Friends are AWESOME!

[vinvac]

Out of the clear blue, Hans called me one night and said "are you not a Kirby nut"...now you have to do that with a southren drawl...

The next thing I know, there is a package from the UPS man on my patio...containing a model 561 Kirby...complete!

The bag is nearly mint, the owners manual has the 04/07/1959 printed on it...51 years old this month..

Just like a Kirby, it looks great, runs great, and Kirby will still service the machine. They still have all the needed parts and supplies...you find a company today that can hold that claim to fame.

Here are some pictures...

Thanks Hans and Donald!!! You both are truly wonderful friends.

Morgan

 

[vinvac]

Just waiting for the power...

 

[vinvac]

Oh the sound of that motor...flawless and perfect...

 

[vinvac]

All set and ready to go! Floor to ceiling cleaning, the complete home sanitation system.

 

[electrolux~137]

Wow, beautiful!! I'm Dual-80-Green with envy!

I think the 560/561 (both the same machine, just minor changes in the attachments) is the most beautiful of all Kirbys. It would be impossible to improve on its stunning beauty.

 

[vinvac]

I will have to do a Kirby photo shoot some day...

The Dual 80 and 50 are equally as nice...

Trying to think what models I have,

508 My moms vacuum purchased new in 1947(?) Last rebuilt in 97
516
Dual 50
Dual 80
Kirby Classic Omega
Kirby Classic III
Tradition
Heritage Turbo Power
Legend II
Ultimate Diamond G (which I purchased new)

 

[vinvac]

Had to do one more photo...

Just like the picture in the book...

 

[xraytech]

you pics of your new toy are absolutley beautiful Morgan.
That is in my opinion the most beautiful Kirby ever.

Sam

 

[akabent]

Very, VERY nice.

If I were to have a Kirby, it would definitely be one of the gray/red trimmed ones. Original cord, too!!
Very nice and very generous!
Rick

 

[suckolux]

Damn, that's pretty!

 

[joe22]

WOW very nice, congratz

 

[luxg]

Beautiful

Morgan, what a wonderful gift. Love that bright red!! Thanks for sharing. My mom had that very same Kirby! I can still smell the "sweet aire"!!!

Terry

 

[a007kirbyman]

Kirby 561...

Hello & congrats Morgan.

That is a very nice gift & in it's very nice condition.

Again, congratulations.

Cheers & hagd all

Bill

 

[dualsanitronic]

Didn't that Kirby come out in 1961? Wonder how the 1959 date got on that book?

 

[vinvac]

I was also wondering that same thing...but that still makes it 49 years old.

Morgan

 

[hooverbaby]

Stunning!

That's a really stunning example; what a lovely surprise!

Stephen

 

[electrolux~137]

The 561 did come out in 1961. From the 505 onward, all the 500-series machines' model numbers corresponded to the year of manufacture:

505 - 1945
508 - 1948*
509 - 1949
510 - 1950
511 - 1951
512 - 1952
513 - 1953
514 - 1954
515 - 1955
516 - 1956
517 - 1957
518 - 1958
519 - 1959
560 - 1960
561 - 1961
562 - 1962**

* there were no models 506 or 507

** the 562 was the first Kirby with sirroco (tan) color scheme; the 5## model designations ended with that machine.


=======


So perhaps someone wrote that date on the instruction brochure after the fact -- maybe when the previous owner was disposing of or selling it, s/he may have written that date on it as a best guess or whatever. Unless s/he owned a time machine...!!

 

[vinvac]

I will look at the book closer, it may be the phone number...phone numbers were different then.

Morgan

 

[electrolux~137]

It looks in the kinda blurry photo like the number is 4-7359 (then a name under it), and, yes, that would correspond with phone numbers in some areas at that time. The first two digits existed but were unnecessary for dialing much the same as, until very recently, you didn't have to dial the area code if you were calling within the same area [as you now have to do in some area codes in Southern California]. Our number in Virginia in the early 1960s was 725-2384 (don't ask me how in the world I remember that!!) but people in our area code just had to dial 5-2384.