My grandparents purchased an Electrolux 1521 Diamond Jubilee brand new in 1985 as their primary vacuum. They used it for several years before being persuaded by a salesman that Rainbows were better for my grandfather's asthma. Sometime in the late 1980's they purchased a Rainbow and gave the DJ to my parents, who used it as their primary vacuum from approximately 1989 until 2009. In 2009, I bought my first house, and the Diamond Jubilee was given to me to use as my primary vacuum (my mother had been persuaded at this time by a shiny, new Dyson on QVC). And so I've had the DJ from 2009-present, and it's been a reliable performer since day 1. It's pictured with my Epic 6000 and 90th Anniversary Legacy.
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As a kid, I remember my grandparents also having a 1205 with a bright blue bag door (I didn't know the name of it then). The DJ replaced it, and the 1205 was sent to their RV/camper, which is where I remember seeing it first. When they sold the camper, they gave the 1205 to my aunt. I remember seeing it a few times at her house and noting how it was like the DJ, but in a different color. My aunt passed away unexpectedly in 2011, and when we were cleaning out her house, I found that she had a blue Simplicity instead of the 1205. Not sure where the old 1205 went. Maybe the motor went bad and she tossed it, or maybe she grew tired of it and wanted something new. Who knows. I was disappointed that I wasn't able to find it though. It reminded me of her and of my camping trips with my grandparents.
How I started collecting... Back in 2014, a full bag (aftermarket brand) got stuck in the DJ and wouldn't allow the machine to pop open the front door. Naturally I feared the DJ was dying because it kept losing power without signaling a full bag. I purchased the Epic 6000 as a replacement and then caught vacuum fever and bought a new Legacy. Then I discovered that the cheap-o bag was causing the Diamond Jubilee's problem. I replaced the bag with a genuine Aerus bag and had no further problems--the DJ is a champ! But if the cheap-o bag problem had never happened, I would have never started a vacuum collection (right now, I own a 1205, Golden Jubilee, Silverado, Diamond Jubilee, Ultralux Classic, Epic 6000, White/Gray Legacy (2013--purchased NOS), White/Gray Guardian Ultra (2013), and a black Legacy (2014--purchased new).
