My Crazy Obsession

[badgerdx]

You come across as sane compared to the others. I never realized how similar you fellows looked until you're side by side...It's a matched set, like a washer and dryer. (Never heard that one before, have you? coff coff).

Considering how easy it would have been to make this seem weird, it really wasn't too bad. Good ambassadors, well done.

 

[stainfighter]

...Sane....

absolutely! The next episode featured a woman with some type of animal that is not your typical household pet...then they featured the Pet Psychic Paula interpreting what that animal's stress was...I'll tell you...the animal doesn't want to sleep in her bed!!! (which is what the owner wants the pet to do)...personally I don't care for the music they use which sounded kind of odd and sad...our 'obsession' is GOOD, CLEAN FUN!!!

 

[jetcone]

I loved it

and thought they featured Fred nicely cleaning up your deadass washer mess with his 1963 wet vac. Now explain to me how did the tub seal leak out directly to the floor?? Where was the outer tub??

Those Unimatics so rare indeed.

And don't think I didn't see that "nice suds" comment either-mister!

_Yes leave the Capybaras to sleep where they choose!

 

[Unimatic1140]

Now explain to me how did the tub seal leak out directly to the floor??
***commences rolling eyes***, lol. Well what ever do you mean Jon? Isn't that funny that for the first time ever a Unimatic leaks water directly from its water seal, totally misses the transmission and ends up on the floor? Wasn't that amazing that TV cameras were there to capture this never ever before happened, once in a million year event. I'd guess I'd have to say that it was a miracle ;-).

And don't think I didn't see that "nice suds" comment either-mister!
I'm glad you caught that Jon, because I said it on national TV just for you. I guess you still haven't learned "You'll have cleaning failures without heaping suds".

 

[gansky1]

Great Job Guys!!

Now, that wasn't so bad at all!  It was clear they tried to focus on the money and the numbers but to most people sitting at home (literally) that probably wasn't too shocking.   What cracked me up the most was the commercials for some of the other shows on TLC, who has time to watch that drivel?   Ugh.  Give me a Doctrine Dispenser any day!

 

[william637]

Excellent Show

I sat up last night and watched it with the Hubby. I am completely jealous of your house and your collection (but mainly that lady kenmore roto rack!)

Great work guys!

 

[maytagmike]

tlc

Robert and Fred, watched your program last night really enjoyed it, what a beautiful collection, Congrats.

 

[srswirl]

Fabulous!!

I thought the show was excellent, guys. Regardless of any efforts they may have made, you came off as perfectly normal people. I'm sure they edited it down to bare bones. I wish they could have spent several episodes...because there is SO much more that goes into this. The knowledge alone that you and other collectors/restorers here on this site have is immense and priceless. They can spend hours on people and their cars...talking about design, and motors, and horsepower, etc. But...they just don't get it with these vintage appliances; yet, it's actually the same exact thing. The automakers themselves made many of these appliances...so you know the engineering was there. Some of these washing machines from the 40s, 50s and 60s are real feats of engineering that couldn't be accomplished today at anywhere near the same cost even when accounting for inflation. The genius of some of the mechanisms with their pure simplicity or their enormous complexity is every bit as noteworthy as any driving machine. The designs and imagination involved were simply amazing as well, not to mention the marketing. All that went into making these appliances is gone...and it was a real part of Americana...but people don't seem to see this. Kudos to you both!!

Michael

 

[swestoyz]

Yes leave the Capybaras to sleep where they choose!

All I can add to the conversation is - great job guys!

Being without cable, a few good friends huddled together at one of their homes to watch the show. Everyone enjoyed it!

Ben[this post was last edited: 3/29/2012-09:55]

 

[westingman123]

Gentlemen!

I'd just like to throw-in here and say your collections shined, but your affection shined brighter. What a nice showcase for vintage appliances AND genuine partnership. Couldn't have been better, considering it was TV. Bravo.

 

[lesto]

Great job, boys! I thoroughly enjoyed the show and you both explained alot about the fun of vintage appliances by talking about the design history and the overall mindset of post-war American appliance manufacturers like GM.

When that water poured out from under the 50 unimatic I thought "this can't be real. They staged that so Fred could demonstrate his 63 vac". LOL.

