collecting other appliances

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n0oxy

Well-known member
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Joined
Jul 28, 2015
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1,701
Location
Saint Louis Missouri, United States
I know most of us collect vacuums, I was just wondering what other appliances everyone on here collects. I've seen mixers and lawn moers mentioned. The other appliance I collect is humidifiers, I would have to count them but I currently have around 10 of them, and I have 3 more coming. In particular, I really like the ultrasonic ones, they are very quiet but can still humidify a room quickly. I do have one model that is known as an evaporative model, you have to use a filter with those and a fan blows air through it, these are much louder which is probably why the ultrasonic models are so popular. Anyway, wondering what other appliances everyone collects.
Mike
 
I collect fans mainly. Also I guess I would say I collect mixers but don't have very many. I have other kitchen appliances too but those are mostly things I use such as waffle iron, blender, etc. I don't plan to get more than one of those things, so I don't really see them as part of a collection.

Lately I've been collecting porcelain light fixtures with pull chains also. I've always had a few around but lately got interested in them again for some reason and bought more, both new and older ones.
 
mixers

I think KenKart probably has the most mixers, I think he has quite a few, I know the Sun Beam mix masters are very popular with collectors since I don't think they are made anymore. I will try and post my humidifier collection in this thread if I can get some pictures.
Mike
 
my humidifier collection

So, here is my humidifier collection, since I'm a blind person and cannot take pictures, I will post either a link from the manufacturer's site or a youtube video showing it, there are a few that are no longer made where this may not be possible.
First is the only evaporative humidifier I have, it's the Honeywell HCM2000, Honeywell humidifiers are made by Kaz which is the same company that makes the Vicks humidifiers. This humidifier is no longer made and I couldn't find any sites that I know for sure has a picture, I don't use this one too much anymore since it requires replacing a wick filter and I find the ultrasonic humidifiers actually add more humidity than the evaporative ones.
The next one is the Vicks filter free humidifier, v4500. This one does not use a filter, I'm not exactly sure how it works, it has a fan that spins in the water and creates the mist by spraying the water on to some kind of defuser. This one is also no longer made, but I found a youtube video that shows it.

Ok, now moving on to my Ultrasonic models. This first one is my daily driver, I use this in the living room during the winter months. It's unique because it combines the ultrasonic technology with a powerful fan to distribute the mist, it's an awesome unit. It's called the Vornado ultra one.
https://www.vornado.com/shop/humidifiers/ultra1-ultrasonic-humidifier
Next is the Guardian Technologies h8000, this one is nice because it has an extendable nozzle that you can attach to extend the mist higher in to the room.
https://www.guardiantechnologies.co...ist-cool-mist-humidifier-by-pureguardian.html
Next is the Boneco u700, a very nice unit with lots of features.
http://shop.boneco.us/U700.aspx?DepartmentId=34
Next is the Heaven Fresh hf710, unfortunately this one is no longer made, it's unique because it can produce a cool mist and has 3 different levels of warm mist as well, on the highest setting, it produces steam.
http://www.heavenfresh.com/index.php/products/hf-710
Next we have the Sunpentown 4010.
http://www.sunpentown.com/sudumihu.html
I use this next one at work, the air gets very dry there and you get zapped every time you touch something after getting out of your chair, it fits very well on my desk, it's the Crane warm and cool mist ultrasonic humidifier.
https://crane-usa.com/product/white-warm-cool-mist/
The last one that I currently have is called the Super Air ultrasonic humidifier and it's no longer made and I can't find any references to it, one unique feature of it is that you can fill the tank from the top.
Ok, I have 3 more on order, will hopefully get them next week, the first one is the Crane digital warm and cool mist humidifier, it's similar to what I have at work but also has a humidistat and negative ion feature.
https://crane-usa.com/product/white-digital-warm-cool-mist/
I also ordered the Holmes warm and cool mist ultrasonic humidifier.
http://www.holmesproducts.com/humid...cool-mist-humidifier/HUL8000-TUM.html#start=2
And finally I ordered the air innovations MH701b ultrasonic humidifier.
https://www.air-innovations.com/cool-mist-digital-humidifier-96-hour-run-time-mh-701b
So, there you go, that's my current collection along whith what I will hopefully have soon.
Mike
 
