The Worst "Faked" Kirby I've Ever Seen

[tase]

Back in the 70's and 80's, vacuum shops would paint and trim older Kirbys to look like the newest model so they could make a quick buck. The shop may buy the Kirby for $100 - $200, trim, paint, and bag it to make it look like the newest model, and resell it for $600 to $800.

"Wow honey! Look! A BRAND NEW Kirby for $700. They sell new for $1100! We should buy it from this store, "Bojack Vacs n Things." Their slogan is "Bring that old clunker so we can sell it to fools!"

Well, this was either a 1-CR or Omega that was made to look like a Classic III, but they did it all wrong.

However, to the untrained eye, this passes off as a Classic III pretty well.

 

[tase]

For those who love the Classic III, they would know that there's a "belt lifter viewer" for the belt lifter. Well, this is just a circle.

Also, cheap glue and abuse has turned the emblem to a curly mess.

The thing I noticed the most was the belt lifter was metal, not red plastic.

The feel of the paper was actually pretty genuine. I imagine the abuser took a genuine Kirby sticker and just left the circle you are suppose to take out for the belt lifter viewer.

 

[tase]

The handle is probably the weirdest thing to me.

Why is the clip for the bag and power cord on the right side? Well, at least the cord is on the right way.

Speaking of the cord, it is not a genuine Kirby cord. The mains plug is over-sized, in Picture 1 you can see the ridiculousness.

 

[tase]

The bag?

Bojack bag. Semi-checkerboard pattern, which is not like the plaid of a real Kirby Classic III. Still shakeout though.

The bag has no inner protection. I didn't turn on the machine for fear that I was going to get some sort of disease from whatever the bag throws out of it's fabric.

Not a terrible bag though. Thick like a Kirby bag, but definitely not a Kirby bag.

 

[tase]

My biggest problem with this Kirby was the bag and emptor. They didn't even try to get it right.

Really? 1-CR/Omega coloured tray? Must try harder.

 

[tase]

I was really excited to see if they had been ignorant enough to leave the original plate on the bottom.

To bad they scraped it off.


Overall, it wasn't a great fake. Too many inconsistencies, but I guess that as long as it made them money, they didn't care.

 

[tase]

Hey, at least I can assume they put a genuine set of attachments in with the Kirby...

(May have been purchased after the vacuum, but who knows. This was at a thrift store.)

 

[cb123]

It was a dark and foreboding night, when all was not well. With the rumbling of distant thunder, the air was electric, and as usual, Igor's mood was quite black. When, alas, Victor screams " It's alive, it's alive!" His "Frankenstein" monster lives and continues to do so, in that infernal contraption you had the great misfortune, the horror of discovering. My some greater power have mercy upon your poor soul. And they say " That monsters don't exist" when in fact, it takes a monster to create a monster, as you so wisely have shown. I guess, that's one way you make an Omega just a tad bit younger.

 

[RoyalLover60]

Faked Kirbys...

If you want to see a "faked" Kirby...or pehaps a better term would be a "plagarized" Kirby, just check out a Bison vacuum cleaner...who would fall for that model?

 

[tase]

I don't know but I would love a "Sanitronic 80" Bison Vacuum to go next to my Sanitronic 80.

 

[tolivac]

Missing name-SN plate-wonder if this faked Kirby is "Hot" or a little "warm"?

 

[dysonman1]

Vac shops rebuilt Kirby vacuums right along during the 1980's. The trim kits were available for order complete. They were bojack parts, BUT, the customer didn't care one bit. They were buying a vacuum that was, for all intents and purposes, a Kirby. It doesn't matter about the plug, or the bag, or the color. They just want it to work. I personally rebuilt Classic I's into Heritage II's, with the proper color parts. We sent the heads out to have the 'wings' shaved off, and when I was done, it looked for all intents and purposes like a Heritage II. Customers bought them, I made money, they used them, and I made money again selling them repair parts (rubber bands, trash bags, etc.).

 

[jfalberti]

This is a Classic 1-CR

that I found in a thrift shop made to look like a Tradition.  We used to have a local vac store that used to advertise new Kirby vacuums with attachments for $299.  It was these, and when you went in to buy one, he tried to switch you to a Royal.