Recent content by kwalsh97214

Still Looking Will pay $300.

Does anyone know if the common thread (of design and/or manufacturer) of the Scott & Fetzer, Vacuette, and Health-Mor non-electric machines includes the Kwik Kleen (Sears) or Presto non-electric vacuums? They all appear to have the same look to me.

I am still looking for a repro Kirby 513 / 514 vacuum bag.

Thanks Jim. Great info and photos. I will search for either an Apollo or Kenmore -- I guess that gives me twice the chance of finding one of these elusive machines. Nobody said this would be easy.

Hello Lesinutah: From vacuum postings I’ve read in the two years that I have been collecting vintage vacuums, I think chicagomike may no longer be active in the vintage vacuum community. Ten years ago, he must have been the “go to” guy for restorations, advice, and repro vacuum bags. It’s...

Congratulations on a beautiful bargain Thanks for your posting and photos. Your Kenmore looks really nice and gives me hope. To everyone else: I apologize for posting my wanted ad in the wrong section of this site. I meant to post it in the Supermarket section but something went wrong and when...

I want to buy one of the dark gray corduroy (?) repro bags for a Kirby 510 thru 514 vacuum. See photo below. Based on my Youtube searches, these Kirby repro bags were made and sold about 10 years ago by a collector named chicagomike. I am hoping that someone who bought one of these repro bags...

I want to buy a 1930s Kenmore (Sears) Model 19 upright vacuum. See photo below from the Sears catalog. Also below is a photo of this vacuum model from a Facebook Marketplace posting a few months ago. This is the Sears economy model; produced for a few years during the mid-1930s. Thanks and...

Still Looking Finding one of these corduroy repro bags is harder than I thought.

I want to buy one of the dark gray corduroy repro bags for a Kirby 513 / 514 vacuum. ==> Will pay $350. See photo below. Based on my Youtube searches, these Kirby repro bags were made and sold about 10 years ago by a collector named chicagomike. I am hoping that someone who bought one of...

I managed (with a lot of help and luck) to acquire five vintage machines in 2024 -- so it was a good year (for a relatively new collector). The handful of vacuums I still want are going to be hard to acquire so I need to resign myself to more daydreaming and less actual collecting in 2025.

Thanks guys. I appreciate the helpful info. It gives me good material for my daily dose of Kirby daydreaming.

I do not want to dilute this thread. But... When it comes to collector desirability, rarity, value and so on, is a Kirby 505 and a Kirby 4C comparable or do experienced Kirby collectors prefer one over the other and, if so, why?

Your photos of this early home central vacuum system are appealing on several levels. It looks like a Rube Goldberg contraption / invention. If I had a machine like that I would try to get some of the missing pieces (or reasonable facsimiles) to make the old vacuum look quasi functional and...

I think they are beautiful. Thanks for posting these photos. Did the Kirby 505 that you previously sold for $350 have any shortcomings? Earlier in this thread you mentioned your lucky ebay purchase in the past of an original 505 bag for $150. Do you think the original 505 bag that sold a...