But the ironic part is that if I don't do a Chambers cooktop at all I would be completely happy with a plain old gas cooktop 1/10th the price, really. I'm confused, do you prefer having the cooktop over the stove (if you can swing it financially)? if you'd be happy with another gas cooktop that's cheaper, is the Chambers oven, shipped, restored, completely out of the picture?

I want a gas cooktop and separate wall oven regardless.

I exaggerate, now that I think about it. I would be happy with a decent gas cooktop that would be about one-fifth the price of a fully restored copper Chambers cooktop.

This is not out of the picture. But really the entire kitchen is out of the picture for the time being because I don't really have the funds yet. But it doesn't mean I wouldn't stockpile.

The real question is, are you going to think about "the one that got away" if you don't buy the copper set to restore? (Okay, questions!) Are you going to regret not buying a/the copper set every time you see/use the (fill-in-the-blank) you buy instead?

If I put as much thought into searching, finding and pining over something as much as you have this set, I would just bite the bullet and purchase. Because I know I would always regret it.

It's partly my age, partly my frame of mind due to family distance and dear friends dealing with serious health/death issues but I would opt for saving money and using it for experiential purposes with loved ones. You're in a different place in life so YMMV.

I'm big on saving money but sometimes if one wants that extra bit of special special it's worth waiting for. If I were you I would start collecting now and finish the big picture when you have the funds.

Besides, you sort of are expected to come up with something designer-y.

I thought the whole range was interesting and fun for the right place, but the cooktop alone doesn't do anything for me. Even in the right place, I think something like that needs ti be a wowza, gotta have it kind of thing. If you are asking, perhaps it just isn't special enough to you. And if that idea offends or upsets you, perhaps it is.

No, it doesn't offend me. I think the copper is what interests me, since it's real copper and not just brown "coppertone". I am more ambivalent about the all stainless ones.

However, I really like things that are heavy duty and solid without being overly flashy (although the levers on the bigger cooktop are a bit flashy I guess).

But my bathrooms are very modest and basic finish wise and they are built like bomb shelters and my doorknobs are the plainest I could find but solid brass. I like a tactile heaviness if that makes sense. And I think Chambers, in general, have that sort of solid feel.

Attractive tanks built for time bombs. I like it! Bringing better built of yesteryear into today. Done so in a mostly practical way.

A lot of your past posts have had a nostalgic lean...it's part of your thing. It's Pal. It's your mark.

If shipping is huge, they must not be using a shipper but instead are using something like UPS. With the shippers, the most I would pay for something that size is $250 across the US....

I have a “guy who fixes EVERYTHING” for $40/hr plus parts here. So I would go to him if this were me.

I've been watching your search with interest. At one point, you talked about using the oven just for storage. Is the restoration cost mostly for the external finish or for the internal workings because you could skip the internal workings for the oven since you would have a modern oven for cooking.

You might check goshare.com for a moving quote.

The shipping was an estimate I got on my own. Most of these auctions are "Local Pick-up" which means you can either pick it up or arrange your own shipping. I contacted one company but I am not sure that it needs to be shipped by their standard operating procedure which is like for people who ship antiques.

The restoration person recommended alternative shipping methods which were much more reasonable, should I go ahead.

These have to be restored and fitted with modern ignitions. Then the copper is restored. It's essentially like restoring a classic car. If I do get the oven as well, I would restore it because it would probably be the everyday oven since it's small, an the bigger oven would be used for bigger jobs and production baking. I grew up in a house that had two ovens and don't really have a problem having two ovens but only occasionally using more than one.

I actually think that for me, having things a certain way is "experiential" for me. Having a house with solid doors, a solid, sturdy "feel" to things, is important, because I experience it daily. If I had to make a choice between a vacation and door hardware or something, I'd pick the door hardware. But I am the sort of person who might buy a pair of shoes every couple of years, and pay a lot for them. But the shoes I had on today I bought in 1989. To me the daily can be an experience.

You know how dog rescue groups set up a chain of volunteer drivers, state to state, when they need to move dogs across the country? We need to set up a chain of GW drivers to get Pal his Chambers from the auction to his house!

I can do part of southern CA! ;-)

I've already looked down here. Nothing copper stove top yet.

I did find a sturdy solid copper Kachina Bolo tie.

Maybe this would appeal till you find the copper chambers?

So hip but so practical.

Glad you have shipping alternatives!

My guy who fixes everything restores cars, srvices lawnmowers, fixes power tools, from the most recent to antiques. Dude makes me feel like a mechanical idiot. Lol. I’d trust him with it—you may be able to find someone similar. I’m unfortunately not THAT close to you that he’d pick up.

He may be more now, anyway. I told him he has to start charging more. He was too good—and was booked solid for months. Clear sign he’s not charging enough!