TV repair shop photos/advertizing signs

[drh4683]

Here's HESS TV on Chicago's north side. I took this picture in September, 07 when I was going to estate sales. I was unaware of this shop until I drove past it one day and noticed it was another one that went under with nothing but a sign left.

The next picture was taken last weekend. I passed this place while also going to estate sales. "Adams Furniture" on 55th st. in Chicago. Back in the day when you bought a nice TV at the furniture store, note the old Zenith logo in orange on the sign, with the maytag logo next to it.

There is one other sign I have to get a photo of if its still around. Its a shop on the north side with a huge neon that has the admiral and GE logos on it. One of the best "50's" neon's

[maxm]

Is this the north side shop you were thinking of? Cole's on Lincoln Ave.



This is an older image I found on their website, the last time I want by there, the Admiral sign and the hanging sign over the door were still there and lit, but the sings on the side had been covered up with something newer.
The signs look really nice at night.

My parents bought a new stove and dishwasher there about 7 years ago, at that time everything was still done by hand with big manufacturer's catalog books and typewriters, no computers in the store. Really nice people.

[drh4683]

Max,

Thats the one! Last time I was over there was last December and I remember the sign was still present. It did look great at night. I have to see if its still there and get some night shots. The sign thats over the door that we only see the edge of in the photo has the big GE logo on it I think. Yes, they are non-computer store, all paper and pencil. Stores that give you carbon copy receipts are the best.

[ChrisW6ATV]

I remember when I worked at Gemco Electronics in downtown Chicago in 1979-80, we used the three-color carbon copy receipt machine with the big lever to dispense the finished receipt and load the next one.

[John Marinello]

Saw a few nifty old washers when I peeked in the window at Harmon's...

[cisshtfir]

thanksssssssssssss

[bgadow]

Here is the store that was in the town I grew up in, Evey's TV in Preston, MD. I took this sometime in the early/mid-90s. (one day I took a photo of basically every building in the whole town! Glad I did!) They sold Zenith until the early 80s, always GE. Started carrying RCA after GE bought them. Later on they stopped selling electronics and concentrated on appliances. They have been closed close to 10 years now, I guess.

[kx250rider]

I wish I had taken a picture of something I saw in West Los Angeles a couple years ago... They tore down a building on Santa Monica Blvd, just west of the 405 Fwy, and exposed the original artwork on what used to be a TV sales & service shop next door to the demolished building. It said "Raytheon-Belmont Television Here NOW!", along with a bunch of other painted signage. That store remained a TV shop for years; becoming Ken Crane's Magnavox City. They moved to a new building several years ago, and are still in business selling Mitsubishi.

I guess I better go get photos of the FEW remaining shops around Los Angeles. They won't have exciting neon signs, and in fact, they're pretty ugly. One in Chatsworth still has the Zenith draperies in the window, but all tattered and torn, and rain-spotted from broken windows slowly happening and fixed over the years.

Charles

[zenithfan1]

...

[bgadow]

I have mentioned the shop I am helping clean out-here it is. Tony's TV & Appliance Center in Milton, DE. He has been at this location since the 60s; it is still open, but they do have it for sale. Hey, guys, you can move near the beach and own your own TV shop!

[drh4683]

When you think of an old TV shop, this place is perfect fit for a 1950's/60's looking shop that stood still in time. Perfect building architecture for a TV shop with the tilted windows giving it an added retro look. This one is Burr Oak TV located at 127th st. and western Ave in Blue Island which is just south of Chicago. Its nice to see another shop still going in 2009. Near surburbs are basically like being in chicago still as the near suburbs share so manys similarities. I've picked up a few TV's that had the burr oak tag on them, some of the sets I have were bought new here in the late 60's.
I stopped in after work to talk to the owner. A really nice guy, hes the son of the original owner who started the business in 1951. He works by himself keeping the business alive. I had to ask how business was and he told me its nuts, been working 7 days a week for the past 3 years and that he can hardly keep up with service calls. I didn't doubt him considering what he has to work on. Look at the pictures of whats in his shop! With so many other TV shops closing down, the business, whats left of it is funneling tward him. He does LCD TV work too, told me how easy they are to fix.

What I appricated is that its a shop that respects the past and has a bit of nostalgia by putting those old TV's and tubes in the front window. Just by looking at those tube boxes, I'd say thats been on display for YEARS considering how sun faded everything is.

He didn't have much as far as old color sets, but he had a back room full of CRT's on shelves, many of which are new in box zenith rectangulars. Tons of service data and parts. I explained my interest in old sets expecting a "Whats wrong with you" type of response, but to my surprize it was the opposite. "Thats great, Im glad to hear someone is trying to keep those old sets alive" he tells me. He then offered me to take all of the old parts and CRT's for free! "This stuff has been sitting for years, I'll never use it, you are welcome to take it all". This was a nice offer on his part and we agreed to keep in touch. The shelf of CRT's was unaccessable because of the number of TV's buried in front of it. Notice this shop has "Zenith curtains" too! These ones are black white and blue. Didn't think I'd find anyone else with Zenith curtains. He told me how he got started in the business, as a young kid, his dad used to let him test all the tubes in the TV's. He also told me about the South Suburban Television Alliance which was basically a TV club for all the TV shops on the southside of Chicago. They used to have meetings on the latest and greatest and they would all share experiences with each other and help everyone out. They used to have an annual picnic with all the families invited, bowling outtings and Zenith reps of course were also invited. Basically he told me how much better things were years ago. I hear stories like this all the time and I feel like I really missed out on a very special time to be alive. All I see now is nothing but greed, people stabbing each other in the back trying to advance themselves and willing to step on anyone to get their way. Without going on that topic, I'll end it here by saying that I was pleased to meet Jim and to hear his stories and that he took time out of his busy day to show me around his shop. I would have gotten more pictures of the back room and other parts of the shop, but I didn't want him to think that I was up to something by asking to take pictures of his business. In fact, I had one guy across the street approach me when he saw me taking pictures of the outside, he asked if I was trying to buy the property! The very last picture is one of my favorite TV's in my collection which was bought new at Burr Oak TV on January 25, 1969!

[drh4683]

[zenithfan1]

That's awesome Doug! Thanks for sharing! I too love that TV, I remember when you found it. I'd like to see this place in person.

[joemama99]

I grew up in Oak Lawn.I remember that place in the 60s because my father worked in Blue Island.That place is a real step back in time! I will have to visit it on my next trip to Chicago.
Here in Florida,I have a friend that owns a shop dating back to the 50s.The inside looks just like this place with the amount of sets lying around.Unfortunately,everybody wants their old set repaired for thirty to forty dollars and they abandon them when they find out how much it really costs for repair.I don't know how much longer my freind can stay in business with things the way they are.
If he will let me,I will take some pics of his place and post them

[OvenMaster]

That old Buick is a perfect complement!
Thanks for those sensational pix!

Tom