I HATE Scrappers and "Haul Away" from big box stores. I think all of us do.

[potatochips]

You win some, you lose some. But I dont get upset over it, no point, and its part of the collecting fun. If people knew the "true value" of these machines they wouldnt be going for $50 on private ads. The problem with branding anything as a collectable is that not everyone knows the items value, meaning only a small portion of people want it. 

 

If I was to sell my HA806 set on Kijiji, it would probably only sell for $100. Not that many people want a 50 year old washer. 

 

[potatochips]

Hey @launderess, whos collection here was being auctioned off? Its been a while since I browsed most of this forum. 

 

Who else has tried to sell off all or part of their collection?

 

[lorainfurniture]

I may have went to the auction you are talking about, it was near Lancaster pa. I believe a few machines sold for $50 , the rest sold for $10 a piece. I would guess 90% didn’t sell and got scrapped. I bought all that I could haul which sadly was only 3.

Being in the appliance business I can tell you there is no feasible business model for vintage. There is a market for mint condition vintage stoves and fridges, I probably sell a few every year. There is literally no market for laundry with the exception of this club. The exception being Newton Maytag and direct drive washers (if you want to call them vintage. )

I imagine the only way I would be able to sell a vintage laundry set is if it was a special color, and/or would have to be cosmetically mint, and totally rebuilt and sold with a 1year + warranty. They would have to be priced $1500+ each piece.

 

[launderess]

@lorainfurniture

Yes, I believe you did go; recall reading about you and some other members made out at the auction.

@potatochips

Here ya go; https://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?72542

 

[vacerator]

"scrapping"

is a lot of work, time, fuel use, vehicle wear and tear, etc. for a small margin.
However, in needy times, one can make some money with a truck.
If a vintage appliance works, or can be repaired, then is it scrap? Nope.
The guy in the first video says doesn't care repeatedly. About certain things either important, or not, nobody cares, or not enough care. Perhaps some are just not brag hearts.
I knew a guy whose dryer caught fire from excessive lint build up. He told me he disconnected it, as he never cleaned it, carried it to the curb, and bought a brand new one that afternoon.
To each their own. If you have half of a good day, your glass is half full. Half a nice day.

 

[kenmore58]

Just to add my two cents on this, the problem with this type of collecting (vintage appliances) is location and acquiring the machine. Several times, machines have been offered for sale on this site that I would like to add to my collection, but they're located so far away. And as we all know, a vintage washing machine doesn't fit in a small box or envelope!

I'm considering scaling my collection down, but I'm sure, living in Rhode Island, I won't have many interested collectors because there are not many in the area.

Ron

 

[potatochips]

Thanks Launderess. 

 

Funny you should mention warranties, Eugene. When I had a new stove delivered, the movers dented the cook top and a WP tech came and replaced it. We got talking about appliances and he was impressed by the Neptunes I had. Turns out, Maytag, and eventually WP, wouldnt warranty any of the work on the machines in terms of doing bearing replacements, even if the Tony Tool was used. They wanted the whole tub changed. I feel thats one major issue with vintage appliances, especially those involving water, is warrantying the work/machine. A lot of liability there. I wonder if there is any precedent set for someone who buys a used appliance from a non-company trained, backyard, hobbiest, or side gig repair man and had it wreck their home?

 

Parts arent cheap for appliances when you compare what you could resell them for. Buying an older Maytag can be about 50-100, and with a seal change, motor carriage springs, and belts could rack the cost up north of $200, and if you sell it for $300 its not really competitive considering someone could go buy a brand new Amana for the same price. Even warrantying those machines could eat in to profits really quick. 

 

[goatfarmer]

<blockquote>
"If people knew the "true value" of these machines they wouldnt be going for $50 on private ads. "

 

</blockquote>
The "true value", for the most part,  is what someone is willing to pay for it. You might think you're vintage washer is worth north of $500.00, but when trying to sell it, the only offer you get is $100.00, what is the value?

 When I still had a store, I could sell vintage washers and dryers to landlords. But very seldom got more than $100.00 for a set, and most times I didn't mess with selling them on the retail market. You have to offer a warranty, and you don't know how they will be used. Something breaks, and then what?

 

[lorainfurniture]

The margins are better than you write, but your in the right ballpark. Most of us get haul aways delivered to us for $40 each. About 75% of them are fixable. For example a Maytag dc: worst case is the tub seal, and it was only recently leaking. I’m pretty sure I pay less than $40 for the seal, and another $20 for belts and misc, I’ll have $100 in.

If it’s a newer all white Maytag I can get $250 without much fuss, $300 to someone that can appreciate it. The newer machines may need a board and that’s when the margins get tight.

