers that nobody wants take up a lot of space.

And a lot of these 80's and 90's TV's are big and really heavy and their shelves are not deep enough to hold them. The thrifts don't want to bother placing them on the floor where they create foot traffic problems.

Too bad.

I went to a bunch of thrift stores and garage sales yesterday - the first time I made a day of it in four years. Very disappointing. Found one off-brand 13" B&W from the 80's (didn't look at price) and an early-70's? Panasonic portable B&W for $25. Ugh. Hundreds of monochrome computer monitors and Chinese clock radios though. One thrift I used to patronize went to a policy of giving 50% off of everything, but they tripled-quadrupled their prices. The flea market I visited is 1/5 the size it was 10 years ago - and the sellers, while visibly desperate for business, overprice everything. I mean, who's gonna pay $150 for a damaged Zenith console stereo? The same guy had tons of 45's marked at $1.00 a piece - I asked him how much he'd charge if I bought a bunch, like 50, and he said $1.00 a piece. :no:

The sad thing is these were stores in places not affected by flooding 3 years ago. Katrina wiped out 90% of the old stuff around here, but you can definitely see the changes in the thrift store's attitudes.

A little B&W TV for $25? What rock have these sellers been under? I haven't sold a B&W for $25 since the early '90's. Yes, we have "thrift" stores here that price their stuff for as much, or more, than what I can buy it new for. Like I said before, the SA is the only thrift around here that I can deal with.

My local SA is loaded with older computer monitors and other obsolete computer equipment. The manager told me that he had a guy come in every couple of months looking for computers. He told me he'd make me (or someone else) a real good deal if they would buy all the computer stuff. He agreed with me that it's just about impossible to give away older computer stuff.

More screams and pains will be coming. :tears: When February 17, 2009 comes, I bet there will be 50 more "save this set" threads. If you want to increase your chance of finding vintages, you may as well just be at the e-waste drop-off center 1 hour prior to opening and ask all the people coming in what set they will be getting rid of. Be careful with the e-waste employees who will harass you to leave or risk getting arrested if stealing one of their precious, unwanted e-waste items. All the e-waste dump centers I've been to have at least one police officer standing around. All the e-waste centers were smart enough to hire only younger people (20s) who have no sympathies at all with vintage, obsolete components. I have seen one RCA XL-100 taking out from one's car, and was thrown more than one feet in air landed into the waste collection pile as 80% destroyed. I have seen new-in-box, never used, higher-end Sony Trinitron TVs got kicked around, wrapped around with three ropes (with the new TV smell), while sliding them into the pile. I have seen wooden console TVs and projection TVs being cut into half with an electric tree cutter saw to million pieces, and that includes Zenith Chromocolor IIs. I have also seen small CRT TVs, say a 70s 10" Panasonic, that were taken apart by some employees to remove the picture tubes, and used the picture tubes as a ball to play basketball or hit me games. I have seen several old 80s RCA console TVs being donated from the e-waste center to entertainment industry who will be using them only to turn on the TV, and then pour 10 gallons of beer inside each TV only for it to electrify and explode as part of the filming process. I have seen several large CRT TVs dropped off that required tube smashing in because they would not fit into their truck. All the 20-30 year old employees enjoyed smashing and destroying the vintage electronics to death. Imagine what it is like if you were a TV itself, say a Zenith Chromocolor II, that got sawed and bleed to death with broken bones, heart, lever, leg, head, etc...]

Shocking, huh. :yes: Yep, it really happened, so you know there are more hidden, secret stories with e-waste centers that you don't already know of.

I've seen several videos on youtube by these young morons who get off on smashing vintage electronics. As a teenager, I had better things to do than smash a vintage TV or stereo. In fact, I was doing everything I could to give this old equipment new life.

