I can't really remember which particular vacuum cleaner started my collection as I seemed to find several, all of a sudden, at about the same time. But I think this list is in the correct order:
-- Early 1930s G.E. revolving brush upright with a maroon bag. Found in a thrift shop in Annapolis, MD.
-- Electrolux Model E. Another Annapolis thrift shop. This was a real find for me as I had wanted one for years!
-- Air-Way Chief. Was sitting by the curb across the street from our house; put out for the trash collector.
-- Kirby 505. From Capital Vac & Sew, my first job (after school).
-- Two Electrolux Model Fs. From a friend's mother, who also had a Lux LX that she preferred (don't ask ME why?!). It needed a new hose and a little work; in exchange for that she gave me her pair of Model Fs!!
-- Kirby Sanitronic 7. Listed in the "for sale" ads in the local newspaper. Got it for $25 with all the attachments. Husband was selling it. Said he was tired of hearing his wife complain about how heavy it was.
But the BEST of my first machines was a beautifully rebuilt Kirby 513 that I got from the Kirby dealer in Glen Burnie, Maryland because the owner had taken a liking to me. (No, not THAT kind of "liking" ... that was the local Electrolux man, and that's a very sad and disgusting story.)
One day I was out in the driveway of my parents' house vacuuming my car (a 1971 Mercury Cougar XR7, dark green with a white landau top and matching dark-dreen leather interior!) with the old Kirby 505 I had gotten from Capital Vac.
The machine, all original, was standing by the car when a man pulled up behind me in a new Corvette. He got out, with his eyes trained on the old Kirby. He said "Gee son, where'd you find that old Kirby?" I told him about Mr. Paskow and how I had done some work fixing up old machines.
He said, "Well, that's pretty neat. It's a great old machine. I have a store full of old Kirbys that I've been meaning to fix up and sell as reconditioned units, but have been so busy demonstrating new machines that I haven't had time. Why don't you stop by sometime and let's talk." He handed me his card - "Kirby Company of Glen Burnie."
A few days later I went over there. I knew exactly where it was. We would pass it every time we drove from Annapolis to Baltimore, and the big red "KIRBY" emblem and row of shiny Kirbys in the window would catch my eye. He tried to talk me into going into sales at first, but I had ZERO interest in that. I said, "I would like to learn how to fix old Kirbys. Can I see the old ones you have?"
So I went to work for him rebuilding machines. He showed me how to "take down a Kirby" - all the way down to every last nut, bolt and piece - then wash all the housing parts in hot sudsy water, and then machine-buff them.
He really did me a huge favor, giving me a lot of on-the-job training that he even paid me for. I am sure in the back of his mind the idea was that I would eventually go into sales for him but I never did. But I sure did learn how to do a first-class renovation of an old Kirby!
One day, he said he had a surprise for me because I was "such a nice kid" he would do something special for me. He was going out of town for a two-week trip with his wife so he said he would send it to the place where I had another part-time job, a Naval Research site out by the Bay Bridge in Annapolis. It was a summer job for high school graduates.
So one day this big box arrived there for me. I unwrapped it and there was a silver KIRBY box with a big red Kirby logo on the top! I opened it up and there was a beautiful, glistening, all-original Kirby 513 with a complete attachment set! The guys there at the work site were impressed, especially when I told them how old it was! I know that the Kirby man got a couple of sales from that, maybe even three or four. So I guess his gesture of kindness paid off!
Later I found out he had gotten the machine in on trade for a Classic III, and it was in such nice condition he decided to really spiff it up and give it to me.
