Microwave Oven Collectors? 1969 Oven Available

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blackstone

blackstone

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 27, 2006
Messages
837
Location
Springfield, Massachusetts
Anybody know of any collectors of microwave ovens? I have a 1969 Tappan Electronic Oven that I have been trying to sell for the longest time, and I'm just about ready to take it apart for scrap. It works, and it's heavy. I even bought a manual for it on eBay, hoping that would be a good selling point. There seems to be a collector for just about anything, but this one has me frustrated. Any leads on how to sell this thing would be appreciated.

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JEEZ LOUISE! I never thought I'd see one of these again! My folks were literally the first people on the block to get a microwave in the late 60s and by gum, this was it! I remember it was pretty easy to use and the neighbours joked about how it would dim the streetlights in our vintage-50s tract-housing development!
I am seriously out of room (I concentrate on dishwashers as far as collecting goes) but shoot, you're like 4 hours drive from me in Ogden...
I may just be emailing you for more information on this.
BUT there may be someone else in the US who may be interested and I would not want to get in their way!
 
OLD TAPPAN MW OVEN

Hi Fred thats the one that I was trying to get your mom to sell me the frist time I was there. This is probably the frist Tappan counter-top MW oven. These are safe and relilable to use today but only put out about 650 watts of cooking power. Paul you really need this you could always put it in the bedroom for warming up snacks and toys LOL. 

 

In any case it shouldn't get scrapped it is definitely a great piece of American history from the company that was first to market MW ovens to the public around 1955.
 
My sentiments exactly--it should not be scrapped. John, I honestly don't remember your interest in this microwave, but it was on the shelf in the store for a long time. I believe that my uncle brought it back from California back in the 1980s. California must have been ahead of the times for new technology.

Another photo. I always like the nuclear logo on the front panel.

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Got it!!

I made a point of stopping in Springfield on my way to pick up the "some assembly required" Whirlpool dishwasher to also pick up this classic microwave. I had forgotten that the timer dial lights up - gotta love that! I didn't have the chance to take photos of it now its in Ogden, but when I saw my father yesterday, he just could not believe that I found this. That was AFTER he was questioning my sanity about the dishwasher collection, of course... LOL
It was a pleasure to meet Fred and even though we chatted only a short while, it was great to absorb some of his vintage appliance memories and experience - thank you, sir!!
 
Six years later ...strolls into the party late

I just watched PhilR's Tappan MW like this one, in action. Could there be another for a begging aw.org poster like me? I would love to find one of these oldsters. So I know 2 eyes are going to look longer and have fewer contacts, than asking anyone out there...for leads. There are better microwaves and there are better solutions for cooking or microwaving,but I'm in love with the design and would love this one as something to just enjoy...even if I only heat water.

Thanks to the archives here and best wishes for a good holiday this year...and thank you anyone for any leads.

Phil

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I have always had a soft spot for cool MWOs

We currently have about 30 interesting MWOs dating from 1958 all the way through 2008, in the museum kitchen we currently have 13 installed and working.

 

We also have around 15 or so counter-top MWOs dating back to around 1968, I have not quite figured out how to display these MWOs and where.

 

MWOS after the mid 60s are are very practical and safe to use, the only slight downside is they use about 50% more power to do the same amount of cooking as MWOs built in the last 15 years or so, I still use my 1972 Amana RR-4 almost every day along with a 2003 full sized GE counter-top model and the MW in the Thermador CMT-21 wall oven, I think that any well equipped kitchen should have at least three MWOs, my brother Jeff also has three in their kitchen.

 

John L.
 
Blackstone - Fred, do you have any cousins or friends who happen to have this Tappan laying around collecting dust? I know the answer, but a beggar can't be blamed.

PhilR- it sure looks a lot cleaner than the original; must have been just a little surface dust, etc. I had a funny feelling it might be the same one. I understand, my tradeables are nearly nil.

JohnL(Combo52) - speaking of three microwaves in a kitchen, we use 2. I would add a third if there was room,but I just found a Breville 800XL at the thrift and set it in the corner. Amana and GE MW's. Two kitchens would be....it's out of sight,nevermind.

Hans - heating butter! LOL! I heat water, potatoes, veggies,and reheat food sometimes...wife loves both and resists when I say, "we should just one microwave". Sidenote: I glow in the dark in case I get lost in the woods.

I really don't expect to find that Tappan and
 
Phil,

Paul gave it to me as it wouldn't heat anymore. I was able to fix it, I'm not even sure how! I think one of the microswitches were dirty! I did buy a spare magnetron for it just in case that was the problem but it wasn't!

I spent some time detailing it at the same time but it wasn't in bad condition at all!

Among all the microwave I have, this one is one of a few that's not an Amana-based model (I do have one Panasonic, another Litton rebadge as a "Speed Queen" and 3 GE/Hotpoint in addition of the Amana and GM Frigidaire ovens). It has to be my favorite for it's style.

While it's a bit less powerful than my old Amanas, I have to say this one doesn't seem to leak any radiation measured with my cheap meter! Most others do leak some, even newer (less than 10 years old) microwave ovens that I tested!

As for the production date being in 1971, I am not 100% sure about it but I doubt it could have been made before October of 1970.
I don't remember if I saw a date code when I opened it. I think I based my assumptions on the sticker below that relates to regulation number in the quoted text from this link:
http://www.gao.gov/assets/130/124884.pdf

"On October 6, 1970, FDA publiched in the Federal
Register a final regulation (42 C.F.R. 78.212 (1971)) setting
forth a performance standard for microwave ovens. The
regulation applies to ovens which operate in the freauency
range of 890 to 6,000 MHz and which are used in homes,
commercial establishments, and interstate carriers. The
standard provides that no oven manufactured after October 6,
1971, shall emit a level of radiation in excess of 1 mW/cm2"

philr-2017120714240206748_1.jpg
 
Litton Microwaves

We got a Litton 540 "Meal-in-One" in 1978, along with some of that Litton microwave cookware like the bacon rack, omelet maker and cupcake pan.  I'm not sure why we got a nearly TOL microwave because we sure didn't have much money.  I guess my mother decided that if she was going to learn microwave cooking it might as well be with a good oven.

 

And good it was...a well thought-out machine with intuitive, easy-to-use electronic controls.  It lasted 24 years of nearly daily use without a repair.  Then the control panel finally went bad. 

 

I thought about saving it for repair but was living in an apartment at the time with no storage.  I would love to have it in my kitchen today.


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