As far as selling used TV's, that is. I recently took out a $15 ad in one of the mailbox stuffer classified papers that I usually have good luck with. I advertised an '07 35" Sanyo for $150 and an older 27" RCA CTC169 for $75. I listed them at a high price on purpose for the benefit of those who like to haggle. Just a few months to a year ago, I would have had no problem with unloading those 35" sets; but, now, I have not gotten a single call. I did get a call on the 27" and the guy offered $60; which, I accepted. Once upon a time, I would have laughed him out of the shop and he wouldn't have gotten it for under $150.

Then, I saw an ad from one of our local electronics stores and I was reminded why I didn't get any calls on the 35" sets. They were advertising a 32" LCD TV for under $300. People see that and the first thought is, "Why pay him $150 for an obsolete CRT TV when i can get an HD flatscreen for $299".

Every CRT TV that I've sold during the past year has been to people who have expressed a dislike for flatscreens. I sold one guy a bunch of 19" sets for $25/each and a 27" set for $75. He told me that he works for the cable company and sees too many of the newer flatscreens in the trash and he said his own 2 year old expensive flatscreen was starting to fail. He said that he'd rather spend $25 on an "old school" TV and when it fails, he's not out much. Heck, the $25 CRT set will probably outlast most flatscreens, anyway.

As far as the 35" set, I listed it for $125 in one of the free papers. If it doesn't sell, I'll keep lowering it. It will be interesting to see what I finally have to drop the price down to before it will sell. Heck, I may end up having to give it away.

I wish I could rewind back to 1990, when any kind of working TV was still sellable for decent money and people weren't so picky. Just the other day, I offered a clean mid '80's 19" Sony Trinitron to a guy for $25. He wouldn't buy it because it didn't have A/V inputs. I told him how to use a VCR or RF modulator to do the same thing; but, he said that was too much trouble. Back in the early '90's, I would not have considered $25 for such a set. Back then, that would have easily been a $100 TV.

I have a flea market friend who used to sell loads of TV's for me at good prices. Now, about all he can sell is 13" and 19" sets for $15-$25 each. And, they must be late model sets. Even at those prices, I think his days are numbered because that same place that was advertising the 32" LCD TV for under $300 was advertising a 13" LCD for $99. Before long, you'll probably be able to buy a 40" TV for $125 brand new.

I scour the local Craig's List daily for CRT TV's. I've purchased a nice late 1990's vintage Sony 20" for $20, similar vintage 19" Panasonic and 19" Philips-Magnavox for $15, and a 13" JC Penny for $5. The general rule of thumb I've heard for pricing used CRT TV's is $1 per inch of screen size. I'm only half-joking when I tell people I'm stocking up with enough older CRT style TV's to last the rest of my life. At first, the new flat panel models looked sleek and sexy, but lately, the looks just aren't grabbing me. Maybe I feel like I should have some bulk and heft to accompany a $1000 purchase. As much as I ridiculed older folk's wood console TV's back in the day, at least they had something to show for their purchase other than a black plastic framed piece of glass.

Yeah, and many of those old consoles are still going and will be fixable when they fail. Can't say the same about much of the newer TV's. There's a '79 Sylvania 25" superset console that's turned on right now and I'd like to find it a home (which, probably won't happen). I'll probably end up wrapping it in plastic and storing it in the basement because, even though it's old, it's too nice of a TV to toss and it's made to a degree of quality that we'll never see again.

I'm doing the same thing as far as keeping some older CRT sets for my own personal use. I'd keep these 35" sets; but, I don't have the room. I may just have to apply the $1/inch rule with them.

Several months ago, I saw an older 13" Emerson TV at a flea market. It was one of those models from the early '90's that required the remote to program the channels. I know the seller and he had something like $15 on it and was begging me to buy it. It was getting late and I told him there was no way I could touch it at $15. He asked me if $1 was too much and he even produced the original remote. The TV worked perfectly and I think I got $15 out of it.

We have a 36 inch Sony Trinitron in the living room that my wife watches all the time. I have my collection in the basement, and the daily watcher is a 13 inch Toshiba with a super-good picture. It's right next to the computer desk, so the size is perfect. The only flat screen in the house is a Toshiba 22 incher in the kitchen. It takes up little room on the kitchen table, and that's why it's there. I also have an RCA CTC-136B in the family room, and it's a prize to me. CTC-135 (Taiwan) in my daughter's room. Great picture, too. I'm going to start looking for better quality CRT sets so I can also have a supply for the future.
Also have CTC-5N, CTC-7B, and CTC-4. Those are the fun sets! :banana:
Kevin

About the only trouble those CTC135/136's gave were loose connections inside the MTT tuner control module and a leaky off/on transistor inside the same module.

I must admit I am surprised anyone would pay a dime or even want a crt tv. Maybe its because I see so many of them on the street and crt sets are so low resolution. Not saying thats bad, I love my tube crt sets, but to the average user the new stuff has a much better picture.
Then you have to deal with the hdtv signal issue, the 'box' whatever it is. Most people hardly have the aptitude to deal with rabbit ears forget a dtv converter box. (maybe these are new enough they have the tuner) If you have the money to pay $50 a month for cable/satellite then why not buy a new flatty.
I really wish you the best with it. If anyone deserves to make a few bucks its you. And if you manage to move these I would recommend you not delay selling any more of that style sets you may have. I cant see their being any kind of market in the future.

FWIW, I wouldn't pay $150 for a 35" CRT set either- same logic. I had a 36" Trinitron given to me, but if I can't get the voltage regulator chip it needs, that will go to the trash heap in the sky as well.

...

I think you need to have hd service for there to be a better picture than average, on your hdtv. Ive a 52" hdtv sony from 2004? that my brother initially bought and couldnt pay for, so i took it off his hands and paid for it. It was simply too large in my living room and i thought the picture was no better than a crt set. So it has been in my garage, unwatched, for the last few years now.

I personally dont care for the look of the flatscreens, i keep tinking they will fall over in an earthquake or such.

But im an odd guy, i want to drive my 55 stude till the day i die. Get my old 1980 magnavoz's vertical problem solved, so she can be my living room tv again. Get my 1950 motorola as my bedroom tv. Try and keep them alive forever. So i realize im not usual.

but if i cant gte my magnavox working and if and when my bpc tv goes out, ill simply find another comparable one on craigslist for 40-50 bucks. I see no reason in paying the money for a potentiall better picture, if i dont subscribe to hd tv and i mainly watch old films on dvd, that would be in the same quality if played on a crt set.

By the late '90's-early 2000's, I was hearing "$50 for a 19" TV! I can get a new one with a warranty for $99!" I usually wouldn't argue with them. I'd just tell them to go get it.

