Refrigeration restoration services on ebay?

[firemun]

I am not for or against Antiquities Vending but here is some info:

I have been up to Allan's place and spent some time with him.  He has more machines crammed into various buildings than I could count...even a Vendo Decapper and 2 different models of  ICEY –O’s: 1 each - Atlanta and Charlotte models.

He is extremely busy and his phone never stops ringing.  He supposedly has about 700 + machines in service on his vending route plus running his restoration business.  I have heard both good and bad things about his work....as I have for almost everyone else who has ever restored a machine.  It seems to depend on who you talk to and when you talk to them.  The machines of his I have seen look great and he took me into his shop where he reworks the refrigeration systems and he had a dozen or so that had came in that week and he said he could turn them around in 7 days.

As for parts from him, I doubt it, as he has all of his machines he uses for reference to build stuff for his restorations.  But again, this is just my thoughts...and not a known.  He always takes my phone calls... but he does take a while to answer emails.

I plan to send a unit up to Allan soon and see how it turns out.  I currently have one down at Eric’s at Global Compressors (which has been there over 2 years…a delay mostly of my doing… I told Eric I was in no hurry then after some time I asked him to intentionally hold off on it until I told him otherwise due to a $$$ crisis).  I expect to be happy with both of them.

Jeff

[globalcompressors]

Hello Jeff,

  Hey man, you're right! I've been waiting for a phone call, to give me the go ahead. It's hard to believe it's been that long. Please give me a call, toll free,
1 877 856 4996. My number has been the same for all of these years. I wish you would have called me, touched base, or an e-mail, when things were better. I would of had it out right away!

Eric

[firemun]

Eric,
It is no problem...I have not been able to work on the WD 22 for a long time.  In the last email you said you would just store it for me until I was ready for it ....and you have done that for me and I appreciate it.   My fault for not getting back to you.  I will give you a call this week.

Thanks,

jeff

[BrianB]

Jeff,

Thanks for the info, Yeah, Alan seems pretty busy. I should be getting my unit back here in a jiff, hopefully by early next week.

Eric,

Definitely think you do an awesome job. Everytime I've called you with a question you've been more than happy to answer it plus give me a little razzing when I deserved it for doing something "bad"!  '>

'> This is my first time on this website in the
discussion area.  Actually in any area where I get to
type! I am Alan Huffman - www.antiquevending.com - Hey
Eric -How are you doing - I know I never get to call
you and talk with you - you are right I cant seem to
get a spare moment. Be-bop joe called me today and
told me I was mentioned in the discussion on this site
- so I decided to check it out tonight. I registered
my name and everything so I can say Hello to everyone
- I first want to say I am sorry I did not respond to
your email's right away - Please know that I can be
reached by phone 7 days - a - week and I work long
hours. My phone does seem to ring off the hook - all
the time  People are suprised that I answer my phone
like I do. One night my phone rang at 12:30 midnight.
I heard it ringing and jumped out of bed to see who it
was -I thought it must be from some other country or
something and they do not know what time is here in
N.C. - I could not believe it when I recognized the
Area Code as being from Mooresville NC - just 45 min
from Granite Falls. I picked up the phone and said
"Hello this is Alan" and the phone was quiet - I said
again " Hello this is Alan"  and a voice said -
"Hello"  - I said "Hello"  and a voice said - "Are you
a recording? "- I said no this is Alan from
antiquevending - he said - "wow - sorry for calling so
late - I thought I would get a recording and could
leave a message - I was just surfing the internet and
found your site - I want to come and visit you
Saturday - what are your hours?  I said " I will be
here - call first and come on by!" He came by Saturday
and I am now restoring his antique soda machine for
him.

