How did You Tell Your Partner?

[newwave1]

hey folks,
I was thinkin earlier. When you meet a special person in your life, that you want to spend a great deal of time with, and tell them your secrets. How did you tell them about your interest in washing machines? And how did they react?

When i told an ex girlfriend, she paused. "Really!?" she said. Once she got over the initial shock she was very supportive! and would bring me back brochures if she'd been in the vicinity of a store selling these fine creations. I often keep my interest to myself and my close circle around me. So when it came to tellin a partner i was apprehensive.

How have you guys conquered this hurdle?

Darren

 

[aquarius1984]

not exactly

Darren, bit of a situation myself at min with the friend ive moved in with. Im considering getting an old wringer washer from my old school and would love to use it. That would mean it would would livehere too. My mum thinks i grew out of washers years ago and i just use it to be helpful although i do make odd comments about things the lg does as a general moan. i just made it clear to my ex that in a modern world guys should do more to help around the house and i would love to do the washing. Having said that she was a lazy *bleep* anyway. She just let me get on with it and even i chose our first bought washer as she would have rather been in Next than going around our retail park in and out of currys comet miller brothers and powerhouse comparing each and every one lol. I knew i wanted a zamussi but when i looked at the mieles well just was not sure he he. She just yawned at muttered about going to KFC. Would have one now though! A miele not a kentucky lol. Then having said that my parents who usually buy cheap buy twice did give me great advice. When we went looking my ex and me, for our washer i rang my dad to test the water and have a chat about washers. I asked him if the thought the new candy hoovers would be ok? With the myther we had he did say stay clear so i said about miele and his advice was, get a miele if your not bothered about fashion. In 20 years time the miele will look dog eared and if you want the latest appliance colour your stuck with a miele. But if i wanted a laster go for it. My parents have a thing on spending. My mum would freak at the 500 quid price tag of a basic miele. But in the last 6 years and 4 washers later she knows i would be right. My father never suspected a thing so they dont realise what i get up to hehehe ! lol. Take care Nick

 

[chachp]

I just told him

Basically I figure if they love you they will accept every part of you. After all, he's not perfect and I accept him the way he is. Lord knows, neither one of us are perfect we just accept each other as we are.

Mine even rented a truck and drove six hours with me to pick up my first vintage dishwasher. I was very surprised but he knew it was important to me. So we loaded in the truck with some CDs, packed in the dog and went for a nice LONG drive. We made an outing out of it and it turned out to be a nice day.

You may be surprised what you're loved ones will do for you when they love you and what they'll put up with (sorry about the preposition there grammar experts but it just worked LOL). Have faith in them and in yourself. I suspect others in this group will agree.

 

[seeitrun2006]

Simple! She knew it when she married me, no secrets!

But since I have asperger's she knows that it's part of my wiring to love appliances praticularly washing machines. But when I mentioned this site she first thought I had gone a little whack-a-doo on her. But I explained what is talked about and shared on this web site. Since then she has excepted it as one of my hobbies. My wife collects recipes and cook books. I think she has as many cook books as Julia Child did. Her favorite site is "All Recipes.com". I ask one day her which is the less of the two evils? Since then she's been cool about it!

I really like this site!

 

[toggleswitch]

All things in moderation

I try to keep my urges in check, such that they don't control me. *LOL*

 

[Unimatic1140]

I just told them very matter-of-factly that I collect and restore vintage and antique automatic washers. I say it with complete confidence and enthusiasm just like if I was talking about collecting stamps. Rarely do I get any attitude about it, when I do I make it obvious to that person that I'm thinking that they can go $%&@ themselves and the white horse they came riding in on.

More likely they ask me what do I do with them after I restore them, (hoping I say sell them) I usually respond with "laundry".

 

[jasonl]

When I told Helen

Well, it was early in the relationship and I came out of the laundry closet for her. Her response was "That's ok. You can do whatever you want". Considering her dad collects Chevy Impalas and she collects Christmas Village stuff, Having cawfee pots, washers, vacs, and records/record players isn't a bad thing.