Then, when CRT sets started to be phased out and flat screen sets were still high, I experienced a brief period of getting somewhat decent money for CRT sets from people who could not afford a new HD TV.

Now, like what's been said, flatscreen's are getting cheaper and cheaper by the week. Most people can now afford one, rather than "settle" for an obosolete used set. And, if a big CRT TV is now only worth a few bucks; then, it's really not worth bringing it home and wasting my time to repair it. Even on the BPC sets that I do fix, I don't spend much time on them. If it's not a routine problem that I can solve in 30 minutes (or less), it gets tossed. A long time ago, I'd work on one until I either fixed it or determined that it would cost too much to fix.

Last Wednesday night, a guy at church was telling me that his 8 year old RCA 36" TV (probably a CTC203) had developed an intermittent picture. As most technicians know by now, this is caused by loose connections, especially on a small coil in the horizontal driver circuit. Failure to fix the problem will result in the HOT shorting and possibly taking out the power supply. I told him that it would likely be a simple fix now and I warned him what would happen if he continued to use the set. He said that since it was so heavy and was probably close to the end of it's life, he'd probably just dump it and buy a new TV.

I think you need to have hd service for there to be a better picture than average, on your hdtv. Ive a 52" hdtv sony from 2004? that my brother initially bought and couldnt pay for, so i took it off his hands and paid for it. It was simply too large in my living room and i thought the picture was no better than a crt set. So it has been in my garage, unwatched, for the last few years now.

I personally dont care for the look of the flatscreens, i keep tinking they will fall over in an earthquake or such.

But im an odd guy, i want to drive my 55 stude till the day i die. Get my old 1980 magnavoz's vertical problem solved, so she can be my living room tv again. Get my 1950 motorola as my bedroom tv. Try and keep them alive forever. So i realize im not usual.

but if i cant gte my magnavox working and if and when my bpc tv goes out, ill simply find another comparable one on craigslist for 40-50 bucks. I see no reason in paying the money for a potentiall better picture, if i dont subscribe to hd tv and i mainly watch old films on dvd, that would be in the same quality if played on a crt set.

That's the way I feel. Most of what I watch long predates HD. And, I can't see spending the money on something that will be dumpster material in a few years. At least I can repair the old 19" Zenith CCII that I still use.

By the late '90's-early 2000's, I was hearing "$50 for a 19" TV! I can get a new one with a warranty for $99!" I usually wouldn't argue with them. I'd just tell them to go get it.

Then, when CRT sets started to be phased out and flat screen sets were still high, I experienced a brief period of getting somewhat decent money for CRT sets from people who could not afford a new HD TV.

Now, like what's been said, flatscreen's are getting cheaper and cheaper by the week. Most people can now afford one, rather than "settle" for an obosolete used set. And, if a big CRT TV is now only worth a few bucks; then, it's really not worth bringing it home and wasting my time to repair it. Even on the BPC sets that I do fix, I don't spend much time on them. If it's not a routine problem that I can solve in 30 minutes (or less), it gets tossed. A long time ago, I'd work on one until I either fixed it or determined that it would cost too much to fix.

Last Wednesday night, a guy at church was telling me that his 8 year old RCA 36" TV (probably a CTC203) had developed an intermittent picture. As most technicians know by now, this is caused by loose connections, especially on a small coil in the horizontal driver circuit. Failure to fix the problem will result in the HOT shorting and possibly taking out the power supply. I told him that it would likely be a simple fix now and I warned him what would happen if he continued to use the set. He said that since it was so heavy and was probably close to the end of it's life, he'd probably just dump it and buy a new TV.

The new flatscreens are getting so cheap it's hammering the nails in the coffins of both the used tv market and repair market,used flatscreens included.They're kicking the broken 2 yr old flatty straight to the curb without even having them checked out and going straight to the store.

I don't think they're actually putting them on the curb because I don't see any but it's sure strange how we're not even getting flatty work like we were a couple of years ago.The bigscreens have dropped off to the occasional diehard repairing the one he owns or was given to him. We refuse any offered to us as well as just about any crt set as only the owner hoping to save his tv will spend any money on it.Gave up trying to sell them a year or more ago.

Right now we can't even sell a Toshiba 50"flatty plasma with a brand new y sustain board for $300.

Manufacturers are discontinuing parts left and right also. had to resort to ebay to get a color wheel for a friend's 5 yr old RCA DLP tv. RCA discontinued it already.

My town used to be full of TV repair shops. Now, there are only 2 or 3. One does mainly warranty work on new TV's and will not accept any CRT based sets for repair. I think the 2nd one will work on CRT and flat panel sets; but, he requires something like a $65 check out fee up front (can't say that I blame him). The third will still work on everything except the old style big screens. I'm sure it won't be too much longer before these shops are gone. It's going to get to the point where sets will simply be replaced, even if they are under warranty.

I've also "been there and done that" with parts that are NLA for fairly new TV's. Most of the time, their owners act like they don't believe me and that I'm just trying to beat them out of their TV. And, these newer TV's use so many special parts that are common to only a few models. With the old Zenith CCII, it uses mostly generic parts that will probably still be available for quite some time.

You wouldn't believe the number of people who try to give me the old projection sets and, sometimes, I'm actually asked to repair one. They are too big, heavy, and too much of a headache for me to worry with. I have a young friend at church who has an older one that he says has a bowed in picture. I told him that I'd check it; but, I don't care to extend the invitation to anyone else. Hopefully, his set only has a bad cap that can be easily replaced.

In fact, I'm about to the point of refusing to repair anything that either isn't mine or belongs to someone close to me. In the past, it was nice to pick up a little extra repair money on the side. Now, people drop stuff off and getting money out of them is like pulling hen's teeth. About 7 months ago, a woman brought by a ratty looking mid '90's RCA console that she just had to have fixed. It needed the regulator STK IC and the B+ diode off the switching transformer replaced. I tried calling many times to give her an estimate and she'd either not answer the phone or would not return my calls. I finally had a belly full and tossed her TV. In about a year, she'll probably show up and threaten legal action when I can't produce it. I could have fixed the thing anyway; but, why? No one buys floor models anymore and they are certainly not going to buy one with a trashed cabinet. More recently, a guy brought me a late '60's Audiotronics classroom record player for repair. I gave him an estimate and he told me to fix it and that my money was waiting. He never showed up and every time I'd call, he'd give me some kind of sob story. Last Monday, I called and told him that he had until Friday of this week to pick it up or it would be sold for charges. He said he understood and he would come up with the money before Friday, if he could. Of course, it's still here. Heck, I probably won't be able to get the $35 that he owes me out of it. I've got stuff of my own that I'd rather be working on, instead of dealing with these deadbeats who don't pay.

I must admit I am surprised anyone would pay a dime or even want a crt tv. Maybe its because I see so many of them on the street and crt sets are so low resolution.

