drh4683
Well-known member
I found a nice matched pair 1978 Maytag washer and dryer in Harvest Gold at an estate sale last weekend. They were in the basement of a 1920's bungalow in Berwyn (just outside of Chicago). They look to be lower hour machines, no rust and very well cared for. The washer is a GA208 (date code AL, Jun. 1978 ) and the Dryer is a DE308 (date code AV, Nov. 1978).
I didn't plan on finding them, so I was unprepared to take them right on the spot last Saturday as I was just randomly driving past the home where the estate sale was. In fact, these machines weren't even being offered for sale. So I asked if the washer and dryer in the basement were for sale and everyone at the sale seemed confused as to why anyone would be interested in them. It was a large family run estate sale and everyone had to talk it over back and forth a few minutes among themselves if they should sell them and for what price. It originally started out as "have him make us an offer" and then someone said "$100 for both", but then it became "no, $100 each" by the time they all agreed when they came back to tell me. So I said sure for $200 for both, but couldn't get them until next week and asked if that would be a problem. They said no problem and we exchanged phone numbers at my request. Then it became a discussion of who should give their phone number up to this "stranger"... They said the sooner I can get them the better as they wanted to get the house listed on the market right away which proved to be a true situation. They said I don't need to bother paying until I come get them. I said sounds good and that I'll have help to remove them from the basement when I come back and that I also have an appliance dolly, but will call and let everyone know for sure on a pick up time. Even after all of this, it was somewhat awkward as they still seemed suspicious of me as to why someone was going to pay $200 for an old washer and dryer set.
So the following Monday (2 days after the sale), I gave the guy a call and he seemed surprised that I called, almost as though they thought I wasn't serious at the estate sale. I said I can come get them any time this week in the evening and he said "Oh that's good because we already brought them out of the basement, but we can hold them for you". My gut sank when he said that as I immediately feared that they were probably going to just scrap them and carelessly moved them, denting them up... So I said yes I'm still interested, you guys said $200 for the pair, right? And he paused... He goes "Yeah..... we did.... but let me check with my wife one more time and we'll call you back". I was kinda frustrated at that point. Likely they had to research these machines now that they knew I was serious and had to make sure they weren't worth some big money before finally agreeing to let them go for the already agreed price. Almost as though they thought I had some kind of hidden profit motive behind buying these. I didn't hear back until after 2 days, so by then I had already decided to just write it off as a lost cause as the family was being greedy. But then I got the phone call on Wednesday evening and the guy says "Ok, $200 it is, you can get them Friday after 5pm". I said that all sounds good, but had to ask one detail... I said "Please don't take offense to my asking, but since you guys already brought them out of the basement, I hope they didn't get scratched or dented in any way as they were really in excellent condition. I was hoping to move them myself as if anything went wrong it would be my responsibility". He said "oh no, we were careful nothing happened, you're good!"
So I arrived yesterday evening, the guy opens the garage and there they are, all by themselves in an otherwise empty garage. They looked good at first, but then when I got up close to the washer, the right side was all scarfed up and dented from what appears to have been them sliding it up the stairs to get it out of the house. Scratches through the paint in a few spots and a good scuff through the paint finish on the front panel and the schematic diagram label was ripped up on back, all of which was fresh damage that wasn't there when I looked at them. The dryer was free of damage at least... I didn't want to start any arguments, but I was pretty disappointed and the fact that the guy completely lied to me that "nothing happened" when I specifically voiced my concern about them getting dented up while being moved. I asked if they used a dolly to move them and he said they just carried them out by hand. I said oh ok, that's what I figured and just left it at that. I could tell if I got nit picky, the guy would end the deal with me, so I accepted it for what it was.
It grinds my gears when this sort of carelessness happens. They were perfect for 44 years until someone decided not to care because to them it's just old junk. Even me insisting that I move them myself wasn't enough to prevent that from happening. I guess the only way to prevent it was to have stopped everything I was doing that day and got them.