 

[tomturbomatic]

Please Toggle, That's as hard to swallow as a horse. Has anyone here seen a demonstration of Mr. Switch controlling his urges? He can control everything else, but his urges? Puh-lease. He would explode. You can tell by looking at pictures of him that he is the center, maybe even the generator, of some high energy field, like a nuclear reactor with most of the graphite rods removed, almost a runaway with warning lights flashing and claxons honking. Not that we would want him any other way, but facts is facts.

Who loves ya Toggle?

We all do.

 

[veg-o-matic]

Quote: "I just told them very matter-of-factly..."

Robert, how many partners have you HAD? My goodness, the stories you must be able to tell...

I don't have a partner, so nobody to tell.

veg; once again, the exception

 

[lavamat_jon]

My better half Dave is obsessed with coasters... just as obsessed with coasters as I am with washers; so I guess he understands the obsession. He's even started to get me obsessed with coasters - unfortunately I haven't managed to get him obsessed with washers... yet, but I did manage to convert him to Persil from cheap supermarket powder!

I'm pretty open about it anyway; it's just a part of me and my life and if people want to sneer or snigger than that's their problem not mine. At least I'm not going to end up polluting my lungs or getting addicted to drugs; unlike a certain sister of mine. She's the one who laughs the most at me; but as I do considerably better at college than her because I make an effort and aspire, and because I look after my health it's going to be me having the last laugh.

Other people collect vintage cars and do them up. It's exactly the same thing with washers.

Jon

 

[jasonl]

Jon

Your Dave has got to be cool to love coasters. I haven't been coasting since last year and I'm having fits. I need my fix and soon.

 

[shawn]

Well I was given the choice of him or the washer, the washer is still here LOL.

 

[mixfinder]

No looky, No Peeky!

Outside the context of vintage washers or collecting, my partner said, he almost didn't buy his front loading Maytag, because it didn't have a window. After a short interlude of a 911 call to revive me, I knew God itself had picked this man for me.
Kelly

 

[jaxsunst]

Given the fact that I have so many quirks. My wife accepts my love and fascination with washers as just another of my many quirks.

I also love old stereos, 70's "Design-Line" phones, Jukeboxes, and Coasters (I haven't had my fix this year either Jason).

My young son has shown an interest in vacuum cleaners. I am encouraging it.

 

[mistereric]

Hey, anyone want to be my partner so I can tell you I like old washing machines?

 

[tomturbomatic]

Kelly, I believe you. He is Heaven sent, but I don't take any crap from anybody about collecting appliances. After several newspaper articles about us and our collection, a call from the Cooper-Hewitt asking if we would let them use a few objets d' appliance for an exhibit, a few people, whose opinion of me and the collection is no concern of mine, thought that maybe we were not totally crazy low class trash collectors. Funny, I still thought they were scheisekopfs.

I think what really irks some people is that we derive so much joy from our finds while the very prestigous & proper things they collect or just wish to own might be very expensive and they cannot afford to indulge their fancy very much. They are jealous.

All of us have gained validation for our appliance interests by finding one another here so we feel stronger. By having friends who share our interests, some of us are not feeling so alone and deeply needy of someone special in our life. Many of us feel a close bond to one or more appliance folks with whom we can discuss things that are troubling us and share things that bring us joy. And then, there is the possibility of hook ups.

This organization is one example of why the Internet is viewed with so much fear by those who want to control and oppress people. People do some surfing and find out that they are not the only anything. There are other like themselves. No other invention has been quite as powerful or as revolutionary in the exchange of ideas as the Internet and we are true beneficiaries of this new way of communicating.

 

[tlee618]

Very well put Tom!!!

 

[brettsomers]

yes yes

 

[gmmcnair]

My Partner

Just joined the forum with me when he saw all the cool vintage stuff.

 

[toggleswitch]

Leave it to all of you to make a girl feel special.

 

[toggleswitch]

Well I was given the choice of him or the washer, the washer

Well, at least the washer:

Works.
Cleans things.
Is reliable.
Has a large agitator, and basket.
Is not afraid of soap and water
Hums when it is happy.
Doesn't go off-balance too frequenly (this is an important feature).

and for the most-part doesn't need more than an occasional belt, some lube and a plug.

