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We had paint cans left here and while some were good, others were dried and we had the paint matched too. The big box stores sell additives to put in paint to dry it up and then it can be set out with the garbage. Cat litter works too, but again they both take time to work and harden the paint.
A guilty confession here. We dropped off one last load at Goodwill the night before leaving and were told they don’t take tennis racquets. What?!? We took back the one we brought, swung behind Burger King and put it in their dumpster and sped off like thieves in the night. All likely caught on a security camera.
It is strange what is acceptable and what is not... used to donate good working refrigerators from buildings I managed and then no one wanted them because they did not have the latest Energy Star ratings.
Mom's appliances are all 1960 and to 1980... refrigerator is Amana circa 1980... one $20 part in nearly 40 years... the old avocado green Kenmore Washer/Dryer pair is late 60's and dead reliable... washing loads of kids laundry.
ALL of her neighbors have gone through many versions of Energy Saving Appliances often with regret for repairs and longevity.... the utility sends out energy statements each quarter and with her ancient appliances she consistently does better than 98% of her neighbors.
I have a drying shelf on the sunny side of the house and will leave open paint cans to solidify... takes time but works well.
It is strange what is acceptable and what is not... used to donate good working refrigerators from buildings I managed and then no one wanted them because they did not have the latest Energy Star ratings.
Mom's appliances are all 1960 and to 1980... refrigerator is Amana circa 1980... one $20 part in nearly 40 years... the old avocado green Kenmore Washer/Dryer pair is late 60's and dead reliable... washing loads of kids laundry.
ALL of her neighbors have gone through many versions of Energy Saving Appliances often with regret for repairs and longevity.... the utility sends out energy statements each quarter and with her ancient appliances she consistently does better than 98% of her neighbors.
I have a drying shelf on the sunny side of the house and will leave open paint cans to solidify... takes time but works well.
Yeah, a lot of the "super energy star" stuff is not reliable or long-lived, for whatever reason. I personally prefer older appliances most of the time. Typically about half the price of new. I have posted before about my local used appliance store/repair guy. What you get from him is not just a used appliance, he knows what breaks on what, and will check to make sure the upgraded part is already in place, or he will preemptively replace it.
Most people don't know that the majority of replacement appliance parts are not identical to the original part, they are generally an upgraded part that capitalizes on what was learned as the appliances worked in real-world conditions. Sometimes people make a mistake thinking that a repair is not worth doing, and buy a new appliance, when replacing the defective part on the old one would mean a lot more service life, maybe more than the new appliance would provide. Making this decision is easy with input from my guy, he knows what's worth fixing and what is not. Had a "wax motor" go out on my dishwasher, what, maybe more than 10 years ago, this thing opened the second detergent chamber. Bought the new part from my guy, put it in myself, have not heard from that problem again.
That 1980's Amana is a "real" Amana built in Iowa. Anymore the Amana name is still used but the machine was built by Whirlpool. Whirlpool is OK but they don't build to the quality standards Amana used to.
"In 1997 the company was purchased by Goodman Global (now part of Daikin North America), a heating-and-cooling manufacturer who sold it to Maytag (now part of Whirlpool) in 2002." (From link above)
I have buildings full of Carrier units from the 1990's... bought a Daiken and what a disappointment... the coil is leaking and not even 5 years old but it is covered under warranty for parts but the bid is $2500 for labor... commercial unit.
Mom's called saying her Kenmore Dyer stopped working... she said is it time for a new one?
Asked if she liked it and she said yes... but didn't think spending money on a 1967 Avocado Dryer smart.
Took a look and found the belt wore out... less than $5 at the appliance store and back in business...
A lot of what gets tossed is because we simply as a society don't fix things anymore... nobody wants old stuff anymore... get new with delivery and take away the old.
Mom's Amana Freezer is 1968... and still going strong.
What I have learned is a frugal person can live quite well on what others are getting rid of and in some cases paid to take it away...
I was given $40 to get a car off a property... it had sat for many years... an old Chevrolet Nova... the lady tried to donate it but when she said it had 4 flat tires they were not interested...
The wrecker wanted to charge her to pick it up because of the tires too...
She said she would pay me $40 to pick it up... said it was not necessary but she insisted... I air up the tires... brought over a fresh battery and with a little starting fluid it started right up... add 5 gallons of fresh gas and let it carefully warm up after checking fluids... 1972 Nova with a clean body in the back of a car port 9 years... this was around 2000...
Drove it home... after I tried the brakes a few times... and had a friend follow me... she was so happy that it was not going to the junkyard... sent her a picture of it all cleaned up with new tags...
One person's trash is another's treasure.
Last edited by Ultrarunner; 10-05-2018 at 09:55 PM..
Reason: Clean up typos!
I have buildings full of Carrier units from the 1990's... bought a Daiken and what a disappointment... the coil is leaking and not even 5 years old but it is covered under warranty for parts but the bid is $2500 for labor... commercial unit.
Mom's called my saying her Kenmore Dyer stopped working... she said it is time for a new one.
I asked if she liked it and she said yes... but didn't think spending money on a 1967 Dryer smart.
Took a look at it and found the belt wore out... less than $5 at the appliance store and back in business...
A lot of what gets tossed is because we simply as a society don't fixed things anymore... nobody want stuff anymore... get new and have delivered and pick up the old.
