Love those old TV where when it quit. You took the back off took out the tubes and took them to the local drug store and they tested them and sold you the new tube you needed. Walked home put the tubes in and back in business.
Last I heard, only Russia was still manufacturing tubes. Some of the powerful HAM radios still use tubes to transmit I think, and the only place they can be gotten is Russia, which we can't now....
They are still Manufacturing tube power amplifiers Plus vintage tube amplifiers are at a premium price today and there are services that can repair them.
But the tubes come from Russia, don't they? When I dealt with such things, solid state stuff couldn't deal well with power over 100 watts or so. For commercial radio stations and linear amplifiers, they need to run at MUCH higher power than that.
You're right, most of the companies that supply tubes in America They're made in Russia and some of them are made in China. The reason Tube amps are sort after is more the Sound quality/difference. Tube have a sound that solid state amps could not match. I remember when the transition started, solid state seemed like the way to go, for the average listener It was fine, however audiophiles did not buy into the new sound. Tubes never went out of style to the true audio lover. Solid state has its advantages, It runs on lower power and once you get past infant mortality, It could last forever, tubes will eventually have to be replaced. One high end audio manufacturer Tanberg used solid state for all circuits except their output section where they used tube (hybrid) to keep the sound quality. I loved audio from an very early age and because of my uncle who was an audiophiles, I was around others like him and enjoyed every minute. Some audio facts I found out recently: A Japanese company perfected a laser turntable, your records will never wear there's no needle. Cost around $19,000 Jimmy Fallon Audio system cost around $100,000.
As a kid I look forward to 4 things in the newspaper, Baseball Standings, The cartoons, Mark trail, and Ripley's Believe It Or Not. Here is a sample of Ripley's.
A childhood memory. I can't tell you how many times my mon said "hold your sleeve" every time she help me put a coat on, or a shirt over a shirt. My cousins had the same experience. Mothers today are probably using the same expression, I know my wife did with our kids.