The main reason I like CRT TV is that I do not like the 16:9 widescreen format. Maybe if I could get one in 4:3 I would think about it. Also, there is much more to picture quality than resolution and I haven't seen a flat screen yet that looks good in gray scale. If I could find a good new 27" CRT TV I would pay more for it than I would a flat screen.

Rod

I have a 19" Sanyo LCD set from '07 that was given to me. From what I was told, it only saw a few hours use before it died. Now, the only sign of life it has is the green power light will turn on and off as the power button is pressed. I checked all the caps and the power supply appears to be working; so, that leaves the main board. The board cost more than what I could get for the set; so, I'm holding on to it in case another set comes along with a good board. Sometimes, having two junker TV's is the only economical way to get one good set.

I had another Sanyo, a 37", with inverter problems. After replacing one of the transformers, that had an open winding, it still would not work. After not finding anything else wrong, I tossed out the set.

Many of my TV repairman friends are always telling me that caps are the most common failure in newer LCD TV's; but, I have not experienced that, yet. The few I've gotten have been dogs with problems that required board replacement.

...

That is funny that LCD's are disliked by so many as to find a good working one on the curb for 3 days!
I have been totally against flat panel new TV's as I never saw one that looked good or gave a picture anything close to natural as I see more of in CRT's.
I have been considering a plasma only because of what experts here report in that there are some good ones with good pictures.

...

I honestly got a deep feeling that there is going to be rebellion in televisions, or electronics in general. because eventually china is going to be pumping them out like the boatloads, (like they are now) and obviously get so cheap, the picture is going to start suffering to a point to where people are going to finally realize that they are junk.

Of course, people want to buy, then toss it a few months later and buy new. eventually that gets old and people dont want to deal with the headache of that, people are lazy. heck i already hear people all the time that get pissed because they get tired of replacing shit all the time because it doesn't last as long as it used to, and the picture is total garbage.

So people are going to start looking for older stuff with better pictures, itll eventually come to it. it might be several years, or decades but itll happen.

Either that or TV will go away completely as people will stop buying it in favor of better/developing technologies.

That is funny that LCD's are disliked by so many as to find a good working one on the curb for 3 days!
I have been totally against flat panel new TV's as I never saw one that looked good or gave a picture anything close to natural as I see more of in CRT's.
I have been considering a plasma only because of what experts here report in that there are some good ones with good pictures.

Funny thing is I've seen a few late 90s-early 2000s crt tvs lately on the curb driving home from somewhere at night and the next morning before the trash man even got there they were gone. Don't know if someone's picking them up to scrap or if they're hoping they work or can be repaired cheaply. I have no luck selling them so I don't even bother stopping to look.

Today, my flea market friend called to say that he saw a nice 32" Sony at a yard sale for $35. He was going to buy it; but, he's in his mid '70's, has a heart condition, and couldn't even lift one corner of the TV. So, he let it stay there. I told him that he was probably better off, seeing as how used CRT TV's are hard to sell at the moment.

He's having a sale at his house next weekend and I asked him if I could bring him the 35" set to try and get something out of it. If it doesn't sell and I have to go pick it up, it's either going to one of the thrift stores or it's getting tossed in a dumpster. It's certainly not coming back home. Right now, it's sitting on top of a Motorola console stereo that I'd really like to fix. Can't fix the stereo as long as the TV is sitting on top.

And, I was thinking about the $30 32" Sony that he saw. Heck, I used to get more than that for 19" non remote B&W sets with no problem and no waiting.

And, I was thinking about the $30 32" Sony that he saw. Heck, I used to get more than that for 19" non remote B&W sets with no problem and no waiting.

Get over it, reliving your memories is not going to pay for the nursing home bills.
I remember when cherry flavored snow cones were 5 cents.
Embrace the new technology, help feed a Chinese worker so they don't have to immigrate here ? Used to.
After WWIII, when 1/3 of the population is extinguished, things should return to normal. :yippy:

Well, I can tell you that it will be a cold day in hell before I own a flatscreen, or any other late model el cheapo CRT POS for a TV. It's that kind of garbage that messed things up for all the TV repair shops and people who sold used TV's. The only flatscreen in this house is the one my Mother bought and it's in her room and she's the only one who watches it. I'd just as soon watch a 12" B&W set before owning some piece of Chinese garbage.

While ordering a new stylus Thursday the man at the hi-fi shop asked what I was driving my speakers with, and I told him a c.1990 Yamaha integrated A/V amp. Expecting a less than enthusiastic reply, he said at least it was made in Japan and started bemoaning the fact that most all of the new equipment is produced in China - even the high-end stuff. Strange when the salesman at the high-end audiophile shop admits he personally is running an old H-K Citation amp at home, and that buying a 20-year-old NAD receiver and having it serviced is a better deal than buying what's sitting on the shelves.

After WWIII, when 1/3 of the population is extinguished, things should return to normal. :yippy:

Only 1/3rd!? I thought the target was 80%?

But yea...no Chinese stuff allowed here. Even the stuff I am in control of at works I only purchase US made and if I cant get it I get good used.

The market is looking pretty gloomy. I'm probably the youngest guy on here who chooses not to succumb to the masses and get a TV or monitor that uses a flat panel technology. I won't buy a new flat panel until they are made in the USA or Japan and quality control and craftsmanship was like it was in the 50's and 60's. Until then I will continue to use and buy CRT's.

I just last year found out that the tube in my 2002 RCA 25" has a picture tube made in the USA! Try to find a component in any flat panel technology that uses any components made in the US.

i have a 42" rca plasma with the hitachi fijustu panel in it. about 6 years old the color on hdtv is stunnning the reds are stunning and so is the green and blue. sadley there is no replacement parts for this set, steve

The market is looking pretty gloomy. I'm probably the youngest guy on here who chooses not to succumb to the masses and get a TV or monitor that uses a flat panel technology.

Ha, resistance is futile.
NEC makes some high quailty flat screens.
Remember, the Chinese are your friends.
If you behave, no deathvan will pull in your driveway.

Ha, resistance is futile.
NEC makes some high quailty flat screens.
Remember, the Chinese are your friends.
If you behave, no deathvan will pull in your driveway.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA :puke:

I'm 19 and I refuse to get an HDTV because the way the FCC (I call em the F'n Commy Comission) snuffed out the old OTA standard for non backwards compatible HD. And when I do get over my grudge I'll get a CRT HDTV. The only flat pannels welcome here are the one on my folks computer, and on my laptop (which I'm stuck with ).

Wish I had been born a few decades earlier, I had a feasible idea for the design of a very thin large screen CRT that now has no patent value.

Tom C.