I will be soon uploading a video that is the complete opposite, I will be smashing a 2008 LG 42" flat screen!:thmbsp:

I will be soon uploading a video that is the complete opposite, I will be smashing a 2008 LG 42" flat screen!:thmbsp:

I can't wait. I have not found any large flat screen TV's to smash. What few I've had come through here, the customers wanted them back. I think they thought I was trying to beat them out of their TV. "How can a 2 year old TV be junk! He's just trying to beat me out of it so he can fix it and sell it".

haha. Good idea! What I would do is set up the video like you found the TV at the curb sight on seen. Have both the new LCD set and then some old zenith TV next to it. Act like you're excited to find the TV. here's the kicker, pick up the old Zenith TV and put it in your truck carefully like you're saving it, then take a baseball bat and beat the crap out of the new TV! The "normal" view audiance will be like WTF, why did he save the useless old TV? It would be even better if you had a generator in your truck and you could power up the LCD TV to test it, yet it works. Still destroy it though! It would be great

This was on the news here tonight. Everything I like is slowly going away.. Well I mad a video that would have made this thread much more interesting but it will not work for some reason, I think the file became corrupted somehow. Anyways, they are not accepting tvs at the goodwill after the digital switch. Instead, they are going to partner up with a recycling facility to take care of them. They say they do not want to be inundated with what they call "useless tvs". This sucks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ss15_B-okhw

hehehehe i like that quote. BULLSHIT!! hehehehe

Though my local thrift store still has tvs, I haven't seen a pre-'84 one in months; a manually-tuned one hasn't shown up in probably close to two years. I have a feeling that they throw out any "knob" tvs that might show up, as almost all of the stuff there is black/silver plastic (and overpriced). I've also worried about those electronics recycling events as a few of you have mentioned. I can't bring myself to even go to one to try to save an old tv (or receiver, reel-to-reel, console, etc.) for fear of what I might see already crushed in the pile, not to mention the fact that they probably wouldn't let me "recover" any of it anyway. Well guess what? I was about to give a small '70s B&W portable to the thrift due to lack of space and wanting to make room for other tvs; now that I know what's going on, this will NOT happen. I'll make room for it!

Yeah, I just came into one of those little 12" RCA B&W portables that they made a zillion of during the late '70's through the mid '80's (KCS204 chassis, IIRC). It works fine except for the power switch being stuck in the "on" position. Any thrift store I gave it to would either throw it out or overprice it and most people that are "down and out" would even turn their nose up at a small B&W portable (don't ask how I know). So, I guess I'll just stash it away someplace. Should make a nice novelty item in 20 years.

This was on the news here tonight. Everything I like is slowly going away.. Well I mad a video that would have made this thread much more interesting but it will not work for some reason, I think the file became corrupted somehow. Anyways, they are not accepting tvs at the goodwill after the digital switch. Instead, they are going to partner up with a recycling facility to take care of them. They say they do not want to be inundated with what they call "useless tvs". This sucks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ss15_B-okhw At least the news man at the end of the video says they're not totally useless.:beatnik:

I am hoping this is done on a store by store basis rather than a across the board policy. I have been watching the panic grow as perfectly good TV's only 2-3 years old are getting donated because of the switch. We a looking for another TV for a bedroom and I have been seeing some nice 32-36 inch TV's being donated but the stores still want too much $ IMO. I am hoping as February comes closer they will get more TV's and drop their prices....:yes:

Interesting thing is that sprWalmart is selling DTV converter boxes in areas that are served exclusively by low power television translators. I wonder how many returns they get.

Since these are not required to be turned digital in February, and since the economy is in the dump, these won't be going anywhere soon.

Where my parents live, their area network affiliates run the DTV infomercials, but show for about 1/30 of a second a disclaimer that low power stations and translators will not be affected.

Its a real hoot seeing high end 1080p POS flat panels running 640i off air (rural Az, little or no cable) and the people there fruitlessly setting these things to look for digital channels and finding the tvs only find analog. (ch 39-0...).


At least I got my hands on some really cool early 80's trinitrons "cos them things won't work next year".

Yeah it sounds like semi politico/eco stunt. Every week i see old Kodak instant cameras all over the place and they haven't made film for them in over 20 years.Exactly!! You won't see them taking those cameras and recycling them??!?!:no:

Both Goodwill stores around here had quite a few CRT sets, perhaps they are just trying to clear out their inventory before the cutoff and then no more?

000

i saw something in the newspaper here that eventually people will have to pay to dispose of a crt tv . I been seeing a lot of 90s crt tvs in the trash recently too .

