Roger Sieberg is no
lonely appliance repairman.
By: Charlie Olsen
If you build a better mousetrap, the world will beat a path to your door, says the old adage, but for Roger Sieberg the expression could be modified to say, "fix a mousetrap better" and the world will beat that path to your repair shop.
Although, a washing machine or a refrigerator is a lot more complex than a mousetrap.
Mr. Sieberg is the owner of R&D Sieberg Used Appliances on South Main Street and has been fixing appliances for a living for over 20 years.
And he’s doing it better and cheaper.
"Instead of going out and fixing your machine with a new part, I offer you a less expensive used part," said Mr. Sieberg. "There used to be an appliance store in town, but it isn’t around anymore because of online parts stores … the advantage with me is that I can hand you the part today."
It’s a little claustrophobic in the small storefront, with all of the large appliances that line the only clear path through the shop, but Mr. Sieberg knows his parts meticulously labeled and sorted in plastic bins like the back of his hand.
In a nation of disposable appliances, Mr. Sieberg is something of an anachronism apart from two other shops in Raritan and South Plainfield, he’s the only one in the area who fixes appliances.
According to Mr. Sieberg, the chain stores all have various appliances, but don’t have the parts.
"They don’t really have them in the store; they have to contact another supplier," he said. "I have the parts. If you want to fix your machine today, you come to me."
If he gets a call for a specific brand of appliance, he’s got a labeled box containing all the parts from an entire machine. All he has to do is throw the box in his truck and he can fix most appliances in one trip.
"Sometimes the husband tries to fix it and forgets to put on a clip or something," he said. "Since I’ve got all the parts, I can always put the whole thing back together again."
Additionally, he’s got a collection of used appliance parts that fills the basement of his store from floor to ceiling, 80 feet deep.
He’s also got two garages and a storefront full of used appliances altogether, Mr. Sieberg has about 300 used appliances with prices ranging from about $75 to several hundred dollars.
Apart from dealing with customers in town, Mr. Sieberg has also sent parts and machines to Costa Rica, Morocco and Greece.
On Monday, he received payment for a dishwasher he sold in February to Andalasia Productions for use in the upcoming Walt Disney film "Enchanted." On Tuesday, someone dropped in to pick up a refrigerator for a Broadway production of "Pig Farm."
"They were looking for a 1950s or 1960s era refrigerator," said Mr. Sieberg. "I think I’m the only one who has that kind of animal."
Having sold another refrigerator to Hunterdon Playhouse, it seems that Mr. Sieberg’s shop is gaining a reputation and a new niche selling props for the performing arts.
R&D Sieberg Used Appliances is at its third location since Hurricane Floyd put the first shop six feet underwater and rising rent prices drove him out of his second location a few doors down that used to be a record shop. Both vacated, but a life-size wooden cutout of Looney Tunes character Sylvester salvaged from the record shop now adorns his garage around the corner.
Now he operates out of his own building, which he has rented out since 1980.
Because he is often on the road for repairs, Mr. Sieberg’s shop has odd hours: it’s open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., Tuesday and Thursday nights from 7 to 7:30 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon.
His shop calls are forwarded to his cell phone, so customers looking for appliances or repairs can "always talk to a person and not a message."

