Check out this estate sale ad in todays paper that I just copied off of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune web site, most importantly the last item listed...

SOUTH MPLS ESTATE SALE 3927 THOMAS AVE S Wed-Thur 1/26/27 9:30-4:30 #s 8am Wed Dir take 39th St (E) of Xerxes to Thomas Ave. Outstanding exquisite 1930s ornate Louis XV 7 pc Tw BR set, late ‘20s carved quart cupbrd, unique ‘40s DR tbl/6 chrs & buff, Waterfall chest/drwrs, old Bronze artist signed tbl lamp by "Deinange", pr HP tbl lamps & others, old oil paintings, some newer paintings, sofa, lovests, LR chrs, gilded gold cab, Oriental accent tbls, coffee tbl, mirrors, some ‘50s vint furn, 4 pc Bl full sz BR set. ‘40s TV/ster console, ‘70s TV/ster console, port TVs. Port bar. Set "Empress" China, set "Platinum Wheat" China, srvc 8 Sterling FW, srvc 8 Gold electropl FW, nice stemwr, tea sets. Art Noveau figs, misc figs & fun collect gl, pr Oriental Nodders, Oriental collects & decor pcs. Dia rings, Gold & Sterling jwlry, misc fun cost jwlry. Vint ladies cloz, shoes & hats. Bedding, linens. Bks, recs, stove /frig, kit misc. Vint Aqua Blue wash/dryer. Fun old misc! -- Bonnie's Vintage Estate Sales

I'll have to get there as soon as I can, hopefully I can get out of here a bit early otherwise I won't be able to go until tomorrow. Oh Dear, I can't take it!

Robert:

My heart is pounding for you!!! Aqua w/d, stove/frig, 50's vintage furniture, 40's tv/stereo console....I am so jealous!! Wish I could be there too!

Let us know what you end up with (and of course, with accompanying pics) :-)))))

Venus

Vint Aqua Blue wash/dryer.

How is that description to be interpreted, I wonder?

A washer and dryer pair?

Or a combo machine?

What manufacturer offered Aqua Blue?

Robert,

Now that I have regained my sanity, I am going to calmly advise you to LEAVE NOW!!!:-0 Use any excuse. Fake illness.
Whatever it takes!!

Venus
The not-so-calm-type-A personality who loves estate sales

I was trying to think myself, I'm sure by "Aqua Blue" they mean Turquoise.

Well one thing is for sure, I know Apex didn't make machines in any colors but White, but wouldn't that be a kicker!

Let's see, well I know for sure these brands produced Turquoise:

Maytag,
Kenmore,
Frigidaire,
General Electric,
Hotpoint,
Speed Queen.

The machine(s) are most likely from the 60's as that's when turquoise was so common, but who knows? I wonder who else produced turquoise. Glenn I was thinking the same thing, they say washer/dryer which could mean a matched set or could be a combo????? Oh I just can't take this, its going to kill me.

LEAVE NOW

I wish I could Venus but I have some meetings this afternoon. :(

Oh no... I just told Jack (the Beagle) and he is spinning in circles and can't sit still, how will he ever make it through the night if you don't get there until tomorrow? Are you sure you're feeling OK, perhaps a little upset stomach coming on?

Can't wait to hear!

What is WRONG with you? What could possibly be more important than aqua blue laundry equipment! I mean, its only a job- you can always get another one. (just teasing of course!)

Maybe its that pretty ice blue that Whirlpool had in the late '60's. Can't wait to see what you find!

You have a:
headache
upset stomach
sore arm
sprained ankle
stiff neck
migraine headache
earache
toothache
the flu
probably something you ate last night
......just go!

Now, now, now. Don't get your hopes up, all. Being of the "cool head" type, I thought I'd set you straight (as it were...)
"Vint Aqua Blue" was a 1950's lounge singer. Sort of a male version of Julie London, but with lot less talent and a lot more chest hair. I believe the ad refers to having some of his records for sale. He's not to everyone's taste, but if you find a copy of "Moonlight and Martinis", that's supposed to be his best album. It was recorded live at the East Akron Bowl-A-Rama, if memory serves.
Being also the curious type, I made a phone call, and it turns out the washer/dryer is a white GE pair from 2002. So sorry to disappoint you.

veg, the Voice of Reason

Wait a minute! Stop The Car!

