I'm an old grouch at 33.

[rca2000]

The fan is NOT going anywhere. Of course, it is "as found" and WILL need rewired-- the cord and probably the motor wiring. But to someone who likes old fans-- it could be a prize, i'm sure!!

[daro]

I have never owned a new TV in all my life or have never brought a new stereo amp or such.

Most of my stuff is pre loved & I can apreaciate what I have. I have to put in a little work th get them going again.

My TV was made in 2000.
My stereo amp was made in the early 90's

My most prized item is a Zenith T/O 3000-1 made over 40 years ago & it still has all its original electros & resistors.

That radio will still be working when it turns 50 & it will still be as goo as the day it was made.

Kids today want the latest & greatest that will only last a short time after the warrenty comes to an end.

[superdeez]

Originally Posted by daro

My most prized item is a Zenith T/O 3000-1 made over 40 years ago & it still has all its original electros & resistors.

That radio will still be working when it turns 50 & it will still be as goo as the day it was made.

Kids today want the latest & greatest that will only last a short time after the warrenty comes to an end.

The clock radio next to my bed is an old Zenith...I'd guess the year to be maybe 1961 through about 63...not much later than 65. Still works great and I've never even had to take the back off. (Not to say that I haven't anyway.)

As for the latest&greatest, substitute kids for virtually everyone. It's a shame really that everyone thinks three years is a good run...if they even use something that long. I'll bet 50% or more of the new electronics tossed out work great. I don't know how many computers I've gotten for free when I've set up new ones for people. "Oh here, let's just take this one out to the trash." Usually I say they're "hazardous" and I'll take them to the recycling center for free! Their loss.

I heard an interesting quote when referring specifically to Mexico (but can be expanded to all of the third world) "...they use the cars we throw away..." Fact is, they use EVERYTHING we throw away. Radios, TVs, VCRs, cars, furnature.

If you think about it, what happens to all the old american gear kept clean and well serviced from depression era homes after they get crapped out the bottom of eBay and the thrift stores? They get shipped to Argentina, Mexico, The Bahamas, Costa Rica, etc., where new equipment is often scarse and too expensive.

Next time you see an old lady driving a Kia Rio, just imagine her old 78 Grand Marquis with a 351 Cleaveland and stereo 8 track player that languished out back of a used car lot for 18 months with a $3000 price tag is now the prized possession of a Nicaraguan who works 12 hours a day, 6 days a week picking sugarcane whose life just got a lot eaiser because he doesn't have to walk 11 miles to and from work every day!

I could go on...but I won't.

I'm an old grouch at 21.

[peverett]

Recently, I went to my mother's home (a small town in Oklahoma). While there I saw (in a nearby small town) an older woman drving an immaculate mid 1970s Ford (It was large one, I am not sure of the model). Even the vinyl top was immaculate. I must have been in the garage all of its life.

It would be a great car to have except for two facts:
a. It probably gets all of 10 miles to the gallon.
b. It probably drives like a large boat.

(I admit that this post is kind of off the subject TVs).

[Chad Hauris]

RE:ford, If it is a 400 engine you should get about 16 mpg or more. 460 cid will be less (4 barrel carb).
Re: computers, many times it's a software problem where Windows gets corrupted or there is spyware, viruses,etc. and people don't want to mess with it. Have seen a lot less actual hardware problems in old PC's.
Most of the discarded equipment I have seen DOES have actual problems...many times though it is bad caps or bad soldering or simply operator error. Have not had much luck on discarded DVD players though.

[bgadow]

The biggest house in my neighborhood is owned by a Haitian-American, a real nice fellow. I know of this other fellow who is from Guatamala. Both have the same trick. They go buy a cheap old minivan (a Chevy Astro with peeling paint works well) then go to Wal*Mart and buy all the cheap chainsaws, weed whackers & such that will fit inside and still leave room enough for a driver, then they drive it to the port and ship it to their relatives back home. They sell the van and its contents at a handsome profit.

Good story in the latest issue of Car and Driver about the Cuban fellow who "drove" the old Chevy pickup almost to America across the water. Now, there are some real mechanics! This guy didn't sound like he complained about not having the right tools or parts-he just went and got the job done! Now living in the US and working for a Chevy dealer. I also recall reading an article about the old cars in Cuba and the reporter admitted to sneaking in a NOS spark plug for a fifities Ford. He gave it to a guy who broke down and cried-over one spark plug!

[dr.ido]

I get many DVD players through here. They're worth so little that they are thrown out for the most trivial faults. The most common operator error faults are setting the player to progressive which turns off the the composite video, setting the unit to NTSC and only getting a B&W picture on their PAL only TV. Others are dumped because they won't read copied discs reliably.

The most common actual faults are jammed trays (stick on labels from rental or home burnt discs always cause problems), dead power supplies (usually capactors, but bad diodes, choppers and regulator ICs show up as well) and dead lasers.

I can't blame people for dumping this stuff though. The minimum charges at many repair shops are more than the elcheapo gear is worth. The only way I make anything out of them is doing them in bulk, using used parts wherever possible and getting the units themselves for almost nothing.

When a wholesaler imports this stuff they are expect to handle a certain amount of defects and it is built into the deal. The returns are usually sold off by the pallet load. Many of these pallets are bought by those discount shops offering "factory reworks". They then pallet up their left overs and returns for someone else to pick over. I've bought a couple of these pallets and done okay out of them.