What's in Dave's trunk this week?

[aeoliandave]

Unusual assortment of things and this Magnus reed organ caught my eye and wallet. Perfect original condition, it's one of the must-haves for a mechanical  usic guy..


 


I was also quite taken with the smoothly sculpted heavy brass shark paperweight and the pewter eagle was one of the better models I've seen.

 

[aeoliandave]

Then, on top of a shelf in back I spotted a Toast-O-Lator! In superb working & undamaged condition except for a chip in a back foot of the bakelite base.


 


had to have it - kinda haggled, got the price down and got a discount along with the other items I relieved the gentleman of. I could barely contain my excitement, as Mike can attest.


 


The aluminum Mirro-Matic 4 cup percolator was given to me by John Long today (as it is not a Hoover anything, LOL)


The Mirro Company manufactured "The Finest Aluminum Appliances" in Manitowoc, Wisconsin.


 


Thanks John - it's a humble beauty, no dents or scratches, complete with braided cord and all the innards and will polish up very nicely..

 

[aeoliandave]

I have a few pictures of Mike I forgot to process but this is the interior of the shop.

 

[aeoliandave]

The magnus organ, as you may know was a well made toy for children. It uses a squirrel cage fan to blow the reeds. What is desireable about it is the wonderful Bakelite cases and the sturdiness of the construction, as well as the chromatic keyboard.

 

[aeoliandave]

Also very simple construction and a hefty motor that gradually spins up to speed and is remarkably quiet.

 

[aeoliandave]

Also very simple construction and a hefty motor that gradually spins up to speed and is remarkably quiet.

 

[aeoliandave]

The Toast-O-Lator walks the bread through the cabinet on those barbed rails, where it emerges perfectly toasted according to your done-ness setting. The porthole windows glow red from the elements.


Good examples are highly sought after and usually command a King's Ransom to purchase. just google it.


This a an all original corded Model G and I've never seen finer other than in other toaster collections. I am very pleased to add it to the collection at such a bargain price. it will be a labour of luv to clean it up.

 

[aeoliandave]

That's enough for tonight.


 


This is a vacuum shop in Syracuse called Vacuums Galore owned and run by a very handsome Biker Guy. He adorns his front window and shelves with vintage vacuums folks give him. he is not a collector but is handsome as the day is long.


 


Sadly, he closes at 2PM on Sundays...

 

[aeoliandave]

Here's Mike routing around looking for treasure.

 

[aeoliandave]

About those Singer S4s:


 


One is serial # 7957918 and the other is 8061806.


They are slightly different paint shades which is too overall to be fading.


 


The darker one has the broken handle, beyond repair and no bag.


But it has a perfect cord and few scratches on the hood.


alas, it also has a broken glass lense and it must have sat in a wet shed as the cord strain relief spring is rusted to collapse and the brushroll is horrendous. The cordwinder medallion has seen better days, too.


 


The lighter one, on the other hand, has a perfect handle, brushroll with good bristles, a clean strain spring, and a perfect glass lens. The medallion looks like new as does the bag.


But it's shell is badly scraped, the cord rubber is dry-rotted.


 


The darker one matches the Singer tub so it's a no-brainer which machine will receive the donor parts transplants for one near perfect S4.


 

 

[aeoliandave]

The fronts

 

[aeoliandave]

and the tops. I see I have confuzzled which machine has which flaws but the pictures make that clear. We'll be restoring the darker pink one.


 


I'm off to the west to find Chuck Chatham and tour the Piper Airplane factory Museum in Lock Haven PA.

 

[normvac]

Dave, Did I miss your Visit with John ?

You just mention John because of the toast he gifted you. Did you do any vacuum shopping or exchanging while in Pittstown ??
I love the Magnaus Organ. That was the Keyboard that Launched my Piano playing
times. Back about 1953, maybe 54. All I ever wanted was a piano so I could
play piano and sing like The Man !! Liberace !! (Now what does that tell you ?)
Thanks for the forgotten Memory Flash back !
Norm

 

[gottahaveahoove]

DAve DID stop by!

As I was in the midst of the "disaster" here, he witnessed part of my nervous breakdown... WE were able to go for a quick walk, talk, and then I had to return to painting the kitchen. He was great to talk to while I was there working away. Sorry, Dave. NEXT year, things will be better OR I'll be in the ground OR in a nice institution, where they can "look after me", lolol. I sent a huge bag of non-HOOVER bags, etc as well as the coffeepot and a nice little HOOVER handivac! Great to see you again, Dave. He took a few pics, I believe.......

 

[aeoliandave]

Norm...toast? What toast?


But I did pounce upon a bargain Toast-O-Lator in Binghampton...


 


Liberace? I've been snapping up every Liberace vinyl LP I find at Stratford's Sally Ann and Goodwill. He was fantastic and I surely remember watching his show on B&W TV. Mom and the grandparents loved him...Dad, not so much maybe. In any event on later listening 40 years later Liberace was very very very good! (I have zero interest in the Micheal Douglas bio-pic currently in post-production) I prefer to remember the real man without the fictional gauze of time and innuendo infecting his legacy.


 


John, everything was perfect including your fine handsome 'keeping heart&head-above-water' self; you are in the best of hands - your own, my friend. A few select pictures will be posted.


But first - I just pulled off the road in torrential rains here in Clearfield PA for the night at a nice old Rodeway Inn.


I did make it to Chuck Chatham's shop in Lewisburg at noon and we managed a delightful 2 hour visit before he had to close and keep appointments. Wonderful charming one-man vacuum Store expertly serving the community and liberally 'decored' with vinatge vacuums on display throughout - more pictures will be posted.


I then scooted on to Lock haven to tour the Piper Airplane Museum for the second time. As I left it began to sprinkle and so here I am, safe and off the road for another night. And it's still only Wednesday...

 

[aeoliandave]

Pittston and long John...er...John Long.


 


Pittston, like all the settlements along the west side of the Pocono Mountains, lies in a valley. In fact the shores of the Susquehanna River.  Consequently these towns and cities have steep side streets with neighborhood houses perched upon the hillsides.


here I am coming down John's hill toward the downtown core.


 


John's house is hard to make out on the left about opposite the yellow 'children walking' sign.

 

[aeoliandave]

John's house - with the round attic occulus - be-wreathed for the holidays.


 


John was raised in this house and you can see how close he is to his church and the nuns.

 

[aeoliandave]

Festive, 'tis the season

 

[aeoliandave]

We went out for a fresh air walk down the hill past the church then across a bridge to the opposite side to stroll past the grand homes that were deluged halfway up the first floors by the floods.


 


Crossing the Susquehanna affords a glorious view of the downtown.

 

[aeoliandave]

Unless you'd lived it, it is difficult to imagine even from news reports that the flood waters reached the deck of this bridge. Meaning the water also crept up the bluffs destroying foliage, trees and houses alike.