No more Tvs at Goodwill
 

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?

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

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.

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:

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!

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 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..Imagine what it looks like if you were a TV..
 

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 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

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.

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".