Convenient removal of giant television?

Drake Chambers

We've got a 65" rear-projection TV that's finally crapped out after a good ten years of service. I had hoped that Best Buy (where we bought it) would haul it away under its advertised service but they tell me it's too big. The guy there recommended we disassemble it and haul it to recycling ourselves. This seems... daunting. We've got a fussy three-month-old making life crazy so a big project like that isn't very appealing.

I've looked at 1-800-GOT-JUNK and that would be convenient but looks like it would cost around $400, which is a bit much for my wallet.

Anyone else have any suggestions? If anyone has ever taken one of these monsters apart and can give me an idea of what that entails I'd be curious to hear about it.

Esh

Craigslist "Free Stuff"

People will take almost anything.

matt has a problem

Try calling whoever picks up your trash. I know where we live we can schedule "large item" pickups on the regular garbage day, we just have to get it to the street is all.

DoctorArch

Esh wrote: »

Craigslist "Free Stuff"

People will take almost anything.

This. I put up a headboard, just a headboard, onto the free stuff part of Craigslist and it was gone in the hour.

Figgy

matt has a problem wrote: »

Try calling whoever picks up your trash. I know where we live we can schedule "large item" pickups on the regular garbage day, we just have to get it to the street is all.

City recycling/garbage pickups usually won't take large electronics, appliances, etc. Posting stuff as free on Craigslist is a good idea.

Or you could put it out on your lawn with a sign that says "$200" and see how long it takes before someone steals it. I did this with an old fridge once. Gone the next morning.

Esh

If you put it on Craigslist "Free Stuff", make sure you stipulate that you're not going to help them load it. At most, move it to the foyer (or right near the front door) so you don't have people you don't know looking around your house. Also, make sure it's "No questions asked". They're there to take it, not dick around with it and decide whether they want it or not. It's free. They just need to get it out of there.

Ego

Does the 'free stuff' route on craigslist work well with stuff that's not working? I assume that this is probably just a bulb gone on the projection TV so people may very well be up for replacing it, but I'm just wondering in general if people will take free xbox's or that sort of thing that aren't working.

tinwhiskers

Ego wrote: »

Does the 'free stuff' route on craigslist work well with stuff that's not working? I assume that this is probably just a bulb gone on the projection TV so people may very well be up for replacing it, but I'm just wondering in general if people will take free xbox's or that sort of thing that aren't working.

Yeah, there DIY types who will fix stuff like that. Or they say they will, and then it will sit in there basement "workshop" for 3 decades till they die, and their grandchildren haul it away, while imagining what life without 3D holoprojectors.

zepherin

tinwhiskers wrote: »

Yeah, there DIY types who will fix stuff like that. Or they say they will, and then it will sit in there basement "workshop" for 3 decades till they die, and their grandchildren haul it away, while imagining what life without 3D holoprojectors.

3D that is so 2032, the 4d holoprojectors are where it is at, you watch your movie before the projector even gets turned on.

Seriously though, those things are a bitch to move. I had 3 laborers move the last one I needed moved. If you can get some craigslist people to move it for you, even better.

spool32

I know the OP has a rear-projection tv, but it's worth noting in case someone with a CRT decides to read this and disassemble his TV - those tubes carry an electrical charge that will kill you dead. Do not disassemble them unless you know how to dissipate the charge.

Sir Carcass

I'll just chime in on the craigslist thing. We've gotten rid of a few things by posting it for free. An old, crappy, nasty $100 grill. A 20 year old mattress. We just get someone interested, give our address, and tell them it'll be on the front porch. Don't even have to talk to them.

Allforce

Also if you can just get it out to the curb the scrappers will take that shit in a heartbeat. It's an entire eco-system of guys in old junked up trucks collecting metal to sell by the pound out there.

But moving it out (ESPECIALLY if it's broken) shouldn't be some big project. I sold a 55" RPTV 4-5 years ago and it wasn't that big a problem to move for 2 guys. Bulky yes, but they got it out of there in minutes with some lifting straps. My standard OP for selling big items on Craigs List is "Bring your own muscle". I'll get the item to my garage, foyer, or porch but I'm not helping anyone lift shit into a vehicle. Maybe dickish but I'm not gonna throw my back out or get injured giving someone a deal on something.

Drake Chambers

Thanks for all the responses. For various reasons I ended up going with 1-800-GOT-JUNK. Thought I'd mention here that if you call them instead of using the website you can apparently get excellent discounted service. I guess the reps get a commission or something because after I called for an estimate and didn't make a reservation the guy called back a few minutes later to say he'd talked to a manager and could guarantee me the minimum rate of $200, and that was good enough for me. I was lucky to have that guarantee too -- I could tell from the way the movers reacted upon seeing the TV that they would have charged me more.

Re: Craigslist, I've used it a lot but have had awful luck in the DC area with people saying they'd pick something up and then never showing up. This thing was a big enough pain that I was willing to pay to have it gone rather than roll the Craigslist d20.