Hi;
I don't know how many of you sell used TVs, but those of you who don't might be able to clue me in on what kind of repair estimates are being authorized for this set.
This is a KV-36XBR400. I have a manifold reason for asking. For one my Mother is about to buy one from where I work. I have reasons for choosing this set for her, for one I know she'll like it. Thing is, if she likes it then I have to keep it running :-(
This is in decent shape at least, I think even better than average. See I hooked the boss up with an ex-boss and he is getting stock from them, and I get greased a bit when they get a good load. These are castoffs and trade-ins from the burbs. These people have electrostatic air cleaners, are non smokers and usually we find the picture turned down to halfway. Usually super clean units.
This specimen has a price tag of $379, but we're getting a bit over $100 off of that. Question one though, I think $379 is too cheap for this set retail, at a shop, with a warranty. There are no visible scratches and the picture is pristeen. The control door may be missing but I don't know, and really don't care. It would come with a universal remote unfortunately which probably won't work all the features, but the right replacement doesn't seem that expensive.
In 2001 MSRP was 2700, and they sold for around 2200, I asked our real Sony dealer "So what did you sell them for 1500 or so ?". He replied "More like two grand". I've read some pretty good reviews, and am not finding much about any serious problems except for the D board. This unit was maintained by an ASC, so it may already have the improved D board, no way to tell.
If bought by a customer for somewhere in the mid three hundreds it would come with a full 30 day warranty (usually throwing in free P&D) and a flat $59+parts repair for a year. Is that fair, and as I ask that, I ask, is it fair to the shop ?
Five years old, and no bad history, I think it is worth more. What's more being HDTV everything is a bit more expensive, and we have to guarantee it under these conditions.
I might be out on the ice here, but I think she could double her money on it selling it in the newspaper. I was selling those original KPR36XBRs for five and six hundred when they were twelve years old. I still own one that works, I kept the last one :-)
I know these things are not easy to service. Neither is a new car, but some of us want them. Mom likes Sonys, and so do I. She just bought a house, had the hardwood floors refinished, it has all these cabinets with leaded windows and all that, and that black, roundish Toshiba 32 is not quite right in there. This thing, a true FST, and square corners, well this goes with the stand which matches the woodwork in the house. The 32 is not,,,, filling the stand.
I am going to use proper English here now, this thing is f****ng NICE. I hate round things. Cars have four wheels, logic dictates it should be square. The TV transmitter puts out a square (well rectangular) signal, so why should a TV be round ? Plus what it'll do for her fung shui should be fairly awesome. (she pays attention to that)
So are there any other caveats about this set other than to keep a spare MCZ3001 handy ? I have not worked on many of them, any advice is highly appreciated, but like I said, I was thinking that this unit should go for more money, even than the retail price of $379. Five years old and not abused, I think it should be more like $450 or more.
One other thing that caught my eye last time I worked on one, it still has an HSTAT. If we're getting the old gun structure in the CRT, perhaps it will last like their older CRTs used to. I am hoping so.
So if anyone wants to try to talk me out of this, now's your chance.
Thanks in advance.
JURB