American TV and Appliance Closing

[Spotcheck Billy]

American TV & Appliance, which built itself into a retail powerhouse in the 1970s and '80s with the aggressive advertising of then-owner Len "Crazy TV Lenny" Mattioli, said Monday it will be going out of business.
 
The Madison-based company, citing an "unforgiving" economy over the last five years, said it would file for receivership and begin a going-out-of-business sale on Thursday.
 
"While this is a sad moment, it is also a proud moment. It's a moment to be proud of our efforts and to be proud of what we have delivered to the community," Doug Reuhl, president and chief executive of American since 1988, said in a statement Monday. "Words cannot adequately express how grateful we are to our millions of loyal customers, and to the incredible, dedicated family of employees that we have been blessed with over our 60 years of business."
 
The company said it has notified its 989 employees and most will continue employment through the closing process.

American said it is filing a Wisconsin Statutes Chapter 128 receivership for the protection of its creditors. Michael Polsky will be appointed as the receiver for the business.

During the sale, American said:
 
· It will honor gift cards during the store-closing sale and provide refunds to customers who do not wish to redeem them.

· All extended-warranty policies that customers purchased are valid and insured through a third-party insurance company.

· Customers who have open orders waiting for delivery will either receive delivery of their goods or a refund of their deposit.

· All products in the service center will be repaired or returned to the customer prior to closing.

American got started in 1954 when TV repairman Ferd Mattioli turned his business into a TV store. In 1970, Len Mattioli, an engineer with Eastman Kodak, returned to Madison to help his brother Ferd, who had cancer, close down the business.
 
But Len Mattioli discovered he liked the retail business, and in the 1970s and '80s grew American TV with television and radio marketing posing as pitchman "Crazy TV Lenny." He used bicycle giveaways, for instance, to help sell TVs and appliances.
 
Over a 10-year period that ended in 2001, Mattioli sold his controlling interest to Reuhl.
 
Regional sellers of home electronics and appliances have faced increasing competition from big retailers like Walmart, h.h. gregg and Costco as well as online merchants, and the recession and slow economy also took a toll.
 
In February 2012, Milwaukee company Appliance World abruptly shut down after 56 years in business, citing economic conditions that had hurt sales. Appliance World operated three stores in the Milwaukee area.
 
American TV & Appliance, headquartered in Madison, has six retail stores in Wisconsin, two in Illinois and two in Iowa. Its Milwaukee-area stores are in Waukesha, Brown Deer and Oak Creek.



http://www.jsonline.com/business/american-tv--appliance-to-close-eliminate-989-jobs-b99207263z1-245841531.html

[warriorchick]

I bought my first TV there, a 19" Panasonic.  It cost $250 in 1984.

I ended up throwing it about 20 years later after upgrading.  It still functioned perfectly.

[GGGG]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKid_yL0nUE

[warriorchick]

I bought my TV at the newly-opened (at the time) Oak Creek location, but I remember when people would roadtrip to Madison to go to the original store.

There were always rumors (likely started by competitors) that American's prices were cheaper because they bought special versions of electronics that had plastic innards.

[GGGG]

I bought my TV at the newly-opened (at the time) Oak Creek location, but I remember when people would roadtrip to Madison to go to the original store.

There were always rumors (likely started by competitors) that American's prices were cheaper because they bought special versions of electronics that had plastic innards.

When they built their current building on the Madison Beltline, people used to go there just to walk through the place it was so big.  (Of course it isn't considered big any longer.)

[keefe]

Bought a Nakamichi cassette deck from the Madison store back in 1980. About 5 of us road tripped over, hit Crazy TV Lenny's, then had some combat beers on State St.

[BossplayaOtto]

Bought my first "boom box" at the original Madison location in the early 80's.  Back when it was common to negotiate prices on electronics at American in order to try to get the "best" deal.

[keefe]

Bought my first "boom box" at the original Madison location in the early 80's.  Back when it was common to negotiate prices on electronics at American in order to try to get the "best" deal.

The Crazy TV sales guys were really full of sheet. They would throw out all sorts of electronic term jibberish intended to convey unquestionable authority on whatever component they were trying to sell you. Didn't work real well with a couple EE's. I hated the haggling but ended up spending most of my life in places where haggling is blood sport.

[Spotcheck Billy]

Back in the late 70's 8 of us roadtripped to Madison to attend some event I've forgotten but do remember Lenny's ad that if we showed up at the store with a Milwaukee driver's license they'd give us $5/each. Best $40 of beer ever esp. for 10 minutes of our time 

A high school buddy sold TV's for years at American in Oak Creek (he started in Waukesha until OC opened years later). He eventually was fired for not selling enough extended warranties even though he DID upsell folks into more expensive and reliable (in his opinion) TV's.

[warriorchick]

Bought my first "boom box" at the original Madison location in the early 80's.  Back when it was common to negotiate prices on electronics at American in order to try to get the "best" deal.

Supposedly there was an alphnumeric code on a sticker on the TV that, if you knew how to decode it, let you know the lowest price the salesperson was allowed to accept.

[keefe]

Supposedly there was an alphnumeric code on a sticker on the TV that, if you knew how to decode it, let you know the lowest price the salesperson was allowed to accept.

If you play certain Beatles songs backwards they are saying, "Paul is dead, Paul is dead!"

[Spotcheck Billy]

Supposedly there was an alphnumeric code on a sticker on the TV that, if you knew how to decode it, let you know the lowest price the salesperson was allowed to accept.

before they had computer terminals that was true on all products

[keefe]

before they had computer terminals that was true on all products

You mean when some of us attended Marquette?

[real chili 83]

Bought my first 19" color tv from them when I graduated.  I think it was a Tecnika, or something like that.  Also bought an Onkyo cassette decking a road trip to Lenny's.

Bought my first receiver, 60W Yamaha through their mail order group, WDS, Wisconsin Discount Stereo.  You could get some great deals through them.