I switched from an old, failing (but great in its day) CRT about a year ago to a new LCD (one of the great new NEC ones), and was amazed by how much sharper the images look on the screen now. CRTs, no matter how great when new, appear to lose substantial sharpness over time. (That's in addition to losing their brightness over time, which you're probably also aware of.)
It's past time for a new one.
Lisa