A scam!

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fantomfan

fantomfan

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 28, 2012
Messages
731
Location
Rochester, New York
I will try to post a link. Some dummy wants $380 for a "Kirby Classic Omega with all attachments" Actually, it's a filthy, dull Heritage 2 with Classic Omega attachments. Good luck trying to fit that Classic Omega hose on the Heritage 2. And it's a "great deal for a collector". Where did they look for a price on this garbage? Today, I saw a Heritage 2 and a Classic Omega for $50 and $20. (Still pricey in my opinion for such common models.) Oh, and this ad has been up before. I don't expect non-enthusiasts to be experts on vacuums, but this is just plain stupidity. You can find it on the Rochester NY craigslist. I
feel bad if anybody will be naive enough to answer this ad.
 
There's another idiot on eBay right now, trying to profit off the VCCC's interest in Kirby after the tour of the factory. There are at least ten, sideways pictures, of 505, 508, etc. all for a ridiculous amount.

But the biggest a*hole of all is the dummy offering a 505 for $2,500. What a moron.

These people are trying to take advantage of the vacuum collecting enthusiasts. Or, they are showing off. "Look at me, look at what I have. I'll price it so high that no one will bid, but you can all just turn green with envy". Please!
 
The guy selling the "sideways" Kirbys actually invests an incredible amount of time and money restoring them to like new condition. They are in the same price range as a new high-end vacuum like a Dyson, and I'd much rather have a vintage machine that has been cleaned and serviced over a junky plastic thing. The $2500 505 however, that's plain silly.
 
It's capitalism folks. In the market doubt is a health attribute. But, no one is twisting your arm to buy anything. If someone does, that is their business. Can't blame someone for trying to make a buck. The seller has to convince someone their product is worth the price, and maybe for someone it is. Expect sellers to push what they think then can fetch for their products. It is the nature of the market. In fact markets won't work any other way.
 
So the purpose of the $2500 Kirby 505 is to show it off on eBay - with the thought that some collector will be so wowed they'll just 'have to have it'? What a waste of time and effort. I think I'll take pictures of several hundred of my most rare vintage vacuums in the Museum and put them on eBay with out of the this world prices, just to show them off too.
 
I'll disagree that it is necessarily just to show it off. I've listed my Fantom Wildcats at insanely high prices on eBay several times, and I'm willing to admit the prices are insane. I get a relatively large volume of email in regards to the three I own, I only list two because I promised if I choose to sell one that one is going to a member of this forum. Still I don't need to get "want to sell me a wildcat?" Emails on a regular basis, to top it off some aren't members of this forum that I recognize or members of the other vac collector groups I belong to. I'm sure other members with desired machines probably receive the same questions. My solution, list on eBay at a very high price, if they really truly want it they'll pay it. That way if I get an email I can point them to the listing. If they are that desperate then I'll sell them, otherwise I'm content to keep them.
 
I'd LOVE a Kirby Classic Omega or D80, although they're considered common in the US, the Omega was very rare over here, and the D80 never existed!! I've considered buying a D80 and getting it shipped over here before, but postage would cost a bomb!
 
FantomFan, I know what you are talking about!

I don't understand where these people get their ideas - and why they never get it. It's good that you have your eyes open and can avoid these idiots. I actually think most of them aren't scam artists - just dumb as dirt. BTW, how is the Airway? I just finished my long putoff restoration of a 23rd Anniversary edition Compact. It came out well.
 
The Air-Way is great!

It's nice to see you on this forum! I have my entire collection posted under "My Vacuum Collection" in the Vintage Section, if you want to see it! I love Compacts as well! I have a C-2. It is missing the attachments, but it still works great! I also have a thread about the Air-Way here somewhere. Somebody was asking what your collection.
 
It's only fair

if the Kirby for sale is in good working shape. If I'm going to pay over $100 for a used Kirby, I would hope that it's been serviced within the last 5 years, and is at least mostly complete. If it's been abused and has a hidden mechanical problem that's going to become a serious issue shortly after I buy it, then it isn't worth anywhere close to $100. The other thing I consider is the age of the model. If it's an uncommon model (500 series?) then it might be able to fetch a good price. Then again, I paid $8 for my first Kirby, a 514! 


A Heritage II is NOT by any means a rare Kirby, and it's definitely not worth no $380 if it's beat to hell. A mint Heritage II new-in-the-box? I'd pay $500 for it if I had the money. I have a HII and a HII-Legend, and I paid $20 each for them. They are used, and maybe a little worn out, but the Legend is still going strong as my daily driver. 


 


TL;DR? A Kirby is only worth as much as the effort the seller made to maintain it through the years if they're the original owner. If they're trying to sell you a beat-up cleaner, and they don't even know what model it really is, it's probably not a fair deal.
 
floor-a-matic, I don't think you read my first post.

It was a Heritage 2 Turbo, so it's almost three decades old. You could tell from the pictures that the metal had thick dust. Again, they wanted $380 for a 30 year old dirty Kirby with the wrong hose. My Ultimate G cost me $50. I have never spent more than $100 for any Kirby. However, for a used Sentria II, i'd say $380 is a fair asking price.
 

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