Shopsmith Forums

Purely by chance, I stumbled on to a gentleman that demonstrated and sold Shopsmiths from about 1957 to 1960 in Milwaukee, WI.

It seems that a appliance store called Electric City was the to go place for appliance needs in Milwaukee during that era. They were located in downtown Milwaukee across from the Gimbels department store. Electric City sold Shopsmith's for $549.00.

The demonstrator I found supported himself through college selling these machines. Selling Shopsmiths was his first sales job. He said that when he has a chance he will get a forum userid and join us. I'll give his name when that happens.

Both Gimbels and Electric City no longer exist.

That Gimbels is now one of the coolest Courtyard hotels I've stayed in. Some rooms have 16 foot ceilings with floor to ceiling windows.

Every couple of months I drive down through Vincennes, Indiana, where the original of all the Gimbels stores was opened (that history is available on a web-search).

Speaking of old architecture, a few years ago I was thinking I had to buy an old house and fix it up. It was a real obsession -- that my wife had 0% interest in doing! But then I got into the Shopsmith and I've been very happy, and my wife is very happy, no longer worrying about buying a "money pit".