 

[Unimatic1140]

Robert, how many partners have you HAD? My goodness, the stories you must be able to tell...
Well lets see, there was Joel for seven years (1986-1993) this was in my pre-washer collecting phase, but he still had to deal with Mixmasters, other small electrics and lots of 1950's TV shows on VHS in a tiny NYC apartment. Then after I moved to Minneapolis there was Steven for three years (1995-1998) who bless his heart saw the joy I received over vintage washing machines and convinced me I needed to start collecting them and I could use his basement. Then there was boyfriend Erik for 14 months(2000-2001) who thought the whole idea of collecting washers just nuts, but when he saw the collection he was very impressed and then quickly settled down on the subject because I made it quite clear to him that if I had to make a choice between the washers or him who would win. Which bring us to Neal, we've been together for almost five years now. Neal he has always been just wonderful with my collection and proudly tells others about what we have in our basement, he says we he's not around he knows exactly where I am, down in the basement!

Hey, anyone want to be my partner so I can tell you I like old washing machines?
Go ahead Eric tell me, I'm listening from the basement I wonder how I'll take the news?

No other invention has been quite as powerful or as revolutionary in the exchange of ideas as the Internet and we are true beneficiaries of this new way of communicating.
Thank you Tom that was a wonderful post, you summed it up just beautifully!

 

[mattywashboy]

My partner Kyle always knew i had a thing about washing machines. We were friends before we got together and he says i was always twittering about doing the washing and stuff, so it didn't suprise him when he moved in and there were two hitachis and a whirlpool sitting around the house. I think i have converted him tho, he always clicks on to this site of he don't have anything else to do, he believes the Frigidaire pulsating action is very umm....intresting shall we say. Him and the hitachi have a love hate relationship, mainly love becuase at least he knows where i am if i'm not around so he can sit on the bendix and have a conversation with me, bless him.

Matt

 

[quiltnbear]

My partner Don must be a saint. Not just the vintage appliances, but I make quilts too, and this means a collection of vintage sewing machines. Then there is my collection of fabrics, oh god all the fabrics! He knew nothing of any of this in the begining, but 18 years later he is not surprized at anything I do and after being around my hobbies (he calls them compulsions) he accepts and even supports me. Gotta love that man and I do. Scott AKA Quiltnbear

 

[Cybrvanr]

I'm not seeing anyone at this time, but many of the people who have known me over the years don't find my obsession with washers...or any home appliance for that matter...as any great suprise! I believe our obsession with washers & dryers is becoming more accepted now not only because the internet allows the communications between folks of common interest, but just about everything mid-century now has become highly desireable. This is especialy true of those from about my age and younger. those people didn't live during the thriving fifties and sixties when the United States was on a technology high producing some of the best, most high-tech products the world had ever known. There's is much desire in many young people to re-live this time of optimisim and prosperity, or at least have symbols and icons, like appliances and home furnishings, that represent this literally magical era of our history

 

[knitwits1975]

Well, my girlfriend seems to be all for it, and you say What? Knitwit has a girlfriend, well yes I do! We've been dating a couple months now. WOOHOO!

 

[cehalstead]

how do you tell your partner?

When I bought my "first" almost vintage washer, I got kidded and ribbed by my partner (we had already been together 7 years). I simply looked at him and said, "How is it different from your '78 El Dorado, the '75 Lincoln and your brother-in-law's '32 Model A????" He had no answer, and I haven't heard anything else about it. He does admit that the old Maytag gets his work clothes cleaner than the newer one, and rinses better...

 

[oxydolfan]

Years ago, I'd occasionally take my laundry to a different neighborhood, because I'd pass a laundromat that had a different sort of washer that I wanted to try out.

That may have raised a few eyebrows, but, hey, it's all good!

Remember that Pretenders song, "Watching The Clothes Go Round"?

In a way, I guess I related to Chrissie Hynde's sentiments at the time. You take your entertainment where you could find it.