I Have Some automaticwasher.org History To Share

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1.29 for a gallon of Amaco gas!?!

Jon only spent about 39 bucks to fill up that U-Haul on 10/5/1997! Amazing! Too bad she didn't give him a bag.... ;)

All kidding aside, loved the Farm video, and the fact that the group is at the point where there is true history to be reflected upon. A Facebook 'Timeline' feature would be pretty sweet.

Glad to have found this fantastic group of people when I did. Great machines, great hunts, but most of all, great friends have been discovered.

Ben
 
Love your list of quotes Mike!!!! lol

I had so much fun reliving this video I can't even tell you. I want more now!!!

It is interesting to note in that of all of the machines in my original/early collection I only have the Norge Time-Line left intact as it was. The house the video was taken in was my x-partners house, I've moved twice since then. The first convention was at my next house.

By the time this Farm video was taken I had been there three times, it was the first time for everyone else. The only machine I took home from this 3rd haul was my turquoise WCI-58 Frigidaire Unimatic. All of the other machines you see being taken were brought back to Washington DC and Boston.

Thanks Chuck for your story. We will have to organize all this stuff at some point for our "History Page" or what ever we decide to do.

Ken I'm shocked to hear that you head of the Aberdeen Farm all the way out in Connecticut.
 
That was a great video of "The Farm" and some adventure, like kids in a candy store. Robert, I think you should mention the names of they guys who took that trip with you and are they all still with the club.

Doug
 
Robert, I think you should mention the names of they guys who took that trip with you and are they all still with the club.
Hi Doug, the trip to the farm consisted of Jon Charles (Jetcone), John Lefever (Combo52), Robert Stokes (Syndets2000), Don Haggerty (I don't think he has a logon here) and me.

Besides you getting the 1958 Unimatic, who took what in the end? I see Jon gets a control tower washer (dryer too?).
Good question Louis, we only could fit my turquoise Unimatic, the rest of the room in the truck was taken up by John and Jon's haul. As for what they brought home they are going have to answer that themselves, I don't quite remember. I do know like you said Jon got his '57 Control Tower Unimatic that trip.

I also thought it would be fun to share a few pictures from the very 1st wash-in, three months earlier back in July 1997. We spent a few days in Jon's Boston house and a couple of days at the Cape Cod beach house.

This first picture is the washer boys washing and getting tan, just like we did this last July :-). Me, Jon, Don, Don's partner and John L in the background...

unimatic1140++9-29-2011-13-12-1.jpg
 
And me in the back yard on the Cape. Ugh those shorts!

Of course I was being a ham when I should have been helping schlep and lift that Bendix we were taking back to Boston into the truck lol.

unimatic1140++9-29-2011-13-16-21.jpg
 
Robert, what a difference in your basement from then to now! How long did it take you to redo your basement?

Them some "big" agitators in Reply# 35, LOL.
 
These are great - thanks for uploading them to share. A club history page would be awesome too - I have the issue of People with Chuck's article in it, I will try to get it scanned soon. I also have an article that appeared in our local paper, from the Baltimore paper around this same time about Chuck and his collection. My mother cut it out for me all those years ago :-)
 
Here are some comments from me

I would have loved, loved loved to have been there at Aberdeen. It's just amazing what the place was. Thanks for sharing the video Robert. You know if that place existed today, I think there would be a swarm of AW.org folks there like ants to honey. I do hope that sometime in the future, there will be another AW.org convention. Having planned a statewide conference, I know first hand that a conference is hard work and takes lots of people (I'd volunteer my time to help for sure!!!) In the meantime though, AW.org is awesome thanks to Robert and all the people who contribute to it. I think a history page would be a wonderful thing and I know that there are people who've been around loner than me (member since 2005) that can help too.

 

Thanks

Jamman_98

Joe
 
These videos were just awesome! So glad the events were recorded to video!
I laughed so much as the comments that Mike captured! When the video's were playing it was so much fun to see how new this was to everyone there. You can just feel it from watching both of the videos.
It is also evident to see how you could afford all of the machines that you guys took home. Gas was only $1.33 a Gallon!!!! I thought that was great you caught the price on the video when you were at the gas station.
Thanks again Robert!
Brent
 
What a strole down memory lane!

Robert its been awhile since we saw this and thank you!!!!!

 

Robert Stokes how prescient of you for "documenting this for posterity"! Because we all look so HOT way back then!

 

No, kidding aside I must say, We were one determined bunch to get those machines out of there, that was REAL work!!