I figured I'd get a flatscreen in the year 2015 or so, but had a Sharp LCD given to me last year. It has some quirks, though. (turns itself on in the middle of the night, something in the audio is shot so I have to run it through the stereo) Kim is fed up with it, though she loves the picture. I had a 25" Zenith (late 80s) given to me so I showed it to her, too big she sez. So, looks like the next working 19" crt set that comes my way (I usually get several in a year) will go in the living room. She also won't let me replace the 13" Samsung in the bedroom, just the right size she sez. Okay by me. I wanted to sneak a 70s Sylvania in the living room but I don't think she'll go for knobs. Maybe I can fix up the System 3 Space Command out in the shed?

Just got back from vacation, and stopped by to see some distant relatives that we last visited 2 years ago. They all have new TV's now. One replaced a NAP Philco console with a SPC Sony, another replaced their BPC with an LCD. (they are still trying to give away their broken System 3/Space Phone console. Anybody want to drive to Ashland,KY to pick it up?)

I took the big Sanyo, a mid '80's 19" Sony Trinitron, and an Audiotronics school record player to my flea market friend, who was having a big yard sale at his house this weekend. I told him to get what he could out of the TV's and he said no one even paid attention to them. He said that a young man wanted the record player; but, his mother wouldn't buy it for him.

We know a lady who has yard sales in order to raise money for her church to feed the needy. I told her that she could have the big Sanyo to put in her sale to go towards the food pantry at her church. I also have a 35" RCA CTC187 that she will probably also get. I'm just tired of looking at the Sanyo, I'm tired of moving the heavy thing around, and it's not coming back here.

I don't really care if the Sony sells or not. About ten years ago, that set was being tossed by a TV shop. It's just a basic mono set with no jacks and a woodgrain plastic case; but, it only needed minor repair to produce a great picture. In fact, I watched it for years until I replaced it with a Zenith CCII. I'd planned on keeping the Sony as a spare; but, I'd sell it if someone wanted it. I actually offered it to a guy for $25 and he went on about how good the picture was; but, wouldn't buy it because it didn't have jacks. Whatever, what the hell do these people expect for $25.

The record player is a late '60's solid state model that someone brought me to repair, approved the estimate, told me my money was waiting when I fixed it, and then never paid me when it was fixed. All I got was excuses out of him. His bill was $35 and I doubt the record player will bring that much. I wish some people were as excited about actually paying me as they are about approving an estimate.

All the more reasons why I need to stop wasting my time on BPC TV's and to stop taking in everyone else's garbage for repair.

As far as selling used TV's, that is. I recently took out a $15 ad in one of the mailbox stuffer classified papers that I usually have good luck with. I advertised an '07 35" Sanyo for $150 and an older 27" RCA CTC169 for $75. I listed them at a high price on purpose for the benefit of those who like to haggle. Just a few months to a year ago, I would have had no problem with unloading those 35" sets; but, now, I have not gotten a single call. I did get a call on the 27" and the guy offered $60; which, I accepted. Once upon a time, I would have laughed him out of the shop and he wouldn't have gotten it for under $150.

Then, I saw an ad from one of our local electronics stores and I was reminded why I didn't get any calls on the 35" sets. They were advertising a 32" LCD TV for under $300. People see that and the first thought is, "Why pay him $150 for an obsolete CRT TV when i can get an HD flatscreen for $299".

Every CRT TV that I've sold during the past year has been to people who have expressed a dislike for flatscreens. I sold one guy a bunch of 19" sets for $25/each and a 27" set for $75. He told me that he works for the cable company and sees too many of the newer flatscreens in the trash and he said his own 2 year old expensive flatscreen was starting to fail. He said that he'd rather spend $25 on an "old school" TV and when it fails, he's not out much. Heck, the $25 CRT set will probably outlast most flatscreens, anyway.

As far as the 35" set, I listed it for $125 in one of the free papers. If it doesn't sell, I'll keep lowering it. It will be interesting to see what I finally have to drop the price down to before it will sell. Heck, I may end up having to give it away.

I wish I could rewind back to 1990, when any kind of working TV was still sellable for decent money and people weren't so picky. Just the other day, I offered a clean mid '80's 19" Sony Trinitron to a guy for $25. He wouldn't buy it because it didn't have A/V inputs. I told him how to use a VCR or RF modulator to do the same thing; but, he said that was too much trouble. Back in the early '90's, I would not have considered $25 for such a set. Back then, that would have easily been a $100 TV.

I have a flea market friend who used to sell loads of TV's for me at good prices. Now, about all he can sell is 13" and 19" sets for $15-$25 each. And, they must be late model sets. Even at those prices, I think his days are numbered because that same place that was advertising the 32" LCD TV for under $300 was advertising a 13" LCD for $99. Before long, you'll probably be able to buy a 40" TV for $125 brand new.

I recently Bought a Memorex 19" CRT tv for $0.50. No remote Included but the Cable remote works with it just fine. No av inputs either but my vcr/dvd combo takes care of that. It works great. Made in 1999. Cant beat it for that price. ALso got a sony tc 252 d reel to reel tape deck for $15.00 at the same Garage sale. It needed a little help to get it going but it too works great.

Just last night, I sold the 35" RCA CTC187 for $85. And, it was a younger girl in her 20's who bought it; which, is even stranger in today's times. She said that her old TV died and that they'd tried a flatscreen; but, didn't like the picture. After not being able to find a new CRT set in any store, she looked in the local free paper and found my ad. I'm just glad to see it gone and I hope it don't come back to bite me in the butt.

Two weeks ago, a friend at church gave me 3 TV's. A silver '02 27" Sanyo flat CRT set, a Silver Emerson (Funai) 27" flat CRT set from '02, and a 20" RCA CTC177 from the '90's. The two big sets only needed the vertical IC resoldered and I replaced, for good measure, the cap that always fails in the vertical circuit that causes lines at the top of the screen and will eventually take out the vertical IC. Both of them have great pictures and I was actually shocked at how good the Emerson set looked. The RCA has a good picture; but, has the usual loose connections in the tuner.

Smart girl.

Smart girl.



Yeah, had she not mentioned a hubby, I would have asked her on a date (LOL, NOT!!!!!!!!!!!)

I woulda..been remember I'm 23. Lately more and more women I talk with tell me that they admire things like vinyl records and old television sets....I say GOOD! It's about time haha.

Well I'm close to twenty so had she really been single I'd have a better chance at hitting on her than the primary demographic of this forum. I'm not the type to hit on girls who are dateing someone else much less maried women though.

I'm not either. If I know they are married or involved, I leave them alone.

