Video of the last TV dealers
 

Hey guys, I ran across this and it is so neat! It's a YT video of dealers that were still open or still around possibly. Nearly 3/4 of the way through you will see a dealer with a working CT-100 right after a blip of a dealer showing off the RGB knob of a Zenith roundie.

Just wanted to share it with the VK community! I really got a kick outta it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nr0cR...eature=related

I gotta say that I feel like one of the very lucky ones to have worked in a TV/VCR sales and service shop here in Sacramento, CA back in 1995 to 1996. This was a family owned repair shop and Mike and Mercedes the owners were the nicest people ever. My family was close to thiers and my grandmother bowled on the woman's team with Mercedes. The shop had a full service area in the back and a sales floor in the front. Authorized RCA and Zenith boasted on the front window.

The company sold to the highest bidder in 2006. Work died off for Mike and the transition to flat panels killed his repair end. Prices were incompetitive for him.
I was lucky to be in the last phase of "mom and pop" repair/sales shops even though I was 18 at the time. It truely was an experience of a lifetime, I can just imagine what the 40's, 50's, 60's 70's and 80's were like for the television sales/service industry. Had to be a fun ride!

Hello,

thank you very much for this link. Great televisions and great footage!

Here are some other interesting videos:

The Oldest Television TV still in service. Marconi EMI model 706 904:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9u5714WyFE

Part two:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJYCWjt0rkk

German television - mid 1930s:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhvdARdbQFk

Kind regards,
Eckhard

Is the CT-100 in the video on the survivors' list?

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I know Sacramento Video carried RCA, GE and some Zenith brands.
I swear I remember a few Sentry2 27" sets that wouldn't sell in the back of the shop. One became the daily watcher in the tech area, always playing.
Of course that was before I worked there, after school I would go to my dad's work (family owned machine shop) and I used to venure over to Mikes shop to check out sets and the such. I was very intrigued my electronics at a young age and Mike would let me go back and check out what the tecs did and watch them repair sets. I remember the area of repaired sets and there one was a portacolor there. He still had a shelf of tubes and a tester then. This was around 1991.

That is where I got my first Sony KV-1220U. He repaired some component in it (I don't remember what it was) and the owner never came to pick it up. He sold it to me months later for like $20 bucks or something like that. I remember it had a semi weak tube. Alot of pink where white was and a pinkish raster. Eventually in my early years of tinkering I remember I managed to break off the Red drive knob and cracked the PCB. The raster went like all yellow. My dad got rid of it when I had it spread all over my bedroom floor after he told me a bunch of times to clean it up and I didn't. lol

I'm just glad your out of prison :)

That was very interesting.

Most electronics dealers specialized in carrying one major brand. As opposed to the chain stores, a dealer could order you whatever was available in the brochure.

Just another thing we lost when the Big Boxes took over...

That was really cool. I love the old commericals and video footage. Whos collection is that we see? He had alot of nice sets there! By the way, that 29JC20 they did a close up of had the wrong tuning knob on it!

At 3:15-3:29 there was some video footage from Zenith, apparently he was interviewing the man who worked for Zenith and he must have been giving some kind of report or product/plant tour in that 1960's film. I would love to see video footage of the Zenith plant in action back in the 60's. Thousands of people worked there, including those in my family and to see video footage of a 25MC33 chassis or anything being built would be priceless for me to see.

I understand that the Zenith distributor in Portland OR (Electrical Distributors Inc.) Has a large collection of "portholes" and later Zenith sets... sorta surprised to see a CT-100 there, however. According to the yellow pages, the location of EDI is very near the exit off the bridge in the first scene.
jr

Thanks for the link - very cool. Makes me want to head out there and buy a set :yes:

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As recently as 1980 or later, Magnavox still had dealers selling only its brand, at least in the Chicago area. I worked at a small store that started selling Magnavox items when the Magnavision laser disc player was first released in that area in 1980.

Loved that video! I have very fond memories of working at my Uncle's Sales/Repair shop in the late 70's. I still remember unpacking NEW Chromacolor 2's! I also remember the big switch to the System 3 sets. We also carried a few secondary brands in later years so as not to lose a sale. Zeniths were VERY high priced. We sold GE's for a bit, but they were junk and broke on the sales floor (the VIR era sets). We also sold Philco's (rebadged Sylvania's) they were actually pretty good. However... we had those sets in another section of the store. No matter what other set we had, they NEVER looked as good side by side to a Zenith.
We actually had 2 other dealers in a town of 2000. We had an RCA dealer. They ended up getting their distributorship pulled for "bait and switch" and had to take down their RCA sign. They then sold Magnavox. We also had another dealer who sold Sylvania. I thin he was PO's that we also sold Philco. (since they were the SAME set altho cheaper in price) That same dealer also ended up selling Zenith after my Uncle quit selling TV's. He picked it up right in the era of the bad picture tubes... kinda felt sorry for him.. lol!

I know there was one Maggie dealer in downtown Aliquippa, PA which I see when I drive past when on deliveries. I can see the faded letters where they used to hang on the building. Aliquippa is not too bad in some places now, but in the steel days of the Pittsburgh area, it must have been a bustling place. I'll see if I can steal a shot of it with my cellphone.

There is a member of VK who still does repair sets for a living. I met with him in person, Wonderful gentelman to do business with. Matter of fact, He is who I got the Hoffman from and am currently restoring it. Says he's was at one time a dealer and repairman for sets and now is just a serviceman. Honest as they come to. He is located in El Paso, TX. If I were still there I would take all my work to him. But the last thing I had him work on was a Panasonic CT-216A that is dead. He told me what was wrong, ( Which I don't remember now.) and left it at that. Found the bad part and gave me an estimate of repairs. Could'nt afford it so I told him no, He understood and all I had to pay him was the original estimate. Unlike the newer chains that just take it upon themselves to do the work then shaft you with the bill whether or not you wanted the work done and if you don't pay you don't get your equipment back. What happened to honest service like that?

Here is a quick snapshot of the Magnavox dealer that was in Aliquippa, PA. I was on delivery and driving so I could only manage a quick snapshot with my cellphone camera. I know a tree is blocking part ofthe sign but you can tell that there was a store there that sold Magnavox TV's and radios.