CLASH OF THE COLLECTORS tv show airing now worldwide on NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

[electrolux137]

Guido, thanks for your kind comments. I didn't know I was responsible for "introducing you to this crazy-funny world of cleaners." It makes me happy to hear that.

Believe me, no one was sorrier (at the time) than me to have to give away and, ultimately, throw out, so many vacuum cleaners, accessories and parts. I cried many bitter tears during that process and I do still miss certain machines that I had cherished.

But in the passing time since then, I can say it was for the best, actually. I don't have nearly as much stuff to shovel around as I did before. I still have more than the average person of course! But the size of my collection is fairly manageable now. I just have to watch how many of them sneak upstairs into our apartment from my workshop, lest I start heard mumblings about "all these f$#%¢@£ vacuums all over the place..."

 

[guido]

Garret

Garrett why don't you try to do right-click on Charlie's link and save it as I did, it's an MP4 format.

Anyway - as I think you will notice - they have put 1 % of what they filmed for the show. I also would have like some more focus on certain models, but it seems they wanted to concentrate more on the collectors rather then on the collections themselves.

As I noted, the cut of the show is quick and quite funny, I personally feel well about it and - anyway - not offended at all.

( Wish they had avoided the last images of me, on the show - where I seem worried to win, or something : it was the last day of shooting and I was really ill and got a cold, so my face looks little bit strange and upset, but I actually was just going to SNEEZE ! AHAHAHA )

Anyway a funny experience !

 

[gsheen]

I did have some fun,I got to complete the complete rebuild of this Hoover on Camera, Although the paint colour came out wrong I stuck with it and actually like it now

 

[gsheen]

All done

 

[gsheen]

A old Jet vac that we actually found while they filmed Me

 

[gsheen]

Guy ( One of the film Makers ) Fooling around with a dc35

 

[gsheen]

And lastly for now , My Columbus's still needing restoration

 

[gsheen]

Ok Got to see it, I must admit it was not as bad as I thought. I am glad I stood my ground and didn't give in to there demands trying to instigate drama, One thing My Electrolux Model 11 ???? Really Model 1129. I am shocked at how much stuff they made me do that they didn't use, Some of it Rather glad they didn't.

 

[guido]

AHAHAHA that's true Garreth !

The 2 COLUMBUS are simply crazy-wonderful !!!! Never saw one !
Were they made in SA ? Are they from the 1920-30's ?
Simply beautiful anyway, wish you could post some other pics, with handle and all !

 

[gsheen]

Guido

I will do so, They are vacuum and polisher Units, you take off the vacuum plate and fit a polisher unit, In later life they were made Just as Polishers. I believe they come from the UK I know of one in the USA Owned by David Watters. hey were manufactured here for many years though.

G

 

[turbo500]

Charles...

Charles, I think your site was one of the first I discovered too, actually. We got the internet in 2002, so I'm going back 12 years (and 4 house moves!) and even at 24 my memory ain't what it used to be.

Jack had The Vintage Hoover Emporium up and running too, with pretty regular updates. I remember reading through that and 137.com (as it was at the time) and being amazed by the stories and info and just STARING for hours at the pictures.

Having had a rather unsupportive family around me all my life up to that point, and being convinced I was somehow wierd or strange and should hide my interest as best I could, the discovery of those 2 sites and subsequent discovery of Hooverland on Yahoo Groups and then of course vacuumland was probably one of the greatest things to ever happen to me.

Be it intentional or not, stumbling across yours and Jack's sites all those years ago has led to some incredibly happy times and brought some of the greatest people (and the worst people) I know into my life, so I owe you both. Big time.

I think we can all relate to that startling, yet amazing discovery that we have all made:

OH. MY. GOD. There are OTHERS!

 

[turbo500]

^Actually, that's given me an idea for another thread

 

[gsheen]

I remember Finding Charles site 137, I could not believe it, There were others like me I was amazed, blown away. I was a true relief to know I was not the only one out there.

 

[singingrainbow]

I still have not had enough time to watch it yet. But I will say that I am not a hoarder, as Gareth has said many of the machines seen in the program either have been sold off or will be very soon. Plus, since the filming my garage has gotten about 10 times better. I now have it all somewhat organized and I now have a workstation set up. I think I should post some pictures of that!


I too have started ridding myself of newer machines which I do not and will never use, especially if there is a new one I would like to try.


Scott

 

[guido]

Hey SCOTT !

Nice to see you here, Scott ! Sorry but I didn't know your username to contact you before !
Hope you will enjoy the show too, as I did.

In my case I must say that my house did not get better since the filming of the show, even if I have moved much stuff to an unused ex-guestroom for being able to make some polishing at least one day a week, with the help of a "well trained" maid.

But the number of vacuums really went up in the last months - reaching about 200 machines - especially during my last trip to London last november, where I was able to find some really old and nice HOOVERS ( I am posting some nice new arrivals on this same thread in few time ). I must admitt that the general interest for my vacuum-collection shown in this program, certainly gave me possibility to do make a step forward, above all with the persons around me and with my father, who had never considered the thing as "interesting" at all. I suppose he has now undertood that it really does make a sense.

As far as "hoarders" reference, well I suppose nobody spoke of hoarders neither here nor in the show. Hoarders are people that collect usually EVERYTHING or MANY KIND OF THINGS, with no project at all, in whatever condition they are, thinking they might actully need them one day, usually careless of higyenic conditions, etc. Which is not our case, no doubt. So I wouldn't worry about such comparison, if I were you.

Well, I will now post some pics of the AFTER-THE-SHOW-MACHINES ! Cheers from Italy

 

[guido]

AFTER-THE-SHOW-MACHINE

HOOVER 800 - working fine - the spring that protects the cable going from the motor-housing to the handle has been replaced with a plastic tube BUT the original spring has been kept ( you can see it hanging in the plastic bag on the left ! )

 

[guido]

AFTER-THE-SHOW-MACHINE

HOOVER 825 - also UK made
Also working great, even if I was not able to remove the motor housing to replace the light...I didn't want to make some damage and left it as is. Any sugestion ?

 

[guido]

AFTER-THE-SHOW-MACHINE

HOOVER 638 - UK
A present from GEORGES from Belgium !
Still has original blue cord and original blue rubber plug !

 

[guido]

AFTER-THE-SHOW-MACHINE

A very heavy ELECTROLUX B50 FLOOR POLISHER - golden finish
This is the previous model to the two B51 that I already had in red and blue.

 

[guido]

AFTER-THE-SHOW-MACHINE

A strange HOOVER 262 with grey hammertone color scheme.
Other collectors say it's a rebuilt machine, but I am not sure, as the underside of the machine and even the motor-space are that color. Many details - such as the screws, the HOOVER plaque indicating features, etc - have no trace of having been repainted. If it is a rebuilt one, must have taken really much time to do that !