ovrphil
Well-known member
It's not a favorite color, I understand, but for free?
FREE ! FREE ! FREE!
Sears Coldspot - if I were close, I'd pick it up...
FREE ! FREE ! FREE!
Sears Coldspot - if I were close, I'd pick it up...
Vintage avocado green refrigerator (Atascadero)
- Thread starter ovrphil
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Well, let's hope that there aren't a lot of rabid scrappers in the greater San Luis Obispo/Paso Robles non-metro area.
It looks like a "Supermart" model from the early '70s at the latest. The large clunky grille at the bottom got a lot smaller and sleeker by the mid-'70s. The icemaker was probably not a very commonly purchased feature at that time, so that makes this fridge a little more unusual. One thing to consider is that refrigerators from this period are major energy hogs.
The traveling that this fridge has done is a testament to its survival. If it makes it to a new home, I'll bet it will continue to provide quiet service for an indefinite period longer.
We had the 1975 lower end version of this design in plain white, and my dad hated the fact that the grips for the handles were down so low. He thought they were on backwards. Finally Sears sent someone out to flip them around, which made more sense. Because it wasn't a flashy model, the handles didn't have the extra strips of trim going up to the top of the doors. It was still performing fine in 2008 when I let it go and replaced it with a new, larger KA Architect side-by-side.
It looks like a "Supermart" model from the early '70s at the latest. The large clunky grille at the bottom got a lot smaller and sleeker by the mid-'70s. The icemaker was probably not a very commonly purchased feature at that time, so that makes this fridge a little more unusual. One thing to consider is that refrigerators from this period are major energy hogs.
The traveling that this fridge has done is a testament to its survival. If it makes it to a new home, I'll bet it will continue to provide quiet service for an indefinite period longer.
We had the 1975 lower end version of this design in plain white, and my dad hated the fact that the grips for the handles were down so low. He thought they were on backwards. Finally Sears sent someone out to flip them around, which made more sense. Because it wasn't a flashy model, the handles didn't have the extra strips of trim going up to the top of the doors. It was still performing fine in 2008 when I let it go and replaced it with a new, larger KA Architect side-by-side.
ovrphil
Well-known member
Reversing the handles seems logical for taller people(but for me, at 5'7", would it make a difference?)
Anyone know if Sears manufactured the Coldspots or were they rebadged from a major manufacturer?
Anyone know if Sears manufactured the Coldspots or were they rebadged from a major manufacturer?
danemodsandy
Well-known member
That's Strange....
....I wonder if this fridge is a rattle-can repaint.
The reason is the Avocado's shading on the top and the left-hand edge of the freezer door - it's uneven and it seems to be a little skimpy in places.
Back in the day, spray-paint manufacturers made both the base colors and the shading color; if you were skilled with a spray can, you could come up with a pretty good result.
Also, the bottom grille appears to be Avocado as well; I remember silver being a more common choice at this point in time.
....I wonder if this fridge is a rattle-can repaint.
The reason is the Avocado's shading on the top and the left-hand edge of the freezer door - it's uneven and it seems to be a little skimpy in places.
Back in the day, spray-paint manufacturers made both the base colors and the shading color; if you were skilled with a spray can, you could come up with a pretty good result.
Also, the bottom grille appears to be Avocado as well; I remember silver being a more common choice at this point in time.
Handles
The grip (grope?) zone on those handles is around crotch height for someone around 6' tall. My dad was 5'-8".
Think about where you reach to grab the handle on your refrigerator. Is it ever lower than waist height?
I did question the avocado grille. Re-paint or not, this is a garage fridge and could be in rougher exterior condition than captured in the pictures.
The grip (grope?) zone on those handles is around crotch height for someone around 6' tall. My dad was 5'-8".
Think about where you reach to grab the handle on your refrigerator. Is it ever lower than waist height?
I did question the avocado grille. Re-paint or not, this is a garage fridge and could be in rougher exterior condition than captured in the pictures.
ovrphil
Well-known member
The GE we use has handles at waist (belly-button)level - I'm 5"7".
Sandy is right - the paint job looks suspicious - looks too uneven.
I question the grill, now - weren't they black if they weren't a later aluminum/steel finish?
Oh well, guys...it's free. Maybe that's the giveaway.
Some ColdSpots in the link and Ultramatic's 1966 Sears Christmas catalog Coldspots.
Sandy is right - the paint job looks suspicious - looks too uneven.
I question the grill, now - weren't they black if they weren't a later aluminum/steel finish?
Oh well, guys...it's free. Maybe that's the giveaway.
Some ColdSpots in the link and Ultramatic's 1966 Sears Christmas catalog Coldspots.
Sears manufactured nothing, they were only a retail outlet. That is a Whirlpool sourced refrigerator.
I doubt that is rattle canned finish. Maybe it was by a window, where it faded over the years. I've seen a lot of them over the years with the matching grille, be it Coppertone, Avocado, etc.
I doubt that is rattle canned finish. Maybe it was by a window, where it faded over the years. I've seen a lot of them over the years with the matching grille, be it Coppertone, Avocado, etc.
What is the function of the wire bin on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator door?
Regarding the grille, I think it would have been painted silver originally. Additionally, if the fridge had exposed coils on the back, instead of a grille it got a solid panel in the silver finish. It's interesting that in the 1966 ad, the grilles are black. The grille on the '75 we had was black, and not as tall. Somewhere in between they reverted to silver, unless those high end models in the ad were the only ones that were outfitted with black grilles back in 1966. My recollection of Sears/Whirlpool fridges from the 60's is that they all had silver colored grilles or panels.
Regarding the grille, I think it would have been painted silver originally. Additionally, if the fridge had exposed coils on the back, instead of a grille it got a solid panel in the silver finish. It's interesting that in the 1966 ad, the grilles are black. The grille on the '75 we had was black, and not as tall. Somewhere in between they reverted to silver, unless those high end models in the ad were the only ones that were outfitted with black grilles back in 1966. My recollection of Sears/Whirlpool fridges from the 60's is that they all had silver colored grilles or panels.
Wow
$574.95?
That's a pricey meatball.
$574.95?
That's a pricey meatball.
ovrphil
Well-known member
Measuring Worth - $574.96
roto204 - I remember "That's a spicey meatball" tv ad - lol! Since you mentioned it, how do you measure the value or cost of what that refrigerator would cost today? I've had financial worked into computer work, but this page has me scratching my head. But it appears that in today's cost, it would be about $4K. Ouch. ?
roto204 - I remember "That's a spicey meatball" tv ad - lol! Since you mentioned it, how do you measure the value or cost of what that refrigerator would cost today? I've had financial worked into computer work, but this page has me scratching my head. But it appears that in today's cost, it would be about $4K. Ouch. ?
I was going to add in my post above that 574.95 was a lot of money for a 21 cubic foot refrigerator in 1966.
The no frills 19 cubic foot model my parents got almost ten years later cost $459. I have no idea what the TOL model would have cost by then. My parents never bought anything TOL and only bought the fridge from Sears because I campaigned hard against any more junk from Wards.
The no frills 19 cubic foot model my parents got almost ten years later cost $459. I have no idea what the TOL model would have cost by then. My parents never bought anything TOL and only bought the fridge from Sears because I campaigned hard against any more junk from Wards.
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