A lot of people are ignorant to just how this transition works . I talked to a kid the other day who thought it meant that if you didnt have a flat screen then your tv would not work . Not the case i explaned . If you have cable already then your crt set is fine . As for the older vintage stuff then a cable box is needed i explained .

I'm keeping my eye out for roadside TV's from silly people who think their TV is useless after Feb '09.

I just went to 2 goodwills today and only saw an early 80's B&W RCA "13 and a couple 20-25" TV's from the late 80's early 90's.

In this town of less than 40K, there just isn't that many good ones. Most of the yard/garage sales are a joke. Most of the yard/garage sellers around here are young couples in their 20's and 30's just trying to sell off their unwanted clothes and modern furniture. Oh, you might find a 2001 19" Orion or some POS like that; but, nothing really of interest.

That's my problem around here. Back in the '90's, it was not uncommon to find tube and early SS TV's, console stereo's, tube radio's, etc. That was when all the older crowd was either downsizing or dying off and their old stuff had to be gotten rid of. Now, it's mostly worn out early '90's and newer stuff. Most of the console stereo finds consist of those cheap particleboard jobs from the mid '70's. When I find a "real" console stereo, the seller usually wants an ungodly price because "it's old and in a beautiful cabinet". I probably have not been to 5 yard/garage sales in the past five years for the very reasons you mentioned. The SA is the main place around here that I've been finding TV's that are anywhere close to interesting; and, that does not happen everytime I visit. I used to find good TV's at the dump. Now, they are either busted in 5 million pieces or there's a deputy waiting to write a $100+ ticket for "dumpster diving" (I won't even get started on that subject). I have placed ad's in the paper for "free pickup of non working TV's". I usually have to get 50 BPC sets before something of interest comes along. After Christmas, I'm thinking of running an ad something on the order of "WANTED: Older TV's, working of not, from the '40's through the early '70's. Also, maybe things will get better when Spring comes around. That's when people do a lot of cleaning out. One thing is certain. We must hit the pavement NOW in order to find these old sets. I suspect in 10 years, pre mid-70's TV's, stereo's, etc. will be almost impossible to find.

Wow. That is not the situation at all here. At both Goodwill and Salvation Army they are taking in plenty of older tvs. In fact, I took a look today and they must be selling, as I saw a newer space command set was gone. Now that I think about it, the BPC sets were in the MINORITY at the thrifts. I saw a lot of early to mid 80s classics-system 3s, sentrys, colortraks, etc. SA apparently thinks nothing about putting out B&W tabletops and mechanical tuners for that matter. I only saw one console-a Hitachi that has a caddy for the remote built into the front of the set. I don't think you can change the channels without it. They also had a Mitsubishi with a mechanical tuner sitting in back. I did not note the SA prices, but GW seems to be charging ten bucks across the board. Looks like Lancaster is your destination for quality tvs.

To comment on the 'stroller people' they do annoy me, but the absolute worst has to be the young couples who live in those McMansion type homes. They have absolutely no possessions. For the stuff that they try to sell, they just have no concept-my favorite was the time my girlfriend picked up a stained t-shirt and asked for the price-$25!!! 'Well, we paid $35 for it new...' I still laugh when I think about the lecture she gave them on selling things properly at a yard sale.

On the flip side-I did get a Kodak camera from one of these homes. I paid ten bucks for it 'because it was old and you can't get film anymore' Ha! this was a 1931 Gift Camera designed by Walter Teague! Even in the most wretched condition it's worth 150 bucks.

...

Very interesting reading guys, you have made a lot of good points. It seems that the GW is still accepting tvs in some areas. In my area and Chicagoland they are not, a friend of mine has also said they are not and he lives outside of Chicago. I think all of them will stop soon. And one last thing, I too hate those "McMansions" I work in Lake Forest and have seen several nice old homes be plowed over for those things.

...

As for your sexuality, you are quite brave to blatantly come out and say it. More power to you, I for one do not discriminate that behavior as I have had gay friends and they were/are wonderful people. What people do behind closed doors is their business, who am I to say otherwise. You are right on about saving our heritage, most people don't care anymore which is very sad. I try to preserve what I can when I can and when I can afford to. I often wonder where my sets will be 50 or more years from now. I do have to say though, a 2008 plasma tv would be lucky to make it to 2010, I doubt any will be around in 2108. Things just aren't what they were long ago, another important reason to preserve the old stuff while we can and are able to do so. Parts will dry up one day and we will face parting out one good set to fix another, I dread that day!

