Yes I had a similar experience. My friends and I would prowl the TV shops looking for sets, there was a shop that wouldn't let us have any old sets. There was a big pile at the back of the workshop which could be seen from the shop. It was in retrospect quite a grotty little back street repair shop not at all 'posh'! The sets were all the usual suspects, Style 70, GEC like this set, Bush etc. We tried a couple of times and gave up.
Some time later on one of out dump trawls there were loads of sets strewn about along with a load of 78s and a Westminster radio (I still have a few of the records and the radio they came home on my bike) Every TV had the tube neck broken. I plundered the valves and the LOPT cage from the style 70 as I had a set that needed one.
I knew they were the sets from the shop in question, I just did... So a week later when we in the area we called by and had a look. Sure enough all the sets had gone. Not much later the shop closed fell derelict and was demolished.
I can remember the road, It was called 'Wally st' ! Or it might have been Dickheads st , Sorry Dickens st..!
Rich