# Are Old CRT TV Sets Worth Anything? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 16, 2013, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-old-crt-tv-sets-worth-anything/666446 "2013-08-16T20:22:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2013, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-old-crt-tv-sets-worth-anything/666446/41 "2013-08-19T13:26:33Z")
> [@Hail\_Ants](#): > > If it no longer works, well, then they’re worth a \*negative \*amount! IOW you’ll have to pay somebody to dispose of it. Back when we were trying to get rid of our 35"(?) CRT TV a few years back- neither the Salvation Army nor Goodwill would take it, and the City wanted us to take it to some out of the way, odd-hours PITA recycling place. Luckily one of my wife’s friends needed a TV and couldn’t afford a new one, so she got this one free if she could haul it off (it weighed some ungodly amount- like 100-150 lbs). ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2013, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-old-crt-tv-sets-worth-anything/666446/42 "2013-08-19T13:26:36Z")
> [@Aquadementia](#): > > And why shouldn’t they expect even the cheapest high def tv they bought should be better then something that can commonly be found on the curb for free? Because that’s moronic. CRTs had differing levels of quality and LCDs are the same. Pretending otherwise is sticking your fingers in your ears and ignoring how the consumer electronics industry works. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2013, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-old-crt-tv-sets-worth-anything/666446/43 "2013-08-19T14:09:55Z")
> [@Aquadementia](#): > > And why shouldn’t they expect even the cheapest high def tv they bought should be better then something that can commonly be found on the curb for free? Because the reasons people bought the two differ beyond picture quality. Physical size & weight, screen size (wide screen), high def resolution, input ports, etc. And TV watching is a different animal from computer use where you may have more concerns about color quality when photo editing or input lag when playing competitive video games. Most people don’t have those concerns even with their computer/game use so a 24" flat screen that fits against the wall is preferable to a 150 lb 22" CRT which takes up 16 cubic feet of desk space regardless of color fidelity or how true the blacks are. ---
**Author:** ![charles\_story](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e99b99/32.png) [@charles\_story](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/charles_story)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2015, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-old-crt-tv-sets-worth-anything/666446/44 "2015-01-29T16:31:44Z")
Hello, I have from time to time made telescope mirrors. I have used 2 old large CRT’s so far. Bust the neck off and take picture tube out of chassis. Disassemble tube until you have just the front glass envelope. Clean out mask and phosphors. Scribe a circle of the desired size on the front of the tube using a compass glass cutting tool ( find on ebay). Place tube face down on a folded heavy beach towel. Screw up your courage and begin to firmly press on the back side with your hand over a wash rag. Work around circle until you hear the glass pop. Continue until it is broken all the way around. If necessary, scribe straight lines to within 1/8" from circle to edge and break of unwanted pieces. When fracturing the circle, allow the tube to tilt so that the scribe is in contact with the towel! Push down where you want it to break. Clean up the raw edge and go! You may wish to try this on a much smaller tube, or flat glass. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2015, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-old-crt-tv-sets-worth-anything/666446/45 "2015-01-29T16:42:21Z")
> [@](#): > > Copper or to sale… I pick some up now and then on my way to/from work and sale them… ‘Sell’; not ‘sale’. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2015, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-old-crt-tv-sets-worth-anything/666446/46 "2015-01-29T16:43:56Z")
zombie or no using an old CRT in that fashion is a real hazard for many reasons. ---
**Author:** ![dzeiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@dzeiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzeiger)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2015, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-old-crt-tv-sets-worth-anything/666446/47 "2015-01-29T19:10:50Z")
Since this is a zombie thread anyway, I figure I’ll point out that I was able to hook up my Atari 2600 to my flatscreen with no issues. But that may just be a little too retro… ---
**Author:** ![Stealth\_Bragg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4bbf92/32.png) [@Stealth\_Bragg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stealth_Bragg)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-old-crt-tv-sets-worth-anything/666446/48 "2015-01-30T13:15:15Z")
Sure you can hook old video game systems up, but they look terrible when the TFT matrix displays at a non-native resolution. CRT TVs look way better for old game and computer systems. Plus (in the UK at least) old systems have RF feeds and modern digital only TVs don’t have analogue tuner RF in sockets. So old TVs = win/win. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-old-crt-tv-sets-worth-anything/666446.md?page=2)