xpanam
Well-known member
Anyone know the maker? It looks like the lower rack has loops on the left and pins on the right.
http://denver.craigslist.org/app/3753837110.html
http://denver.craigslist.org/app/3753837110.html
MONTGOMERY WARD SIGNATURE DISHWASHER TOP LOADING
- Thread starter xpanam
- Start date
Help Support :
A safe guess would be Frigidaire
"Works Great." Hmmm. When did it last? Looks to me like it hasn't in a while.
Denver. Such a shame (for a select few) that there wasn't much of a Ward's presence in Tucson back in the olden days . . .
"Works Great." Hmmm. When did it last? Looks to me like it hasn't in a while.
Denver. Such a shame (for a select few) that there wasn't much of a Ward's presence in Tucson back in the olden days . . .
westinghouse made
Such a shame (for a select few) that there wasn't much o
Says you. ;-)
There was one at El Con Mall and an Electric Avenue at Oracle and Limberlost, spank you very much. ;-) Before that, it resided downtown (as shown).
If this was closer, Ralph would be able to guess what would be lovingly bathing the dishes next time he was down...
Don't forget the all-Wards home we went to at the estate sale where I procured the Signature impeller machine.
Oh, yes, Ralph, those homes are out there. They're just waiting for you.
This is a very attractive machine. When did Westinghouse use a bakelite wash arm? The silverware basket in the middle is very Westinghousian, but I thought they had the microfilter mechanism and V-shaped wash arm plus turret-tower at this point. Was this an in-between, or lower-line mechanism?
Says you. ;-)
There was one at El Con Mall and an Electric Avenue at Oracle and Limberlost, spank you very much. ;-) Before that, it resided downtown (as shown).
If this was closer, Ralph would be able to guess what would be lovingly bathing the dishes next time he was down...
Don't forget the all-Wards home we went to at the estate sale where I procured the Signature impeller machine.
Oh, yes, Ralph, those homes are out there. They're just waiting for you.
This is a very attractive machine. When did Westinghouse use a bakelite wash arm? The silverware basket in the middle is very Westinghousian, but I thought they had the microfilter mechanism and V-shaped wash arm plus turret-tower at this point. Was this an in-between, or lower-line mechanism?
They're just waiting for you.
Indeed, this very home was. Fortunately it had been purged of most Wardaphernalia except, most notably, the still functioning Tru-Cold upright freezer in the basement (frantically looking for a handy chunk of wood now . . .). Lucky for those other items that they were already gone, or there might have been comparable plans for them to the skeet shooting I dreamed of with all of the collector plates, particularly if the Empire State Building were in close proximity.
I thought I recalled a conversation where it was mentioned that Tucson was barren with regard to Ward's appliances compared to those from Sears.
Well! I do stand corrected!
Indeed, this very home was. Fortunately it had been purged of most Wardaphernalia except, most notably, the still functioning Tru-Cold upright freezer in the basement (frantically looking for a handy chunk of wood now . . .). Lucky for those other items that they were already gone, or there might have been comparable plans for them to the skeet shooting I dreamed of with all of the collector plates, particularly if the Empire State Building were in close proximity.
I thought I recalled a conversation where it was mentioned that Tucson was barren with regard to Ward's appliances compared to those from Sears.
Well! I do stand corrected!
Yeah, both Tucson and Phoenix were Wards retail cities, with plenty of coverage. MW had rather odd coverage and gaps throughout the US (had stores in Portland but not Seattle; stores in Kansas City but not St. Louis, etc). It was largely because of where they had developed mail order houses let them diversify into retail.
Well! I do stand corrected!
LOL The lack of merchandise here in Tucson is likely explained by:
- The longevity of the merchandise (or possible lack thereof)
- The fact that Sears was just up Broadway from El Con at Park Place (it still lives in its original stone-facade building)
Jamiel, you've got a great point. I marveled at Ralph's stories of the Fruitvale catalog complex (and retail store) in Oakland. And Yuma never had a Wards; instead, they had a B-type Sears, and it's still there--also in original clothing. (The only significant change is that the cursive "Sears" neon sign was upgraded in the early nineties.) Hence, Yuma is a Wards-free zone. (Ralph, check real estate there. ;-) )
From what I understand, Wards gained serious momentum in the sixties and seventies after holding back from growing in the fifties and exploring the burgeoning suburbs (Sears' domain), but their antiquated inventory-tracking and catalog complexes held them back.