You're saying Vint Aqua Blue wash/dryer. really should read as:

Vint Aqua Blue [record album(s)] and wash/dryer?

Meaning they're SEPARATE and UNRELATED items?

And you've confirmed with the seller, by telephone, that the "wash/dryer" is a 2002 GE pair?

WTH!!?? Somebody apparently needs to find a good editor/proofreader for their advertisements.

I run ads in the Startribune all he time and they ask you how you want the ad to read. I don't think they would edit it without telling you first.

Veg, methinks you doth pull our legs. You may have just earned your first club "slap"...

But it was well worth it! LOL!!! Julie London with chest hair, indeed!

Hey, I'll volunteer too! *SLAP*

GOOD LUCK ROBERT!!! I've got my fingers crossed! Whatever it is, get it...even if it is late 60's!

--Austin

I'm getting in on this late! So, What's going on Robert? And Fixerman why in the hell are you not there yet? Art Noveau stuff huh! I hope you take the camera with you!
I can't believe that you guy's would even start to believe the biggest STORY teller on the site! Veg-O- Maniac! Shame on you!!

Oy What A Day

Picture 2

And of course the interior shot

And one for you Appnut

My heart is pounding. I'm impatient already and I just read all this. Bob

GO ROBERT!!! You certainly scored big here...how beautiful! That turquoise is really going to look good in your basement...matches the wall! :)

Of course I can plainly see that they're Kenmores (insert applause here), but what year and how far up the line are they? Is there a panel on the left that reveals the other controls? Does it have lights?

I'm practically dying to find out...do fill us in on this fab find!

--Austin

Simply beautiful. What year are these Robert? Once again...a different control panel.

Looks like the model just below an LK

Looks to be 1963???? Almost top of the line 80 series or 800 series? Congrats to you Robert!!!

They look brand new! How lucky can one be? Good goin Robert!!!

They're beautiful!!!!

Well done Robert!!!

Jon

so loud when I saw the pictures that the folks next unit over came to see whats wrong! I was a bit sheepish to tell them!

They are beautiful! Congratulations Robert!

if you ever run out of room.......:)

If memory serves, they look like 1962's. Not for sure though.

Glad to see that you tore yourself away from the office to pick up these beauties!

Can't wait to see how they wash!!

Enjoy them :)

Venus

RAAAAAAABBEEEEERRRRRTTTTTTT!!!! I'm again speechless. They look showroom new. You've triggered a childhood memory. Neighbors down the street must have had a Kenmore 70 series of this year because I now remember they had the same type of timer knob as well as my dad's best friends wife when they set up in their newly built house--she had the Kenmore 500. I believe this was around 1963 early 1964.

I am curious as to what the dryer timer is like. I'm assuming it's a Soft Heat dryer.

And the elongated kinda shape of the cycle graphic area is reminiscent of that atomic era look as far as I'm concerned.

You scored big time Robert! and I know, like every one else, WE WANT DETAILS all about the set! what year are they, how many speeds, water levels, drying cycles, drying tempatures,HOW DO THEY RUN?? MORE PICTURES!! I about can't handle not knowing!!!!NURSE!!!

What a great post!
I was so tense reading it from the beginning, and thought it would be days before a conclusion. Even Veggie-man had me going about calling the owner. It was fun!
Your set is beautiful! Is the dryer Gas?
What other treasures did you find?
Thanks for the pics and post!
Brent

Robert:

This was certainly your lucky day. A washer that gets you for an owner is sorta' like an orphan getting adopted by the Trumps.

Enjoy. Beautiful coloring, too!

Woohoo!!!! Yay for turquoise! Beautiful set, Robert...congrats!!

