1947 Jacobs Launderall

[danemodsandy]

Could We....

....Please watch the hyperbole?

This is a washing machine, not an all-original, zero-miles 1957 Chevy Bel Air convertible with factory fuel injection. It is a rare washing machine, and it will fetch good money - for a washing machine, that is - but no one's going to retire on the proceeds.

As much as I love AW and all the people here, I can get a little vexed at the tendency of some members to start shrieking like Shirley Temple in a birthday cake factory whenever something particularly desirable turns up. I know of one instance where a member discovered something very rare, fairly priced, on CL, and was making arrangements to close the deal on it. By the time our drama divas discovered it and got through shouting from the housetops, the item had been withdrawn from CL, the price went totally through the roof, and another, deep-pockets member ended up with it. Someone whose love for the hobby and frequent help of others is legendary around here got totally screwed by this horsetwaddle.

Again, it's a freaking washing machine. The next time some of you shriekers want to make derogatory comments about a fairly ordinary set of pink or turquoise Maytags in crappy condition priced in the thousands, you might stop to think that AW is the first place to which Google will direct the non-hobbyist; this sort of discussion can fuel an unknowledgeable seller's delusions.

What the general public ought to see here is reasonable discussion based in realistic pricing, not posts that make a rare item sound like a freaking Powerball win.

/rant[this post was last edited: 8/14/2013-11:04]

 

[revvinkevin]

Here here Sandy!!!! VERY well put!

 

 

I agree with you 100 percent!!!

 

I've seen it too many times before... and it has affected me directly on one or two occasions when I had an interest in a machine that came up for sale.

 

When I see some exciting machine (like this), I may posts my "excitement" about it, but I don't want to effect someone's chance at aquiring it.

 

I really think people forget this is a totally public forum which can be viewed by anyone anywhere, not just a private club that only we can see.

 

Kevin

 

[tomturbomatic]

Jon did a dramatic Launderall Flambe some years back. It was not the plan, but was the result.

 

[Ultramatic]

 

<span style="font-size: medium;">Well, if there is something I've learned here, it's to never post and comment about a machine that you are interested in purchasing yourself. In a blink of an eye, someone else will grab it. So much for courtesy.</span>

 

<span style="font-size: medium;">So shrieking aside, lets be honest here, this machine was never going to be a bargain. It's going to go to the one with the deepest pockets.  End of story.
</span>

 

 

 

[gearpower]

History

Here is the story:

This washer was found in an old appliances store in 1983. We suppose it haven't been sold because of it's high price, 399 Canadian dollars in 1947 (wrote on the AD).
We bought it and never used it to keep it original.

 

[turquoisedude]

Wow!! That's really cool!

gearpower: I've sent you an email about this machine. I'd love to know where it's located, 'cause I'd love to come see it! Merci!

 

[mickeyd]

Gosh !

I've had several people yield machines to me, and I have yielded a few myself. Most recently Greg alerted me to a machine we both wanted that I didn't know was still available. Have found that to be the rule here rather than the exception.

[this post was last edited: 8/14/2013-12:31]

 

[tomturbomatic]

You so have to wonder at the demented reasoning behind locating the timer in the transmission. The one I touched as a kid left me cold because you could not really watch the clothes tumbling. That was in the late 50s, though, and it was still working so some of them must have worked or must have been re-engineered to work. I am sure that if the mother and I had been in the kitchen together, I would have found out a lot of information. Instead it was their teenage children, me, at about 9 or 10 and my little brother, a conversational condition like a wheel with missing spokes: hard to get rolling smoothly.

 

[mickeyd]

That's great that Paul's on the case. With his pics, his texts, it'll all end well. And he can tell hubby it's a giant cheese grater-refrigerator which is exactly what that tub looks like.

 

[turquoisedude]

Giant Cheese Grater

Oh, lord no, if I told Hubby that, he'd expect me to turn out 16 pounds of grated romano with it... LOL

It took me a LONG time to convince him not to use the 53 Westy Laundromat as a rock polisher.

 

[rpms]

I can see why they were not a hot seller. Using the inflation calculator,that washer would have cost $4,046.83. Think of how many wringer washers and laundressessessessess you could buy or hire.

 

[philr]

Oh, having read the horror story associated to Jon's Launderall, I did skip this thread! And I didn't even think it could be in our neighborhood! 

 

[launderall]

Front load, schumk load, top load tumbler the best

I have one, found it 25 years ago bolted with 12" bolts about 25 years ago. Have yet to see one show up in anyone else collection. It's one of a kind, not made for more than a couple of years. Very short run for all the toolup to produce it. Google Jacob's, facinating story.

The F. L. Jacobs Company, A Soda Machine Company

F. L. Jacobs originally specialized in manufacturing home appliances like the Jacobs Launderall washing machine out of Detroit, Michigan. They began manufacturing soda vending machines for Coca-Cola in the 1940’s from a plant in Indianapolis, Indiana. Their machines have a unique shape referred to by collectors as the “mailbox” shape. They are believed to be one of the few manufacturers that the Coca-Cola Company authorized to continue making Coca-Cola soda vending machines in limited quantities through the course of WWII. Like all machines made in that time, they had large capacities for serving the workers in the wartime factories. One of these was the enormous J-144. It weighed 580 lbs. without any soda in it and measured 65”H x 34”W x 35”D.

Nothing more interesting than our American manufacturing cities and companies, with all that "WAR" money.

 

[arbilab]

A slightly distressed Jacobs for $900

In coppertone, ahead of its time.

Pardon Our Interruption...

 

[arbilab]

The photo from above, for when it disappears from ebay.

 

[arbilab]

Speaking of war money, Jacobs was ordered to--and did repay--$15M in war money. The company didn't last long after that, roughly 2 years (1951-1953).

We can see how that might have happened. If their war materiel worked proportionally as well as their $3000 washer. Seems Coke machines were the only thing they ever got workably right.

 

[revvinkevin]

A slightly distressed Jacobs for $900

 

 

In coppertone?   More like heavy rust-tone.

 

This is the same guy in LA with the overpriced Maytag set.   This has been relisted on eBay the last few months... and like the Maytag set, I doubt they'll go anywhere at those prices, IMHO.

Kevin 

 

[frontloaderfan]

The only thing distressing about the Launderall on ebay is the asking price...

I dare someone to hit the "make an offer" button and offer him what it's really worth and see what he comes back with.

 

[revvinkevin]

I dare someone to hit "make an offer"

If it's anything like the Maytag set he's attempting to sell, he will respond with $25 or $50 off his asking price (The Maytag set was $100 off).

Been there, done that.

Kevin

 

[jetcone]

Tom I love that!

"Jon did a dramatic Launderall Flambe some years back. It was not the plan, but was the result. " 

 

It was dramatic!!