As a child in the 1980's, I was always fascinated with anything that ran
on electricity. Whether it was a flashlight, a calculator, or a tape
recorder, I was always taking things apart to see how they worked, and
trying to repair them. I remember, when I was about 4, spending a couple of
hours trying to "repair" a disposable flashlight that was getting dim. My
parents wouldn't let me tinker with the family TV; I'm not sure whether it
was safety concerns, or the fact that we couldn't afford to replace the 19"
black-and-white set. I'd have to wait until I was older to tinker with
those.....
So not surprisingly, as I got older, I knew I'd want to go into this line
of work someday, repairing consumer electronics. At 19 I began rounding up
broken TV sets, and then VCRs and other appliances. I began repairing things
for customers before I had gained adequate experience, but it was just as
well; because by the time I became properly experienced, there would be
almost no demand for my skills.
For a while, business wasn't too bad. I kept fairly busy, with customers
coming and going on an almost daily business. Not bad considering this was
just a small shop, run in a small building next to my house. At it's peak, I
took in about $6k in one year - that may not seem like much, but it kept
bills paid and gave me some extra spending money (I had little overhead so
almost everything was clear profit).
But in the last 2 years or so, things have gone downhill at an alarming
rate of speed. At first, sales of used electronics started to dwindle. Then
more and more customers were turning down repair estimates, saying "I'll
just buy a new one".
So where do things stand now?
Earlier this year, the local corner store changed hands, and I set up an
agreement with the owner to let me sell electronics from a corner of his
store (the only store in the community). With deals like 25" stereo TVs for
$79.99, you'd think they'd sell fast wouldn't you? Wrong. In the nearly two
months I've had my display set up, not a single television set has sold. A
few other misc items did sell, netting me a grand total of just over $100.
In short, the results of this venture have been very disappointing indeed.
If the store owner decides to give me the shaft to make way for something
more profitable, I won't blame him at all.
And while sales have fallen through, it seems repairs have taken a drastic
drop as well. Fewer and fewer items are coming into my shop for repairs, and
those that do are often left there when the owner decides to buy a new unit.
Either that, or replacement parts are no longer available - even for sets
less than 6 years old.
I think the best indication of the industries decline, would be the things
I see in the trash each spring. This spring I rounded up what seemed like a
bounty, hoping it would be stuff I could resell. The haul was unbelievable.
More stuff than I could list here. And the vast majority of the items were
untampered with - it appeared that the owners hadn't even bothered to get an
estimate of repairs, they just threw them in the trash and bought new ones.
Another indication would be the activity of this very newsgroup. In the
years I've been posting here, I've noticed a big drop in activity. I'm
guessing it's no coincidence.
At present, I have two buildings full of hundreds of appliances. Dozens of
nice, remote color TV's, dozens of nice VCRs, mini-systems, audio equipment,
and so forth. Ten years ago this stuff would have been worth a fortune - now
it appears that most of it will end up as landfill. Nobody wants it anymore.
Everyone just wants to buy something new, even if it's just a piece of junk.
Nobody appreciates quality anymore. It seems that the world is rapidly going
to hell in a handbasket.
So what do I do now? Part of me just wants to trash the whole works of it,
and try to find some other line of work. But it breaks my heart to throw out
so many nice appliances, which could be easily repaired and provide years of
useful service. But what's the point in keeping it all? I can't sell it. I
probably couldn't even give most of it away. TV's and VCR's could be
stripped for aluminum and copper, though most sets yield less than $1 worth
of such metals. I could just throw it out, but like I say, I hate to do
that.
But it appears that I'll have to do something, and soon. There's no point
in carrying on this charade any longer - the business is dead and it's time
to bury it.
I also have to wonder what's going to happen within 10 or 20 years, when
the landfills are full, and the economy perhaps in turmoil. People may once
again turn to the electronic tech, looking for repairs of their sets or to
buy something used. But by then, such businesses will all be long-gone.
People will be left with nothing, and those of us who tried to warn them
today will just say "I told you so".
I look forward to your input on this subject; I'm guessing the vast
majority of you guys are going through the same thing.