bought my first vintage set
 

http://images.craigslist.org/3Id3M33...1544ec1e5e.jpg

Picked this up today, hopefully the first of many more. Any input on this. It's a Ge wym 9396 manf. 1977

My only experiences with the YM chassis were bad flyback transformer's (common problem) and weak CRT's (another common problem). The CRT is among the first 25" inline CRT's, as opposed to delta gun CRT's that everyone else was using in their consoles at the time. The CRT looks decent in yours; but, I'd try to track down a spare flyback. The flyback's for those sets were hard to get 20 years ago.

I also like the fact that this set uses regular mechanical tuners. GE used electronic tuning in their more upscale sets that could be a real problem.

Just be glad you didn't get the EM chassis. Those were a real bear, along with the 19" EC chassis.

I took a few minutes to warm up. It was acting all weird for a few minutes, then it got a real nice picture.

At $35 did i overpay?

If you like it, I'd say $35 is fair. There was a time I could have easily gotten $100 for this set; but, the general public has gotten so they won't take a console TV, even if it's free. I recently had a nice '84 Zenith console that I tried to sell for $30, then for $20, and then for $15. After I got tired of looking at it and listening to all the idiot callers who expected to get a new TV for $15 with them not even knowing what a "floor model" TV was, I gave it to a friend who sells second-hand stuff. He got lucky and someone happened to come by his sale who wanted a console TV; so, he sold it to them for $25. Since then, I've turned down two console TV's that I could have gotten for free; but, I have no room to keep them and I'd likely be stuck with them.

If you see something that you like and the price seems fair; then, go for it. However, don't get too hasty to fork over money for '70's and newer TV's. If you do some looking and get the word out, people will be more than happy to give them to you in order to get them out of the way.

Where I'm at, the entire east coast seems real dry on late 60's thru mid 70's full size color sets. sets from the 80's? cl is flooded with good working models for free. Either that or their earlier black and whites

I don't see too many pre-'80's TV's in my area. Even 12" B&W's are getting hard to find; but, I get them whenever they turn up.

Growing up in the '80's and '90's, I remember when almost everyone had a big floor model TV in the living room and there were still a good many vacuum tube TV's in service. Up until the late '90's, I was always finding tube and early solid state color/B&W TV's. Shortly after the turn of the century, it seems like the supply of vintage TV's was suddenly turned off.

I first started picking up broken TV's to fix and resell back around 1990, as a young teenager. At that time, I was picking up broken 12" B&W's at yard sales for a dollar or two. I could usually fix them for a few dollars in parts and sell them for $20-$25. Then, I started picking up color TV's and I could get very good money for just about any color TV.

I think what's happening is that the supply of pre-'80's TV's around here has about run out. I'm sure there are some stuck back here and there; but, when people dig them out, they toss them without making any effort to find a home for them because they see them as an "old worthless obsolete TV" that no one would possibly want.

Over the years, I've stashed away a few TV's for my use because CRT TV's are NLA on the new market and I detest flatscreen TV's. I grew up watching various CRT-based color and B&W TV's that were good enough back then and they are good enough today.

Hey! Nice score. I love the cabinet on it.
You said it was acting "weird" for the first 15 minutes? What is it doing?
As well also radiotvnut, I have a few newer sets stashed away as well, as I detest flatscreens as well. What chassis would have been after this one? My Uncle tried out carrying GE's as a secondary line around 1980-1981 (we were a Zenith dealer), but after having a ton of repairs and having a few of those GE's break down on the show room floor, he quit carrying them and went to Philco. IIRC the problems we had with the GE's were the the yokes.

i like these sets too.flybacks would arc and crts would go soft.also caps in the vertical.when these sets are operating properly,they really produce a fine picture.35.00 was a decent price for a working set.not many ge s left

Hard for me to get my mind around the fact a TV from '77-When I was in college-is now considered "Vintage"....

I admit, 77 is not what u would call the golden age of tv, but it's a far cry from the craigslist ads.

Hundreds of ads that say vinatge, and u click on it and it's a 10 yo set.

No I dont think so.... This isnt garbage remember.... I hope you have a long/enjoyable time with it! (I have seen that movie thats on the screen (The fugitive))

That is a nice looking set.

flyback ep77x30 i think i have a couple of those. steve

Still have one in a room upstairs. It does have the full digital tuning. Tube is getting a bit soft, but it will come up to normal after a bit of time. .. Rarely used, and on its THIRD fly since I got it in 1988. I would let it go for nothing "to a good home'...but NOT the "packer man". I had to save it from that fate a few times already.

those sets had one of the best and brightest pictures of all when working correctly. steve