1913 Domestic Vacuum

[consignmentplac]

I came across this vacuum a few days ago. I am having a hard time finding a reasonable value for it. Anyone have any suggestions?

 

[cb123]

Anywhere from $50 to a $100 dollars. You can find a few examples of them on Ebay.

 

[electrolux137]

The old sweeper might be worth $50-100

=If=

you can find someone who'd be willing to pay that much.

They do turn up on eBay fairly regularly, but hardly ever get any bids. I myself don't have any burning desire to have one.

I think they would mostly appeal to collectors of very early, non-electric machines -- which is a very small subset of a very small group of collectors! (relatively speaking in terms of collectors in general.)

 

[cb123]

Yep, that sounds about right, but you must keep in mind that there is a sucker born every minute. Who knows, there might be a pot of gold at the end of that rainbow. Most likely not, but you never can tell.

 

[caligula]

Hi consignmentplac

Those are very rare, I might have that brand in my collection (see photo.) I actually have two different brands, one is in parts with a broken back wheel assembly. Right now money is very tight from paying U-Haul a small fortune to get my stuff back, or I'd buy it in a heartbeat. Charles Richard is right you could ask $50.00 to $100.00, and would not be overcharging.


 


That is not only a vacuum cleaner, it's vacuum/carpet sweeper combo. Inside are a set of bellows to create suction as you push, and a wheel driven roller brush like a carpet sweeper. These date back to the turn of the last century approx. 1890 to 1910. And unlike the non electric hand pumpers, worked very well. Several carpet sweeper companies like Bissell, sold them, so did a vacuum cleaner company called Santo and Duntley.


 


You have quite a find there, and if you can wait a few months, I'd love to have it. However, my feeling will not be hurt if it goes to another collector. I'll try to research the date of this for you sometime after Christmas.


 


Alex Taber.

 

[electrolux137]

Alex, just to clarify, I wasn't saying the sweeper might be worth $50-100.

I was just bouncing off cb123's suggestion of that price range, noting that the person who asked about it MIGHT get that much for it if a collector was interested enough in it.

Frankly, however, I think you might be one of very, very few people who would be willing to go that high on it. As I said above, they do turn up on eBay fairly regularly (they don't seem to be all that rare, really), but hardly ever get any bids. Especially ones that are listed with overly optimistic opening bid amounts.

I'm going to blow the dust off my "Aunt Tillie" article and drag it out again:

http://www.1377731.com/value

 

[caligula]

Hi Charles Richard.

I was just confirming that a vacuum cleaner/carpet sweeper is that valuable, and if I had the ready cash would gladly pay that amount. Fact is it might well go for far less, as none of us are in the habit of price gouging, or, consignmentplac, might see the value of such a rare antique, and decide to put it in his collection.


 


However, as I already have one, I'm not chomping at the bit to get this one. But you have to admit, it's a great find. By the way, I sent you a pre-Christmas card vie email. Something you have seen and used.


 


As always,


Bob Alex.

 

[consignmentplac]

Thank you all for the great insight. I will probably put it in my shop for $100 and take $75. Otherwise it is in such great shape it would make great décor. Thanks again and I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas.

 

[paul]

A newspaper advertisement for the Domestic models A & B that appeared in one of my database searches on another topic:

 

[centralsweeper63]

‘Domestic’ is such a nice name!