I think it's natural that if you collect vacs, other household items follow suit.  The only thing that really slows me down is the fact that I'm older and this is all junk to most anyone else. My sons accused me of being a hoarder. So at some point I have to arrange what happens to all this stuff. Go into AW and there's people that have rows of washer/dryers. I just can't even imagine giving up that kinda space unless you had access to your own personal warehouse.


 


I've seen pics of people's houses with a kitchen full of mixers and only enough room to sit in a chair. Same with vacs. More power to ya I guess if you can deal with it.


 


I mentored two boys in a Big Brother type program until they aged out.  One of the things we did a lot was go to yard/garage/estate sales. I thought it was a good teacher in how to handle other people's stuff, learn how to horse trade and really, those sales are just a microcosm of American life. Sellers lie and don't often disclose problems....shrouded in the fact that something is 'cheap', therefore disclosure is not necessary.  It was a good way to break them into the darker side of people. And conversely, there was ample examples of outstanding goodwill and honesty from sellers. If the boys were respectful and would ask before picking up something fragile/valuable, that went a long way toward the sale. My point in the above was that cookbooks and kitchen appliances go for next to nothing. I bought so much stuff with them I had to put the brakes on it all. I could see even buying kitchen appliances from periods like 50's/60's 70's/80's etc. After awhile, you could just look at it and tell when it was made.


 


Kevin 


 

[this post was last edited: 12/17/2017-16:33]
 
Nice collection, n0oxy!

Its also practical to have humidifiers to use during the winter.

I'm into toasters, mixers, hotplates, waffle irons, sandwich toasters.
Trying to find the 1st example of each when it was invented is also
my goal

My 1st's include the G.E. D-12 Electric Toaster, the Universal Mixer,
the Westinghouse Hotplate, and the Universal Waffle Iron.
 
when were these introduced

So, does anyone know when these appliances were first introduced? I know mixers have been around for a while, my grandmother had a mix master, that was probably made in the 1940's or 1950's. My mom and dad received a blender and an electric can opener when they got married in 1970 but I think those appliances were around before that. I've heard toasters mentioned in TV shows from the 1950's, so they were around by that point. I wonder when humidifiers came on to the market, I know the ultrasonic models came out in the 1980's but I think humidifiers of some type were around before that. Certainly the vaporizers that use a heating element to boil water and release steam were around before then, but I'm not sure when the cool mist ones were invented. When I was growing up, we had a Hankscraft cool mist humidifier, interestingly, those are collector's items now. The one we had would always wet the floor, the mist it produced was too thick.
Mike
 
You can figure that with the advent of electricity in homes, the appliances started to come out as fast as they were invented. Rural homes were quite a differnt deal than urban, as they typically lagged behind in 'newfangled devices'.


 


From the 40's on it was a race for the most 'conveniences' in the kitchen. By the 50's most people had a TV and then that launched the 'space age' in appliances.....a salesman's dream market.


 


Kevin 
 
Actually Sunbeam Mixmasters are still made, but aren't nearly as well made as the old ones and don't have attachments like they did in the 80s and prior.

I have so much stuff already, that sometimes I worry I could become a hoarder. But I've been getting better lately at not buying stuff that I think would be nice, but I don't need. Just because it's nice and I can afford it doesn't mean I need it because it will just be something else in the way. It can be hard because much of what I like to do for fun is go for drives on the weekend to relax after a long week. Usually this involves go to yard sales, thrift stores, flea markets, etc. At least it is cheap compared to going other places like theme parks, movies, etc.

