Can't help it . . .
. . . I have to chime in here. I'm 72 and still am fascinated with washing machines (any appliance) and doing laundry. It started when I was about 4 or 5 -- a carbon copy of everyone else's story. I lived in a small town and would call neighbors to see if I could come over and do their laundry. My parents never tried to dissuade me.
Congratulations to you for letting nature take its course.
We've just had a "convention" in Beltsville, MD and it was fascinating. I wish you and your son could have been there. The guys that put this on and have created a warehouse of washers are great and very accommodating. In fact, some years ago there was a young boy whose mother would bring him to our "wash-ins" and in doing so, she got hooked on the machines.
I am in Winston-Salem, NC. I don't have much of a collection, but I love what I do have. (And came home from the Beltsville wash-in with a new Speed Queen front load and still spend time sitting in front of it watching it go.)
Keep up the good parenting work. You're a jewel.
Jerry Gay