DO YOUR PARENTS THINK YOU'RE NUTS BUYING THIS OLD STUFF?

Automatic Washer - The world's coolest Washing Machines, Dryers and Dishwashers

Help Support AutomaticWasher.org:

g3bill

g3bill

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 6, 2014
Messages
149
Location
San Fernando Valley, So. Cali.
NO MATTER YOUR AGE DO YOUR PARENTS LIKE YOUR CHOICE IN PURCHASING VINTAGE APPLIANCES OR THINK YOUR CRAZY TO PURCHASE THESE OLD APPLIANCES THAT THEY WOULDN'T PERHAPS PAY $25 FOR EVEN THOUGH THE ITEM MIGHT BE WORTH $400 TO $4000.

I ASKED MY MOTHER WHAT BRAND WAS THE STOVE SHE HAD IN THE 50'S AND WAS WEDGEWOOD. THEN TOLD HER OF THE O'K&M THAT I MIGHT GET FOR $200 AND SHE BLEW UP, "HOW COULD YOU BUY THAT OLD JUNK, I WOULDN'T PAY $25 FOR IT." WOMEN ;)
 
Hans I agree totally. My moms house was built in 1951 and both baths are tile up to 4 feet with old toilets, the kind with angle at corners by American Standard and she wants them gone and new ones but I keep talking her down on that, its a real battle sometimes.
 
No!

My Mom wishes she had my kitchen with all of the vintage Dishes, Cookware, Dishwashers, and Cooking equipment.

She loves it and wishes she never updated her kitchens. 

Although I never have nor will pay much for vintage equipment, I have been lucky with my finds.

B
 
Mine tolerate it

Tolerance is easier if you don't mention costs for anything! They're both accountants. It's easier to let them think I picked it off the curb somewhere. I don't keep receipts for most things.

I did say that I would make a list of the most special things in case I died. I mentioned that I would haunt my father if he threw out my Capehart console as just an old radio/phonograph. He would be overwhelmed, but still, do your research!
 
This wasn't with appliances. But my father thought I was downright crazy still playing records. I heard some interesting lines that (roughly) went like:

-Why do some people insist on living in the past?
-Why do people go through this when they could just turn on the radio?

And more...

Interestingly, when I had dinner with my father and his most recent wife about 10 years ago, I made mention about my "LP record problem", and made some self deprecating crack. But, oh, no, she said something like: "Lots of people still have records!" Or something like that. My father immediately agreed. Perhaps I should have pointed out something like: "Less than ten years ago, you obviously thought I was crazy for having records. What changed?" (Actually, I suspect I know what his motive was: he just wanted peace and quiet during that dinner.)
 
What I Told Mine:

Years ago, I got razzed one time too many about my liking for vintage stuff. The last straw came when family figured out that I was socializing with people who shared my interest and started wisecracking about "people with this weird obsession with old stuff."

I finally said, "Hey, SOMEBODY has to fix all the things your generation didn't take care of."
 
I'm fortunate in that my father is a retired electrical mechanic for the Department of Water and Power here in Los Angeles. Being very mechanically inclined he's always done his own maintenance on anything and everything that needed attention around the house, and over the years I've heard him comment on the decline in quality seen in almost everything many times. As a result, when it came time to replace his old GE Filter Flo, it wasn't hard at all to talk him into a vintage replacement. He wasn't thrilled with the idea of a new one anyways.
 
The attitude here was/is, if it works, don't replace it. The 1961 gas water heater was replaced in 1989 though, because it was old. It still worked. TWO subsequent gas water heaters leaked all over creation within ten years, apiece. The fourth one still works, knock on wood. I believe the problems were helped along by a water softener that was too big for the house, the hot water was coming out yellow for a while. We got rid of the softener completely, and it is not missed.

Since this house was built, it's had two roofs, new back and front doors, new locks, new windows, new kitchen counters, new back and front porch lights, heavy duty wiring for the dryer and the HVAC, but all of the cheap '61 light fixtures inside, and most of the outlets and switches are original too. I hesitate to say that all the original wiring and electric box is still here, bath fixtures, kitchen cabinets, all '61 issue. I know, and agree, some systems have to be updated, but no one here has ever tried to overload the main system. I've still got the jalousie door/lock set for the laundry room, front jalousie door in the kitchen with the working closer still attached.
 
 
No.  My dad upon retirement got into a hobby/sideline of refinishing/repairing old furniture so he understands the concept of taking something old and broken and making it nice again.  He has been known to pick up a chair or table from a roadside trash pile ... and occasionally other items.  He pulled some nice towels from a neighbor's trash that had a bit of discoloration along fold-lines, apparently from long-term storage (decorating change?).  I've been using several of them for several years (they became pristine after several hot washes with STPP).  He's also known for (reasonable) frugality which filtered down to the offspring.
 
