Yeah I remember my aunt telling me she spent over 600 bucks on a knob-tuned, mono top-loading VCR in 1981 on sale from Macy's. Christmas gift for the family...they had a Zenith late-70s System 3, one of the 25" ones with LED tuning display and ultrasonic remote. I have one just like it.
But yeah, that stuff was made to last...and if it said "hi-fi" on the box you paid at least 100 bucks more.
