Appliance Newbie

[cadman]

Hey Guys,

Just thought I'd introduce myself, I have a feeling I'm really going to like it around here. My name is Cory and I recently graduated college in May. In the interim I'm at home (same town as college), working in an engineering capacity, and tending to my hobbies which are vintage electronics. People thought I was crazy collecting 40's and 50's TV sets, dragging home consoles from a young age and restoring them to glory. The basement is also full of rotary phones, vintage computers, and really anything electronic with flair. Though I admit, I had never considered major appliances before : )

Being a bit eccentric, a regular house just won't do, so I began designing my own in the 50's mid-century modern style. From floor to ceiling, folks will wonder when the place was built : ) and I'm not about to allow modern appliances through the front door!

After months of googling and ebay surfing, trying to catch glimpses of GE Stratoliner ranges and figuring out just where I'd get a Frigidaire icebox in the kitchen, I discovered you guys and in just a couple days, literally, you've managed to change my perception and reinforce the fact that I'm not entirely crazy! And yes, I've watched every video on this site!

So I guess I have a whole bunch of questions for you fine folks and I don't want to inundate you guys. I love controls, it has to be the controls, the backlit colors and the layout of the buttons is what speaks to me. I'm taken with the Frigidaire Unimatics but maybe you guys have some suggestions? What machine has the neatest lighting, what speaks to you guys??

Thanks,
Cory

 

[gansky1]

Welcome!!

Glad you found us and you'll be amazed at some of the beautiful things that pop up around here! You're close to some our midwest collections so you'll have to make some time to visit sometime. We'd love to see some pictures of your vintage electronics when you get a chance, there are quite a few collectors of appliances and electronics here as well.

All the best - Greg, Omaha NE

 

[goatfarmer]

Welcome!!

Some of the old Kenmores had more buttons to push than should be allowed.They're still out there waiting to be found.

kennyGF

 

[jasonl]

Lady Kenmore

The coolest washers ever are the Kenmore 800 and Lady Kenmore. Of course, I'm a 60s/70s freak and I grew up with Kenmores.

 

[Unimatic1140]

Hi Cory

Welcome to the Club! While I love all the push buttons, lights, bells, etc, of the machines of the later 50's and into the 60's my favorites are the earliest, most primitive automatics. Many of them had a very simple, streamlined looked with rounded corners, no control panel and lots of wash-time drama.

I also collect and restore vintage TV's too! I'll post a picture of some of my sets over in the Yellow Super Forum when I get a chance.

 

[christfr]

hey cory

welcome from st louis. glad you found the site. i remember how happy i was when i found it. personally a machine just has to grab me with one of 2 things. either in its styling or something in the way it runs. so if you like take it home and make it yours. if it makes you happy then thats all that matters. i have a thing for the 50s machines but some of the 60 just reach out and grab me too. dosnt really matter each one is so diffrent to play with and watch, but as unimatic says i think its in the wash time drama that has me hooked. glad you found us and have a wonderful time. chris

 

[cadman]

Thanks for the warm welcome guys!

I'll tell ya, it was just a week or two before that I learned Frigidaire made washers. I picked up a plastic turquoise scoop with the Frigidaire name for cheap at a garage sale and knew it was too smal for scooping ice cubes But I also managed to pick up two 50's GE irons for $1 a piece at the same sale and they work great. The one with a listing of bizarro man-made fabrics that apparently no longer exist will serve my own ironing needs.

I'll post some pics of my TVs on the yellow forum, the one is quite clever. I also recognize the Zenith porthole set in the vintage category from the B&W TV forum that I like to cruise, nice!

Since I'm currently vintage appliance challenged, the attached pic is of the Maytag set that has been surving the family since '78. IIRC, the hot/cold water valves were the only thing replaced on the washer and that was 10 years ago. I've had to do the belt and restring the element on the drier, and replace the plastic door catch, but she keeps on tumbling.

 

[tolivac]

Flood Damaged Maytag washer

My dads home was struck by the Rapid City Flood of 1972.Just the weekend before the food he bought a Maytag washer.We brought the machine home ourselves and installed it in the basement.I went to my moms house in Wash DC for the summer.Then that flood hit-Dads house was completely destroyed-in the wreckage was that Maytag washer.The local Maytag dealer restored it and the washer was installed in Dads new home. It was replaced in the early 90's with another Maytag. That Flooded washer lasted over 20 years. The poor thing looked like hell-but it sure worked. The cabinet was scratched and dented.My dad and stepmom didn't use a dryer. They line dried their clothes for that 20 year period until grandmother took them to Sears and bought them a dryer.The Ken dryer has now got to be 10 years old.My dad wanted to get another washer and dryer-I told them to keep the ones they have.

 

[tolivac]

Your link for your vintage TV's

Looked up your profile and saw your link on your collection of TV's and computers. Very fascinating. Your basement remimded me of the one in the home destroyed by the flood.I had one vintage set at the time-My stepmom's Emerson she gave me.Fixed it up and got it going really well.-Even routed its sound thru a Hi-Fi amp I had.I was trying to collect vintage Hi-Fi gear.Had LOTS of surplus electronics components and parts.Built all kinds of strange gadgets.Later on Me and a friend(we were working at radio stations as engineers)Built up a collection of sets we found at repair shops-and even by the road while doing a stations RF proof.It was an old DuMont. Worked well. Our sets got stolen-we had them stored at a radio station transmitter site-They were taken when it was broken into.