|
I closed up shop back in 1998. I suppose I "saw the writing on the wall" a little earlier than some.
Up until the early 90's, there were plenty of repair shops in Knoxville and the surrounding communities. Many were owned by older guys who had been repairing TV sets since WATE channel 6 went on the air in Knoxville. I knew a good many of them, and (for the most part), we were friendly with each other and shared parts and expertise freely.
The first wave of closures came mostly from retirements. I remember buying parts and service literature from several shops where the owners retired. The second wave of closures came as folks went broke.
My last friend in the business closed up last year. He had kept his doors open by doing work for a hospital, a few motels, the school system, and a local college. When they changed over to LCD sets, his repair jobs from those sources dried up. I remember him telling me in about 2007 that he couldn't make enough on retail customer jobs to stay in business.
|