I have also mildly associated older TVs w/Gay Pride or the Pride Rainbow as well and I think that rainbow very much applies to all us collectors who each do their part to preserve our Electronic Heritage

Electrohome, with the pride flag representing life, healing, sunlight, nature, harmony, and spirit - I would be interested if you could go into more detail as to how you have associated electronics collecting with the pride flag and/or GLBT issues. With the gay community being very "in the now" and pop culture driven. It is difficult to find anyone interested in electronics in general... let alone vintage electronics and collecting.

Good point Matt, I too thought of that last night. Is it because of the "antiques collecting" stereotype? Gay or not, many people collect vintage electronics it seems. I have met all types.

My GW is full of "useless" TV's where I want there to be unwanted audio gear. Sigh.



Matt

Aint that the luck! LOL! BTW, nice avatar! I might change mine to something like that, I'm getting bored of looking at a roundie that I get to see everyday in my house!

One of the local stores sends any single audio component to the tip without even testing because they are "useless"

Good point Matt, I too thought of that last night. Is it because of the "antiques collecting" stereotype? Gay or not, many people collect vintage electronics it seems. I have met all types.

I suppose you're right about the stereotype - especially in a general sense. What I meant in my earlier reply though was that it's just not easy to find glbt people involved in the electronics or (specifically) electronics collecting hobby.

...

Why are so many of Electrohome's posts represented by ellipses now? I enjoyed his posts and don't understand why they've been done away with.

Just goes to show you where the "free speech" went in this country....

So...my hope in finding a 40" Mitsubishi CRT set for under $100 is not a false hope? My 13 year old 31" RCA still looks great...so why replace it? I see all kinds of 32-36" sets for sale for around $100...but I want the big Mitsu.

One of my local goodwills specifically said they don't plan to stop selling CRT Type TV's!! It must be a region type thing.

Guess what? They finally wised up and let tvs be donated again. I was pleasantly surprised to find an '80 Magnavox console with some 80's and 90's bpc. Looks like I'll be looking for sets there again, never know what will turn up!

I was wondering why I did not see any more beautiful consoles in the stores. Horrible monsters, the gods of electronics are not pleased with this at all. It is another dirty blow to the safe keeping of our past for future generations. Why I would bet the communist are behind this or some other thought controlling group.
http://img697.imageshack.us/img697/7969/curtisbz.jpg (http://img697.imageshack.us/i/curtisbz.jpg/)

The TV pictured in the above post by Glenn Waters looks almost identical to my 1978 Sears/Sanyo console I got a couple of years ago. I wonder if this TV is a Sears or a Sanyo-just curious. They sure don't make TVs like they used to. I wonder how many of today's TVs will still be working in 30 years-LOL:-)

There's more sources than Goodwill: Also try "The Society of St. Vincent's de Paul". They run a thrift store that gets better stuff, and the smaller the town, the better the stuff, and the prices are more reasonable.

The word seems to be "getting out" around here, at least, about Flat--panel sets.

People seem to be figuring out just HOW POORLY flat--panel tv sets are made. How they fail in a year or two, how they can be broken about as easily as a egg, and for plasma tv's--how much power they draw, in addition to being even MORE unreliable than LCD flat--panel sets.

So...some smart people are now realizing that those "old fashioned" CRT sets WERE the best after all, and also hard to break physically. Sure--many want the "latest", but many are also not happy with knowing that a typical decent--CRT type set will outlast FIVE flat--panel sets, or if it is LIGHTLY bumped on the front-- a flat--panel is junk!!

And also--I think the "myths" about analog sets being USELESS is being overcome now--too. People are now learning with a $30 converter--their old CRT set will work just FINE on digital OTA signals. So....people are again getting a normal crt set, for a "quick cheap, reliable set" for the bedroom, kitchen, and even main set.

I guess the Goodwill has learned that too.

