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Home / What to Collect / ... estate sales

Vintage Kenmore dryer

pam kueber - Updated: October 28, 2010

Retro Renovation stopped publishing in 2021; these stories remain for historical information, as potential continued resources, and for archival purposes.

vintage-kenmore-dryerThere was a vintage Kenmore dryer in the basement of the estate sale – right next to the deco-style steel sink cabinet. Sigh. I don’t know how much electricity these vintage dryers use…probably a lot. But they are so beautiful — and goodness, they have lasted a long time, that’s for sure!

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... estate sales

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22 comments

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  1. St. Christopher says

    October 12, 2009 at 3:42 am

    Oooohhhh…..that is a ’57 Lady Kenmore! I almost bought one in PINK a few years ago. I was just about to leave on vacation to South Padre Isle via New Orleans. We had two weeks vacation, so on this roadtrip we were going to the GIANT flea market in Texas and I felt I had to keep alot of cash available for that. So I didn’t buy the dryer. Bwwaaaahhhhh….I should have bought it! It is one of the most regrettable failures to purchase that I have.

    Check out this link:

    http://automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/00ShowCollectionGETD.cgi?photoshow=008@Beautiful%201957%20Lady%20Kenmores@Unimatic1140.jpg&dir=/COLLECTIONS/UNIMATIC1140

    And here is a link to the main page:

    http://www.automaticwasher.org/

    These folks are HARD CORE!

    Chris.

  2. TappanTrailerTami says

    October 11, 2009 at 10:34 pm

    Robert,

    I’ve owned ONE in my life with the lint filter on top and never will own one again for the exact reasons you list. They are truly the worst for keeping your dryer and adjacent washer staying unlinty (is unlinty a word? maybe now it is) –

    Sign me Unlinty in CA, with my lint filter in the door 🙂

  3. pam kueber says

    October 11, 2009 at 1:32 pm

    I don’t think it was for sale. Not marked, at least.

  4. Missouri Michael says

    October 11, 2009 at 1:08 pm

    Just out of curiosity, do you remember what they were asking for this?

  5. atomicbowler-dave says

    October 10, 2009 at 11:42 pm

    Then…if one were truly adventurous and dedicated…there is the thought of buying a NEW dryer (frt. Damage, maybe) and frankensteining a “new” dryer into an old enclosure. Sadly, one would probably lose some cool-factor in the controls, but maybe new non-stock cool factor could be created…

  6. Robert says

    October 10, 2009 at 10:56 pm

    Hello,

    Wow and notice the lint filter is on the top. I always hated those that way as you pull it out and the lint goes all over. Plus often dryers house things (table cloths, sheets and such) on top for a while and that means you can’t put it on top of that lint door. More and more dryers have them there as mine does.

    I thought that was a newer innovation but guess not. Who knew?? LOL

    Frankly I think it is a great inconvenience to have it there versus the ones between the drum and the outside that you just open the door and pull out.

    Regards,
    Robert

  7. BungalowBILL says

    October 10, 2009 at 7:17 pm

    I wonder how the carbon footprint compares between a dryer that has been working for years and hasn’t broken but uses a bit more electricity vs a new energy efficient model that will break and be unrepairable in 5 years that you will then have to send to a landfill and buy a new one. I would think the old one would win.

    • pam kueber says

      October 10, 2009 at 8:03 pm

      @BungalowBill, I tend to think you are right regarding these “lifecycle” costs – especially if, as BobQSmith wrote, the technology has not changed all that much over time. Also, I read recently that a way to reduce the carbon footprint of electric dishwashers is to run them very late at night. They use the same amount of electricity, obviously, but late at night there is surplus electricity availalbe. I think that means: use it or lose it. On the other hand, if we all use more electricity during the day, that means that power plants must be built to accommodate our growth. So…if you have a dryer, perhaps there are loads you can run late at night rather than in the day, when the demand on the grid is not so great.

  8. BobQSmith says

    October 10, 2009 at 2:27 pm

    Electric dryers are horrendously inefficient…new or old, it doesn’t really matter. They’ve been using the same basic technology ever since they were invented. About the only thing that can make an electric dryer more efficient is a sensor that will monitor the dryness of the load and shut it off the instant things get dry.

  9. Kelly says

    October 10, 2009 at 12:07 pm

    Surely you could upgrade some of the parts to make it a little more energy efficient….it is such a cool dryer!

  10. Missouri Michael says

    October 10, 2009 at 8:08 am

    Wow! That dryer is great! I’m still using a vintage Kenmore dryer…but mine is a little newer. It was new in 1969, still works great, and is quieter when running than my parent’s new dryer from GE. I’m all for dependability!

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