Bob's tv in Tucson, AZ

[captainmoody]

I would love to use a time machine for this one!
From 1973 to 1975 half of my family lived in Tucson on and off while my big sis went to the U of A. In my travels I found a ratty but cool old tv shop by the name of Bob's tv on University ave. It was one of those old adobe buildings with an awning around the front.
What was so cool about it was the fact that Bob had what seemed like an endless amount of 7 and 10 inch sets from the late 40's stacked one on top of another about 5 feet high! He had them all stacked all along the front of the shop on the outside with a sign that said 5.00 each!
I thought that was so cool I had to go in and ask about them, he told me they were guaranteed not to work! And if one happened to, bring it back and he will exchange it for nothing for one that doesn't! Yeah, he was a smart ass.. Of course he refused to sell one to me because "if you get hurt your parents will come back here and kill me" He then told me the dangers of high voltage and imploding tubes and what they would do to a 13 year old kid. He still gave me a neat philco radio that day and told me to start with that before getting into television repair. When I got home mom thought it was nice he gave me the radio but refused to let me go back there in fear I would bring home a bunch of tv's! Later that year all the old sets disappeared from the front of his shop and I can only imagine what happened to them. Geez, I still think of that day in August 1974 and wish I was just a little older at the time.
Sadly,I have never seen anything like that again

[kx250rider]

Same thing here... Nick Stewart's "KERN TV SERVICE" on Westwood Blvd in Los Angeles. I used to go in there and be underfoot when I was about 10 in the (Uh-oh, age given out) late 70s.

Nick NEVER threw anything out, and he had 100s of TVs heaped to the ceiling. Most were 50s B&W consoles, but there were plenty of early color sets and other neat gems. I specifically remember two 22" Westinghouse color sets from '55. I didn't know what they meant at the time. I also later found out that the sets in the Westwood store were only the tip of the iceberg.... There were garages and sheds elsewhere!!!!!

In about 1982, Nick simply evaporated off the face of the earth it seemed. No warning. Not even to Hurley Electronics; the main wholesaler of TV parts back then. (He had a bill due with them according to an angry field sales rep)... I approached a mutual friend; my barber who owned the barber shop next door to Kern TV. All I got was that Nick had gone back to Texas, and the TVs are dumped from the store. But the garages elsewhere were never to be found. I lost a lot of sleep over that whole thing... Watching the paper for any clues of a sale of abandoned storage of TVs. 20 years now, still wondering but reasonably backed off from hope

Anyone in Texas know a Nixon Stewart, about 100 years old by now, LOL???

Charles

[captainmoody]

That seemed to be the way with those old shops, Here in good old (now-frozen) Michigan I ran through the same thing with the "sudden evaporation" syndrome! Martus Radio and TV, there on a friday gone on a monday! And I mean everything!! I kid you not! The entire shop had been torn down and hauled away! I couldn't believe they wouldn't at least empty it out first, let alone tear down a two story wood frame building and have it all gone in a couple of days.
My old boss at Chicago TV did the same trick, got divorced and had a ton of bills then poof! The old disappearing act! He owed money to the garage next door, the parts supplier and the landlord! Of course when that crook left town the only stuff left behind was worthless as he pretty much just milked things out without telling anyone of his plans.

[kx250rider]

Frozen up there? It was 84 today here in Santa Clarita with a gentle breeze. Sun baking down on us.

Actually, I shouldn't brag... It's no fun to have Christmas morning watching nervously as the Skycranes fly over to dump water on a hot wind-driven brush fire that's roaring toward the house... Happens from time to time. But then again; I probably will go for a ride up the Pacific Coast Highway on my motorcycle on Christmas Day... T-shirt & shorts! Young ladies in bikinis skating along the strand and all!

Charles