runematic
Well-known member
Make friends with the local dealers and ask them to save you what you want if they ever get one in on a pickup. If someone came in & said "I'm looking for.......if you ever get one PLEASE call me", I would. just a thought
Used appliance stores
- Thread starter sillysuds
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runematic
Well-known member
Oh...$100 bills in boobs gets my attention (although not most of the other folks on this site). LOL
Some would scream and claw their faces if they knew about cool washers & dryers that I've sent on to the krusher. I can think of several that I offered to the good people here that were not adopted to loving homes. Space is a premium commodity that in one form or another costs money so despite the desire to be an orphanage to everything we stumble upon, it is impossible. On the upside of that, the scrap metal is being returned to you, via China, as toasters, cars and new major appliances. Keep talking to the shop owners, repair techs and hunting behind big-box stores like Lowes, etc. and the goods will make their way into your loving arms. Patience and persistence are the only requirements and soon you'll have more than you can keep.
blackstone
Well-known member
One more point about saving old appliances--there's the government to watch out for. We used to store old appliances in the backyard behind our store. Obviously, not the stuff ready to sell, but when space is limited, the space outdoors also gets used. That is, until the city inspector tells us to clean up the yard. No choice but to bring appliances to the junkyard when that happens.
old versus old
When I was selling second-hand and new washers and refrigerators here in Munich, my boss had a simple policy:
If it was old enough or unusual enough for a staff member (and we saw hundreds of appliances every month) to say wow! he'd keep it regardless of the condition - and it worked out, he was always able to sell one of these.
But if something came in, regardless of age, which had the cleaning lady screaming at him or me saying "not on MY sales floor you don't...I am here to MAKE money, not scare away the customers..." he would trash it.
Nothing came into the shop before it had been cleaned up in the courtyard enough to be sure there were no bugs - and that it wouldn't pose a fire risk.
Sure, lots of stuff got tossed which, today, is considered vintage. But we were able to sell great numbers of truly vintage machines, keep our customers happy...and earn enough money to stay in business.
It's always going to be a tough call. But when your livelihood depends on your reputation (and I bet that holds true for all the second-hand dealers on this site) then you just have to see it for what it is: a business.
Oh - we would always hold a machine for a customer who tipped us off that they wanted something, regardless of what we might have thought of it personally. My boss would even put the word out that we were looking for ONE of them. The "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" approach works.
When I was selling second-hand and new washers and refrigerators here in Munich, my boss had a simple policy:
If it was old enough or unusual enough for a staff member (and we saw hundreds of appliances every month) to say wow! he'd keep it regardless of the condition - and it worked out, he was always able to sell one of these.
But if something came in, regardless of age, which had the cleaning lady screaming at him or me saying "not on MY sales floor you don't...I am here to MAKE money, not scare away the customers..." he would trash it.
Nothing came into the shop before it had been cleaned up in the courtyard enough to be sure there were no bugs - and that it wouldn't pose a fire risk.
Sure, lots of stuff got tossed which, today, is considered vintage. But we were able to sell great numbers of truly vintage machines, keep our customers happy...and earn enough money to stay in business.
It's always going to be a tough call. But when your livelihood depends on your reputation (and I bet that holds true for all the second-hand dealers on this site) then you just have to see it for what it is: a business.
Oh - we would always hold a machine for a customer who tipped us off that they wanted something, regardless of what we might have thought of it personally. My boss would even put the word out that we were looking for ONE of them. The "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" approach works.
westytoploader
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 4, 2004
- Messages
- 4,485
I agree Greg, you just can't keep everything. I've had a few old 60's belt-drives myself that refused to work correctly, and didn't hesitate to part them out and junk the rest. They seem to be quite common around here so I'm not too worried. This last one from 1980 I picked up was inches away from going to the dump. Much to my amazement it worked fine! I since cleaned it up and plan on selling it in the local classifieds...
irishwashguy
Well-known member
i rememmber when I sold my washer and dryer in the paper
I had a three year old Maytag Neptune that I sold, and it is true, alot of people want something for nothing. I had a man that was not itnerested when I told him that the dryer was a little older than the washer(1997) even though I bought them at the same time. The truth of the matter is, when I take it home and use it the first time, it is now used. As far as used appliance dealers, i am seeing less and less of them. You really do not know what you are getting. i had a friend of mine who is quite clueless about these things who said, why should I get a used washer for 200 when I get get a new one for 299-350? Altough when he is replacing it in 3 years with another one just like it, he will understand, at least I hope so.