And, worst, they were forever attempting to emulate Sears and best them, rather than excelling in their own way.
LOL The lack of merchandise here in Tucson is likely explained by:
- The longevity of the merchandise (or possible lack thereof)
- The fact that Sears was just up Broadway from El Con at Park Place (it still lives in its original stone-facade building)
Jamiel, you've got a great point. I marveled at Ralph's stories of the Fruitvale catalog complex (and retail store) in Oakland. And Yuma never had a Wards; instead, they had a B-type Sears, and it's still there--also in original clothing. (The only significant change is that the cursive "Sears" neon sign was upgraded in the early nineties.) Hence, Yuma is a Wards-free zone. (Ralph, check real estate there. ;-) )
From what I understand, Wards gained serious momentum in the sixties and seventies after holding back from growing in the fifties and exploring the burgeoning suburbs (Sears' domain), but their antiquated inventory-tracking and catalog complexes held them back.
And, worst, they were forever attempting to emulate Sears and best them, rather than excelling in their own way.
laundromat
Well-known member
had one.Hated it!
Nate, that Ward's expansion timeline concurs with how it happened locally. Up until the early 70's, the only Ward's we had was the narrow, rickety two-story downtown store, replete with wooden floors, which was far too small to offer much selection on anything. Hence the innumerable trips up the Nimitz to the San Leandro store (single story and very Searslike) or the giant Fruitvale store/catalog distribution center in Oakland. Even the attached parking structure there must have been six stories tall.
God, my parents had such an irrational loyalty to a retailer that not only failed them with the quality of the products it sold, but also with the actual brick and mortar (literally) facility it sold them out of. The huge stand-alone Sears of early 50's vintage with swaying palm trees and sparkle sidewalks was closer and had everything a family needed, including a free parking lot that was so huge I don't think it ever filled up even during the holiday season. Going to Wards meant bringing pennies and/or nickels for the parking meter, the associated hunt for a space, followed by the process of parallel parking, which so many people never get the hang of, then keeping one eye on the clock the whole time you were shopping. Sears was such a no-brainer.
The only explanation I can think of is that my mom worked for Sears in Chicago starting in the mid-1930's and probably came to hate them. Might there have been a dynamic unique to Chicago where you were either a Cubs or a Sox person, and either a Sears or a Ward's person? All are Chicago institutions.
I think we ended up with three new Ward's stores in town by the end of the 1970's. I was in all of them at one time or another.
God, my parents had such an irrational loyalty to a retailer that not only failed them with the quality of the products it sold, but also with the actual brick and mortar (literally) facility it sold them out of. The huge stand-alone Sears of early 50's vintage with swaying palm trees and sparkle sidewalks was closer and had everything a family needed, including a free parking lot that was so huge I don't think it ever filled up even during the holiday season. Going to Wards meant bringing pennies and/or nickels for the parking meter, the associated hunt for a space, followed by the process of parallel parking, which so many people never get the hang of, then keeping one eye on the clock the whole time you were shopping. Sears was such a no-brainer.
The only explanation I can think of is that my mom worked for Sears in Chicago starting in the mid-1930's and probably came to hate them. Might there have been a dynamic unique to Chicago where you were either a Cubs or a Sox person, and either a Sears or a Ward's person? All are Chicago institutions.
I think we ended up with three new Ward's stores in town by the end of the 1970's. I was in all of them at one time or another.
We had no Wards in the Atlanta area, possibly because it was a HUGE Sears hub. When a mall was being planned in the 60s, there was a rumor of a Wards, but a Sears was built there instead. First Wards I saw was in FL. Mom remembered both Wards and Sears in Chicago and said that Wards was junkier than Sears. She remembers going to Sears to buy candied fruit for fruitcake.
It seems like MW was never really steaming at full speed again after the seizure of the company by FDR during World War II. It's interesting to see their reluctance at moving with the shopping populations to the 'burbs, many retailers waited too long to catch that wave and got left behind. We have a few stores that didn't budge from their old locations that are but mere memories now.
