The one Eureka I'd love to have...
... is the late '50s Golden Crown canister. I had the one-model-later green Roto-Matic with the silver dome that was in really nice condition that I gave away. I don't miss it, and it's in a new and much more appreciative home, but it was the closest to my "dream Eureka" that I've ever come to.
My Aunt Dabney had one, never saw her use it; I always just saw it sitting in her garage with the woven green hose up on a nail.
She had an old beat-up Kirby, probably a 515 based on what I remember about it. For some reason, she mostly used it with the hose, and on the end of the long gray plastic wand ... the green rug tool from the Eureka. The wand was kinda short, even with the "long-neck" carpet tool, so she would sort of hunch over and vigorously "scrape away" at the living room rug.
I saw that Kirby for the last time when I was about 5 years old but I clearly remember how the gray cloth hose would jiggle back and forth as she swept the rug with that long rug nozzle, and how the handle and bag would bob back and forth as she pulled the Kirby around the living room.
I would watch her "Kirbying" through the screen, on the safety of her front porch. I was TERRIFIED of that old Kirby because it made a terrible racket, and I wouldn't go near it! Looking back, I am sure it had a broken fan blade or bent fan blade spindle. I can clearly remember the loud vibrating roar it would make!
I also remember that she did not "empty after every use" as the manual advised --- the bottom part of the bag where it attached to the saniemptor was always turgid and full of dirt!
Anyway, so if any of y'all come across a nice Golden Crown that you don't need - the later one with the long neck on the floor tools - send it to me!