Anyway - You are more than welcome to call me 7 days a
week with questions - I cannot promise I will pick up
my phone at midnight so call earlier if you call me.
I get questions about refrigerations all the time and
you are always welcome to call me - anytime! I am sure
Eric's phone rings off the hook as well.  I launched
my Website Aug 7th of 2004. I was swamped before and
now it seems even worse. I have about 25
refrigerations here in the floor right now and another
10 on the way. We are currently restoring aroudn 48
vintage soda machines for customers.  I do meet the 7
day turn around sometimes for refrigeration systems
that are mainstream - however it seems that most of
what I get is Odd Ball, Rare Systems - like the Ideal
85 I just shipped out - they take longer and are
harder to ship. I just picked up a new friend at Carry
Rate and he is helping me ship the larger
refrigeration systems by Truck and not UPS - Some of
these systems are hard to Ship UPS and I have had two
damaged systems this year. It is best just to redo the
system and pay for it myself, UPS will claim I
overpacked the system or something to get out of
paying a claim. For those of you who need a
Refrigeraton Question answered right away - you can
always call my Phone number direct and I will answer
99.9% of the time - When I am on the drink route my
phone will not pick up in the mountain areas and I
know I miss a call from time to time - If you get a
out of service area message - call me back and try
again.  My phone also has call waiting so when you
call - you will not get a busy signal. I have talked
my Drink accounts into stopping by my shop and picking
up the Soda Pop they need for the month - this has
helped me alot. I started the vending route in 1989
and it runs vintage machines and sells glass bottle
soda only - All my accounts have a Key to the machine
at their location and they store extra soda in a
closet or back room. My family owns a Radio Shack
Dealer Store and a Drug Store in the same town - I  do
electronic work in the Shack during the Week and help
organize delivery Trucks for the Ice Cream Soda
Fountain Shop Next Door to the Drug Store / Radio
Shack. Some of you who have stopped by to see me have
probably got a free meal out of me at that Soda Shop -
They sell my Sodas in the Ice Cream Shop and instead
of paying me  - My visitors and I eat for free from
time to time. - I am not a big fan of Email - However
it comes with the territory of being on the world wide
web.  I get about 100 emails a day right now. Some of
course are junk emails. I prefer just to get a phone
call and deal with everything the old fashioned way.
One good thing -is you will always get me when you
call. I do not have a Secretary - only two paint men.
Believe it or not I do take my phone with me on
vacation - against my wife's wishes.

Tonight I only had 122 emails and I sent a responce to
every email. A few months back I got a call from Dukes
of Hazzard - Cooter's (Ben Jone's) Wife about 7:30 pm.
She wanted me to Restore the two Cooter's Garage
Machines - and bring them to Dukes Fest along with a
lot of Glass bottle Soda and Water for the Cast and
Band Members. Dukes Fest was less than 60 days away
when the call came in. Everything seems to go into a
higher gear when stuff like that happens. It is best
to call me direct to get a quick responce to your
question. I can tell you my phone rang off the hook
while I was attending Duke's Fest both Saturday and
Sunday. A customer that I knew called me Saturday
while I was in the tent behind the stage loading the
antique Chest Coolers full of Soda. I Picked up my
phone "hello this is Alan!" It was a customer that
calls me from time to time to get refrigeration
advise. " Hey what are you doing"  - I said " Hey Bud
- hold on a minuite Iwill Let  you to talk to
someone."  I handed my phone to Cooter.  Cooter grabs
the phone and says" Hey Good Buddy - Crazy Cooter
commin at you - I might be crazy but I aint Dumb - you
got your ears on."  The customer says " who is this?
- Cooter's reply " It's me Crazy Cooter  -  Cooter
handed me back my phone and the customer said to me
"Who was that?"  I said " that was Cooter - the real
Cooter from Dukes of Hazzard "  - and the customer
said " Yea! - who was it really!"

Anyway - www.antiquevending.com , phone 828-962-9783 -
Alan Huffman , Call me and come on by for a Free Ice
Cold Soda Pop - Hang out - or you can Help out while
you are here - Ive got plenty to do!

[petey64]

Isn't that the biggest first post you've ever seen....... welcome to the site

[Creighton]

Welcome to the board Alan!
Creighton

[globalcompressors]

I had a chance to give Alan a call today. He is a very personable and polite individual. We spoke for little over an hour. He's got the same problem as I have, just not enough hours in a day. From what I gathered, he works all the time! He is very knowledgeable and really does care for his customers, trying to get to each and every one out as fast as he can. His theory is the same as mine, if he's on the computer, he's not in the shop building. He would rather, like I would, "talk" to his customers directly. For me, it seems easier to explain things verbally than to "bang" it out on a key board. I think it's probably the same for him.

He does good work. Some of the folks, he has worked for, are quite reputable and do speak highly of him so be patient.

Eric

'> Thanks for the Good Word Eric - I am glad we had a chance to talk today and I am glad there is someone out there who does the same thing I do - I need a Break!  - Here is a photo YA'LL WILL LIKE!!!!!!!!

[petey64]

ay chingow