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Maunz Electronics, 931 Sunset Boulevard: 12 October 2012   14 comments

Posted at 12:14 am in Uncategorized

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I've noticed Maunz Electronics off and on over the years as I drove down Sunset. The building has some nice retro touches (which may have been current when it was built), and it would catch my eye, as would the strong blue of the roadside sign.

The notices on the door list 12 October 2012 as the last day here, with the nice touch of referring people to another local business for future work.

(Hat tip to commenter MB)

Written by ted on November 13th, 2012

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14 Responses to 'Maunz Electronics, 931 Sunset Boulevard: 12 October 2012'

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  1. It's a shame to see services like this folding. We are living in a time where you don't think about servicing electronic equipment that much any longer. Just toss it an buy a new one because it's cheaper that repairing it. I remember growing up with the same TV for years. You just kept fixing it and fixing it until, finally, the picture tube died and then it was time for a new set (Remember the old tube testers?). We used to take VCR's in for head alignments. Getting reel to reel and cassette decks repaired. I often wonder how Whitehall TV Repair is still in business.

    Homer

    14 Nov 12 at 12:57 am

  2. Yes, I very much do remember tube testers!

    But no, I generally don't try to have electronic stuff fixed anymore with the exception of some computer stuff I do myself.

    ted

    14 Nov 12 at 1:30 am

  3. The price of many electronics has come way down over the years. I was in the car stereo business from the mid 70's to the late 80's. Then a AM-FM Cassette player of good quality could fetch upward of 500 bucks. That was one you would have repaired. In the early 80's when auto CD players first came out, you were looking at $800.00. The price drop is one of the reasons I got out of the business. Circut City and Wal-Mart started buying Shiploads, no pun intended, and then selling the same indash cassette for $149.99. Now less that $100.00. And the same holds true for other electronics, no wonder businesses like Wilson Radio (Montecello Rd.) Fairmont T.V. and Maunz have closed. The demand for repair just isn't there anymore. Like Homer said, "Toss it and buy a new one".

    Rick

    14 Nov 12 at 11:12 am

  4. As the cost has come down the way Rick describes, I think that it's reached a point that it's best to replace an old one, send the old one off to be recycled at an electronics recycling drive that solid waste departments conduct.

    From what I've read, the parts are still valuable and the electronics recycling that retailers and county solid waste departments host provide an outlet for people to unload their electronics to harness those parts into the next generation of electronics.

    Andrew

    14 Nov 12 at 12:13 pm

  5. Well said Andrew. I believe we all should put forth more effort into recycling, and not just electronics. I read an article only last week about the overall percentage of recycling in America and the stats are in the 23% range. Not to be taken lightly, this is a good number from only 10 years ago, but to this day I will still throw pop and water bottles into our regular garbage for pick up. I did take a load of cardboard, metal and used motor oil to the Richland County dump out Garners Ferry Rd. a week ago. Thank you very much. I'll be here all week. And what does Ted say? Is it "Try the Veal?"

    Rick

    14 Nov 12 at 12:56 pm

  6. As I mentioned when this was first reported, I'd used Maunz for the past 15 years or so repairing our electronics. I had an Onkyo receiver that blew out and I called them, only to find out they were no longer an authorized facility. Problem with new electronics is they are built to be thrown away. The price of a budget receiver is still around $299, but now it gets all the new-fandangled interweb music sources. Yea, you get Pandora, XM, etc., but the quality processer and build quality is no longer there. On a $299 two channel receiver, it was going to cost $149 just for the processer to fix. I found some vintage two channel gear and could not be happier.

    We bought our first HD tv in 2003, (which is still going semi-strong), it is a rear projection and it weighs around 300 lbs. We bought the service plan where BB would come to the house and fix it. It also had to be delivered. Now you just throw the 60" flat screen in the back of the vehicle, and you can tote it anywhere. Which will be more than likely to the dump if it goes bad.

    jonathan

    14 Nov 12 at 3:04 pm

  7. This building was originaly part of a dry cleaning chain. I don't remember its name, but all their locations had this desgin and the same yellow and white colors.

    Tom

    15 Nov 12 at 9:15 am

  8. Hmm, it looks sorta, though not exactly, like this one.

    ted

    15 Nov 12 at 6:02 pm

  9. Wasn't there a chain of Sunshine Dry Cleaners in Columbia at one time? I seem to remember one somewhere around N. Main that was in a similar building.

    Homer

    15 Nov 12 at 7:32 pm

  10. @ Ted, that's the name I was thinking of, 60 Minute Cleaners.The used to have a large red, black and white sign with a part of a clock face on the large flat area facing the street.

    Tom

    16 Nov 12 at 8:17 am

  11. @Tom - I remember the 60 Minute Cleaners as well. Maybe I am getting the two mixed up. The Sunshine Cleaners that I remember was in a yellow trimmed building with a smiling sun either on the building, the sign, or both.

    @Ted - can you look in some of you old phone listings for Sunshine cleaners. Just to put my mind at rest...:^)

    Homer

    19 Nov 12 at 1:24 am

  12. I know Maunz had been there since the mid 70's or maybe earlier. It looks like it at one time could have been the old "1 Hour Martinizing"?? but not sure, or could have been a Sunshine Cleaners...I'm surprized he lasted this long. He was expensive, but could usually fix most older recievers.

    Del

    19 Dec 12 at 11:19 pm

  13. Glad to see ya back, Del!

    Yeah, it does look like a Sunshine Cleaners building...

    tonkatoy

    20 Dec 12 at 7:47 am

  14. I went to this place about 10 years ago to get a laserdisc player fixed. Well they charge me 175 for them to buy a service manual. What was bad they didn't even fix it. Still had a broken lasrerdisc player. One time before this i tried to get my big sharpe stereo repair cause one of the cassette deck was playing to fast. They told me they werent sure they could fix it. Palmetto did.

    Robert

    13 Jul 13 at 2:23 am

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