does anyone collect these?

[dryclean1]

Is there anyone who specifically collects wizard appliances? I had a western auto in my town for years. and I am sure there are some wizard vacuums in basements and attics in these hills somewhere. In the old town I live in there were a lot of folks from the older generation who really never left our town to shop. so they bought what the local stores had. I just purchased a wizard imperial from a gentlemen and I am waiting for it anxiously. thanks Bill

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

Bill,

To start you off, Wizard brand appliances (and outdoor equipment) were sold through Western Auto stores.

~Ben

 

[dryclean1]

western auto in town

we did have a western auto in my town until 1996. I believe the man who started it opened it in the late 40s. He is still around,but retired. I said in the previous thread that there must be a few wizards left somewhere in the hills of my town because at one time you could buy everything you needed locally. hence some people never left the town for their entire lives. thanks Bill

 

[bikerray]

Western Auto

I think it would be interesting to find out who made the stuff for Western Auto.

I know some of the vacuums that Wards sold were made by Hoover. Sears Kenmore is a rebadged Panasonic.

 

[human]

I think Western Auto went out of business in the late '90s. It was bought by Sears sometime in the '80s and they even carried Craftsman tools the last few years of its existence. The one in Greenville, N.C., where I lived 20-odd years ago, had one that changed to Auto America and then changed back to Western Auto before it closed up. They even handled Western Auto warranty work while they were Auto America.

Back in the '70s, my dad bought a black and white portable TV set for our kitchen from Western Auto. It was a re-branded GE set that said Truetone (how the hell did I remember that?) on the front. The serial number actually began with the letters 'GE'. In the mid-'90s, I bought a re-branded GE set from Sears. Mine said 'LXI' on the front of it, which was Sears' house brand for electronics at the time, but Kmart was selling an identical set with a GE logo on the front. It's a good TV. I still have it and it still works fine.