Sometimes things just don't go as perfectly as you hope, but aside from my frustrations, they're still a very nice looking set and they'll clean up well with minimal effort! These are pictures just as they are before I clean them up. I'll try to carefully pop the dents out and fix up the scratches the best I can too.
I didn't plan on finding them, so I was unprepared to take them right on the spot last Saturday as I was just randomly driving past the home where the estate sale was. In fact, these machines weren't even being offered for sale. So I asked if the washer and dryer in the basement were for sale and everyone at the sale seemed confused as to why anyone would be interested in them. It was a large family run estate sale and everyone had to talk it over back and forth a few minutes among themselves if they should sell them and for what price. It originally started out as "have him make us an offer" and then someone said "$100 for both", but then it became "no, $100 each" by the time they all agreed when they came back to tell me. So I said sure for $200 for both, but couldn't get them until next week and asked if that would be a problem. They said no problem and we exchanged phone numbers at my request. Then it became a discussion of who should give their phone number up to this "stranger"... They said the sooner I can get them the better as they wanted to get the house listed on the market right away which proved to be a true situation. They said I don't need to bother paying until I come get them. I said sounds good and that I'll have help to remove them from the basement when I come back and that I also have an appliance dolly, but will call and let everyone know for sure on a pick up time. Even after all of this, it was somewhat awkward as they still seemed suspicious of me as to why someone was going to pay $200 for an old washer and dryer set.
So the following Monday (2 days after the sale), I gave the guy a call and he seemed surprised that I called, almost as though they thought I wasn't serious at the estate sale. I said I can come get them any time this week in the evening and he said "Oh that's good because we already brought them out of the basement, but we can hold them for you". My gut sank when he said that as I immediately feared that they were probably going to just scrap them and carelessly moved them, denting them up... So I said yes I'm still interested, you guys said $200 for the pair, right? And he paused... He goes "Yeah..... we did.... but let me check with my wife one more time and we'll call you back". I was kinda frustrated at that point. Likely they had to research these machines now that they knew I was serious and had to make sure they weren't worth some big money before finally agreeing to let them go for the already agreed price. Almost as though they thought I had some kind of hidden profit motive behind buying these. I didn't hear back until after 2 days, so by then I had already decided to just write it off as a lost cause as the family was being greedy. But then I got the phone call on Wednesday evening and the guy says "Ok, $200 it is, you can get them Friday after 5pm". I said that all sounds good, but had to ask one detail... I said "Please don't take offense to my asking, but since you guys already brought them out of the basement, I hope they didn't get scratched or dented in any way as they were really in excellent condition. I was hoping to move them myself as if anything went wrong it would be my responsibility". He said "oh no, we were careful nothing happened, you're good!"
So I arrived yesterday evening, the guy opens the garage and there they are, all by themselves in an otherwise empty garage. They looked good at first, but then when I got up close to the washer, the right side was all scarfed up and dented from what appears to have been them sliding it up the stairs to get it out of the house. Scratches through the paint in a few spots and a good scuff through the paint finish on the front panel and the schematic diagram label was ripped up on back, all of which was fresh damage that wasn't there when I looked at them. The dryer was free of damage at least... I didn't want to start any arguments, but I was pretty disappointed and the fact that the guy completely lied to me that "nothing happened" when I specifically voiced my concern about them getting dented up while being moved. I asked if they used a dolly to move them and he said they just carried them out by hand. I said oh ok, that's what I figured and just left it at that. I could tell if I got nit picky, the guy would end the deal with me, so I accepted it for what it was.
It grinds my gears when this sort of carelessness happens. They were perfect for 44 years until someone decided not to care because to them it's just old junk. Even me insisting that I move them myself wasn't enough to prevent that from happening. I guess the only way to prevent it was to have stopped everything I was doing that day and got them.
Sometimes things just don't go as perfectly as you hope, but aside from my frustrations, they're still a very nice looking set and they'll clean up well with minimal effort! These are pictures just as they are before I clean them up. I'll try to carefully pop the dents out and fix up the scratches the best I can too.
