Thank you Greg.
I don't know if this will help your wife understand the fuzzy logic, but for me, as with many of the collectors here at the V.C.C.C., and VacuumLand, the machines are secondary. We are remembering.
It's a mix of people, places, events. In my case, the Elextrolux LX belonged to a lady who was like a favorite aunt to me. I was there when her LX ejected, I was two years old, and now at 64, I can still see it in my mind. It's as much about her as it is the vacuum cleaner. Also, her husband was a band leader, and my love of music is attributed to him.
As a history buff, I love to research patents, learn about old machines, but the people are also important. James B. Kirby, Boss Hoover, Daniel B. Replogle (inventor of the Air-Way) and others.
Every vacuum cleaner in my collection is connected to a human memory. In many cases, they were the brands, and models my friends mothers, grandmothers and so on had.
My own grandfather recognised my interest (see picture) he bought all the vacuum cleaners for a private boys school, and he let me play in the store rooms, thus letting me explore. Momories galore!
But it wasn't allways easy, some people didn't understand. Vacuum cleaner companies didn't answer letters, and kids like John Lucia, Craig Long and myself were thought as wierd. It was okay to collect bottle caps, baseball cards, and so on but vacuum cleaners? We started the club to give collectors a voice, to share the 'useless' knowledge in my mind, and put fellow collectors together. Remember too that in 83 there was no internet, all we had was a phone, or a letter. Result, I started a newsletter, and published it for 12 years.
But it still goes back to why we collect. Now it's a way to hold on to my youth, to think of people long gone. But using my friend Jeanette's Electrolux makes me that 2 year old laughing as it's wrapper was hurled across the room.
As I say, it's a lot more complicated, but for me, that's it in a nut shell.
Alex Taber. [this post was last edited: 10/16/2014-20:54]
. I've enjoyed reading these threads and look forward to learning more. You truly are a treasure trove of Electrolux knowledge.
