A Low Profile : King of the Valley sells reconditioned appliances--with warranties--and uses word-of-mouth advertising.
Many good bargain sources maintain a low profile, strictly depending on word of mouth for advertis ing, which may explain how we miss some of them. Such is the case with King of the Valley in North Hollywood, which has been in business for 26 years. It is one of the largest dealerships in California of reconditioned refrigerators, stoves, washers and dryers.
Every appliance comes with a one-year warranty on parts and 90-day warranty on labor, which is about the same deal you get on a new appliance. Inventory is made up chiefly of refrigerators, stoves, washers and dryers. No dishwashers, disposals and only a few freezers are available.
The day we checked in there were about 700 refrigerators--all different makes--and 200 stoves. The models range from the ‘50s to the present.
Owner Bill Medeiros says the refrigerators of yesteryear were made better than they are today. “Everything today is plastic,” says Medeiros, “and they just don’t hold up as well.”
He compared a 2-year-old GE that needed a new compressor when he bought it to a GE refrigerator made in 1953 that is still running strong with the original compressor. The newer GE had a compressor installed and is priced at $300. (New it was about $850.) The vintage GE is $350. He found a 1950 GE refrigerator in “mint condition,” and the gentleman who paid $800 for it was thrilled, Medeiros said.
A 4-year-old GE side-by-side was an excellent buy at $500. This model went for $1,400 new. A couple sold it to King of the Valley, complaining it didn’t work. An $8 part fixed the problem. A black Magic Chef stove with a stainless steel top looked like new, but it’s about 5 years old. Its price is $350 instead of the original $850. A Whirlpool washer and dryer was $400 rather than the original $950.
King of the Valley has supplied the motion picture and television studios with appliances from the past. Medeiros had a long list of credits that ended with “Lethal Weapon I, II and III.”
Medeiros says Maytag washers haven’t changed much in 30 years. “All they’ve done is add the push buttons.”
Where to Shop Location: King of the Valley, 6250 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood. Hours: 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Mondays-Fridays, till 7 p.m. Saturdays, till 5 p.m. Sundays. Cards: Visa, MasterCard. Delivery: Free. Call: (818) 769-9454.
