Stupid waste of vintage TVs

[fsjonsey]

The EPA "green" disposal laws, and the ones that state governments enact, are destroying more vintage electronics and creating more pollution than they were intended to prevent.

To be honest, I'm sick of all of this "Green" BS, especially recycling.
Metal is the only material that is not a net energy and monetary loss to recycle. Paper, Cardboard, and Plastic consume more fossil fuels and create more pollution when recycled than it takes to make new, virgin products. If it wasn't for government subsidies and EPA mandates, I doubt we'd do it at all.

[NowhereMan 1966]

Originally Posted by radiotvnut

On dumpsters: It's now considered a "crime" around here to "dumpster dive." A friend of mine got very mad because a deputy ran him out of a dumpster. He said "they need to be out catching real criminals instead of worrying about me fishing something out of the garbage to sell." The reason for all of this is to prevent lawsuits by people "getting hurt" while fishing out garbage. My take on all that is "enter at your own risk." Of course, there is still plenty of "dumpster diving." If I see something I want beside a dumpster, I'm getting it unless someone of authroity stops me!

On a positive note, there was one church run thrift store in town that was run by a nice lady that actually tried to help me find old stuff. They actually gave me a beat up German stereo once. I would drop in and buy some things from them and I have given them some things. The only problem is that they went "belly up" without warning. Why is it that the good one's fold?

The least these ahole stores could do is not destroy something before trashing it. I guess they have the attitude that if "they can't sell it, then no one else is going to get any use out of it for free."

Yeah, I dunno what the laws here in PA are for "dumpster diving" but my grade school buddy and I do it every so often, On one of his trips, a video rental store was closing and tossed thousands of DVD movies in the dumpster, my buddy snagged them all and gave me a few hundred dupes he has. Myself, I came up with a console stereo CD player, a GE model, made in May of 1984. Plays perfectly, the only thing wrong, the disc tray does not eject, all that is needed is a new belt or a rubber band will do and she is fine. I have an old Panasonic RA-6500 (the one with the cassette) I'll hook it up to or if I get more components, I'll use my JVC JIL-S100 instead.

I'm not an obsessive "greenie" in which I believe in the religion of global warming, we all should drive Prius'es, and banning regular light bulbs, that is way too far, but I do think we are such a wasteful society and I think everything from the environment to our history and heritage suffers for it.

[NowhereMan 1966]

Originally Posted by kx250rider

The State of California government has a program that gives big bucks (our tax money) to companies in order to crush TVs and "get the hazardous waste out of the hands of the public". That's a true greenie lefty liberal lunatic feel-good law that was foisted on us about 4 years ago. Same time they passed the law that sends you to jail of you throw anything in the trash with motor oil on it, and mandates that your car be seized and crushed (at your expense) if you knowingly allow your car's emissions system to be messed with.

Charles

You've got to be kidding, they crunch your car if you mess with the emission system. Then again, I believe it. They spend more time and money on this crap than going after murderers and keeping them behind bars for life where they belong. Sometimes I think there is more freedom in Russia, even under Putin, than we have here in the U.S., at least they have a flat tax system and, IIRC, you can own a fully automatic weapon over there. I joked in 1984 when I was in high school, "what if the USSR became the USA and the USA became the USSR?" Looks like we are going to find out if things go the way they are going.

Sorry for the OT rant. Getting back on the subject, us collecting old TV's and electronics, I think that is the best way to save them from polluting the environment. Let's face it, we keep them out of the landfills by collecting, admiring and using them.

Getting back to the USSR/Russia, as Yakov Smiroff said, "whatta country!"

[sampson159]

the " green people" are some of the rudest,nastiest folks you ever meet. i have to deal with them on a everyday basis. always right,will argue something they know nothing about. idiots. of course to recycle and reuse something is the ultimate "green" situation. if all these things are killing us,then why do we live so long? television is killing us? maybe the programming,but not the set itself. ex hippies and freaks that are driving this country to shambles. no common sense.

[NowhereMan 1966]

Originally Posted by sampson159

the " green people" are some of the rudest,nastiest folks you ever meet. i have to deal with them on a everyday basis. always right,will argue something they know nothing about. idiots. of course to recycle and reuse something is the ultimate "green" situation. if all these things are killing us,then why do we live so long? television is killing us? maybe the programming,but not the set itself. ex hippies and freaks that are driving this country to shambles. no common sense.