Yeah, had she not mentioned a hubby, I would have asked her on a date (LOL, NOT!!!!!!!!!!!)

radiotvnut:

Don't lose all hope. With all the marriages failing right now in this country there's a good chance she'll eventually be back on the market.:thmbsp: You could then ask her on a date, and I'll bet she'd probably accept. Just consider yourself lucky that you're not where I am in California, because, like me, you definitely would have no hope here. :no:

Seriously, I stopped worrying about finding a date a long time ago. I'm now to the age where I'm getting grumpy and I'm used to my daily routine. If it happens, that's fine; but, I'm not going out of my way to make it happen. Most girls today are only interested in status and money. If you can't provide those "basic needs"; then, you haven't got a chance in hades. And, it's sad that many marriages today fall apart because of selfishness and lack of commitment on one, or both, parties involved. You know, grass looks greener on the other side; so, I'M OUTTA HERE!

Bringing this subject back up, someone recently gave me a nice RCA 26" CTC177 console that needed minor repair. The cabinet is nice, it has A/V jacks, and the picture is excellent. I've advertised it for $50 OBO and not a single call. I'd probably give it to the right person; but, even giving away a console is getting hard to do.

Lately, people have been claiming that they want a good console stereo to play their records; but, what they really should say is: "We want a '60's console stereo in excellent shape for $10". I guess these people think that I should be able to find them at a yard sale for a dollar or two and then magically pull the parts needed to fix them out of my butt or they think an overhaul only involves replacing the stylus and hosing down the turntable mechanism with WD40. Just last weekend, a friend of a friend posted on facebook about how she'd love to find a '60's console record player so that she could play her Beatles records; so, I sent her a message and told her that I had a nice '65 Magnavox console record player and I told her what I wanted for it. She claimed to be interested and was all fired up about wanting to see it over the weekend. Guess what, I haven't heard a word from her.

Then, another friend told me that his cousin wanted a console with a record player and 8-track player. I told him about a TOTL '66 Philco-Ford that I had; but, I told him up front what I expected the final selling price to be and that if his cousin was willing to pay that; then, I'd dig it out and fix it. Otherwise, it can stay buried in the shop.

My Dad used to do woodworking as a hobby and he wanted his work to be as near-perfect as possible. People were all the time asking him to build items; but, they'd usually back out when he told them the price. Like the stereo's that people want from me, I think people assumed that my Dad could simply pull the needed lumber/materials out of his butt and since he was a hobbiest; then, he should do it for nothing.

I know I'm about sick of these people who want something for nothing. Concerning these stereo's, they are not likely to find one at a flea market/thrift store that is actually 100% working and ready to play. Anything I sell will be working as good as it did the day it left the factory and my asking prices are often not much higher than what these clowns at the flea market want for their non-working junk. I know I don't have to tell most of y'all this; but, overhauling a turntable/record changer is often not cheap. By now, one can figure on an idler wheel rebuilt ($35), a new cartridge ($20-$30), and new motor mounts ($5), not to mention the labor involved in cleaning and lubricating the mechanism and any electronic parts that the amplifier/receiver chassis needs. So, I can't very well invest $75-$100 in these things and sell them for $10-$20 without seriously losing my butt. Yeah, it would be nice to still be able to run down to the local parts house and get an idler wheel for $3 and a cartridge for under $10; but, those days are over and these people need to realize what all is involved before claiming they want one of these things for nothing. It brings to mind that old saying, "people in hell want icewater".

I'm about to the point of not going out of my way to find stuff for people and just let them go pay $200+ on a plastic chinese Crosley that won't last six months.

I have thought now and then of doing repair and resale professionally, but like you I figure most of the time it would be a losing game.

One idea that I have thought of would be to target my sales toward the local high end retro area in downtown. this is where all the 1940's bungalow style houses are. It seems to me the pitch would be "you have a mid century house with era correct furnishing, and then mess it up with a modern TV or stereo"

The key would be not to under price it, The folks that live there have money, and I would hope would understand that quality cost money.

The biggest problem I would have would be the liability, I suppose I could get insurance, but I dont think I would want to hassle, people sue way to easy.

Lastly by the time you factor in all the cost of a business (license,taxes etc....) you would have to really charge a lot just to get a decent return for your efforts. So for now I will keep my day job.

I'm 19 and I refuse to get an HDTV because the way the FCC (I call em the F'n Commy Comission) snuffed out the old OTA standard for non backwards compatible HD. And when I do get over my grudge I'll get a CRT HDTV. The only flat pannels welcome here are the one on my folks computer, and on my laptop (which I'm stuck with ).

Wish I had been born a few decades earlier, I had a feasible idea for the design of a very thin large screen CRT that now has no patent value.

Tom C.
I am with you kid :banana:
Killing NTSC was one of the most wasteful & dispicable things the
feds ever did. Just wait for IBOC on AM, I hope that fails big time.

73 Zeno:smoke:

Bringing this subject back up, someone recently gave me a nice RCA 26" CTC177 console that needed minor repair. The cabinet is nice, it has A/V jacks, and the picture is excellent. I've advertised it for $50 OBO and not a single call. I'd probably give it to the right person; but, even giving away a console is getting hard to do.

Lately, people have been claiming that they want a good console stereo to play their records; but, what they really should say is: "We want a '60's console stereo in excellent shape for $10". I guess these people think that I should be able to find them at a yard sale for a dollar or two and then magically pull the parts needed to fix them out of my butt or they think an overhaul only involves replacing the stylus and hosing down the turntable mechanism with WD40. Just last weekend, a friend of a friend posted on facebook about how she'd love to find a '60's console record player so that she could play her Beatles records; so, I sent her a message and told her that I had a nice '65 Magnavox console record player and I told her what I wanted for it. She claimed to be interested and was all fired up about wanting to see it over the weekend. Guess what, I haven't heard a word from her.

Then, another friend told me that his cousin wanted a console with a record player and 8-track player. I told him about a TOTL '66 Philco-Ford that I had; but, I told him up front what I expected the final selling price to be and that if his cousin was willing to pay that; then, I'd dig it out and fix it. Otherwise, it can stay buried in the shop.

My Dad used to do woodworking as a hobby and he wanted his work to be as near-perfect as possible. People were all the time asking him to build items; but, they'd usually back out when he told them the price. Like the stereo's that people want from me, I think people assumed that my Dad could simply pull the needed lumber/materials out of his butt and since he was a hobbiest; then, he should do it for nothing.

I know I'm about sick of these people who want something for nothing. Concerning these stereo's, they are not likely to find one at a flea market/thrift store that is actually 100% working and ready to play. Anything I sell will be working as good as it did the day it left the factory and my asking prices are often not much higher than what these clowns at the flea market want for their non-working junk. I know I don't have to tell most of y'all this; but, overhauling a turntable/record changer is often not cheap. By now, one can figure on an idler wheel rebuilt ($35), a new cartridge ($20-$30), and new motor mounts ($5), not to mention the labor involved in cleaning and lubricating the mechanism and any electronic parts that the amplifier/receiver chassis needs. So, I can't very well invest $75-$100 in these things and sell them for $10-$20 without seriously losing my butt. Yeah, it would be nice to still be able to run down to the local parts house and get an idler wheel for $3 and a cartridge for under $10; but, those days are over and these people need to realize what all is involved before claiming they want one of these things for nothing. It brings to mind that old saying, "people in hell want icewater".

