Thrift stores

[Adam]

update: I just wacked the remote against my knee a couple of times and now it works.

[andy]

Originally Posted by Adam

The Zenith was sitting outside in a pile of real junker sets, it was covered in this sticky goop, but it cleaned up good. The remote looks like it's from the right year, but it has controls for both a TV and VCR, and no keypad for entering the channel numbers. And the keypad on my other remote works with this TV so I would think that the original remote would have had one. I changed the battery and that remote still doesn't work. I really don't know if it goes with this set because that thrift store throws all the remotes in a bin rather than keeping them with the TVs. This was the only one off a Zenith from around this year in the bin.

That remote was included with at least one Zenith VCR. While it could have been original to the TV, I doubt Zenith would have supplied it with a remote with no direct access. Then again, it didn't make sense to omit the keypad for the VCR either.

[Adam]

I went to a thrift store in Glendale today, I walked around and didn't see any interesting sets. The best thing I saw was 2 System III table top models in plastic cabinets that were all scrached up. I asked if they had any older sets, and the guy there said he had just broken one up recently because nobody ever buys that stuff, and all that was left was the chassis. I told him that I would be interested in any old televisions or radios that come through there and left my e-mail, in hopes of no more sets getting trashed. I went to see the chassis, worried that he had broken up something really good, but was a bit relieved when I saw it (it was off a Magnavox early rectangular color set, something I probably would have passed on anyway). I bought the tubes out of the chassis, and left the rest. I still would rather not have seen it trashed, I hope they do contact me before breaking anything else up.

[Keefla]

Originally Posted by Adam

I hope they do contact me before breaking anything else up.

im sure they will, i cant imagine its easier/more profitable to trash something (in the case of a console having to break it apart then dispose of it) then to sell it to someone.

[Chad Hauris]

I'm sure they will be glad to sell you any more old TV's and might even make an effort to haul one in while out collecting donations if they know they have a potential buyer.
I got a 1966 Magnavox color console from the thrift store for $5.00 last week...looks like it was hardly ever used. All original tubes and CRT. Cabinet would have been in mint condition but it was left out in the snow and the veneer got blistered, not too bad though. Seems to work good, will need a few adjustments of course.