Vintage Sunbeam Model VAT-H Vista Toaster Radiant Shade Control - Works Fine

Description

Vintage Sunbeam Model VAT-H Vista Toaster Radiant Shade Control. 1 side has a small spot of wear in the chrome lower right corner and other side has a scratch line in the chrome. Otherwise it is in fine complete condition. The inside is so clean we thought it was perhaps never used but I can see some wear on the on/off button so used but minimally. Please see my 10 detailed photos. We plugged it in and when we pushed start it started heating up nicely.
The Sunbeam Radiant Control toaster is a classic for several reasons. It's beauty is apparent. But its real appeal is in its performance. Sunbeam called it Automatic Beyond Belief. There are no levers to press down. Just put the bread in the slot. The weight of the bread activates the heating elements, causing the center wire to lengthen microscopically and the bread to be carried into the toaster under its own weight.
Inside, the Radiant Control thermostat monitors the heat radiated (not conducted) from the outer surface of the bread, which is directly proportional to its color change. There are no timers. The toast is raised only when it is properly toasted; no sooner and no later.
When the thermostat opens, the elements cool, and the center element wire contracts. This movement is very small — on the order of thousandths of an inch — but a mechanical linkage multiplies this movement approximately 175 times. This is sufficient to operate the carriage and raise the toasted bread from the toaster.
Once a person has experienced a Radiant Control toaster, the common response is, "This is how all toasters should work." One couldn't express the understated elegance of this toaster more succinctly.
Sunbeam Products is an American brand that has produced electric home appliances since 1910. Its products have included the Mixmaster mixer, the Sunbeam CG waffle iron, Coffeemaster (1938–1964) and the fully automatic T20 toaster.
In 1897 John K. Stewart and Thomas J. Clark incorporated their Chicago Flexible Shaft Company, which made horse trimming and sheep shearing machinery. In 1910 the company produced its first Sunbeam branded household appliance, the Princess Electric Iron (with an option to buy a fireproof metal storage box). The name "Sunbeam" came from a company wide contest to rebrand its growing home appliance business. Edwin J. Gallagher (1897–1983), a buyer and traffic manager for the company, won the contest and received a check for ,000. The company did not officially incorporate its name to Sunbeam until 1946.
In 1928, the company's head designer, Swedish immigrant Ivar Jepson alongside Bernard Alton Graham invented the Mixmaster mixer. Introduced in 1930, it was the first mechanical mixer with two detachable beaters whose blades interlocked. Several attachments were available for the Mixmaster, including a juice extractor, drink mixer, meat grinder–food chopper, and slicer–shredder. The Mixmaster became the company's flagship product for the next forty years, but the brand also became known for the designs, mainly by Robert Davol Budlong, of electric toasters, coffee makers, and electric shavers, among other appliances.