I'm about to the point of not going out of my way to find stuff for people and just let them go pay $200+ on a plastic chinese Crosley that won't last six months.

your problem with the stereo's is old people die. Then their family members get rid of their stuff for nothing.

I got lucky with my allegro, paid $30 in pristine shape, but you are right. People are seeing those $25 and less prices for old console stereos and they think they're getting a working set when in fact i would say 80% of all craigslist antique stereos are broke.

Actually, 80% of the stereo's that I see on CL are ones priced anywhere between $300 and $2000 by some clueless owner who has been watching too much "American Pickers" and thinks their mid '60's Magnavox Astro-Sonic or their '70's particleboard/plastic Electrophonic console with the flashing disco lights is worth a fortune.

Years ago, people would often give me nice looking consoles just to get them out of the way. Now, people usually want at least $50 for ones that don't even work properly. There are several such stereo's at a local flea market and the shop owner wants me to bring some of my stereo's down for her to sell on consignment. I told her that it probably wouldn't do much good, seeing as how she's got a half dozen of them that are not moving. She said that they all had problems and that she could have sold them a hundred times had they worked right. I told her that, considering they had issues, her prices were too high and I couldn't give $75-$125 for something that has issues, invest money into getting it working properly, and expect to come out on top. She agreed; but, said that they belonged to other vendors and she had to get whatever price they were asking. She said she'd sell mine on consignment for 20% and I may take some down there because they sure are not moving over here and with them being in her shop, I won't have to personally deal with these morons.

I am with you kid :banana:
Killing NTSC was one of the most wasteful & dispicable things the
feds ever did. Just wait for IBOC on AM, I hope that fails big time.

73 Zeno:smoke:

I think they call it "HD Radio". It don't seem to be selling all that well. I once heard it interfering with an analog AM station I was listening to on a road trip. I had to do some MAJOR tweaking of the tone controls to get it listenable. Those pulsed tones are damn annoying!

Some of those folks who want cheap consoles don't know bleep about how they SHOULD work in working condition and think if all the knobs and the platter turn and it spits out audio of some kind that means it works.

There are also others whose eyes are bigger than they're wallets...If you get the phrase I'm bastardizing.

I'm in the later camp sometimes....For instance I have two Heathkit A-7E 7Watt monoblocks that I LOVE the sound of, and want two more of for quadraphonic/dolby surround operation. I couldn't find one, even a project set, for less than 100$ back when I had that to spend. I'm now trying to make an OTL tube amp out of some obscure sweep tubes(to the audio phools who drive tube prices insanely high). Just about everything I need I have or can get cheap, but I'm having a heck of a time sourcing lytics of the values I need in a price range I can afford....It's getting to the point where I'm probably going to have to sell stuff to have funds to do stuff.

I think they call it "HD Radio". It don't seem to be selling all that well. I once heard it interfering with an analog AM station I was listening to on a road trip. I had to do some MAJOR tweaking of the tone controls to get it listenable. Those pulsed tones are damn annoying!

Thats what they call it. Its IBOC "in Band On Channel" Like TV a very short
range maybe 50 miles on a 50kw station then it switches back to normal AM.
We have no local AM at night here so it really gives us grief. Both
sides of the stations using it get wiped out by static.

The root of the problem is the FCC isnt run by "radio men" anymore.
A bunch of lawyers & political hacks. The goal is no longer good
communications, compatability & common sense...........

73 Zeno:smoke:

The root of the problem is the FCC isnt run by "radio men" anymore.
A bunch of lawyers & political hacks. The goal is no longer good
communications, compatability & common sense...........

73 Zeno:smoke:

Ain't that the truth!

The root of the problem is the FCC isnt run by "radio men" anymore.
A bunch of lawyers & political hacks. The goal is no longer good
communications, compatability & common sense...........



Been that way for years. Just think about the AM stereo debacle back in the 80's. Several methods were proposed, and did the FCC select one? No, they let the "marketplace decide". :screwy: And as noone knew which would be the winner, everyone held off buying any equipment for transmitters, and the public didn't know what radios to buy, or even the radio manufacturers waited for a winner to happen. Thus nothing happened. Eventually the CQUAM system was selected, but by then music had pretty much disappeared off AM and nobody cared at this point. Then IBOC came up (seems it's not comparable with CQUAM... :dammit:

No wonder why we called them the "Funny Cookie Corp"...

Bringing this subject back up, someone recently gave me a nice RCA 26" CTC177 console that needed minor repair. The cabinet is nice, it has A/V jacks, and the picture is excellent. I've advertised it for $50 OBO and not a single call. I'd probably give it to the right person; but, even giving away a console is getting hard to do.

Lately, people have been claiming that they want a good console stereo to play their records; but, what they really should say is: "We want a '60's console stereo in excellent shape for $10". I guess these people think that I should be able to find them at a yard sale for a dollar or two and then magically pull the parts needed to fix them out of my butt or they think an overhaul only involves replacing the stylus and hosing down the turntable mechanism with WD40. Just last weekend, a friend of a friend posted on facebook about how she'd love to find a '60's console record player so that she could play her Beatles records; so, I sent her a message and told her that I had a nice '65 Magnavox console record player and I told her what I wanted for it. She claimed to be interested and was all fired up about wanting to see it over the weekend. Guess what, I haven't heard a word from her.

Then, another friend told me that his cousin wanted a console with a record player and 8-track player. I told him about a TOTL '66 Philco-Ford that I had; but, I told him up front what I expected the final selling price to be and that if his cousin was willing to pay that; then, I'd dig it out and fix it. Otherwise, it can stay buried in the shop.

My Dad used to do woodworking as a hobby and he wanted his work to be as near-perfect as possible. People were all the time asking him to build items; but, they'd usually back out when he told them the price. Like the stereo's that people want from me, I think people assumed that my Dad could simply pull the needed lumber/materials out of his butt and since he was a hobbiest; then, he should do it for nothing.

I know I'm about sick of these people who want something for nothing. Concerning these stereo's, they are not likely to find one at a flea market/thrift store that is actually 100% working and ready to play. Anything I sell will be working as good as it did the day it left the factory and my asking prices are often not much higher than what these clowns at the flea market want for their non-working junk. I know I don't have to tell most of y'all this; but, overhauling a turntable/record changer is often not cheap. By now, one can figure on an idler wheel rebuilt ($35), a new cartridge ($20-$30), and new motor mounts ($5), not to mention the labor involved in cleaning and lubricating the mechanism and any electronic parts that the amplifier/receiver chassis needs. So, I can't very well invest $75-$100 in these things and sell them for $10-$20 without seriously losing my butt. Yeah, it would be nice to still be able to run down to the local parts house and get an idler wheel for $3 and a cartridge for under $10; but, those days are over and these people need to realize what all is involved before claiming they want one of these things for nothing. It brings to mind that old saying, "people in hell want icewater".