Cash talks, and I'd hope that one of two things will happen: The thrift stores will discover that they can get more $ for collectible TVs than the recycler will pay, or the recycler will discover the same, and will start putting vintage TVs aside and selling them. I've seen several on eBay which were offered by e-waste contractors. (political content regarding California self-edited)

Charles

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Hi Electrohome:banana:
The TV in the photo in my above post with Karah and pictured below with Grantley is a 1986 Curtis Mathes console made in Athens Texas. I once worked for Curtis Mathes in the 1980's!
I think two things just cannot be improved upon in this world the classic console TV with a well built CRT and the V-8 engine. This idea of plan obsolescent is stupid. From RCA Select-a-vision disks to Beta, to VHS, to Laser Disks, to DVD to what is it now Blue Ray. This is just a way to make folks throw away what they have and buy more. I still play my LP records and my 8 track tapes. I have a room full of VHS movies and enough really good players to last my life. I even have a huge collection of RCA Select-a-vision disks and three player! They all work, the public is stupid and gullible.
http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/9837/curts22.jpg
They can keep the cheap made in Asia junk, I will keep my nice made in the USA good stuff.:music:
Like my made in Glenview Illinois, Zenith console below. Lets see speakers like that on a made in China flat LCD.
http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/8310/zenithd.jpg

I have over 1500 Betamax tapes 1976-1990's and about 14 early 1976-78 Betamax VCRs along with 4 RCA VBT 200 VHS VCRS from 1977-78 with over 2000 VHS tapes as well:-) Yep, also got an RCA CED video disc player I trash picked in about 2001 with about 4 or 5 CED video discs. There's always something good on Selectavision:-)
I found several B&W 12-inch portable TVs in the trash from 1973-about 81-82 and they all pretty well work:-) These were mainly used as kitchen ,bedroom and camper or cottage TVs back in the 1970's and 1980's.
That picture with the 1986 Curtis Mathes w/Grantley looks like it was taken in about 1987ish just by the way the sunlight is and the older circa early 1950's red brick bungalow in the background-reminds me of my childhood when I was a kid in the 1980's:-) They sure don't make TVs like they used to-I just wonder how many TVs made today will still be around in 25-30 years still working. All this Made In China junk will just be in the landfill in 10 years anyway. I also have a 1986 Made In Japan Betamax that still works no problem that I watch my good qaulity Betamax tapes on. Beta always had a better picture than VHS. I'll bet this very computer I'm typing this on won't be around in another 10 years either. I really wish TVs and electronics in general wound be made in the USA and Canada again.

Cheers from Electrohome:-)

I've given up on chinese junk electronics. Every time I run across something reasonably new, and dead, its always made in China. There isn't a mandate for quality, just pump it out and do it as cheaply as possible.

Case in point: How many chinese 19" tv's will still be working 20+ years from now? Lets give them the advantage: how many "New in box" chinese electronics will be working 20+ years from now? I doubt many. I pulled a 19" sanyo monitor out of the box after 28 years of hibernation in a warehouse (google "time travel warehouse"). The thing worked 100% the first time, and its still A-ok. I even out of paranoia checked a few caps on the board, and they all test out perfect. KX250rider's KV-1201 is another perfect example.

People are getting tired of crap. It's only a matter of time before they vote with their $$$, which will be the prime mover for the manufacturers.

The only good thing that came out of this, at least for me, maybe a few others, the service industry is booming again selectively.

people dont want to go out and go get another TV because they had just bought this one, even though it may have been cheap at the time. so people get it repaired.

the death cycle about all this, only the select few are even repairable, reasonably.

I have a friend that works at Goodwill in their thrift store. He told me that most of the TV's they get dont work at all. They plug them in and see if there is sound and something on the screen before they put it out in the store.

They have just started stacking a bunch of sets on a pallet and charging $35 for the load. I havent seen one of the pallet piles sold, yet. Its always late '80's thru the end of CRT sets that are there.

The other thrift in town routinely destroys sets that use tubes. I saw a destroyed Philco roundie there, once, and asked them to contact me if they ever got another. They've never called, and I mention it to them when I go there.

Some of the thrift stores here have lots of TV's but they are all solid state color CRT's and in good running condition, priced from about $15 up to $75 depending on tube size and apparent quality of the set.

