Rapid Rudy's TV

[Phil Nelson]

I drive by this place a few times every week. I like the retro look of the joint, although I doubt there's anything old inside. The owner should have a 1960 Thunderbird parked outside

Phil Nelson

[Robert Grant]

Might not hurt to stop in and take a look.

With an exterior like that, he's probably still waiting for customers to buy his dozen of 21FJP22s leaning against the wall.

I knew of a drugstore that closed a few years ago - still trying to sell a new Polaroid Automatic 430 Land Camera!

[zenithfan1]

Yeah! go check it out and let us know what's in there! (Probably BPC but who knows) I wish we still had shops that looked like that around here. They all disappeared about ten years ago or more. I want that big Zenith sign out front, but that isn't a surprise coming from me. LOL

[wa2ise]

Today's rapid repair job on BPC would likely be: remove back from bad TV (assuming the back has the serial number sticker on it), go find a working TV of the same make and model in the warehouse, remove its back, and install the back from the bad TV on the new TV set. Toss the old backless TV. Repair job is done! And give the customer the extra remote control as a bonus.

[bgadow]

I'd be in there in a heartbeat. A very safe bet that this place has some great stuff stacked somewhere. Oh, maybe not NOS round color tubes, but certainly tools, parts, equipment, service literature, etc. Not all that much different from the shop I'm helping to clean out right now. At first glance maybe nothing exciting, but get digging deeper...

[kx250rider]

It depends on the shop's owner. I know a German guy in Chatsworth, CA, who has his store so jam-packed with old TVs and radios that he, himself, can't get in. His workbench is now outside in the parking lot with a tin roof over it, and wire fence around. He won't part with anything; NOTHING! You (LITERALLY) can see 21FJP22s stacked face-down, on a top shelf, about 10 rows into the back lot. If anyone is a German WWII veteran, they might have a chance to get in good with the guy. The shop on the south side of Devonshire St., just west of Jordan Ave (east of Topanga Canyon Bl/Route 27). It's called Radio Thiem, Inc. Owner's name is Horst, and he does speak some English... German is better. He was in the Luftwave in World War II, and is well into his 80s or even 90s by now. Still there every day, puttering around out back of the store. He drives a Karmann-Ghia, so if it's there, he's most likely there. Don't tell him where you saw this info, just say you've been driving by and finally stopped in. Why am I disclosing this tip? I don't have time/room to take all that stuff if/when the time comes, and I don't want it lost to the County of Los Angeles when the need arises at some point to clear the lot... I've been watching it for 24 years now, and I stop and say Hi now & then. You can Google Earth it, just look up the corner of Devonshire St and Jordan Ave in zip 91311, and his building is the second store west of Jordan on the south side of Devonshire. Has a huge billboard mounted behind and over the store. It's the only store in that block with a junk yard in the parking lot out back, and I could see the 21FJP22s last time I looked at Google Earth.

I also know a shop in Los Angeles, which has been in business since 1936, and no TV sits more than about 10 minutes beyond when it's deemed junk. Straight out!

Charles

[zenith2134]

kx250rider has it right, IMO. I've seen the type of repair shop where even the busted-up, cracked BPC cabinets are saved. However, I've also seen guys chuck out working sets because they couldn't stand keeping 'em around.

Judging by the looks of this shop, it certainly could hold a treasure-trove of old gear and knowledge. Worth looking into...

Hopefully the owner(s) are friendly towards preservationists/collectors. Some of these guys just don't get it, and have laughed me right out of the store for even mentioning tube-powered TV sets.

[truetone36]

There's an older shop about 30 miles from me. I finally stopped in awhile back and I'm glad I did. I got several sets and a unch of NOS parts and tubes. The owner has a storage shed in back with more goodies. I made sure he has my phone number for when he decides to part with any of it. Take a chance and stop in, you may be pleasantly surprised.

[newhallone]

My buddys neighbor used to fix tv's and he died in the late 80's early 90's and all of his stuff still sits in his house and his wife wont part with it.

[wa2ise]

There was a TV shop in River Edge NJ that had a Zenith sign above the door, and a few CRT TVs in the window. But about 5 years ago another shop in the same building had some plumbing work done, and it seems the plumber used a blowtorch to connect some new pipe, and may have started a smoldering fire that erupted late at night and burned the place to the ground. Thankfully no one was in the building. But the TV shop owner must have decided to not rebuild his shop.

Was going to visit the shop, once I did but I happened to pick the day of the week he took off, Wednesdays. Never did manage to stop by when he was open...

[msimendi]

WA2ISE,

There's "TV Doctor" in Oakland, NJ. He's still in business. He fixed my '64 Zenith 16 inch portable. He's got some old tube stuff right in the window.

Mark
KF2FD

[bandersen]

Along the same vein, here's a shop in IL that just closed up:

For 16 years I owned and operated Frenchlace Antiques in Paxton Il. I closed up shop and am offering all radio related items for sale. Approx, 20,000 Vacuum Tubes 1/2 are NOS Manuals tools test equipment, radios, speakers etc. I will post pics soon. This is a very large offering. Feel free to contact me for more info.

http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/ele/1165391693.html


How awesome would that be! 20,000 tubes

[Sandy G]

Originally Posted by kx250rider

It depends on the shop's owner. I know a German guy in Chatsworth, CA, who has his store so jam-packed with old TVs and radios that he, himself, can't get in. His workbench is now outside in the parking lot with a tin roof over it, and wire fence around. He won't part with anything; NOTHING! You (LITERALLY) can see 21FJP22s stacked face-down, on a top shelf, about 10 rows into the back lot. If anyone is a German WWII veteran, they might have a chance to get in good with the guy. The shop on the south side of Devonshire St., just west of Jordan Ave (east of Topanga Canyon Bl/Route 27). It's called Radio Thiem, Inc. Owner's name is Horst, and he does speak some English... German is better. He was in the Luftwave in World War II, and is well into his 80s or even 90s by now. Still there every day, puttering around out back of the store. He drives a Karmann-Ghia, so if it's there, he's most likely there. Don't tell him where you saw this info, just say you've been driving by and finally stopped in. Why am I disclosing this tip? I don't have time/room to take all that stuff if/when the time comes, and I don't want it lost to the County of Los Angeles when the need arises at some point to clear the lot... I've been watching it for 24 years now, and I stop and say Hi now & then. You can Google Earth it, just look up the corner of Devonshire St and Jordan Ave in zip 91311, and his building is the second store west of Jordan on the south side of Devonshire. Has a huge billboard mounted behind and over the store. It's the only store in that block with a junk yard in the parking lot out back, and I could see the 21FJP22s last time I looked at Google Earth.

I also know a shop in Los Angeles, which has been in business since 1936, and no TV sits more than about 10 minutes beyond when it's deemed junk. Straight out!

Charles

Deutschland, Deutschland Uber Alles... Whatever it takes, baby...(grin)

[bgadow]

A friend of mine is selling a lot of 20,000 tubes. I think he wants $500. I bought the last lot (smaller) that he had but no room or $$$ for this one. No audio stuff, he picked out the "good ones".

[jeyurkon]

I don't know if this is still valid, but might be of interest for parts.

http://www.mounttaborservices.com/tv/index.htm

John