Mine never really commented on it.

<span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">I have always been pretty strong willed so they don't really bother much about what I am doing.</span>

 

<span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The only comment they have made is when I mentioned I wanted to buy a vintage house.   My Sister was concerned that I could be setting myself up for all kinds of issues.  I have a cousin who is a Home inspector and all she said was "Make sure Danny goes over it from top to bottom so you know what you're getting yourself into!"</span>
 
Since I've been out on my own, they really don't say anything about it. My whole family(aunts, uncles, and cousins included) know I collect vintage appliances. They don't have a problem with it. They enjoy coming over to see it from time to time.
When I still lived at home, I hadn't gotten into the appliances at that time. It was just the tube radios and TV sets. My dad didn't really care too much. He was/is a packrat himself. My mom on the other hand was a different story. She always had to have new. With her, there are just some things we don't discuss. We both know it will end in a fight if we were to try.
 
I don't buy "old stuff" I buy good stuff.
My family, so my mother and my father as long as my sister...even though more my parents, always had a deep interst for the antiques, my mother would collect all sorts of things from antique/vintage linens, Burano, kitchenalia, china, and, ornaments, glassware and antique Murano and so forth...she would use all of them...my father was more into furniture, sterling silverware, oils, and all decor complexes from very ancient times.. after my father closed his jewelery and factory, the antiques sale is what he has started doing for a job.....
My father is more the "antiques" one, I mean, stuff from 1800s to middle ages and back...
I am more into 900s stuff and especially mid 900s....
Unuseful say they bith used to do and vist flea markets, auctions etc since like always.... so my father and I do now.
I buy and keep what I need and re-sell what I don't, must say I never end up getting something I will not use, in this case I get rid of it soon... there're collectors who takes stuff just for sake of having them but never use them, and quite frankly will never understand that...
As for collecting as long as i have room and gonna use these things it's a sane thing, then it becomes hoarding...

My father for himself has like 200-250 square meters room at the farm full of all sorts of furnitures and ancient and also vintage things he buys at auctions, along with stuff he initally buys the lot for.
It happens to be found along some things that I like or anyway mid 900s vintage and appliances as he buys stuff in lots ....the stuff he digs for usually are really important stuff, furniture dating as back as 1600 or older, he would restore all them and he's gonna put them in the Hi-class Bed&breakfaast we're gonna open in our historical farmhouse...many furnioture he got are also meant for his home so also in prevision of finishing the main Villa at the farm/house estate where is gonna move eventually...
His last purchase was an huge bed that belonged to a princess......you gotta see that thing!
In my family they understand the value, the betterness and the beautiness of what for others poor souls is just "old stuff"...
I think it's a family passion, my grandfather was also the same...
My father would call me when he stumble in something I may like, last day he came home with a bunch of dry irons he was given from an old man, his friend...I don't use them nor like them much so I put them in the box for the next flea market...
He do understand even though not being absolutely into my kind of things....if my mother was still alive we would make a perfect core...
BUT:
If you ask me though what they initially thought of my passion for washers and laundry, and especially when I was a child...well...that's another thing....
All I can say now is that I think he did understand, my mother did understand before he did, she came to fully get it when I was like 8-10 years old, my sister instead always did...
Well I think there at the farm I can also get my space to keep more machines and stuff, I already have planned a laundry room where to hook up the FF, the WP BD and SQ's... i think I'm not going to miss the space for some more machines for sure, the place is huge and there's a lot of space...looking forward to move there...

[this post was last edited: 1/28/2015-11:59]

kenmoreguy89-2015012806131906635_1.jpg
 
My parents (both of them gone now) loved my interest in vintage appliances - especially my mom. The old appliances reminded her of things she used when she was young, and she thought they were great. I remember when I hauled home one of my first vintage stoves and was putting in the garage. She told me how beautiful it was and that it would be "good to cook on a stove like that."

 

How lucky I was to have had parents who always supported and encouraged my choices, whether it was what I wanted to study in college, jobs I went for, homes I purchased,  who I fell in love with, or my many hobbies including collecting vintage appliances.
 
personally speaking...

Be grateful if your parents are still around regardless of how they feel about their son or daughter being another Fred Sanford aka a junk collector.  Once they're gone you'll wish they were standing there shaking their heads and saying "what the heck did you buy that for?"
 
Most people think I have escaped from Coo-Kooville

My Mom's friend and her son were over Christmas Eve. They asked why I collect vacuum cleaners.
"Because I like them"
"How many do you have?"
"Seventeen to 20 depends on the day."
"But why?" he asked "you only need one vacuum"
"Well you collect gas pumps, do you even need a gas pump?"

Segway to a new conversation.
 
We had some friends over. He saw my collection of vacuums and appliances. He has since dropped off a gas stove and two vacuum cleaners. One of the vacuum cleaners is a Royal from the 1920's.
 