A new thrift store opened up near my house. No really old TV's though. Oldest I saw was a System 3. Lots of 90's BPC and one big Mitsubishi console TV.

:music:Most of my house was furnished from thrift stores. My children can prêtty-much tell the year, make and model of most televisions, VCR’s, and even how to load and unload a select-a-vision RCA disk machine. It is not rocket science to install a converter box. But the powers in charge want to make you think you must run down to your local Super Wal-Mart and buy the latest crap slapped together by children and slaves in Asia. That is why so many folks are brain dead these days. :nono:
Cora knew this was a 1972 Zenith because she has magazines from the 1970’s, and likes to read about the way it once was in the USA. I even have encyclopedias for them. I think none of the children today have those.
http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/986/zenithcora.jpg (http://img171.imageshack.us/i/zenithcora.jpg/)
http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/3424/zenith1972novzenithcolo.jpg (http://img192.imageshack.us/i/zenith1972novzenithcolo.jpg/)
It is easy to appreciate your heritage when you understand that they just are not making this stuff anymore and it is better-put-together than what is new in the super-slave-stores today from China. I cannot tell you how many vintage televisions we have saved from the dump. If I had a warehouse I could fill it up to the top with working made in America console televisions and stereos from the 1960's 70's and 80's that have been left at the dump to be crushed in the compactors. People are so stuck on stupid in this nation, they just do what they are told to do by the news and the powers in charge. I think if the news told people in America to throw away their children they would be lined up at trash compactors the next day with their offspring. Just blindly obeying what they were told was the right, proper, and the modern thing to do.
http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/4186/zenith19.jpg (http://img402.imageshack.us/i/zenith19.jpg/)

that flat chassis zenith is the best set ever made!and an avanti to boot!lucky,lucky man.

Around '92, when I was 15, a TV repairman friend had one of those flat chassis Zenith Avanti's that he'd just put a tripler in. He turned it on; and, it would have come home with me that day had I had the $100 he wanted for it. That set had the best picture that I've ever seen on any TV.

I do have a line on what I think is a 25" Zenith CCII in a steel table model cabinet. It's at the local social security office where a girl I know works and she says they're using the TV and it's cart as a stand to hold a BPC 19" set. The only thing keeping me from getting it is that they need some sort of stand or table that will elevate the 19" set high enough to be seen when the employees are sitting at the conference table. Needless to say, I'm going to try and find them something before it gets tossed or they change their mind.

The girl tells me that its a Zenith solid state chromacolor II and that it has a sliding volume control. I suspect it probably uses the vertical chassis or one of the last flat chassis. I have seen some "E" line flat chassis sets labeled as CCII.

sliding volume is a vertical chassis set.those are also great sets.i have one and a spare chassis.they are both promised to other members though.i want a flat chassis zenith to keep forever.just to remember the days when zenith was king,rca was american made and sylvania had the best crt.all this was too brief and like a meteor in the sky,it burned out much too fast.what days those were and what times we had!

I saw this on a site for a recycling center that was giving some kind of high-definition LCD store coupons to folks who wanted to dispose of old their televisions at their crush and destroy recycling center. It made me sick to think some numskull left this beautiful lady there to be trashed.:nono:
http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/7186/zenithhurt.jpg (http://img138.imageshack.us/i/zenithhurt.jpg/)
If we were to tell Americans back in the 1950’s or even the 1960's that folks would do stupid things like that; and that one day we will owe Communist China billions and billions of dollars, and all our manufacturing plants will be over in China they think we were telling some kind of crazy joke. But I guess the laugh is on us these days.
http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/3879/cc1958party01.jpg (http://img192.imageshack.us/i/cc1958party01.jpg/)

OMG, I did not need to see that Zenith sitting there waiting to be crushed. I think that's one of the first Avanti sets and it uses the 4-tube hybrid chassis. Darn thing probably still works and is capable of making a better picture than any cheap LCD throwaway POS.

Speaking of Goodwill, I was just at my local SA and was very disappointed. The only TV's in the place were a BPC 25" set for them to watch and a late '70's-early '80's white Quasar 12" B&W priced at $15.00 They also had a cheap plastic solid state early '70's radio priced at $26. Both prices were scribbled directly on the cases.

