I think I collect old TVs for a number of reasons, oddly enough, they seem to all parallel the reasons I collect old cars too.
1) They'll never build anything like that again. Although the modern versions are superior in some respects, there is little to differentiate between brands or models. No attention to detail, no attempt at style. Zero "personality".
As a little kid in the 70s and 80s, I can remember being awed by the physical size of various consoles and 3-ways owned by relatives. Whereas my parents, (young and just starting out) always had the bare-bones cheapest version of something good quality (19" Zenith in a plastic cabinet, or stripper /6 Dodge Dart) my older relatives had solid wood Magnavox and Zenith sets with "Space Commands" and "Astro-sonic" sound. They seemed so massive and complex, full of push-buttons, knobs and "secret" doors. For much the same reason, I loved going places in my aunts and uncles' Mercurys, New Yorkers and Imperials. I again was awed by their huge size, plush seats and "secret" doors for the headlights... I even remeber being about 6-7 years old and always running out in the driveway to see my great uncle start his '76 Mercury Grand Marquis, then watch the car open its "eyes" when he flicked on the headlights.
What is there for today's kids? Anonymous black-plastic cubes that display an image, period. I saw a set the other day at Target with only a power button! (Guess you're screwed if you can't find the remote!) No fancy emblems with lightning bolts, (Zenith) scary faces (Magnavox) or cute dogs, (RCA) just some screen-printing of a word like "apex". And I can hardly imagine some kid getting excited to see a Camary turn on its headlights.
2) Shocking people with the performance. I love having people over my house, then waiting for them to comment on the old Zenith set I have. They never believe me when I say "Its got remote too.", then watching their faces when the knob starts turning on its own. Also love to show them color TV the way it was first seen, through one of those football-shaped screens! Naturally, it's important for me to have them all performing in tip-top shape just to take a little more shine off today's cheap throw-away junk, just as windnoise, carb bogs, or anything else unpleasant is UNACCEPTABLE in my personal fleet of Imperials, NY'ers, etc.
3) They are time machines and stress-relievers. I wish I were a more optomistic person, but I've just seen so many things change in the world over my short 30 years on it. Few of them seem to be changes for the better. I can't think of any other devices except TVs and cars which allow you to go back in time. If I catch an episode of Bonanza, Andy Griffith, etc. on one of my old sets, it's easy to escape into a pre 9-11 world without national ID cards or military tribunals. If only for a half-hour, I can visit this time/place and it seems that much more real on an old set.
For longer escapes, my wife and I like to get behind the wheel of our '73 Imperial, or '65 New Yorker and cruise down the interstate road-trippin'. I especially enjoy driving in the early morning hours, just as the sun starts to rise and there is very little modern traffic to ruin the time time-machine effect.
This is probably more than I meant to write, but I guess it's a better answer than "because they look cool"