Agreed. It seems like if you challenge them, then you are a heretic who should be boiled in oil or burned at the stake. I fear if they could get away with it, they would have their own version of the Spanish Inquistion. Yeah, maybe TV is killing some of us, well, if one is a couch potato and unfit in health plus as you put it, the programming. Heck some of the programming out there lowers the average IQ of the world, but I guess to each his/her own. Yes, we do have/had problems and we have come along way in making things cleaner on our own and we are better for it, but if taken too far, it can hurt us in the long run.

[radiotvnut]

Oh well, I'm going to forget about the "thrift" stores. I just sent this wanted ad to a local paper:

WANTED: Old tube-type TV's, working or not, from the '50's, '60's, & early '70's. These are the type that took a minute to "warm up" and usually have rotary knob tuners.

Maybe I'll get a few before they get crushed. I put that last line in there to try to eliminate someone calling me with a 2004 Durabrand "tube TV". I had been running ad's for general free pick-up of TV's; but, I was getting way too much new stuff and not enough old stuff. I get enough new stuff from the TV shop and can't seem to give them away when I fix them.

[Alaric]

xxx

[peverett]

Andy, so you are moving to Austin. I have lived in Buda, Austin Suburb, for 23 years. Austin is the nicest large city in Texas. The only issue is the 4 months of hot every summer(but you do not shovel it). I have not seen the attitude mentioned in this thread in Austin(although it may exist).

As far as TVs, the population of Austin was 200,000 in the mid 1960s and is over 1000000 now. It has trippled since I have lived here. Due to this, there are not too many TVs older than 1980 showing up in thrift stores, etc. But, there are three antique radio clubs in Texas, including one in the Austin area. I am a member of all three and have no trouble finding all the old TVs(through this newtwork) that my wife will allow.

If you do move to Austin, I can set you up with old TVs for a good price(free). I cleaned out an old TV shop and still have the surplus in my garage.

[andy]

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[peverett]

House prices in Austin are much more reasonable than the Bay area. However, basements are not common here either, but houses are larger.

In addition, the city of San Antonio is only around 70 miles away for more TV hunting. There are many small towns around as well.

There are several hamfests, etc. around Austin, but I do not know of a large scale electronic flea market such as the Bay area has.

[fsjonsey]

Originally Posted by sampson159

the " green people" are some of the rudest,nastiest folks you ever meet. i have to deal with them on a everyday basis. always right,will argue something they know nothing about. idiots. of course to recycle and reuse something is the ultimate "green" situation. if all these things are killing us,then why do we live so long? television is killing us? maybe the programming,but not the set itself. ex hippies and freaks that are driving this country to shambles. no common sense.

The "green" movement today is little more than a cover used by Marxists and socialists to push their agenda. I feel bad for those who genuinely do care about the environment, for they are being used to push a political agenda of "social equality", wealth redistribution and global Governance.

[Sandy G]

Uhh, guys, come on, let's lay off the politics, OK ?

[fsjonsey]

Originally Posted by Sandy G

Uhh, guys, come on, let's lay off the politics, OK ?

Sorry, I just get worked up about that.

[zenithfan1]

Originally Posted by freakaftr8

I know the feeling, it's just as bad here, it is a beautiful area and lots of culture and great history, too many people take for granted, not to gloat, but i am for one of those people that let people pull out into traffic and say hi to the neighbors, (although I get a smug grunt in return). Oh well, just seems to be the concesus of the mind here, and for that it's too bad that buisness owners won't take the time to pull thier heads from thier *** to understand the beauty of vintage electronics and the collectors that would be restoring them and not throwing it into some field or stream! Mostly it seems that these such companies are owned by young ontrapuneurs that dont have a clue what they are taking in and have no care for the history and the keepsake factors involved, (just recycle it) in the head of these people! Berkeley must be the worst due to the "green" feeling I get when im there. But even though this may never change and it will probably get worse, (and I dont like to think this way). The more our sets will be not only worth in some timeline but the ownership pride too! Kinda like a 57 Corvette.

Preach on brother! I've been saying this for awhile, people are like this in WI too

[andy]

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