In a way the last few years it was getting worse because I first started out with fans, which my collection really started growing after 2008. Then I discovered vintage vacuums and got some of those, but they took up too much space so I stopped getting them. Then about two years ago I started getting into small appliances more, such as mixers. I was getting a few smalls back in 2008, but this time it was more.

Now I've been getting into light fixtures, which like small appliances don't take up as much space as vacuums.
 
Firsts

Kitchen aid 1919 universal mix a beater 1918,I have these' sunbeam mixmaster 1930,I have many of the first models, I have the early single beater Edison hot point mixer as well as the 1930s hotpoints
 
The hoarding gene...

I have to fight that tendency. It runs deep in my family. My paternal grandparents' house, where they lived for more than 50 years, was packed to the gills with stuff. One room upstairs had actually had its door changed to open outward instead of inward and quite literally, nobody had set foot in there in years. All you could do was lean in and reach.

My dad collected antique toys for most of his adult life and now I'm saddled with about 90 percent of that collection and selling it stuff off is a job in and of itself. I spent about 14 hours photographing and listing stuff on eBay this weekend. I have to sell a minimum of $165--after expenses--each month, just to stay even with the storage unit rent. It's enough to make me swear off collecting anything, but I haven't done that just yet. I'm just becoming a whole lot pickier about what I bring into the house and I've started selling off some of my own stuff in addition to Dad's collection.

In addition to my modest assortment of 18 vacuum cleaners and related accessories and supplies, I also have about a dozen cameras of various types, along with way too many lenses, flashes, tripods and other related items. I also have a handful of vintage stereo components, some of which get more use than others. I also collect fine writing instruments, especially hand turned wood pens. I love them because they're small and don't take up much space.

Honestly, I can see the day in the not too distant future when I'm just going to have to have a big ass auction and unload a bunch of stuff without worrying whether I'm getting top dollar for it. It'll be hard to do, but I'll certainly feel better about it afterward.
 
As far as I know...

The G.E. D-12 Toaster was patented in 1908

The Universal Waffle Iron (actually Thermax
by Landers, Frary and Clark) dates from abt. 1910.

The Westinghouse Hot Plate (originally called
a Table Stove) also dates from 1910.
 
Interesting story Edgar, about your dad's stuff. I kinda had a conversation about my junk with my son today......didn't go well. He said he'd hire someone to come in and get rid of it all. I'm gonna try to make other arrangements. Hopefully, my grandson will grow up to have a head on his shoulders and do something more than 'hire someone to get rid of it all'. Auctioneers ask for up to 40% these days...probably do just as well selling to a pawn shop. I too have an assortment of cameras and Fuji quit making film for one of them a few yrs ago...right after I bought the camera and felt like I was 'safe' on the film issue.


 


I've got an early West Bend convection oven/skillet combo that is an amazing appliance. The top fan pulls off and you can seal the lid and cook conventional without it (two separate cords; one for the fan, one for the heating element!). I think the coil that runs the brushless fan isn't quite up to snuff as it takes awhile for the fan to get to speed. I had the original manual for it, but temp misplaced it in this move. I found a manual online that covers this cooker....with a lot more recipes than my original. So I've been combing the Net for West Bend products and I need to knock that off immediately...lol.


 


Kevin


 


 
 
Small collector here. Like vacuums I tend to try a few to get the one that works best for what I want/ am doing. Its how it got started for me. Mixers, blenders, cooking pots, mixing bowls. About it.
 
I’ve been known to collect vacuums, of course, but most people probably don’t know that I also collect all sorts of things. Irons were the first non-vacuum collection, mostly vintage electric irons. I also have a couple old fans, and want more. Then there are vintage radios, mostly tabletop and clock radios, and of course mixers and blenders. None of these collections are as large in numbers as the vacuum collection though. Someday I’ll have one of those houses completely set up with vintage everything. A time capsule house! Not to say there won’t be modern electronics and such hiding around...
 

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