Well, like it or not, nothing does last forever.

As I write this, I'm watching a 1983 RCA 12" B&W portable that's been my daily watcher on-and-off since I was about 8 or so. In the early 90s, that was just an old TV to shove in a kid's room. Since then in my various travels since moving on my own, I've had a few other "better" color sets.

Most weren't anything collectors like yourselves would be interested in. I had a 1983 15" color GE die while I was asleep. Beautiful set, hardly used, the convergence was still sharp as a tack even. The only reason I got the TV was because it wouldn't tune above channel 43 on cable. Still, when I fell asleep to Seinfeld and woke up to a room full of electronics smoke so thick I could see it as a blue haze, I just dropped the carcass off at the curb and let nature run its course. It could have been the flyback, but I had other things going on in life at the time, and didn't feel compelled to go searching for parts and tearing everything apart. That was in 2008.

I had a 1986 era Magnavox color that I got from my barber when the shop was closing for probably $10. The original remote was even with the set, and it worked just fine, despite being a really high hours set with some random arc in the HV and acting a little squirrley sometimes. It was left behind when I got involved with the wrong woman. Sometimes I wish I'd gone back to get it, but with how all that went down, it was better off just being lost in the shuffle. I still have the remote.

But through it all, the Black&White has at the very least been a backup, and at present I see no need to spend money to replace it. Besides, I've kinda grown attatched to the little guy. I remember watching the OJ trial, Oklohama City, 9/11 coverage on this thing. I hope to be able to fix it when something goes down, but for now it's been playing close to three decades without ever having been cracked open.

As far as saving things, though, people on this site have even made fun of me for saving all of the solid state clock radios I have. But most all of them work, although I'd love to kjnow how to fix the keypad on my GE 4880.

Well, like it or not, nothing does last forever.

As I write this, I'm watching a 1983 RCA 12" B&W portable that's been my daily watcher on-and-off since I was about 8 or so. In the early 90s, that was just an old TV to shove in a kid's room. Since then in my various travels since moving on my own, I've had a few other "better" color sets.

Most weren't anything collectors like yourselves would be interested in. I had a 1983 15" color GE die while I was asleep. Beautiful set, hardly used, the convergence was still sharp as a tack even. The only reason I got the TV was because it wouldn't tune above channel 43 on cable. Still, when I fell asleep to Seinfeld and woke up to a room full of electronics smoke so thick I could see it as a blue haze, I just dropped the carcass off at the curb and let nature run its course. It could have been the flyback, but I had other things going on in life at the time, and didn't feel compelled to go searching for parts and tearing everything apart. That was in 2008.

I had a 1986 era Magnavox color that I got from my barber when the shop was closing for probably $10. The original remote was even with the set, and it worked just fine, despite being a really high hours set with some random arc in the HV and acting a little squirrley sometimes. It was left behind when I got involved with the wrong woman. Sometimes I wish I'd gone back to get it, but with how all that went down, it was better off just being lost in the shuffle. I still have the remote.

But through it all, the Black&White has at the very least been a backup, and at present I see no need to spend money to replace it. Besides, I've kinda grown attatched to the little guy. I remember watching the OJ trial, Oklohama City, 9/11 coverage on this thing. I hope to be able to fix it when something goes down, but for now it's been playing close to three decades without ever having been cracked open.

As far as saving things, though, people on this site have even made fun of me for saving all of the solid state clock radios I have. But most all of them work, although I'd love to kjnow how to fix the keypad on my GE 4880.

I've got a couple of those little RCA's. One's a '77 and one's an '81. RCA made a billion of those between the late '70's and late '80's and they don't give a whole lot of trouble.

People make fun of me for keeping all this old "junk" of mine; but, at least it still works and I can repair it when it dies. We were just leaving wal-mart and saw not one, but two, broken Sanyo flat screens being returned. I actually talked to one lady, who said wal-mart told her to take it up with the manufacturer. I told here that I repaired TV's and advised her not to buy electronics from wal-mart. As we were leaving, I asked my Mother, "Now, do you sort of understand why I choose to keep my older TV's?"