How to buy a used TV

November 12, 2009 11:03 AM

Advice on Used TV? Seeking a used, 19 or 20" TV, not digital or HD - I found a Symphonic wf203 on Craigslist, supposedly 4 years old for $50. My old TV is 18 years old , how long do these newer TV's last? A web site (retrevo.com) told me 4 years is too old to buy. Is that true? And I've never heard of Symphonic. $50 seems too much to me, but I don't really know. Any advice will be appreciated
posted by judybxxx to shopping (11 comments total)

$50 does seem like a lot - a used 20" tube TV is more like something you'd find cheap at a garage sale or on Freecycle. Failing that, hold out for one that's $20 or less, and don't worry about age as long as you can see it working before you buy and it has whatever connectors you need for your equipment.
posted by pocams at 11:14 AM on November 12, 2009

Seconding freecycle. Obviously, different strokes for different folks, but the kind of TV you're looking for is most likely going to be viewed as yesterday's junk by most people. You really shouldn't have to pay $50 for that.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 11:21 AM on November 12, 2009

$50 is definitely too much. I just looked and saw a half dozen, 20" or larger, listed for free on my craigslist in the last couple of days. Personally, I just gave away (somewhat generously, but not really) two perfectly fine 27" TVs to friends for the sole price of them carting them away. They were older than 4 years old, but they were still working great. For the price of free, they don't need to last another decade, or even a year.
posted by cgg at 11:22 AM on November 12, 2009

Wait for a while. A better deal will show up.

In my small town, craigslist is currently showing:

$35 - 32" JVC TV
$50 - 23" Symphonic TV
$100 - 32" Toshiba TV
$150 - 36" Toshiba TV
posted by qxntpqbbbqxl at 11:25 AM on November 12, 2009

Yeah, I wouldn't buy a 20" CRT TV; they're come up free all the time on freecycle and craigslist. Considering decent 19" HD LCD TVs are coming down to less than $200 at this point, it won't be long before they're dropped on the second-hand market for that price.
posted by General Malaise at 11:29 AM on November 12, 2009

Symphonic is a crappy low-end discount store brand. I wouldn't pay $50 for it.
posted by Sidhedevil at 12:09 PM on November 12, 2009

if you're in the central New Jersey area I have a 19" TV in my attic from the late 90s. It works, and you're welcome to it, gratis. And even if you're too far away, you've encountered someone with that horrible disorder "mystuffistreasureitis." My friend picked up a new 27" with s-video and component connections for $100 last year. The new flat screens aren't made to last until you begin to spend quite a bit cash wise (my friend who drives for UPS said he spends a nice chunk of his day picking up Visios for warranty repairs and returns) and if you're not interested in HD a CRT will provide a better picture. Mail me if you're interested.
posted by chosemerveilleux at 12:26 PM on November 12, 2009

pawn shop - make sure you get to plug it in, switch channels, and look at the settings. it shouldn't be any more than 30 and you should be able to find a name brand.
posted by nadawi at 12:58 PM on November 12, 2009

Agreed that everyone is just giving them away nowadays. Keep an eye out for Craiglist ads that are cheap or free, and have a means of picking it up ready to go -- a $25 TV might become a free TV if you've got the means to lift and remove it without damaging their house or asking for their help.
posted by davejay at 1:07 PM on November 12, 2009

There's a bunch in the free section of Craigslist in Minneapolis.
posted by white_devil at 1:10 PM on November 12, 2009

Thanks for all the help - I didn't realize there was a free section on Craigslist. I just have to be patient.
posted by judybxxx at 3:59 PM on November 12, 2009 [1 favorite]