No more Tvs at Goodwill

[zenithfan1]

You're right Doug, but you do run across XL-100s, Chromacolor IIs and other cool '70s stuff from time to time. You are right about the tube sets too, it has been a while since I found a decent one at a place like that. AnalogDigit, I also would rather find another CRT set and a converter, cable or satellite rahter than getting a flat piece of crap. Glad I have a few saved off tho the side for later daily use.

[drh4683]

Yes very true. Chroma II's and XL-100s do show up every so often. That will be the death some of the best sets ever. Lots of those seem to still be out there working just fine.
I can't tell you how many people ask me at the estate sales what Im going to do with all my old TVs once the transition takes place. Its annoying too, as it makes you wonder if people have seen the millions of digital converter box commercials.

I guess its like the old sayinig "its not cable ready" so that means the TV is junk. Yet people didn't realize for the last 30 years that you can tune the old TV to channel 3 and watch it through a cable box or VCR. WTF are people thinking? We're seeing the same thing with the digital converter box now.

[zenith2134]

Good point. You can't sit through a half hour sitcom without seeing the DTV spot at least once these days! Guess advertising doesn't work...I agree it hasn't registered with people here either. I've been asked this a few times already. "Guess you're gonna have to buy a new one now!" was one line I heard, almost as if the guy enjoyed that

This transition marks a special time in our hobby IMO. You can bet there are a lot of old sets sitting in attics and basements all over the USA. Hopefully they'll still turn up years after the transition; although the new e-waste recycling laws are upon us too..... Double whammy to the hobby.

My prediction is that, in the future, a lot of people will realize that a CT-100 or roundie set is too interesting to just toss. However, the 70s and 80s sets will be doomed since they're 'just another old tv'.

[radiotvnut]

Originally Posted by drh4683

Yes very true. Chroma II's and XL-100s do show up every so often. That will be the death some of the best sets ever. Lots of those seem to still be out there working just fine.
I can't tell you how many people ask me at the estate sales what Im going to do with all my old TVs once the transition takes place. Its annoying too, as it makes you wonder if people have seen the millions of digital converter box commercials.

I guess its like the old sayinig "its not cable ready" so that means the TV is junk. Yet people didn't realize for the last 30 years that you can tune the old TV to channel 3 and watch it through a cable box or VCR. WTF are people thinking? We're seeing the same thing with the digital converter box now.

Many people just don't understand or they are looking for any excuse to buy a new TV. Just the other day, a girl in her mid 20's was asking me all about the DTV transition. She thought all she needed was a set of rabbit ears that proclaimed "digital ready". She knew nothing about the converter boxes or the coupon program. I was trying to tell her how the boxes worked and all I did was confuse her more. I ended up telling her to call me when she got her coupons and I'd help her from there.

I think the only reason I'm finding TV's at the SA is because I live in Hicksville, USA. Now, don't get me wrong. Hicksville is not a bad place to be sometimes. We haven't gone "totally green" yet; but, it's probably coming.

Over the past few months; I've found an early '60's Magnavox B&W TV/phono combo, a 17" CCII, and a 23" CCII. I might could find more if I'd visit more often; but, my financial status is sort of putting a strain on that. I don't go to many estate sales because my Mother hates taking me to them (I don't drive) and my neighbor who doesn't mind taking me recently broke his leg; so, no driving for him for now. What estate sales I have attended were not that great. In this town of less than 40K, there just isn't that many good ones. Most of the yard/garage sales are a joke. Most of the yard/garage sellers around here are young couples in their 20's and 30's just trying to sell off their unwanted clothes and modern furniture. Oh, you might find a 2001 19" Orion or some POS like that; but, nothing really of interest. They look at you with their finger up their butt if you ask about anything vintage.

Yes, I'd much rather have a vintage set with a converter than a newer DTV. At this moment, I have a 32" RCA SDTV with built in digital tuner that needed a new flyback and HOT. It's picture quality is lacking and it's DTV reception is not the best. I've been trying to sell this TV for the past 2.5 months with zero interest. I'm about ready to take it outside and shoot it!

[Phil Nelson]

Originally Posted by drh4683

been quite a number of years since I found a "vintage" TV at the resale shop.

I quit going to thrift stores about 10 years ago. Here it is illegal to throw TVs in the landfill. A few months ago, I paid a $25 recycling fee to get rid of a trashed 1980s TV carcass. Why would the charities take them if they have no way to tell on the spot whether they're working or repairable, and might have to pay to get rid of them?

Phil

[zenith2134]

Hey, I lived in Hicksville for a year! (lol, but seriously I did)

[bgadow]

Last night my wife was trying to watch a movie on tv using the converter box. It kept freezing up. I've explained to her before that, sometime between now and February, I need to take the good antenna off of the shed roof and get it up on the chimney. She could not understand what I was saying. The way she understood things, digital meant you no longer needed an antenna of any kind, just that box. Now, this is a very intelligent woman who hangs around me all the time...and I know I had explained it all before. Lord help the average person out there.

[colortrakker]

Originally Posted by radiotvnut

I think the only reason I'm finding TV's at the SA is because I live in Hicksville, USA. Now, don't get me wrong. Hicksville is not a bad place to be sometimes.

