Thrift Stores & Tubes

[lnx64]

Yea.. Thing is, I'm probably not going to get away with getting another TV.

I tried to bring it up with my Dad and he stopped me and said "If you're thinking about getting another TV you can forget about it. You don't have the room for it!".

lol

[Eric H]

Originally Posted by Outland

Wow, I had no idea the situation was this dire.

I guess the chances of me finding a mid '90s 27" XBR are slim since most people see them as worthless.

If anybody has one, let me know.

I've seen several XBR sets at local Thrifts around here.

Goodwill has had a couple in the last year that I know of, another thrift had a nice 32" for $25.

Need a CRT set, come to my Goodwill store.
I counted 18 CRT sets and 4 projection sets, including some HD sets a couple weeks ago.

[mstaton]

GW will not accept ANY CRT TV's here in Idaho

[tvcollector]

That's a bit odd, usually the poor don't care if it's a CRT or flat screen..

[Reece]

Au contraire, my lad. The poor want the biggest flatscreen they can get, and they can get it for "a dollar down and a dollar a week" at the rental stores. If it gets repossessed in a month for non-payment another store will have them.

I'm being snarky but that does apply to a lot of people. There are plenty of others who would be grateful to get a good working TV for little money. I'm thinking of older retired or disabled folks.

My local thrift store had a dozen CRT sets or more, nice sets, $25 and down. They hardly moved. Finally got rid of them and have a sign up that they don't accept TVs any more. Another store in town does still have them, though.

[AiboPet]

I so rarely see any SMALL sets at any thrift store. Don't know if people just never get rid of 'em...or if they just TOSS 'em. Just been a VERY long time since I've seen even a 9" set at a thrift store, nevermind the "5 inch and smaller" I do look for.

[AUdubon5425]

Originally Posted by Reece

Au contraire, my lad. The poor want the biggest flatscreen they can get, and they can get it for "a dollar down and a dollar a week" at the rental stores. If it gets repossessed in a month for non-payment another store will have them.

Sadly, that seems to be common around here too. The local Radio Shack is next to a Rent-A-Center. Looking at some of the vehicles out front, with six dirty kids brawling around inside, and momma on her cellphone talking about making her weekly payment on her TV.

Almost the same thing in Radio Shack. Often I have to wait a few minutes to check out because the every salesmen is busy selling someone a cell phone. It is incredible how many times I've witnessed the clerk filling out the reference paperwork and the "applicant for service" has no idea what address he/she was living at six months ago, where they were allegedly working, etc.

[radiotvnut]

Originally Posted by tvcollector

That's a bit odd, usually the poor don't care if it's a CRT or flat screen..

About 20 years ago, I had a 17" early '60's RCA VHF-only TV that I was using in my room, until I found a set with UHF. I advertised the old RCA on a radio call-in show and a young guy called about it. I told him it was an old B&W tube set without UHF tuning; but, it still worked good and I wanted $25 for it. He said he didn't care how old it was or if it was B&W, just so it worked. He said they'd just gotten married, didn't have much money, and that $25 TV would do just fine. About a year later, I heard through the grapevine that they were still using the TV.

I can't say that everybody I've dealt with were that easy to please. I've even tried to give numerous burn-out victims large size (to me) color TV's; but, no, they didn't want them because they were too old, not big enough, didn't have the latest features, etc. Well, OK, if you are in a position to tell me what you must have; then, you can afford a new TV.

A while back, I was trying to sell a mid '80's basic 19" Sony Trinitron TV that worked great for $25. Some young guy looks at it and turns it down because it didn't have A/V jacks on it. He claimed he was putting the TV in his kid's room and needed something with jacks. I explained how to use a VCR or an RF modulater to accomplish the same purpose; but, he claimed that was too much trouble. I started to ask him what he expected for $25; but, kept my mouth shut. Back during the time that I sold the B&W for $25, I could have easily gotten $125 for this Sony.

Yeah, many poor people are going to have a big TV, especially since there's a rent-a-center nearby. They may be living in a shack; but, they're going to have that big TV and that big stereo.

[AUdubon5425]

I just can't get over the idea of making WEEKLY payments on a TV.

[lnx64]

I got two inputs on my tv. UHF and VHF.

I'm happy with that lol

[Outland]

Originally Posted by Eric H

I've seen several XBR sets at local Thrifts around here.

Goodwill has had a couple in the last year that I know of, another thrift had a nice 32" for $25.

Need a CRT set, come to my Goodwill store.
I counted 18 CRT sets and 4 projection sets, including some HD sets a couple weeks ago.

I would if I wasn't on the other end of the States!

Your stories are surprising, I had no idea tube sets were regarded in this manner.

[zenithfan1]

The thrift stores are quite picky about what they are given for free it seems. I think it's stupid. I posted a video on youtube a while back about no more tvs at Goodwill, that lasted a while and then I saw tvs there again, I tried to donate some sets and they said "NO cable ready only sets are accepted, no knob tuned stuff" I was trying to donate a really nice early '60s B/W Zenith and a few later color sets. not three months later I found a CTC 9 at the Goodwill! WTF!!?? I already have one so I called Nick and he bought it for a hundred bucks. A few months after that, I donated a '68 Sears Silvertone slimline console with owners manual in mint condition along with the aforementioned Zenith, they accepted them. I went in a day or two later ant they were sold already. I really don't think they know what they want to do, or accept for donations. I think if someone is nice enough to donate something nice and or useful, they should take it and put a price tag on it. Someone will buy it.

[magnasonic66]

Zenithfan1, I couldn't agree with you more. Our Goodwills still sell CRT television fortunately. My last really exciting one was a $10 Zenith 19" table set, and the very last tv I picked up was a General Electric tv clock radio. Their ShopGoodwill site sells some old tvs at least. They must be getting a little smarter.

[bgadow]

What they will or won't accept seems to vary widely from store to store and time to time; it seems there is a lot of turnover in management, for one thing. The nearest GW hadn't had anything but a couple small BPC sets for the better part of a year but then last month we stopped by and they had an RCA console from about '53 (but overpriced for its condition) and a Zenith Space Phone console.

[Eric H]

Stopped by GW today and most of the sets in the picture are gone, don't know if they sold them or Recycled them?