How to get a cheap tv from repair shop?

[Dougmeister]

What is the best approach to get a cheap (free?) television from a local television repair shop?

"Hey, I see you have that tv over there in pretty bad shape - all I need is the tube and the control board... I'll take it off your hands for $20"

"I'm building an arcade cabinet and need an inexpensive display"

etc.

[JasonF]

Working or broken?  Most repair shops probably have a lot of TVs that were brought in for evaluation, and then abandoned by the owner.  A shop near me started collecting a deposit before performing evaluations because he was forced to throw away so many sets.

I've had quite a bit of good luck picking up working televisions (and broken ones too) by driving through communities the night before an unlimited garbage pickup.  Moveout day at a college campus works well too.  I certainly filled my garage at one time with a collection of 1980's television sets, but I was after tubes without burn-in more than something to drop into a MAME cabinet.

[Dougmeister]

Working.

My thought was that it may be working (for MAME purposes) but not "sellable", i.e., tv cabinet is ruined, tuner doesn't work, etc.