We love our Dishmasters — vintage and new — and now, look at this rarity: A Dishmaster Bar Boy — a stainless steel bar sink packaged complete with M-59 Dishmaster faucet, unused and still in its original box now for sale by junqluv on ebay (listing now gone). “For family room, patio, apartment, boat, mobile home” — some fun was going on! 13 years of blogging the retro, and about 10 years of watching for Dishmasters, I’ve never seen this before. Let’s take a look inside >>
Update: A few questions came in asking what the four round holes are for. junqluv sent more photos!
There are four plastic cups that also come with the sink set. I believe that in “bar sinks” like these, the cups were typically used for drink embellishments like limes, pineapple, olives, etc.
I guess you could also stash things like spoons in the cups. The cups are removable for easy cleaning. 
It’s great after all these years to continue to see woddities still coming up — keeps my blood pumping!
From the listing:
Rare NOS DISHMASTER DS-400 “Bar Boy” Stainless Steel Sink & NOS M-59 Faucet — and all the connections and white plastic cups that go In the sink too! Condition is New Old Stock ! This is a once in a lifetime find! Original shipping box from DISHMASTER Corporation in Bloomfield Hills Michigan. The DISHMASTER liquid soap has leaked on the box and onto the instruction manual in the M—58 Box – however it has done no damage at all to the faucet or parts. The sink is amazing and shiny perfect! I will put the original box (Big) in another larger box so you will have the original box too!
And above: Remember this, you can now get vintage design Dishmaster faceplates for your NEW Dishmaster (still being made). Faceplates from original tooling! Story here.
Want to go for it?
>> The ebay listing is here. <<
Remember this other Dishmaster woddity?:
And above: The original design, spectacular!
Lihplom says
Just for posterity, it sold for $425 plus shipping.
It floundered at around the $250 mark until just before the end, when the snipers jumped in and it went to $425.
In my opinion it went for a reasonable price since it’s not far off from what a quality sink and faucet would run you right now at a big box store. So, functionality cost what it cost – but the cool factor was free!
Pam Kueber says
Thanks for adding this info, Lihplom!
Sandie says
We have a very similar bar sink in our Albany NY 1967 ranch. (The bar itself is mirrored on 3 sides with glass shelves.) The plastic bins are for garnishes (limes, onions). One bin has a snap-on cutting board “cover”.
Two photos in this shared Google Doc. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mliVivI1FNpbsQPJckfrSmz2RGYTNDJdmUcV768F_ic/edit?usp=sharing
Pam Kueber says
Very cool!
Jonathan Kidwell says
Thanks to everyone and more importantly Pam – who posted and commented on this piece… It has been a great experience being part of Retro Renovation’s archive and postings… Who knew!!! That is why people like Pam and her “Eagle Eyes” are so important to the preservation and documentation of American History!
Thanks again
Junqluv !
Tarquin says
Wow! Really cute sink. I remember when I was a kid, bars were everywhere. Everyone had at least one bar in their house. Some people had a bar in the den, a bar cart in their living room, a bar in the basement, a mini bar in the master bedroom, a great big bar by the pool & that’s not all! There was also a bar in the camper & the van.
Some people even gave up their garage to convert it to a room with a 20’ bar.
People paid carpenters a fortune to build a bar & turn a room into a pub!
Pam, you can do a whole story on the “Home bar, a lost art!”
Sherree says
I googled it and found that it (or a version of it) also included a cutting board. How cool this would be for serving tropical drinks in a home tiki bar! What a find!
https://books.google.com/books?id=hprEJFAlhbMC&pg=PA177&lpg=PA177&dq=dishmaster+bar+boy&source=bl&ots=QBWXJ4qp8-&sig=ACfU3U35aEdjpZaVm-2fXUmnjDo7uziQ3Q&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiZz-34qfroAhVEZc0KHXToDYcQ6AEwAnoECAkQAQ#v=onepage&q=dishmaster%20bar%20boy&f=false
Pam Kueber says
Wow, very cool — looks like it was launched around Jan. 1964. Great research, thank you, Sherree!
Devona says
Hi Pam!! Thanks for the shout out! You’ll be happy to know that FAB yellow Dishmaster princess went to a great home, one of your readers…in fact, one who’s home you had featured. Still have never seen another in my picking travels, but I’m going to find another one day! LOL…now I need to find the bar sink!! I’ve never seen that one either!!
Pam Kueber says
Hi Devona! That’s great to hear! I truly regret not buying that yellow Princess! Oh well!
Kerri Stahl says
Hi Pam!
I can’t figure out what the sink was used for. Do you have more info/pics of this sink in place? I’m so curious now – could not find anything through Google.
Thank you.
Pam Kueber says
It’s a bar sink… Used in a home wet bar. There are plastic cups that go into the round holes. I think they are used for drink embellishments.
Kerri Stahl says
Very cool. Thanks ?
carolyn says
Here we go from wikipedia:
A wet bar is a small bar used for mixing and serving alcoholic beverages that includes a sink with running water. This differs from a normal bar, usually called a “dry bar” that does not include a sink.[1] A wet bar can increase the rate at which drinks are served because of the sink, which allows for glasses to be cleaned immediately. The sink may also be used for cleaning glassware as well as spills that may happen.
Wet bars are found in homes for entertainment purposes. A finished basement is a typical location for a wet bar. Wet bars are relatively simple to build, and, thus, many homeowners have turned the wet bar into a do-it-yourself project.
I couldn’t have said it better myself.
Melinda says
Do you know the purpose of the 4 large holes on the apron?
Pam Kueber says
There are also four plastic cups that go into the round holes. I think they are used for drink embellishments.
Melinda says
Aha! To make the fanciest drinks in the fanciest basement bar!
Phyllis says
That’s the only part that gave me pause, not so sure I’d have my cocktail garnish prep right by a sink. I recall a study noting that the average food sink tends to be a bacteria laden spot from a food safety standpoint. *However* that bar sink is super cool and I was bummed it has sold because I was ready bid on it. Finding another use for those cups would be pretty easy. They’d be great for to air dry bar tending tools like spoons, picks, jiggers and strainers.
Pam Kueber says
It was just my guess that they were for embellishments. Perhaps there are instructions…
Pam Kueber says
One more thought, as you make a good point that having food garnishes right next to an operating sink could be problematic: In the ad a reader found, there was mention of a cover (maybe for the sink? I am not sure)… In that case it could be the sink may have been meant to hold ice during the party… a set-up for drink-making rather than cleaning during the party. Afterward, you could then clean? Just a theory.
Phyllis says
I think you’re absolutely right! The garnish cups makes perfect sense with a cutting board fitted over the sink bowl.
Denise says
The garnish cups came with lids too!
Pam Kueber says
I was wondering about that!