And yet something different again...

[Michaelson]

check this link

http://www.antiqueappliances.com


Regards. Michaelson

 

[Andykev]

We have a store

Like this , not as big, in Berkeley, CA. The stoves are beautifully restored. But as you can see...a stove will go for the price of 4 or 5 new stoves. Grandfather had one years ago that we paid to have hauled away when he died...no one wanted that old thing. 30+ years ago. Gee is that like the car towed away that is now in the museum and are worth a fortune?

Thanks for the nice link.

 

[Michaelson]

Yep, hindsight being 20/20, we ALL watched our parents toss out what they called 'junk' years ago, only to now discover that they're worth their weight in gold! Sheesh! (grins) Regards. Michaelson

 

[Dalexs]

There were a few stores in Portland,OR that specialized in nothing but restored appliances like this. Considering most of the homes were built in the 1920s, some of those were still in use in the houses within recent time.
The stove in my house when I bought it was a Westinghouse circa 1960.
It lasted another 2 years!

 

[Andykev]

My only question

I know the gas stoves that are restored are fine, and work great. But what about the refrigerators? Is that why they are so expensive, because we junked a 1975 fridge which was left behind when be bought our second house in 1995. We kept the fridge a couple years and bought a new Maytag. PG&E electric bill dropped noticably. The modern ones have better insulation, coils, and motors, compressors.
Do they take the whole thing apart and bring it up to standards, but it still looks retro?

Hell, it's kinda like when you go to Sears. Would you buy NEW one that looked like all the othere, or one that the designer made to look (it's new) like a vintage, retro one? Car companies tried that with the PT Cruiser, but what if they made a car with the classic lines of a 38 Buick? I know what I'd buy. Thanks Michaelson, that was a great thread.

 

[Imahomer]

Very cool website. One of my favorite items I have around the house is an old oak icebox. It serves as a place to store several of my VHS videos and also I keep a pretty good supply of red wine there too.

 

[havershaw]

I'm hardpressed to believe that 1980s and 1990s furniture and appliances will be worth a ton someday. I'm still waiting for my moonboots to be worth something...

 

[Michaelson]

Put 'em on eBay. You may be surprised! (grins)

As to the 'frig and freezer higher prices, I'm thinking it's due to the size of the compresors and the refrigerant they have to use to make them work. We still have a chest freezer that dates back to the late 40's, early 50's that is STILL running fine, but the compressor is the size of a new car engine! The chest itself is 4 feet tall, 3.5 feet deep, and 4 feet wide, but takes 2 men and a mule to move! We usually remove the lid just to be able to tug the chest itself around if we have to move it to another location.

I'm sure they still use R12 freon in their restorations, which is about 45 to 50 dollars a pound now (remember when you could buy it for a couple bucks a few years ago?!) or more, and getting harder to come by. I'm sure they have to be sure to meet EPA requirements in disposal of the old freon (or replacing it with new), so that cost is passed along. If they're updating the units to accept the newer freon, then there's that additional update in lines, pressure valves, etc. that you don't have with gas. Gas is gas, and that something that hasn't changed as time moved along.

Regards. Michaelson

 

[Wild Root]

Greetings all! I love vintage appliances! One day I hope to buy a vintage stove from the 30?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s. Did you know that they made electric ranges in the 30?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s and 40?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s??? Yep! They sure did. How do I know? Well, I have some Life magazines from the late 30?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s and early 40?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s that advertise Hot Point stoves and they are all electric. I would love to find one of them! All though, electricity is very expensive right now in California so, the gas would be cheaper but the electric would be safer.

As for refers, if you want to prepare all your food like they did in the 30?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s and 40?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s then a vintage fridge is the thing. Freezers were only the size of a small box in the top center or right corner. Only enough room for a half gallon of ice cr?ɬ®me and a small box of Bird?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s Eye frozen peas. I would like to live that way, but its so e-z to through a frozen something or other in to the microwave. Now, the 50?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s refers had some freezer space. But, you would have to thaw it out once a month from all the ice build up! They sure do look swell though! I?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢m a radio collector and I have seen a refer that was made by Philco in the mid 30?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s that had a radio built right into the door! That would be the fridge for me!

Any way, I loved the link and it?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s good to see these guys salvage vintage appliances and restore them! And I don?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t think that any thing from the 80?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s or 90?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s will be very valuable because it was made so cheaply! I collect this 30?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s-40?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s stuff because it was made to last for ever! I have a vintage toaster from about 1933. I know this because it has three Art Deco towers on the doors that resemble the towers of the 1933 Worlds Fair. It?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s the type of toaster that has the side doors that fold down. I found it in a thrift shop for 5 bucks and it is practically mint condition! Yes, it is a little more effort to watch it and turn over the bread your self, but that thing can toast a slice of bread in les then 20 seconds! It doesn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t mess around.

Well, that?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s all for me at the moment.

Thanks,

 

[Michaelson]

They had electric ranges in the 20's too. Regards. Michaelson

 

[Wild Root]

You know, I had a feeling that they did. Do you happen to know the year that they came out??? Was it early or late 20's.

Take care,