Escaping the Death Phase
The M7A that was observed for this biography is possibly one of very few mixers from this product range that are institutionally protected as an artefact. The only other mixer of this range found to live in a museum is a model “10M47” in the Smithsonian Design Museum’s Cooper Hewitt collection (2015). The technology and object features were not new to the public at the time of its sale (possibly deeming it to be too mundane for institutional preservation), although its futuristic appearance and radiance as a “space age hand mixer” largely contributed to its longevity in name (Material Culture Museum 2011).
The Most-Wanted Mixer, Collector’s Favourite
As highlighted in the previous sections, the mixer’s design is recognized as unique, celestial (“space-age”), and sleek. This range of mixers is one of the many that catches the eye of collector groups like WACEM (“We Actually Collect Electric Mixers”), not only for their appearance, but also as a possession of “social history, craftsmanship, and beauty,” (Murphy 2013 ; Dahnell 2018). The title of this article–an interview by the New York Times’ Kate Murphy–best expresses the two lives of mixers: “For Some, an Appliance; for Others, Art” (2013). WACEM views “old mixers” as “sculptural, more art than appliance” (Murphy 2013). Majority in collections are still in working condition, making them collectibles that continue to be used as a product. This is one of the ways that the mixer escapes the “death” phase. Restoration businesses and online marketplaces sell parts for it as well, extending its lifespan. Collectors tend to view mixers that entered the market after 1967 as “not worth having” due to its lack of design uniqueness and fixability. These traits motivate collectors and is reminiscent of “when we weren’t a throwaway society” (Murphy 2013). Restoration businesses and online marketplaces that sells fabricated parts “have now emerged”, and are secondary attempts at extending its lifespan.
“Space age design” is a common selling point that is noted on second-hand marketplaces and auctions online. The following is an example of a description found for a M47 put up for auction on Worthpoint:
“This amazing design was influenced by the Atomic Space Age and Jet Fighters! See my photos for images of its air intake grill and jet propulsion exhaust hole. What more could you want on a 1960s egg beater?” (Worthpoint n.d.).
This product range can also be found in thrift stores “for a mere $7” (Kate 2020). This is where “...fevered collectors said they preferred finding mixers at garage sales or in the dusty corners of antique shops rather than through an easy search online,” (Murphy, 2013). Although, no other gift set like our artefact has been found in secondhand online marketplaces.