I had a three year old Maytag Neptune that I sold, and it is true, alot of people want something for nothing. I had a man that was not itnerested when I told him that the dryer was a little older than the washer(1997) even though I bought them at the same time. The truth of the matter is, when I take it home and use it the first time, it is now used. As far as used appliance dealers, i am seeing less and less of them. You really do not know what you are getting. i had a friend of mine who is quite clueless about these things who said, why should I get a used washer for 200 when I get get a new one for 299-350? Altough when he is replacing it in 3 years with another one just like it, he will understand, at least I hope so.
runematic
Well-known member
goatfarmer, it's a shame you're not closer to me. I have 200 older DD wp/kenmore, Maytag 10 & 12 series washers & dryers that I am currently wholesaling (for $20/ea ironically LOL, but must take at least 6 pieces) to dealers a little outside of my area. I won't sell to the ones in my town, though. I don't need to supply my competition! Unfortunately, the machines will be heading to the scrapyard in the next month or so. I need the room BADLY.
We used to pick up from Lowes. Those guys can generate pieces. We would get some nice stuff from 'em. But, alas, we were muscled out by a group from over 200 miles away that got a contract at a bunch of Lowes. they came in & sat a tractor trailer behind the store & everything went in there.
Linda/wannapinkset, I hope I didn't come off as too much a d!ck up above. Just trying to have you see it from the other side. Good luck in your quest.
We used to pick up from Lowes. Those guys can generate pieces. We would get some nice stuff from 'em. But, alas, we were muscled out by a group from over 200 miles away that got a contract at a bunch of Lowes. they came in & sat a tractor trailer behind the store & everything went in there.
Linda/wannapinkset, I hope I didn't come off as too much a d!ck up above. Just trying to have you see it from the other side. Good luck in your quest.
runematic
Well-known member
This is what I'm trying to getrid of.
I'd take about 25-30 of those at $20.00 each. Too bad you're not closer!
The place I'm buying from sells them to me for $5.00 each, just about scrap price around here. Another place I deal with gets $10.00 each, bought a few loads from them. But they also sell used, and they specialize in WP DD's. Most of the things I get are no where near as nice as some of the pieces I see in the picture.
Where at in PA are you? My wife has cousins in Jennerstown(north of Somerset).Maybe a road trip? The wheels are turning.......8^)
Linda, check with some local appliance stores. Don't go in and tell them "I want a 1957 Frigidaire Imperial washer and dryer in pink", you'll soon be forgotten about. But if you say "I'm interested in older washers and dryers, from the fifties, and sixties, let me know if you ever get any", and let them know you pay cash, you'll probably get a call.
kennyGF
The place I'm buying from sells them to me for $5.00 each, just about scrap price around here. Another place I deal with gets $10.00 each, bought a few loads from them. But they also sell used, and they specialize in WP DD's. Most of the things I get are no where near as nice as some of the pieces I see in the picture.
Where at in PA are you? My wife has cousins in Jennerstown(north of Somerset).Maybe a road trip? The wheels are turning.......8^)
Linda, check with some local appliance stores. Don't go in and tell them "I want a 1957 Frigidaire Imperial washer and dryer in pink", you'll soon be forgotten about. But if you say "I'm interested in older washers and dryers, from the fifties, and sixties, let me know if you ever get any", and let them know you pay cash, you'll probably get a call.
kennyGF
runematic
Well-known member
I'm about 20 miles east of Harisburg.
wannapinkset
Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 13, 2007
- Messages
- 104
its ok rune dude. Im mellow.
Thanks all for all the good advice. Im just gonna check with a few scrap guys around here I think. I have talked to a few of the used appliance guys. One is a serious collector of all things antique (not gonna share wid me) and the other looked at me like im too cracked to be allowed on the outside unsupervised. I wasn't specific on what I was looking for, I merely said old like late 50's, 60's and 70's. Specific is a sure way to never get a call. He scraps everything like the old Maytags and Frigidaire jetcones. "You cant get parts for them and I cant spend the time on them" is what he said. I coulda just choked him, the buttzit.
Thanks all for all the good advice. Im just gonna check with a few scrap guys around here I think. I have talked to a few of the used appliance guys. One is a serious collector of all things antique (not gonna share wid me) and the other looked at me like im too cracked to be allowed on the outside unsupervised. I wasn't specific on what I was looking for, I merely said old like late 50's, 60's and 70's. Specific is a sure way to never get a call. He scraps everything like the old Maytags and Frigidaire jetcones. "You cant get parts for them and I cant spend the time on them" is what he said. I coulda just choked him, the buttzit.
runematic, I'm thinking of a way to get over there. Stand by.....
kennyGF
kennyGF
