Picked up a vintage 1950s toaster at a flea market last week and it shorted out day one

I found this old chrome Toastmaster at a flea market in Portland for $20. The cord looked a little frayed but I figured it was fine. Got it home, plugged it in, and it sparked and popped before the coils even got warm. I'm thinking about replacing the cord and the mica insulators inside but idk if it's worth the hassle. Has anyone here actually restored one of these old toasters or should I just cut my losses?

2 comments

2 Comments

andrew_sanchez949d ago

Why are you even thinking about putting time into a toaster that already tried to kill itself? Look man, $20 is a loss, sure, but you're gonna spend way more than that on parts and your own time wrestling with 70 year old wiring that could catch fire. You can get a brand new toaster at Target for the same price that wont spark or pop and might even have a bagel setting. Those old ones look cool but they're just not safe unless you really know what you're doing, and if the mica is cracked you're basically rebuilding the whole heating element anyway. I'd chuck it and take the lesson, vintage appliances are a gamble and this one lost.

olivia_anderson9d ago

My grandpa had a 1950s Sunbeam toaster that he used every day until he died, and I always thought people were too scared of old appliances. But last month I tried to fix a similar one I found at an estate sale, the wiring crumbled in my hands like old cheese, and I nicked my finger on a exposed terminal. You're right, it's not worth the fire risk or the time just to save 20 bucks, I think you just convinced me to toss it.