Several of the machines got a lot of good camera time. I think the cutest part was Robert imitating the mechanical sounds of the different cycles. I did that as a kid too.

 

[wringingwet]

It was fantastic ... you guys did great and very handsome also ... I loved the house and it was pulled off perfect. Thanks so much for all the representation of the group. Such a positive one .. I hope you guys had fun also

Philippe

 

[mickeyd]

FABULOUS AND PRICELESS

Wonderful and funny--laughed out loud 3 times at your unexpected jokes. They only trick they pulled was making it look like you said washers were sexy, when in fact you were answering their question which they edited out. So you had them outed, tellling us about this suspicious question, before they even knew you were on to them. Smart, smart smart.

 

Favorite things:

 

The true-to-ad-hype shampooing Kelvinator, "Now that's the way to wash clothes."

Your washer sound ventriloquy and your dad not appreciating the flat tire threat

"I haven't had polio once"

Fred coming to the rescue with the wet vac

The glory of the parade of washers agitating with and without clothes at hi & low levels--and dry!

The spectacular insides of the Lady K

The warm hug -- a perfect visual "The End."

 

How did they stage the trip to Wisconsin within the 2 day schedule?

 

[whirlcool]

The woman that was the animal communicator is Sonya Fitzpatrick. She lives in my area and we see her on occasion about town and in the grocery store. Let me tell you, that woman is all about the money. Once we saw her and had a very short chat with her. I told her that we had watched her television show (She had on TV a few years ago) and all she said was "Thank you for watching, my fee is $300.00 for 30 minutes of my time", send me an e-mail to make an appointment." and she moved on.

 

[westingman123]

$300 for 30 minutes of WHAT, exactly? I got the feeling she purports to be a Dr. Doolittle. Sorry, Sonya, I ain't biting. What's the P. T. Barnum line? Oh, yeah, "There's one born every minute."

I've got to say, we the appliance collectors came off looking a whole lot more sane than the rest of that gang. Thank you, Fred and Robert!

 

[mickeyd]

Hello Sweetheart

But Hey!!! Wait a minute, didn't you find that machine in La Crosse, Wisconsin last year??? I just found this old thread... http://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?30538.

 

Love,

 

Mike

 

Watching the stark black pulsator making blue suds after you carefully scattered the Cheer was really cool; it was like magic, and the blue and green towels were perfect--excellent color compostion of the loads all around! Is the 55 your pet, or was it just its position in the line-up that had you feature it so many times.

 

[Unimatic1140]

But Hey!!! Wait a minute, didn't you find that machine in La Crosse, Wisconsin last year??? I just found this old thread... http://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?30538.

Whoops, I was waiting for someone to find that post lol. I warned the producers against staging stuff with the washers because people on automaticwasher know my collection and are way too smart to be fooled. Consider what we did a "recreation" of my finding that washer last year. The price was the same, it was in a garage, just the people and city/state were different. But it was a pretty good recreation I thought.

 

[mickeyd]

I knew something was up

Because you said that they filmed 12 hours a day for two days at your home with half hour lunch breaks, so I couldn't imagine how they worked in a 1200 mile trip to Wisconsin.......

UNLESS

you borrowed JETCONE's time travel--slash--Yellow Pulsator Maker machine hahahahahahahahah

 

[revvinkevin]

 

 

So then "the leak" was staged too... hmmm.... what "they" will do for television!  

 

I really enjoyed the "spin cycle" segment and thought it was very well done!   I told some co-workers and friends about the show who I am "out of the appliance closet" to and they planned to watch it.   I've hear back from a few and they really liked the segment, your collections and your house.   I even saw a vendor today that said "Hey I was watching this show last night and there was this guy with a lot of washing machines..... I thought of you..."

 

I just wish they would have used more of the footage, showing other items (like the dishwashers) they only briefly showed in the preview.   Too bad they whittled 34 hours of footage down into just a 15 minute segment. 

 

Over all it was really great!   I'm really proud of you guys for agreeing to do this show!

 

YAY!

Kevin

 

[joelippard]

I would love to be able to watch the segment.  I have regular TV but I hope TLC puts it online on their website.  If anyone finds it please post it here for those of us who were not able to see it.