Sears' key competitive element was their credit department. A literal juggernaut in the annals of consumer finance history, few other retailers could match their credit power that gave consumers access to such a huge variety of merchandise. One of the salesmen in the "white goods" at our Sears store told me in the 80's that were it not for the Sears credit card, Sears wouldn't bother selling appliances in Omaha given the competition across the street at Nebraska Furniture Mart. You could buy a Whirlpool washer and dryer, as equally featured as the Kenmore for less money at the Mart but slightly easier "terms" at Sears. Quality and features were of secondary concern to a young family just starting out with no credit.
To our family, it always seemed like Wards' quality was one step or more below that of other retailers. Some of Sears' products did rate high in consumer ratings rags, though few of their appliances did until much later in the 80's and 90's. My grandfather liked Sears automotive products, tires & batteries were usually top-rated and of course, Craftsman tools. Grandma had a Kenmore dryer bought as a set in 51-52 but she hated the washer and resolved to never buy another Kenmore/Sears appliance after more troubles with a Coldspot refrigerator in the early 60's. I don't remember ANY Montgomery Ward major appliances, in even the extended family. Not one.
Sears' key competitive element was their credit department. A literal juggernaut in the annals of consumer finance history, few other retailers could match their credit power that gave consumers access to such a huge variety of merchandise. One of the salesmen in the "white goods" at our Sears store told me in the 80's that were it not for the Sears credit card, Sears wouldn't bother selling appliances in Omaha given the competition across the street at Nebraska Furniture Mart. You could buy a Whirlpool washer and dryer, as equally featured as the Kenmore for less money at the Mart but slightly easier "terms" at Sears. Quality and features were of secondary concern to a young family just starting out with no credit.
To our family, it always seemed like Wards' quality was one step or more below that of other retailers. Some of Sears' products did rate high in consumer ratings rags, though few of their appliances did until much later in the 80's and 90's. My grandfather liked Sears automotive products, tires & batteries were usually top-rated and of course, Craftsman tools. Grandma had a Kenmore dryer bought as a set in 51-52 but she hated the washer and resolved to never buy another Kenmore/Sears appliance after more troubles with a Coldspot refrigerator in the early 60's. I don't remember ANY Montgomery Ward major appliances, in even the extended family. Not one.
polkanut
Well-known member
With the exception of a late 1940's Silvertone console radio, my maternal grandparents were die-hard MW customers. Everything from ladies undergarments, a brown box fan which my sister still uses, to MW Riverside brand tools.
Tim, the automotive line was Riverside but the tools were Power Kraft. My dad did buy his tools at Sears for the lifetime Craftsman guarantee, but they were stored in a Ward's Power Kraft metal tool box. That's one Ward's thing I do still have, just the way he left it.
Good to see others validating the inferiority of Wards, both as a shopping experience and with their merchandise, when compared to Sears.
Good to see others validating the inferiority of Wards, both as a shopping experience and with their merchandise, when compared to Sears.
The outside of that dishwasher, especially with the funny tall dial in front looks a lot like the Bradford dishwasher sold at W.T. Grant Co., but it was an earlier impeller model from around 1960-61. I remember that it was on an endcap near where I was waiting in line at the register and above it was a poster headlined 3 STAGE WASHING. I went over and looked at the sign and then inside the machine. There was just the impeller in the bottom so I read about the 3 stages and they had to do with temperature. Like many dishwashers at the time, there was no prewash or rinse so the wash started out with water cooled by contact with the room temperature tank and dishes. I think the 3 stages were 110F-120F, 120F-130F and 130F-140F and the types of soils that were removed at the various temperature ranges, like proteins at the first stage, starches at the second and fats at the final stage. If this was like the Westinghouse dishwashers with the 600 watt booster element, the wash portion could easily be 45 minutes long with the water heating to 140F.
Marketing experts said that trying to sell major appliances in a variety store like Grants was one part of the poor management decisions that bankrupted it because men talked with male salespersons about appliances and not only did men not go into Grants as regularly as into a store like Sears, Grants had only women, for the most part, as sales personnel.
Marketing experts said that trying to sell major appliances in a variety store like Grants was one part of the poor management decisions that bankrupted it because men talked with male salespersons about appliances and not only did men not go into Grants as regularly as into a store like Sears, Grants had only women, for the most part, as sales personnel.
Similar threads
Latest posts
-
-
-
Let's talk jeans. Love them or hate them?- Latest: phillymatt53
