Fisher Stove...Deal or no Deal?

[RandyG]

Hey all, found this on cl down here, I've been sorta looking for one of these stoves just for a collectors item, and to maybe use one day, just wanting opinions on this price., I think it's a little steep myself, your thoughts?? Thanks...

(broken link removed to http://tampa.craigslist.org/hil/atq/3643485487.html)

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I think that's a little steep personally, but I don't know what Fishers go for.

Buying a stove as a collector's item is a foreign idea to me though.

matt

 

[RandyG]

Probably couldn't just let it set, would have to use it, but that's what I figured too....steep price!!

 

[Beetle-Kill]

The cans of spray paint in the pic., he didn't use enough.
You can see the rust on the stove if you look at the colors hard enough.
Not even worth consideration to me. (especially for the asking price.)

 

[DexterDay]

He didn't even paint that stove? He painted the one next to it?

Looks as if he has more than 1? I would go and start low... Way low.

Look at the inside? Is anything warped? Bricks in good condition?

 

[coaly]

Since the seller doesn't know what a Mama Bear is, (or how to spell it) he would surely have no idea of it's value.
For a collectors item you want a glass and brass III or IV, or at least nickel plated door. 700 is high even for a collectable one. Which this is not.
Be aware the single door stoves with 6 inch outlet are more efficient heaters than the "Fireplace Series" double door stoves made to better view the fire. The trade off for fire viewing is shorter log length, smaller cook top, larger outlet for open door burning reducing efficiency.
The only thing this has going for it, is that it's the first year they were available with cathedral type doors. Still a very common 1979 into early 1980 model.



Looks like the feet were painted black due to missing plating, or they were the cheaper black oxide finish. Or this seller is just that lazy or............

Now the stove next to it looks like a rear vent Bear Series (single door - notice the height is lower) that could be appealing (at half the price) Maybe 500 if it's a Papa, but the length looks more like the Mama the ad is for, more like 400. The double door; $300 ??

 

[RandyG]

Thanks Coaly and all, for some reason I've become interested in old Fisher stoves, there's something about them that's appealing to me, kinda like the cast iron cookware phase I'm in now also. Plan to own one someday if I can find one at the right price, maybe put it in a workshop or something when I relocate further north. This one caught my attention because you just don't see them much down here. Thanks for your expertise!!

 

[coaly]

Hey, I'm a Griswold collector too. Heating with the Kitchen Queen keeps oven 300 to 350 with ou teven turning it on, so very little effort is needed for seasoning them real good with no additional fuel. We try to only use the common Wagner Ware stuff, (that's even gone collectable) but it's neat to use the fancy waffle irons. Word of caution if you try them; when you open them on a hot stove, the excess oil runs out the back on the stove top ! Instant smoke and flash if you're too hot. That was the only eye opener I've experienced with them. Glad I started collecting back when things were reasonable! With the removable lids, we use the pans with smoke rings. In the summer we build a fire with just kindling on a raised summer grate and remove the lid to cook right over the fire. he 900 pound stove doesn't even heat up before she's done cooking, and the stove has a bypass lever that opens the firebox right into the flue without heating the stove top. These old pans are perfect right over the fire.
We use the Griswold stove top ovens (BOLO for Big oven Little Oven) for bread boxes. Perfect for homemade donuts, bread and pies.
Do you collect dampers too?
It takes a secure guy to admit he collects aluminum lamb cake molds !! They go big bucks !

My first Grandma was like the one you're looking at. It was a freebe from an open rec room at a multi cabin resort here in the Pocono's. Probably 1990 or so. I was the propane guy that did all the LP work for the owner in all the cabins and ended up with the stove when he made a home rentals out of the closed resort. That was my first stove "I didn't need" and slowly added the rest of the models.