If you have the space, CRT's still have the best image for the buck - near twice the buck - but as you noticed, they're falling out of favor with resellers and the product chain. LCD's have much higher profit, take less space, cost less to move around, don't damage as easily during shipment, cost less to ship, less parts stocking, etc. Selling nice CRT's just canibalizes LCD sales. It's common to find stores using multiple splitters or sub-optimal settings on their CRTs and salespeople who use the terrible images to point customers to the LCD's.
If they mark up the CRTs to become dust-gatherers they actually sell more LCD's. :shrug: Notice the nice pro CRT's sitting in a corner unconnected and the crappy consumer level models with pincushioned ghosted images from hell with a $179 price. "For another $50 you could have this beautiful LCD."
I've found some great deals on awesome pro Viewsonics & NECs on craigslist, but it takes more effort.
Eye of the beholder, but it's likely maladjusted, super-cheap, or just defective. Take the $300 for a fair 19" LCD and you can get a CRT with twice the pixels with a wonderful refresh, and with higher possible brightness. (if you can find them without paying shipping)