My father (still around and going strong at 87) accepted my urges to acquire 'old' stuff years ago.  He's even picked up a number of cool vintage items that he knew I'd like.   My brother, Jack, who I haven't spoken to for decades once said, "You'll wind up broke wasting all your money on that old crap".  He's the one who's up to his ears in debt and scrambling to make it to the next paycheque, though, not me.... 
 
Be grateful if your parents are still around

Amen, Joe!!

When I was a kid back in Cheektowaga (suburb of Buffalo, NY) we used to go out the night before trash day since that's when all the folks in the neighborhood would put their trash out. It was most appropriately called "garbage picking" and we kids loved it. We came home with all kinds of treasures, though many of them found their way back into our Wednesday night pile at the curb eventually! If nothing else, it was cheap entertainment!

Chuck
 
Chuck,

 

That's funny.  I did that all the time.  I remember pulling a portable DW across the street, much to my mothers horror.  I may have blocked her car or something.  I was probably 9.  I think it was a Mobile Maid.  It was a bitch to get the wheels off the curb lawn.

 

I guess my folks aren't surprised anymore.  I am a seasoned veteran of junk.

 

 
 
I don't think my parents share my interest in quality items, vintage or new, but they do respect my hobbies and interests so I never hear a peep whether they like what I do or not.

Usually I'm talking them into not buying that cheap piece of shit they saw on sale somewhere (they're more worried about price then anything, and assume anything new will work just as good as the old good quality worn out one they're replacing) and have to tell them what to get instead of that.... They either tell me to go to hell or they do what I said (depends on the price). If they tell me to go to hell then I'll usually be sitting there laughing 6 months later when it all falls apart.
 
Well...it certainly helps if you started young. And I was quite fortunate, the principal at my elementary school also ran an auction business and would hook me up with the odd Edison lamp or "worthless" 50's TV...much to my father's chagrin. Keep at it and eventually you wear 'em down : )

With regards to today, frankly, I don't have time for closed-minded people. Smile and nod, smile and nod....
 
i remember watching the washing machine go around as a child and getting ran off with the broom so to speak. One of my aunts was quite a bit more accepting and would hand me a load of laundry and say have at it. Now a days, people ask why do you need that? that is so inefficient. My husband (god love him) just says OK. My answer to anyone that asked? "because i can". (last time i checked we pay the bills here). People even look cross eyed at me for newer things i buy or change frequently. I quite frankly don't have time to care what they think.
 
I Don't Think....

....That non-collectors "get" the economics of collecting at all.

I remember years ago, when my mom passed on her Lady Kenmore 30-inch smooth-top to me. The range was an expensive one, but it had for several years been the recipient of Mom's Special Care Program, which alternated extreme neglect with outright abuse. For that reason, the control panel glass was in bad shape, with some delamination of the paint on its back side. I decided to replace it and made the necessary trip to Sears Service, which in those days had parts in stock.

When I was through with the needed spa treatment, Mom was the first to admit that the range was looking spiffy again, but then she asked what the replacement glass had cost. I told her - around $40. She said, "You're crazy to spend that on a piece of glass! Throwing money around!"

I did not have the heart - or the cojones - to remind her that she'd paid over $400 for the range and had gotten something like three years out of it before deciding to replace it, not least because it was looking pretty scabrous.
 
Shes 92 and still dictating, Throw it OUT!! ?

Venting I guess...My mom said today if I dont get rid of all that junk I'm calling a junk man to haul it away:( It scares me cause I live a mile away and things could be gone in an hour. Its a mentality I guess thats meant to be super neat, her older brother was the same. I came back from service in '70's and she kept bugging me to let her get rid of my dog before I returned, I caved in and she did. Later after I returned I found a wood box was missing, maybe two with many parts for my American Flyer Train set, who know what that would cost to replace. The only reason the washer, dryer & dishwasher are still in use is my efforts to keep them alive saving lots of money in repairs & new machines. Same goes for the old frig and electric stove I rebuilt but even after all my work the next time theres a repair needed she says I guess its time to get a new one. Makes me feel like everything I repaired was for nothing. Nag Nag Nag and thats why I ended up selling my '64 GTO in '78, Stupid. Talk about generation gap:)
 

Similar threads

D
Is this even possible to do without creating irreparable damage?
Replies
7
Views
478
combo52
combo52
G
ISO advice: which vintage washer and dryer to buy for daily usage?
Replies
25
Views
787
sel8207
S
J
Maytag SAV (Amana-Tag) - Tub seal leak help
Replies
1
Views
81
repairguy
repairguy
pierreandreply4
hello to all aw members
Replies
25
Views
310
lowefficiency
lowefficiency
W
Cord is cut, living large
Replies
22
Views
189
circlew
C

Latest posts

Back
Top