I had to look at your location again to see if you were from THAT Hicksville. No thrift stores there that I know of, but there is an IKEA...and loads more traffic and sprawl than your Hicksville.

[zenith2134]

Bgadow, intelligent people don't seem to get this either. You know, us TV folks are a rare breed.....we understand stuff that most people never yearned to know and never will. Think digital will be more of an issue over analog since analog usually requires a mere paperclip to at least get 1 or 2 snowy stations. (with no lock-up naturally) But as you say, I have some experience with TV's and sometimes struggle to receive certain digital channels with a 3 story high rooftop!

colortrakker, somewhere down the road from that IKEA in Hicksville there's an old '81 Zenith 19 inch that I left there when I moved out (likely dumped though; too many sets. )

[jaymanaa]

The Salvation Army by me quit taking console stereos about a year ago.

[kx250rider]

Well, sometimes there's a positive side of these things... Think about how common roundies would be today, if they hadn't lined the alleys on trash day all through the 80s. So as the 70s & 80s color TVs go to the recycler, they will become more rare, more interesting, and more young people will spot them and be interested to save them. The Chromacolor II of today will be the CTC-5 of 2020. Somewhere I have a picture of a backyard behind an old TV repair shop in West Los Angeles that I took in about 1978. The entire yard was set up like a Pick-A-Part junkyard for roundie consoles and combos. Hundreds of them, piled up in the rain. I couldn't understand at that time why anyone would keep those. Back then, the newest "collectible" TV was a late 40s B&W, and no color set was collectible, except maybe for the CT-100. I paid $300 for my first CT-100, and that was from a well-known collector who felt it was a high price!

Charles

[Snade]

It's clearly a space issue at the thrifts. I've noticed the Electronics shelves are packed with mostly 80's and 90's black plastic electronics and a lot of computer printers that nobody wants take up a lot of space.

And a lot of these 80's and 90's TV's are big and really heavy and their shelves are not deep enough to hold them. The thrifts don't want to bother placing them on the floor where they create foot traffic problems.

Too bad.

[AUdubon5425]

I went to a bunch of thrift stores and garage sales yesterday - the first time I made a day of it in four years. Very disappointing. Found one off-brand 13" B&W from the 80's (didn't look at price) and an early-70's? Panasonic portable B&W for $25. Ugh. Hundreds of monochrome computer monitors and Chinese clock radios though. One thrift I used to patronize went to a policy of giving 50% off of everything, but they tripled-quadrupled their prices. The flea market I visited is 1/5 the size it was 10 years ago - and the sellers, while visibly desperate for business, overprice everything. I mean, who's gonna pay $150 for a damaged Zenith console stereo? The same guy had tons of 45's marked at $1.00 a piece - I asked him how much he'd charge if I bought a bunch, like 50, and he said $1.00 a piece.

The sad thing is these were stores in places not affected by flooding 3 years ago. Katrina wiped out 90% of the old stuff around here, but you can definitely see the changes in the thrift store's attitudes.

[radiotvnut]

A little B&W TV for $25? What rock have these sellers been under? I haven't sold a B&W for $25 since the early '90's. Yes, we have "thrift" stores here that price their stuff for as much, or more, than what I can buy it new for. Like I said before, the SA is the only thrift around here that I can deal with.

My local SA is loaded with older computer monitors and other obsolete computer equipment. The manager told me that he had a guy come in every couple of months looking for computers. He told me he'd make me (or someone else) a real good deal if they would buy all the computer stuff. He agreed with me that it's just about impossible to give away older computer stuff.

[waltchan]

More screams and pains will be coming. When February 17, 2009 comes, I bet there will be 50 more "save this set" threads. If you want to increase your chance of finding vintages, you may as well just be at the e-waste drop-off center 1 hour prior to opening and ask all the people coming in what set they will be getting rid of. Be careful with the e-waste employees who will harass you to leave or risk getting arrested if stealing one of their precious, unwanted e-waste items. All the e-waste dump centers I've been to have at least one police officer standing around. All the e-waste centers were smart enough to hire only younger people (20s) who have no sympathies at all with vintage, obsolete components. I have seen one RCA XL-100 taking out from one's car, and was thrown more than one feet in air landed into the waste collection pile as 80% destroyed. I have seen new-in-box, never used, higher-end Sony Trinitron TVs got kicked around, wrapped around with three ropes (with the new TV smell), while sliding them into the pile. I have seen wooden console TVs and projection TVs being cut into half with an electric tree cutter saw to million pieces, and that includes Zenith Chromocolor IIs. I have also seen small CRT TVs, say a 70s 10" Panasonic, that were taken apart by some employees to remove the picture tubes, and used the picture tubes as a ball to play basketball or hit me games. I have seen several old 80s RCA console TVs being donated from the e-waste center to entertainment industry who will be using them only to turn on the TV, and then pour 10 gallons of beer inside each TV only for it to electrify and explode as part of the filming process. I have seen several large CRT TVs dropped off that required tube smashing in because they would not fit into their truck. All the 20-30 year old employees enjoyed smashing and destroying the vintage electronics to death. Imagine what it is like if you were a TV itself, say a Zenith Chromocolor II, that got sawed and bleed to death with broken bones, heart, lever, leg, head, etc...]

Shocking, huh. Yep, it really happened, so you know there are more hidden, secret stories with e-waste centers that you don't already know of.