Well I finally bought a new tv, the first new set I have purchased since 1991 when I purchased a 19" Panasonic table top set, my all time favorite set by the way.

The old Curtis Mathes (NEC) console daily watcher developed a really annoying flyback whine, although the picture is still stunning. So I pushed the beast into the utility room to await repairs, or perhaps a parting out, and replaced it with a POS Sanyo 25" bpc set I had in storage. Damn if it to didn't develop a flyback whine.

I really didn't need a new set, like most of us I have a boatload of sets lying around, but I thought I would treat myself to a new set anyway, and help stimulate the floundering economy.

I really hate to shop at wallyworld, kmart, target, sears, worst buy, etc, but here these places seem to be the only places left to buy a tv. My girlfrfiend offered to call a nearby furniture/appliance store and see if they still sold televisions, and damn if the didn't. The old guy who runs the store told her they have been a RCA dealer since 1969, and that they had what was probably the last 27" tube type tv that they would ever get. He offered it at cost, and was willing to keep the store open until we could get there. So off we went.

What he had waiting was an RCA 27" TruFlat model 27F524 that was a display model. It dated to Nov 2007 so it was "nearly" new. The price he offered would actually beat any of the big box marts, if one could still find a 27" set, so I snagged it. They offered to deliver it the next day, free of charge, but i said no thanks, so they carried it out for me and stuffed it in the back of the Caddy.

The picture quality??? AMAZING!!! No Contest, as good as any CRT television I have seen. As good or better than my old Chromacolor II, and it has stunning color saturation.
Haven't got around to sticking a set of rabbit ears on it yet to check out the digital tuner, but I expect it to be very good.

It sure was nice to purchase a new tv and not have to deal with some minimum wage working teenager trying to blow smoke up my ass and sell me a $1500 lcd or plasma set.

It sure was nice not to have to push a shopping cart through a store, find and load the tv, and fight a crowded checkout lane.

It sure was nice to write a check for the purchase, not have to dig through the wallet for the driving license and ID cards, and then to watch the old guy take my check and place it on the desk, under a paper weight, no need to run it through a check reader.

That experience will soon be history..The TV, the old guy, the check-writing w/o calling out the Marines...More's the pity. They tell us America is a "Service Economy" now, yet why is "Service" almost w/o fail so effin' LOUSY ?

Those types of places are a dying breed. Competition from the "big chain" stores has forced a lot of the "mom & pop" furniture, appliance, and TV dealers out of business. There is still an independent TV and appliance dealer in a small town about 30 miles away. In fact, the owner gave me a couple boxes of radio tubes that had been in the attic for decades. This was in the early '90's.

An elderly lady that I know has a mid '90's Magnavox 27" that's on it's last leg and I'm wondering how much trouble we are going to have finding her a basic 25"/27" TV. I've fixed it 2 or 3 times in the past and now the color has gone out and the CRT is not in good shape. She's already said that she does not want one of those "expensive new style TV's". Maybe if we're lucky, we'll find a leftover model like you did. Otherwise, I'll have to fix up a used TV for her.

There is something heartwarming about that story. This could just have easily happened at my friend Tony's place; RCA dealer since the 60s, he has one or two TruFlats on the floor. The local Wal*Mart will sell more TV sets today than he has likely sold in 10 years. Tough row to hoe. The similiar TV shop here in town has a Philips crt set, maybe 32", that has been in the store window for maybe 3 years, at least. I haven't been in there recently-last time in he still had brand new Zenith 13" color sets from the early 90s, with $200-250 price tags. I have to think by now he has finally cut his losses on those.

better stock up on flybacks and horizontal outputs for the new rca. steve

No, there is no need to stock up on flyback or high output transformers for the new RCA. Any more than I need to stock up on flyback and high output transformers for any of the 3 dozen or so sets I own. If they fail, no big deal, I'll just replace the failed part or scrap the set.

I agree, Diamond TV in Diamond springs, CA is now out.. Sucks, I always loved going in there to hang out and see what stes he was working on at the time.. Now Walmart has pushed there way into this small town and essentially put him out of business.