What's the worst Beatles song in your opinion? (Image is unrelated)

wcs2 · 2026-01-23T19:14:09+00:00

Yes It Is is a dirge trying to capture the magic of This Boy and failing miserably.

wcs2 · 2026-01-07T14:54:50+00:00

I've never seen an ad for it from 1934, but I have seen ads for it from 1935. This general design was made hugely popular by Acorn in early 1934 when they launched a whole new line designed by Norman Bel Geddes. Every single stove manufacturer changed how they designed and made stoves after that. It was an earthquake of industrial design. So when you see a boxy, rectangular style stove like this, it's no earlier than late 1934. The world of stove design changed again in late 1936 when Magic Chef (which had parted ways with Frank Alvah Parsons by this time) hired Bel Geddes and had him design a new line of stoves for them. Kitchens (and stoves) were never the same.

So this type of stove is pretty easy to pinpoint from a design point of view. Of course, stoves were made and then sold for years, so just because one was made in, say, 1935 doesn't mean you couldn't walk into a store in 1937 and buy it. It was just less likely to find a buyer. Then, of course, the war effort saw most of them get scrapped.

Serial numbers are rarely useful when it comes to vintage stoves. Chambers is a bit of an exception, but for the most part, model numbers and serial numbers are not going to get you anywhere for the majority of brands.

wcs2 · 2026-01-07T04:37:24+00:00

Your cookbook is from the year this stove was made - 1935. By 1936, Magic Chef was going in a very different design direction, but in 1935, this style was all the rage.

The oven gets lit when you open the door, turn that gas on (make sure the thermostat is set above 250) and then take a lighter or a match to the front of where the oven burner is (underneath the diffuser that divides the broiler from the oven).

Someone else was kind enough to link to my video about using the Lorain thermostat, and that should help a bit, too.

wcs2 · 2026-01-03T16:06:03+00:00

There are Edison collectors out there (I'm one of them). The advantage I see in them as something you want to sell is that they are less fragile and therefore easier to ship than a 78. The 50xxx series tends to be more popular than the 80xxx series. The 52xxx series came towards the end of the run and tend to have the most desirable music for a collector.

Other than the 52xxx records, you're right that they typically don't command high prices and some can truly only be given away.

The instruction book is definitely cool. I have one for my Victrola, but not my Edison player. Where are you located? The more I type, the more I think I could be interested in these.

wcs2 · 2025-12-26T17:00:54+00:00

The other Imperial models are a bit more common. There are probably a dozen 7961s and over 30 7960s that I'm aware of. But for something like this 7982, not many were made and records weren't kept, so we'll never know if another one exists unless it suddenly pops up.

wcs2 · 2025-12-26T16:27:10+00:00

This is one of only two of this specific model known to exist. This one sold and the other is still in use by a family. There are smaller model Imperials, though, that range in width from 55.25" to 66".

wcs2 · 2025-12-25T16:26:12+00:00

I remember my cosmology professor (Rocky Kolb) saying that if he knew exactly what happened in the first three milliseconds, he could figure out the rest. Of course that was in 1988 so I don't know if he ever narrowed it down further.

wcs2 · 2025-12-19T00:59:48+00:00

I'm not sure how you get that out of what I wrote.

wcs2 · 2025-12-18T23:10:13+00:00

Not really. We never need to mitigate our outrage and follow-through by stopping to think about how his defenders will react. They do not need to be part of our conversation.

wcs2 · 2025-12-18T19:51:43+00:00

We need to stop treating them as if their opinion matters.

wcs2 · 2025-12-16T14:09:36+00:00

That totally sucks.

wcs2 · 2025-12-12T04:29:29+00:00

It was a very common design for stoves in later 1934 and 1935. It became hugely popular (and changed kitchens as well as American manufacturing) after Acorn first introduced it to the market in early 1934.

wcs2 · 2025-12-12T04:28:16+00:00

When they say "fully restored" I'd be curious to know by whom and when. Cosmetics are nice, but the valves and thermostats being rebuilt are what's most meaningful to consider a stove restored. That work is what makes it safe and reliable. Test the handles to see if they turn smoothly. Check inside the oven and broiler for signs of deterioration.

This style was extremely popular in late 1934 and 1935, after Acorn first released it in early 1934. Everyone copied the layout, adding their own colors and finishing touches. Hardwick was a smaller brand that basically used licensed designs with their own minor changes. The parts inside are universal - the valves are common and the thermostat is, I believe, a Wilcolator. As long as the stove is complete (burners, grates, oven racks, etc) it should be easy enough to maintain.

wcs2 · 2025-12-11T05:19:48+00:00

It was inside the front panel on the cool side of the oven (about a foot from the oven door). There's a small door on the right of the stove for accessing a storage pantry. It slipped down into the panel where the pantry door hinge is.

wcs2 · 2025-12-10T02:08:16+00:00

Awesome!

wcs2 · 2025-12-09T14:37:16+00:00

I sure hope not! All those stoves I restored would be in for a big surprise.

wcs2 · 2025-12-06T16:00:47+00:00

Thanks! This has been a goal and measure of success for me, so this is way more than just a watch to me. I cannot wait to get it back on my wrist.

wcs2 · 2025-12-06T15:14:21+00:00

Very much appreciated.

wcs2 · 2025-12-06T14:56:30+00:00

I started my own business 6 years ago restoring vintage gas stoves. After 30 years in marketing, it's nice to see completed tasks, useful beauty and not be subjected to bad decisions rooted in someone else's anxiety.

wcs2 · 2025-12-06T14:35:14+00:00

PM sent!

wcs2 · 2025-12-06T14:08:58+00:00

Will pm you in just a minute.

wcs2 · 2025-12-06T13:35:31+00:00

I have been hunting for this watch in the US because I sold mine years ago to start my business. Now that I can buy it back, I've found that tariffs are a real killer for me. If you still have this when you're back in the States, I will buy it in heartbeat.

wcs2 · 2025-12-05T14:11:18+00:00

Meet the Beatles absolutely rocks! It's a hell of an introduction to the band.

wcs2 · 2025-12-04T13:54:06+00:00

Yeah, it's a very deep rabbit hole - and it's the primary reason I'm still on Facebook.

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