Looking at that control panel reminds me of certain Whirlpool washers from this time period.

Ooooh. Daddy like!

Sorry about the Vint Aqua Blue thing. Was in a puckish mood this afternoon!

Now, I would NEVER be tacky enough to ask how much they were. But a set like that; how much? ;)

Hi Everyone, oy I'm tired, what a day today. I was lucky that these machines were in a house that a walk out basement, so I was able to get them onto the driveway and home relatively easily.

They belonged to a 95 year old woman who has recently passed, they were still hooked up, although I suspect that haven’t been turned on in a year to two.

The model #s are 110.6314712 for the washer and 110.6317741 which makes them a 1963 model, except for the fact that Sears offered this model for both the 1963 and 1964 model years. This model is a 1964 model. You can tell that by the agaitor which is the 1964 Roto-Swirl, 1963 was the last year of the "Pregnant Roto-Swirl".

I'm going to give these guys a checkout and play with them for a bit, but they probably wont stay in my collection, they are a little bit too new for me, either I'm going to trade them, eBay them or keep them to use for future movie projects, I haven't decided yet. They were way to beautiful to pass up though and I know there are lot of Kenmore lovers out there who would cherish a set like this.

Here is the '64 Version in the Catalog, the 1963 Version was $20 more, go figure.

Beautiful! I hadn't seen that dial before. Very interesting, but also kind of limiting with all the settings programmed.

I vote this as for a DVD selection to add to the wizard and the upcoming 57 GE washer.

We had one similar but had color buttons around a big dial

Ours prolly was 1961-1962 as Mom and Dad were married in aug 61

We have seen so many wash action pics of the rare classics,...please let's see one of a Roto-Swirl in action.

PAT PAT PAT!! Bob giving himself the reward for correctly guessing the year!!! And Glenn, this was no different than any other Alphabet wash washer (as Scott calls them)

That is a classy find! I LOVE the cool color and the atomic-age looking control panel. They match the walls in your basement there quite nicely! Most Kenmores for the longest time have been Whirlpool built machines, which these look like too. I can just vision that pair sitting in the Sears showroom now they are in such good shape! Can't wait to hear how they wash!

Every Kenmore auto washer from 1947 right up until today has been EXLUSIVELY Whirlpool built.Just to clarify,all of sears full size stand alone toploaders.

What can I say...Just beautiful Robert. Congrats!

Well if you decide not to keep them, here's a willing future owner! ;-)

This is a beautiful set that was very well taken care of. At first glance, I wasn't entirely sure the dryer was an exact match, as the timer dial is slightly different, but the catalog page clearly shows that it is.

I have seen the washer in someone's house long ago, but not the dryer. There is a water level switch at the far left lower corner of the panel, everything else is controlled through the timer dial. A small red rectangular light above the timer glows during the wash and rinse agitation periods to show that the lint filter is working. It's the kind with the marbles in it that makes that cool sound.

One interesting thing about this washer is the lid is still kind of the way it is supposed to be when open; she must have handled it with care, which is nice to see. On many Sears machines, particularly the older ones with the heavy porcelain lids, the "lean" when the lid is in the open position becomes very exaggerated much further to the left than it's supposed to be. I'm not sure why they weren't designed to lie all the way flat like some of the other brands.

I always loved the dryers with the brushed aluminum lid for the lint filter. Am I right in guessing that this would be one of the earlier models that employed the full width door? Since there is no temperature dial, I'm guessing the drying cycle is timed, and that small part on the bottom is for no heat tumbling. I'm guessing they must have used a temperature they judged safe for most fabrics for the timed heat cycle.

Now that I think about it, there was another Sears model from about this time that had a very similar panel, only the timer dial was rectangular. It wasn't an alphabet machine, and had smaller dials on each side of the timer for water level and temp. That model is very reminiscent of the 1958 Custom Imperial Frigidaire timer configuration.

The width of the dryer door depended on the model, not necessarily the year

So did you see the 40's/70's TV consoles while you were there?

So did you see the 40's/70's TV consoles while you were there?