Mom's Amana Freezer is 1968... and still going strong.
What I have learned is a frugal person can live quite well on what others are getting rid of and in some cases paid to take it away...
I was given $40 to get a car off a property... it had sat for many years... an old Chevrolet Nova... the lady tried to donate it but when she said it had 4 flat tires they were not interested...
The wrecker wanted to charge her to pick it up because of the tires too...
She said she would pay me $40 to pick it up... said it was not necessary but she insisted... air up the tires... brought over a fresh battery and with a little staring fluid it started right up... add 5 gallons of fresh gas and let is carefully warm up after checking fluids... 1972 Nova with a clean body in the back of a car port 9 years... this was around 2000...
Drove it home... after I tried the brakes a few times... and had a friend follow me... she was so happy that it was not going to the junkyard... sent her a picture of it all cleaned up with new tags...
One person's trash is another's treasure.
What you say is true. But you seem to be someone who knows how to fix things. Most of us don't. So we call someone to fix our xyz and find out the repair will cost more than a new one, because it's not just the $5 part. It's knowing how to open the machine, how to figure out what is broken, how to find the part and how to install it. And how to put it all back together again. A repair service will charge for every minute of the process.
There was recently a post on the House forum about a broken washing machine she had bought 5 years earlier for $400. The repair service wanted over $700 to fix it. This is how it is.
Yep... by brother called Bosch for his dishwasher having standing water... it was just out of warranty... the repair person charged $140 for the visit and said the hose was kinked... hard to believe since I installed it 2 years prior but OK...
The next day the same thing happened... I had meanwhile gone on the Net and found other with the same problem... it was the supply valve seeping water... the part was $22 and he ordered it... put it in himself and that was the end of the problem.
A good repair person... be it appliances, automotive, A/C is well worth their time... problem is too many are learning on your dime.
I was the kind of person that would order the factory service manual for every car I owned before it was all online... the computer has really been great for trouble shooting... the dealer wanted $500 to replace a power window regulator on my BMW... the new regulator was $40 and it took me a little over an hour plus the time on the net...
Could be why I like old stuff... or the mechanical side of things...
A lot of what gets tossed is simply because it is out of fashion or for the sake of change... and more than ever nobody wants old stuff... at least not a lot of people... but for those that do it is like hitting the jackpot.
What you say is true. But you seem to be someone who knows how to fix things. Most of us don't. So we call someone to fix our xyz and find out the repair will cost more than a new one, because it's not just the $5 part. It's knowing how to open the machine, how to figure out what is broken, how to find the part and how to install it. And how to put it all back together again. A repair service will charge for every minute of the process.
There was recently a post on the House forum about a broken washing machine she had bought 5 years earlier for $400. The repair service wanted over $700 to fix it. This is how it is.
This has been my experience. We never replaced a major appliance unless it was too expensive to have it fixed, until last year, when we sprang for new washer and dryer set. We don’t fix appliances. We call repairmen. But I have always gotten more years out of my fridges than I was supposed to. Dryers always last longer than washers. First gen HE washers were crummy, at least in my experience.
Now, in our dotage, we are more likely to replace. Wondering how long our present fridge will continue.
Scottsdale auctioneer has penned a book, Why Don't You Want My Stuff, Boomers guide to downsizing. An open forum will happen 3/14 in North Scottsdale for a meet and greet and ensuing discussion. Interesting timing for this topic.
The thrift shops are full of sets of very nice china and silverware.
Yes, but there aren't any with that sort of thing in this immediate area. I'd be really happy with the fifties melmac. It will break but it isn't as breakable as china. Right now until I can do sheleve there wouldn't be any place to store it. I'm thinking of some new cheap plastic stuff until I do the shelves, THEN will get some good stuff.
A good second hand store/thift store/antiques store is a wonderful thing and I can take hours checking it out. It doesn't matter that I know I can't afford most of it, but I'll try to find some cute little glass thing to sit on a shelf and admire, cats or dogs prefered.
I would love more 'official' collectables in the house in place of the stuff I've picked up while working on the furnature I'm making since it all fits better this way.
If you don't have thrift stores like Salvation Army or Goodwill or local charity stores , look for antique shops or an antique mall.
That plastic stuff was called "BoontonWare" We had that in the 50s, in yellow. Was made from Melmac or Melamine.
You should use the pretty things you have. What are you saving them for? If they break, at least you got to use them instead of thinking they were useless dust collectors.
I don't think they are useless, just no place to put them. I'm seriously deficent in shelves. As the freezer is never used, I may get rid of it and make s shelving area for the kitchen needs. I keep thinking if I want to fix up things here and stay or do an early move out to my son's area, or at least where they live now. I'm far more inclined to stay here until they find a spot they intend to stay for a while.
Right now, until I get more shelving, the breakables stay in a safe spot.
When we had to empty my parents' home, they had the same (avocado) refrigerator they had purchased when remodeling in 1971. Their washer and dryer had to have been at least 20 years old - very solid and not flimsy like newer appliances today.
My mom regretted replacing the stove they had when they first moved in (mid '50s). She used it for 16 years and always disliked the "newer" replacements.
We have a Carrier AC and GE Profile refrigerator from the 1990s still going strong. No intention of replacing them until absolutely necessary. Just like clothes today, appliances seem to be made cheaply and have a short life span unless you spend a fortune.
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