As far as liability: insurance always covers it. Even gross negligence. Thank god ive never destroyed any homes, but my delivery people have scratched many walls and floors in the 19 years I’ve been in business. Most people are reasonable and are fine with me sending my contractor to repair the damage.

 

[potatochips]

Yeah Kenny, thats why I put quotes around true value. Its entirely subjective to the buyer. 

 

[Ultramatic]

 

 

I have been steadily downsizing throughout the years. The reality of space and far too many projects starts to take away the joy of the hobby. Add to that a grumpy husband and well, the writings on the wall. Most of my appliances went on to live in other homes, although a few, sadly, had to be scrapped. As it stands vintage wise, I have 1 washer, 2 refrigerators, 1 dryer, 1 stove, 1 dishwasher and assorted kitchen appliances. This is in addition to vintage radios, phonographs, irons, fans, telephones, Christmas decorations and the like. The strict philosophy now is, if it doesn't fit in the closet, I don't get it.

 

[potatochips]

Personally myself I am thinking about downsizing and just maintaining a small working collection. Use it for a year and sell it, find something else, do the same thing. 

 

[kenmoreguy89]

Well at least you can make a contract with somebody, over here in Europe- Italy is much more difficult.
Many of my recent machines came from a scrapyard or better say "city dump" or how they call it, ecologic-isle.
Basically up until one year ago I could just go with my truck to the city dump and load in a hurry machines that I liked and needed to be saved, and the dump employees would just pretend not to see.. but now things are much more difficult because of new rulings.
They in fact need to register whatever appliance enter the dump and fill a document as soon as it enters the dump, and it becomes a waste according to law.
So now they did put gates to enter the dump that opens thanks to a magnetic card they re-new every year and give you if you show them you have paid city taxes for the garbage care.
The fact is that the same is for shops, doesn't matter big box or family owned, as soon as they deliver the new appliance and withdraw the old one one they need to fill a form and it becomes a waste that will need to be treated as such, and when they go to the dump they pass this waste along.
If they are caught transporting a washer or whatever appliance without this document they get in trouble.

I actually went to speak with the dump manager explaining to him of my passion and trying to see if they would allow me to take washers or pieces, but no, he said that t
now the only way I could do that is to have a licence to treat waste so they can invoice me even for free but they need to make an invoice to me because they need to fill documents for whatever enters in the dump and goes out, they just cannot get rid of waste like that or they get in trouble for improper waste disposal! Because city dump actually is a company itself.
So guys this is the law! Yet they keep telling about ecology etc! Ha! they prefer a machine to get scrapped rather than saved, you cannot even take pieces from it and save another one.
Truth be told 80% of what you see in the dumps actually is just two or three years old nowadays and rarely machines 15-20 years or older.
Of course due to the fact that appliances today are just garbage themselves as you buy them new, but also many just ends there because of today's tendency of using liquid detergents and quick Cycles and low temperatures that build-up thick gunk layers of in the outer tub that rotten spiders that crumbles due to acidic fermentation YES FERMENTING WASHERS! The even more sad part of the story is that many Modern machines doesn't have on purpose a outer tub you can open in order to change the spider, seal or bearing but you have to buy the whole block outer tub spider and basket, that cost as much as a new one! Ha the ecology!

 

[kenmoreguy89]

I am in many Facebook Groups about laundry
And every day comes out a gal asking for help, typical complaint is:
" help why my washer stinks" or " how do I get my laundry to smell good because it doesn't it stinks".
To be blamed of course it's always and only how you use your machine and how you do laundry.
Typical housekeeper's laundry today means tossing whatever color in, put a pod or a cup of liquid, add a colour catcher sheet ( because nobody got time to divide colours- they have the sheets now God forgive!) choose a quick cycle Mix-30° or equivalent are the favourite and when very dirty of course an eco with reduced temps, they don't smell good? No problem! Just add a gallon of softener (which greasy components enhance the gunk build up in the machine) and if you really wanna make things great also use like a bucket of unstoppables or those new scent boosters (made and created just for that) and you are done, your laundry will smell good!!!

And in a couple years :
"Help my washer basket fell down doesn't turn" rotten crumbled spider...or "help my washer sounds like a jet during spin" ie: rotten seal, rotten and gone bearings!

 

[goatfarmer]

I could always sell newer machines, like you say, depending on what it is, for much more. I used to sell the cr@p out of GE FF's to landlords. They were dependable, for the most part, easy to repair, they loved' em. Those are the ones that I would get $100.00 for the set. Those and Maytags are pretty much the only vintage machines I would sell to the general public.

 

 I have it pretty good WRT haulaways. I have to drive an hour each way, but I can buy 12-15 machines (fridges, laundry, ranges) from a dealer, who sells me what they don't go through themselves. He charges me $40.00 for a load. Usually half of them are worth fixing. Some give up parts for others, many just go on the truck to the scrapyard.