I'm about to the point of not going out of my way to find stuff for people and just let them go pay $200+ on a plastic chinese Crosley that won't last six months.

It's a shame people do not want the old consoles anymore. Mom loves the old console TV's and if we needed one and I had the money (and if you were closer), I'd consider your RCA. I have nothing against these new flatscreens, they are good for small areas to save space as well as maybe a bedroom TV, but I like the old consoles and so does Mom. Mom says that if we had to, she'd rather fix the old 1982 Zenith than buy a new one if it came down to it.

Most people who watch much TV have cable or satellite, so the digital signal problem is really a non-issue. I can't think of many people I know who use over the air TV. Still, I can't blame people for not wanting to pay much for CRT TVs. There are so many of them out there that the market if flooded. Even before flat panel TVs, the market for used CRTs was in sharp decline. Then there's the weight of a big CRT, and the fact that most of them aren't HD. Most importantly, flat screen TVs are finally affordable after decades of hearing that they are just a few years away. It's hard to believe that about a decade ago, a flat panel TV cost as much as a car, and now they're cheap enough for almost anyone to afford.

Yeah, there are times I wonder if there is a conspiracy, but then again using Occam's Razor, it is just the free market bringing down the costs of flatscreens. They have their purpose, I think any CRT TV over 25 inches is too heavy for me, but I still like the CRT TV's up to 25 inches. At least our 1982 Zenith console has wheels, the 25 inch Sony BPC, I think I need two extra guys to get it out of here.

But im an odd guy, i want to drive my 55 stude till the day i die. Get my old 1980 magnavoz's vertical problem solved, so she can be my living room tv again. Get my 1950 motorola as my bedroom tv. Try and keep them alive forever. So i realize im not usual.



Yeah, I'm with ya. I'm 46, will be 47 next month so I'm more of a "1980's kid." With all the problems going on, I feel like we are headed in the wrong direction as a society (OK, I'll stop, I'm getting close to the political line but it adds to the story), Mom fighting breast cancer and me looking for work again (although it helps me out now with Mom since I have to take her to umpteen doctors but unemployment doesn't last forever) and so on. Sometimes it is cool to fire up the 1982 Zenith and see old shoes on MeTV, ION Qubo and others such as Knight Rider, He-Man, She-Ra, Bravestarr or if I go cable, the Smurfs on Cartoon Network, even for a brief time I can think myself back 30 years and all is right with the world, even a few minutes of bliss helps calm me down.
Yeah, before my layoff and Mom's cancer, we were going to buy a new flatscreen and used the old Zenith as the second TV in the back, but since my aunt's Sony died, Mom said, "bring out the Zenith!" At least it's free. :D
It feels kind of cool watching the same TV as I did when I was in 10th grade, we bought it just before the last episode of MASH was broadcast along with Michal Jackson's first Moonwalk.

Yeah, had she not mentioned a hubby, I would have asked her on a date (LOL, NOT!!!!!!!!!!!)

You'd have to beat me to it! :D :D :D :D I might have had a wife if I showed her my Zenith. ;) :D

I am with you kid :banana:
Killing NTSC was one of the most wasteful & dispicable things the
feds ever did. Just wait for IBOC on AM, I hope that fails big time.

73 Zeno:smoke:

I think IBOC on AM is on its way out, I don't hear as much IBOC om AM anymore. I know when KDKA-AM ran it, it walked all over CRFB 1010 (Toronto) and WBZ 1030 (Boston) now I can hear htem again.

Here's what kills me.

I have my parent's old Magnavox console stereo from the 70's. I know the whole argument about a magnetic cartridge being better, etc. but that thing sounded darn good.

About 20 years ago my dad asked me what work it needed and he would take it to the shop. Okay, turntable needs lubed and idler wheel replaced. 8-track is acting funky. Volume control is bad. Needs new cartridge and needle. Oops, I'm NOT spending that much....it can sit as far as he was concerned.

Fast forward a few years later and he and Mom divorced. He got the stereo and the next time I saw it, the arm that held up the records was broke as well as the tonearm hanging off. How it got in that shape is beyond me.

About 10 years ago he called me and told me he was going to trash it and if I wanted, I better make post haste and get it. I used HIS truck to haul it back.

It still needs the same work it did as I've never fixed it. Well, I did send the 8-track off to a guy in Oklahoma who fixed it but it's back doing the same thing now and dragging really bad. I bought a Micromatic changer from eBay to cannibalize for parts but I'm lost on trying to interchange stuff like that. It will fit in the same spot but it plugs in different and it won't play 78's. I have a ton of 78's.

Eventually I'd like to find someone to recap the whole thing and fix it back up. The radio works on it (though it's only FM Mono now.....tech friend of mine who is the son of the guy who sold it to my parents said it needs to be recapped) and my son uses it in his room at night. It would be such a kick to have it back working again! :yes:

Two weeks ago, I took the RCA console TV to a consignment shop/flea market in which I know the owner. He said he'd sell the TV for me and keep 30% of the price for his efforts. He marked it at $65; but, I told him that I'd be fine with whatever it sold for. Of course, two weeks later, that set and all the other BPC/SPC sets are still there. My 19 year old friend who was with me asked me what that console would have brought 15 years ago and I told him $150-$200 without much waiting around for a buyer. My friend is one of the few young people today who thinks like I do. He has an early 2000's off brand 27" set and he sees no reason to replace it with something new. He said that for what a new TV cost, he could better invest that money elsewhere. OTOH, he has a sister-in-law who is the exact opposite. He said that her parents gave her everything she wanted growing up and that now she expects, and gets, the same thing out of her husband. He said his brother would be fine with whatever he can get; but, it's easier to give in to her than to tell her "no". He said that just yesterday, she was planning to buy a 70+ inch TV that "only cost $1200", while they have a perfectly good 46" flatscreen that isn't that old. I'll tell you what, if I ever get a woman like, I'll be giving her back to whomever she came from.

My other friend still has the two 13" TV's with remotes and instruction books, priced at $15/each, with no interest. The closest thing he gets are those people who claim they'll be back on the first of the month; but, they never come back. All I can say is that if they're not willing to pay a lousy $15 for a working color TV; then, they don't need one in the first place.

