By finding a new niche, Tom’s TV Sales & Services in West Grove has survived the recent market changes that have forced a number of similar stores to close, writes Bob Fernandez for the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Tom Sylvina started the company when he opened a TV repair shop in his parents’ basement in 1974. The following year, after being laid off from his regular job, Sylvina decided to focus full-time on television repair.

For the next two decades, Tom’s TV boomed, despite competitors vying for the same part of the Chester County market. However, as cable television and cheaper television sets took over, the demand for the company’s services dropped.

“I’m the last man standing,” said Sylvina. “There is not a lot of money in it anymore.”

Tom’s TV has survived by adapting and focusing on installing security cameras in retail stores, repairing televisions under warranty, and setting up outdoor television antennas.

“The analogy I would make is to vinyl records,” said Paul Verna, principal video analyst for the research firm eMarketer. “There is a surge of interest. Some of it is nostalgia, but some of it is practical.”

Read more about Tom’s TV Sales & Services in the Philadelphia Inquirer here.