 

What I still have from there, well I have my original Control Tower and just this spring it got a new mechanism support which it needed since the Farm. Many parts are still in my parts drawer from those machines but the only full machine left is the Control Tower.

Who said it here, that I wasn't out for Bendix then??! They were right, I didn't bring back one, and yet looking at the Vid again today I see many many Bendixii sitting there waiting neglected!

 

RobertS you captured the moment with those scans in silence across the fields, that is what hit me the most, the utter silence of the place, and all that history around us screaming out across the years.

 

I had a BLAST!

And RobertUni-- I would swear on a stack of bibles TODAY that you and I <span style="text-decoration: underline;">skipped</span> down that lane together, even though it looks like we are just running!

 

And to Chuck Dhiel- if I hadn't found you in People magazine and talked your head off for 3 hours when we first spoke--I would have never found John, & Tom & Michael, & Robert & Jeff & Cal & Don and a life! Thank you my friend,I am grateful and consider myself very lucky we met. Aloha.

 

It doesn't get better than walking into a field filled with your passion - believe me we were lucky!

 

jon

 

P.S. > oh and don't think for a minute Robert that we aren't still in DEEP- DEEP- COMPETITION Mister!

[this post was last edited: 9/29/2011-22:18]
 
Can these videos-the "Aberdeen Appliance hunt",and the 1997 wash in be made available on a DVD?Would be interested.Sad the Aberdeen appliance graveyard is no longer-glad you all were able to raise some nice machines from the "dead".I remember a few similar applaince graveyards outside of Rapid City,SDak.they are long gone as well-too bad I wasn't interested in washers and other appliances back then-My folks would have KILLED me if I tried to bring old machines into our basement!Now I wish I could visit such a graveyard a pick a couple of favorites-all I have room for.The Appliance "feilds" are long gone from my area-with the extreme humidity they would have been piles of rust within a couple years.S.Dak is rather dry.The ground in Eastern NC is VERY damp all of the time.So--machines would corrode from the ground up as well as top down(rain and dampness in the air).No basements here either-would be underwater!
 
Wow, Robert, thank you for sharing the 'extended video' of the farm hunt here! I swear that I have had visions of that place - I actually dreamed of finding a place like the Aberdeen Farm with acres of vintage appliances (except I tend to dream in turquoise... LOL). I think everyone who sees this will spot at least three of their dream machines on the old farm grounds. Thanks for taking the time to post this!
Oh, and I love the Canada t-shirt you wore on the 10/5/97 segement! LOL
 
FANTASTIC!!  Robert I just finished watching both of the videos.  They were so much fun.  I am so glad that we have these pieces of AW history.  The farm looked like an amazing place.  I doubt there will ever be another.  Funny too when you look at the pictures of the wash in and compare to today.  The place changes, the machines change, the people change, but one thing that remains the same is the fun everyone has.   Thanks so much for sharing this with us.  

 

Terry

 

PS  Love those glasses!!
 
What wonderful videos, thank you. My Dad had an appliance store from 1950 until 1975. There was a used appliance section as well, so I grew up with a lot of those wonderful washers. I've loved them ever since. Thanks for the website. I enjoy it immensely.
 
Amazing History

Just wanted to get my thanks in as well. I have watched the wash-in video and have paused half way through the Aberdeen video to post this comment.

Great history here and more to come as we head into the future.

Thanks Robert and Fred for all you do with both AWO and VL...!

Patrick
 
Ha haaaa! Nice Daisy Dukes there Robert! All you needed was a bikini top! Thanks for sharing these videos with us Babe. It looked like you all had so much fun, like a bunch of kids in a candy store. If you find any more, please post them as well. XOXO Loves ya!
 
A Fantasy Realized

I am so fortunate to have found Automatic Washer. I was searching on the computer back in 2004(?) and found a link to the website. You cannot imagine the excited state I was in upon looking at all the work everyone has contributed. I, too, felt like I was shot into heaven for discovering yet another "fantasy come true" place for me to satisfy my pleasures.
When I was young, I knew I was "different" from others in yet another way for liking washers & dryers so much. The only thing I can dream for is to get to meet some of you guys in person, and to possibly attend one of your meetings. Those would be the best treats for me! Being able to afford even a small collection of machines is just not possible now or in the near future for me. I wish "Unimatic" Robert and everyone involved the very best of luck and many thanks & congratulations for hosting and supporting this magnificent website for all of us to enjoy!

Jason in NY
 
 

 

Robert, those are some really great videos (and photos)!   Thanks so much for posting!

 

I agree that having an AW.org "history page" is an AWESOME idea!   

 

Go for it!

 

Kevin
 

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