I've still got a 19" Orion color TV that I fixed out of my junk stash; but, I'm getting tired of advertising it for $20 and not one single bit of interest. Therefore, I'm almost ready to perform the "durability test" from the roof of my shop with that one. Hell, if the SOB ain't worth $20; then, I might as well have some fun with it.

About two weeks ago, a woman called to say that she had two BPC TV's she'd give me if I would haul them off. I told her I'd take them; but, honestly, I can't even get up enough ambition to pick them up because I know they would just sit here from now on.

I'm 19 and I refuse to get an HDTV because the way the FCC (I call em the F'n Commy Comission).

I call them the Funny Cookie Corporation... :D

Seriously, I stopped worrying about finding a date a long time ago. I'm now to the age where I'm getting grumpy and I'm used to my daily routine. If it happens, that's fine; but, I'm not going out of my way to make it happen. Most girls today are only interested in status and money. If you can't provide those "basic needs"; then, you haven't got a chance in hades. And, it's sad that many marriages today fall apart because of selfishness and lack of commitment on one, or both, parties involved. You know, grass looks greener on the other side; so, I'M OUTTA HERE!



I stopped worryiing about finding a date a long time ago too. I too am getting too old and set in my ways too.


Besides...I have someone in my life, who I consider family who is VERY attractive and caring towards me. WHile we can't get romantically involved (she IS married), we are VERY close in almost EVERY other way. Probably closer than 80% of couples out there today, surely those under 30. We share nearly EVERYTHING with one another. She meets about 85% of my needs in the girlfriend area, so the other 15%--the actual physical part--I CAN do without!!

Recently, I got sick quite suddenly a distance from home, and had to be rushed to the hospital. i was there for 2 weeks. When I woke up back to consciousness that second day--who was there, bu8t my mom, sister--and Laura. She had driven herself and my mom and sis to see me. a 100 MILE drive to Columbus Ohio and THEN she had to leave that day to go to work...but came BACK the next day...after having gone to my house to bring us a few things we needed to stay there awhile!! NO ONE ELSE--family or friends--came to see me. Now THAT is a TRUE friend!!


A pix of her from about 6 weeks ago::

I call them the Funny Cookie Corporation... :D

Kind of became "Federal Culture Control" once they started the inevitable "mission creep" from enforcing technical standards into dictating "acceptable content" (see FCC v. Pacifica Foundation).

Yes, what's happening to the vintage television market is disheartening to say the least. However, I tend to believe there's a bright side to unfortunate events. For example, now that vintage televisions have become devalued, my minimum wage 16 year old teen salary is more capable of supporting this rather expensive hobby. Now the hardest part is convincing my parents that a CTC-7 is just as valuable to store in the garage than an exercise machine! My father is quite supportive, but my mother refers to my room as "the junkyard", and was pretty PO'd when I stuck that oriental style '59 RCA in there last week. RadioTvPhonoNut (If I'm spelling that correctly), you'll be glad to know that the hobby is far from dead amongst young people, and nobody had any qualms about watching game 7 on my Admiral 19A1 7" electrostatic deflection set. My friends even said that the action was more intense! Of course, by fourth quarter, we had switched to the junk 700 inch LCD in my living room with 4 million k resolution and a remote more complex to operate than a Remington Rand computer. About as reliable too. I also love to watch your youtube videos, so keep going at it!

Of course, by fourth quarter, we had switched to the junk 700 inch LCD in my living room with 4 million k resolution and a remote more complex to operate than a Remington Rand computer. About as reliable too.
Yet another reason to love my 5 dollar, 7-button Space Command, even though I haven't yet acquired a set to use it on.

Bingo. To take it a step further, how about that two button Silvertone "Selectra" remote? It has On/Off, a volume stepper, and channel selector. That's all you need!

I do have a 2-button, 1962 Motorola clicker, no battery needed. Sweet. However, I do prefer to be able to turn a set off without having to jack the volume first.

Eh, having to deal with a brief period of moderately loud volume is something I'm willing to trade for my four, that's right, four remotes that have to be used in order to operate my families "entertainment center".

"The more they overthink the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the drain".

Scotty (James Doohan) in Star Trek 3: The Search for Spock.

That Silvertone remote is a nice catch though, especially when packaged with the TV. The remote that was on eBay last month wasn't nearly as nice as yours, yet it went for $15.95.

Another proof of the times:
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lgb/atq/3879952386.html

Another proof of the times:


I don't think anyone would give him that many pennies, much less dollars... :no:

Eh, having to deal with a brief period of moderately loud volume is something I'm willing to trade for my four, that's right, four remotes that have to be used in order to operate my families "entertainment center".
My preference is the same there. Better to have a remote control than mission control.

I'm a little late to this party, but i will throw in my two cents.

Back in the 90's with computers and computer hardware, you couldn't keeep anything in stock. The gold rush was the windows 95 internet era, roughly 95-98. Anything, and i do mean anything with a modem in it, would be out the door in five seconds. And i had some good chinese and california connections. You couldn't keep systems and parts in stock. This was the infancy of ebay. With my connections, the chinese had flooded the market with motherboards. 486, socket 7 pentium and of course the early intel "server board, socket 8 or pentium pro. Due to the price of the chip, socket 8 boards could be bought new in bulk pack for $8. Yes, $8. The se would FLY off ebay for $35. I'm talking 75-100 a week. Socket 7 boards, you could double your money on ($20 cost)

This was a time when on the ebay US site, only 500 auctions were listed in the motherboard category. enormous demand was not being met, anything computer flew off the shelves on ebay. The post office started sending me out to the loading dock.

This was largely the transition from DOS screens to windows 3.1 to the early net. The internet was white hot. On systems, you could make anywhere from $50-150 gross profit on a machine u may have had 20 minutes of time with.

The funny part, or not so funny part depending on how u look at it were those finacial rapists at aol. They had oversold capacity on the jersey shore to the extent that when you called your local dial up number, u couldn't get in. Busy signal. I remember an obnoxious secretary we had in our department who had been on AOL back when those thieves charged an hourly rate.

Then, prices on new systems started to drop, $2000, then 1500, then 1200, then 900 and so on. Many years later after i had gotten out, i checked ebay and saw 50,000+ auctions for motherboards. Many, many sellers were buying from my connections, selling the item for cost or less, and then overcharging on shipping.

Back door discontinued slightly out of date items at huge discounts could not be found. Became impossible to find a deal u could make any money on.

The irony of all of this, is vintage hardware went up in value. Stuff u couldn't give away back then, went up in value. At one point, very early on, i had bought maybe 200 very early NEW 386sx16 motherboards for i think $1.50 each. Today on ebay, i bet they would sell for $45-50 each. I think the early computer parts and systems have already become the roundies of computer hardware.

Vendors of every type went under. Those strip mall computer stores, all gone. I guess the same as tv repair places and mom and pop video rentals.

Me, i stumbled onto something else.