Do you ever notice how the stuff we fix outlasts the stuff we buy new? That CRT ran 21 years with just a hum, and most modern TVs are lucky to make it past 5 without some board failure. I see it all the time with older tools and appliances, people toss them because one part wears out, but the bones are still good. Chasing analog boards is worth it if you enjoy the work and want something built to last, but I get why most folks just want to move on.

New bulbs usually cost way more than that, so $18 probably means someone's aftermarket junk.

...my friend Denise had basically the same thing happen but with a bread machine, not a mixer. She was making 12 loaves for a church fundraiser and the timer broke at 2 AM, dough was a sticky mess. She dragged out her great-aunt's old metal bread bowl and just kneaded by hand for an hour, said it was the best bread she'd ever made, people were asking for her recipe. She still keeps that bread machine on the counter just to look at it, but she never turns it on anymore.