Robert, congratulations!! You did it again!! You found a real treasure!! Is the dryer an automatic one or does it have a timer only?

Congratulations Robert what a beautiful pair. I love the color. Best wishes!
Peter

For a minute there I thought you were collecting Aqua Velva Commercial Music now I see Aqua Kenmores ( Yawn )


--anonymous

Hi everyone, Scott very good observation about the lid position!!! On all Kenmore washers the lids slowly but surly open further back towards the left as they age, but this is adjusted by simply bending the inside of the hinge under the top. So, when I got the machines home I immediately adjusted the lid back to its brand new position. The washer was also missing the detergent cup and rubber scrubber, it only had the plastic cap with the scrubber removed, so I replaced both immediately with ones I had in my agitator caps bin.

Louis the Dryer is only Times or Air cycles, no Automatic cycle on this baby.

Yes I will give the washer its preliminary once over and put it in service for this Sundays wash if it doesn’t need any major work. I will take wash cycle pictures, I haven’t seen a Kenmore Wash and Wear cycle routine for years. Maybe I should film this washer after the GE for a DVD? Black agitators are hard to film, but I will give it my best shot.

For a minute there I thought you were collecting Aqua Velva Commercial Music now I see Aqua Kenmores ( Yawn )

I guess Jetcone Jon seems to think Kenmore washers are boring! Does he not use his? Oh that's right he doesn't have any, Oh well.

Ducking and running.

Very nice catch, Robert! I bet all you need to do is clean the glass bead filter out. Congrats!

Robert, I can't believe this. The mom of a kid I used to play with had this same 64 alphabet set only in white. Recently someone in my neighborhood put this same dryer on the curb. I checked it out but it was too far gone. I love the Kenmore alphabet washers from this era. If you decide not to keep it in your collection PLEASE make a DVD of it before you let it go including one on the wash n wear cycle. But it's such a beautiful color I think you should keep it in the collection even if it is a slightly later year model than you normally like. Congrads!
Les

Robert, no need for ducking and running. Somebody is so green with envy that he is totally unable to even say the word 'slap'!

It really is a lovely set, if I would be on your side of the ocean I would be interested.

"Happy for you in Europe"

"You get more
from a Kenmore
cause a Kenmore has so much more to give!!!!!!"

Such a pretty color, I wonder why nobody snapped them up before you got there?

I know Greg, isn't that sick? I mean, if it had been a 90s DD Sears, it would have had not for sale all over it! There's just no accounting for taste. Between this w/d and that TV Gary found, that had to have been a very cool house. It's probably beyond the reach of many now, but that is one of my favorite neighborhoods in Minneapolis.

I can just hear the washer already

woo woo woo woo woo woo woo woo woo woo....
Grrrrrind-click-clunk-zzzzZZZZZZZZZZZ

What a beautiful set Robert! I'm amazed. There's more good ones out there to be rescued.

Hey Robert! Great vintage classics,and a matched set to boot. I am sure it was worth a stressful day to land these two. Congrats on your new finds,whatever you do with them.
Rick

Hi Scott - perhaps the main reason why the TV and the aqua washer and dryer didn't sell first thing was because they were unique. This sale really wasn't representative of most mid-week estate sales. Generally, sales during the week are pretty bad and it isn't worth the time to look at the ads in the paper. However, this was a nice house and the woman must have lived there forever. I think that she decorated the house once in the 40's and then added a few things in the 60's and 70's. There were also some great asian endtables and some great kidney shaped sofas.

Scott, this was a soft heat dryer. Heat started on high and reduced as clothes got dry. NOw, with it being timed, only, I have wondered if the heat backed down as the times got less.

Also, you are correct about you remembering similiar dial, but there was a square timer dial--that's how I guessed the year. What you remember was a series 70 washer. My cousins had the match to that washer, a dryer. Temp knob on one side and a dummy area on the right. Had the three color cycles of normal, wnw, and delicate.

What finds, Robert!


Lawrence/Maytagbear