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I really don't have a problem getting people to understand this hobby. My biggest problem was my mother bitching about the basement being a mess.
The old sets, in a way, remind me of better times. I was not around when JFK was assassinated, or even when Chet Huntley retired (I was around a few months later). I have always been interested in the TV coverage of JFK's assassination, and have seen uncut NBC coverage on the internet. What I really want is to see the same coverage on the Andrea or my other restored sets, as opposed to on a real player.
What were supposed to be my better times weren't. We had disco, Watergate and its aftermath, bad economies, energy crisis, Iranian Hostage crisis, reaganomics, Challenger explosion, and others. I choose 50's and 60's era sets, not because they have tubes, but the programming they originally reproduced was that much better, and a good part of it still runs today.
I had reletives who owned round screen sets (color), and couldn't figure out why the screen was round (I was a dumb 4 year old). Being at their houses was wonderful and there was something about the roundies that adds intrigue. Unfortunately, most of them are gone and the roundies eventually retired, before I got into this, otherwise I would have inherited sets.
There will always be people who don't understand why we do this. Then again, TV collecting is different than collecting fine China. Our stuff comes in bigger packages, and will outlive their modern counterparts. If a set dies, it can be fixed and not lose value, unlike China, which if broken, is worthless.
I have concluded I was born in the wrong time. I like 50's-60's music, tube equipment, black and white programming and other things of the era. Even though most programs the networks give us is total shit, there is something about letting the set warm up and adjusting the tuner, and vertical hold. I can't put my finger on it.
When all stations are required to go digital and our present system is obsolete, I think our sets will end up being static displays. TV makers will not have to make converters. As long as we have VCR's and DVD players (If anyone puts out more classic TV),then, we will have something to show properly.
These old sets, like radios and audio gear, are part of our history, and some just don't get it. That's a shame.
End of rant.
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