SMC Discussion Areas

bcharlton's thread got me thinking about the value on these units. Don't think there's been one before. I usually see these listed on CL or ebay for $3000+. I know there are different sizes and such, but what is a fair price on a WORKING and in good condition model? Here are some pics of one I've been looking at for weeks and is well priced at $1000. Thoughts?

Kaleid20,

My BB is only 40" long so it worked perfectly in my basement malt shop.  It has the "Coldpoint cooler draft station" which pre-cools the lines to keep the carbonated water cold.  As long as you like it and it fits where you want to put it, $1000 for a working one is a very good price.  I use mine almost every day and is one of my favorite pieces.  Let me know if you need ant help restoring it if you decide to get it.
Phil Schy From American Soda Fountain INC in Chicago is amazing and helped me a ton.   Here is the link
 
http://americansodafountain.com/id4.html

BC

Yours is beautiful. I'd like to hold out for a smaller model like the bobtail. Problem is they never pop up in my area and if they did, Im sure they'd go for a king's ransom.

I agree Kaleid20.   The bobtail is the right one for home use.  I thought you might be suffering from a mid life crises and wanted to open up a full scale 50s style malt shop in your neighborhood.

LOL

You laugh, but I've considered it!  :drinking:

The wife and I almost did just that while living in NW Florida about 10 years ago.  If the Air Force hadn't moved me, we would have had a real nice '50s soda fountain!  Maybe once I decide to finally retire sometime here, we'll give it a whirl.  Want to start with one in the currently-unused den...

Ok,

It's time to come clean.  I am blessed with owning a successful business but I too have considered opening up a 50s style malt shop.  We had one that closed 15 years ago in our town that help fuel my passion.  It had a ton of original and reproductions from the 50s and served the best malted milkshakes in the area.

In reality, our family owned an old soda fountain/hoagie shop in Philadelphia from the early 1920s to the mid 1990s.  I saw how  my grandmother and subsequently my aunt and uncle spent all of their lives on their feet around a grill and soda fountain.  It's very hard work and I am not up for it.  I learned to really appreciate how hard it is to run a successful restaurant.

In a perfect word, I would open it on weekends  to give the youth a chance to see a snapshop of the 1950s and how cool it was to  be alive  back then.  It would also be a treat to see people from my parent's generation  come in and relive the days when they were at their best had their whole lives in front of them.

Ok, fantasy time over, back to work in the real world.  For now,  servicing these two young customers at the basement soda fountain will have to suffice.

BC

Great photo!
Looks like you even got paid!

and got tipped a nickel as well.

Bc