Brand new Green Bison just listed on eBay 1/8/13

[kirbyguy]

Hey Fred

I do in fact remember you mentioning during our conversation that your green Bison sold for over $800.00 I have no doubt eventually the seller of this machine will find a buyer as well.

BTW, you don't by chance have the 3 buffing/polishing attachments sitting around for the Centurion do you? I was unaware of these attachments until I saw them in Jimmy's listing photos in the attachment box. Not that I'll be using them however they would complete the set of accessories for the machine.

Thanks.

 

[rugsucker]

Bison

Still working on the balance of grooming and a warm face with beard.--Will the buffing atts work on brown bison?Been a while since I compared.--Have you gotten an idea of how many Kirby(or other DTD)employees from what levels joined Bison?There are always some who are unhappy with one company(for reasons both real or imagined)that will switch to another.In this area we saw salesmen leave Electrolux to sell Viking in the 80s.--So the Bison may go back upstairs to age as the dusty bottle of grape juice that Lily Tomlin declared to be "one bottle fine wine"on a Laugh-In sketch.But I do want less vacs and some other items that can be exchanged for a reasonable amount of currency.

 

[nycwriter]

Keep in mind ...

...that a vintage vacuum -- and something as obscure as a BISON, at that -- would appeal to an extremely limited pool of potential buyers right off the bat.

And also keep in mind that someone who would really appreciate it might not be looking during that exact window of time you've posted it for sale.

Give it time. It's not going anywhere. Keep re-listing and re-listing and re-listing if necessary. The right person will eventually come to it.

Case in point: I just purchased a matching pair of '70s-era green glass bubble lamps. I was excited that I caught the auction just in the nick of time, and I told the seller so. He responded that he'd been listing that pair of lamps for the past 9 months, waiting for ANYONE to buy them. They're large, green, and VERY '70s looking. But they were EXACTLY what *I* was looking for at the precise time I started looking.

 

[kirbyguy]

Da Bison

Hey Jimmy,

Sorry to see the Bison didn't sell. My offer to you to buy it out right still stands. At least you won't have any eBay final value fees to pay. Not to mention it would have a good home.

 

[aeoliandave]

Based on past ebay results for green Bisons - at least 4 that I can recall - send Jimmy $800+ and it's probably yours. Seriously, this is not a bargain vacuum cleaner due to rarity and condition.

Dave

 

[kirbyguy]

The buffing attachments?

I took a look ay my Bison Centurian. Bison did make a few minor changes on the machines. So I'm not sure if the buffing attachments would be compatible between the two models.

I wouldn't be using the buffing attachments. Considering there are no parts available to repair these Bison vacuums. These machines are truly more for display purposes and to admire in ones vac collection, as opposed to being used for routine household cleaning.

 

[kirbyguy]

Hi Dave. I have a better idea,

Dave, You offer Jimmy $800+ and add his green Bison to YOUR vac collection.

I've been collecting vacuum cleaners for over 15 years. The most I've ever paid for a vintage vacuum was $200.00 and that was for my NEW brown Bison Centurian.

 

[aeoliandave]

Ah, but I do not covet another green Bison, thanks.

"I have a better idea"
That was uncalled for given that it was the value you mentioned mere posts above based on input from Fred. Near the top of the thread you stated "It seems the owner of these two items has a price tag of $499.00 stuck in their brain"when 'the seller' has already identified himself to us. Not very diplomatic on your part, Shelley.
I can no longer allow this baiting to go unanswered.
Your constant snide digs attempting to publicly goad Jimmy Rugsucker, a well known, highly respected member of our community, whose unquestioned integrity is long standing and who is admirably gifted with a healthy sense of humor and the absurd wins you no fans here.
Want the Bison that bad? Buy a membership and negotiate privately, please.

Only 15 years? Joined the VCCC website in April 2012? Does not wish to display their email address? Exhibits the behavior of a spoiled boy rather than a 59 year old man?
Rank amateur beating a dead horse. It's over, let it go already.

[this post was last edited: 1/16/2013-19:47]

 

[kirbyguy]

Hey Dave

Nice rant. Drama club member as well?

 

[rugsucker]

Hello Dave,

I guess my sometime standard comment of"thanks for your kind & encouraging words"can apply here in a positive way.I truly have no hard feelings in any way here and did sell a vac for $2.99 last week but it was NOT a New Bison.So from another thread I hear your medical problem was reason for not pointing the Subaru southward this past fall.Hope all is better and not to start on politics or health care it seems you have a good system north of our border.Maybe someday it will be practical for your Can phone to call my US phone.,Jimmy

 

[hoovercelebrity]

I'm not taking any sides here, nor am I looking to get into a pissing match. However I wanted to contribute to this thread now that the auction has closed and things have cooled down.

I had somewhat mixed feelings about wanting or needing to know whether or not the Bison actually worked. If I were bidding on something that was NIB - I would want to be the first one to take it out of the box, assemble, plug it in and fire it up for the first time. That's part of the thrill of finding something NIB.

I recall a few years ago, a whole bunch of Compacts were found to be NIB. I think one or 2 of them ended up on eBay. Word spread among VacuumLand members and collectors; many bought at least one, some bought 2 or 3.

Again, they were NIB.

After the vacuums had all been sold, a few of the people who had purchased the cleaners ran into the issue that some of the cleaners didn't work. Stuck carbon brushes in the motor, bad bearings, etc. I think this was only a very small percentage of the cleaners. The sellers started getting nasty emails from those who were having problems -- wanted money refunded, etc... Totally uncalled for behavior. I'm not totally sure what happened, but I know the person said something along the lines that they had completely regretted listing that first one on eBay and then selling them altogether; if they could re-do it, they would have sold the cleaners for scrap.

The machines were sold as-is, no warranty expressed or implied; nor should any warranty have even been assumed by collectors purchasing these cleaners. Yes, they were NIB -- but they had been sitting in the boxes for 35 years. As collectors buying such an item in such a scenario -- that's part of the gamble. You're buying it as a collectible item that is appealing to you; there's a chance that something may not work after sitting in a box for 35 years. If it doesn't work you find a way to fix it! Be that fixing it yourself, or using other members on VacuumLand as a resource to help.

Appliances are made out of moving components that are meant to be run and used. They're not manufactured so they can sit in a box for an undetermined amount of time (say 10+ years). Anything can happen. Cords go bad, wires dry out, grease hardens... Environmental effects can work their wonders.

Luckily, Compact motors are still widely available. I'm not sure that fixing the machines even crossed some of these collector's minds...

Just food for thought.

 

[kirbyguy]

I agree

It was great to hear the machine powered right up after all these years. Now if the machine were to be assembeled "just for photos" I believe it would have a much better chance of selling. Its difficult for potential buyers to visualize the unique design of this machine when their only seeing photos of vacuum pieces in a box.

 

[fooseofhoove]

I think Fred makes an excellent point here, couldn't agree more.