Gateway Collections

[s31463221]

I hope my title isn't too misleading, but I'm curious, how many of you have gateway collections? What I mean, how many of you began collecting a certain item that eventually evolved into collecting vacuum cleaners? Me, while I have always been fascinated by vacuums, I was also fascinated by my gateway item....electric fans! I began collecting fans at a VERY young age! I remember my dad taking an old refrigerator evaporator motor/fan and building me my own portable box fan! That was all I needed to start down the collecting path! I honestly couldn't tell you how many fans I actually own, but I have dug out a couple of my really old GE fans and tested them out. Much to my pleasant surprise, they still work quite well. One of them being over 100 years old! Okay, that's what got me started, what's some of yours?

 

[fan-of-fans]

Hi, actually fans are what I first collected! I was also interested in vacuums but never collected many because of how much room they took up. But I did get a few a few years ago. I don't intend to get anymore unless they are really ones I wanted again because of the space issue.

Lately I have been interested in collecting mixers and blenders. Which again, I was always interested in but just now begun to get them. So I guess fans were my gateway into those.

 

[vacuumlad1650]

Ah yes, I saw this on the Facebook.
I collect all sorts of things...
Vacuums, Kitchen Appliances, Furniture, Staplers, Phones, and all sorts of other things. Its quite enjoyable, though it can be very overwhelming at times...

 

[luxkid1980]

My gateway items were cameras and film projectors. I love the vintage Kodak cameras like the Retina Reflex III; it was my first semi-professional camera!

http://www.cjs-classic-cameras.co.uk/retina/reflex-iii.jpg

 

[kirbyvertibles]

In 1987 when I was 3 I had a fascination with hot wheels cars especially Mercedes. I have no idea why as none of my family were big into cars. My sister bought me a huge case of dozens of cars for Christmas 87'. I still have them today. Next I collected red pens. I wanted to be a teacher while I was in grade school and I loved red pens. as a very early teen in 1999 I began collecting vinyl records of all types of music but preferably oldies and classic rock. That collection became thousands very quickly. It was right after the records that I decided to start collecting vacuums. It was about 2001 and I had several Kirbys' and thought I wonder how many models there are and found Mr. Lester's site and thus began vacuum collecting. I always had vacuums of my own ever since I was a toddler but never considered collecting them. After Kirby I started collecting Electrolux and then I decided to start collecting my favorite vacuum, THE HOOVER CONVERTIBLE AHHHHHH. It was all down hill from there lol I also collect tv series on dvd preferably sitcoms. Tom was very generous and gave me his late partner David's sitcom collection when he found out I collected upon my first visit to the museum. I also collect tropical plants in the atrium at my mom's house (mine will eventually be built) and last but not least Stephen King hard back books. Damn, looking back I need some help. haha

 

[human]

I don't know that I ever really set out to collect things. I just start accumulating them and the next thing I know, there's a collection. I have a massive collection of books, but hey, I'm an English professor so it's a hazard of the profession. I also have a rather huge music collection--vinyl, CD's and even a bunch of old 78s that I brought home from my parents' house last summer, along with a 100+ year old Victrola to play them on, not that I actually do. I also have a ridiculously huge DVD collection that got started a few years ago, ironically enough, when money was tight for me and I decided I couldn't afford cable. I decided it was more cost effective to spend $25 or $30 a month on cheap DVDs and owing to my addictive nature, I went overboard until I got cured by Netflix. For a while, I was also obsessed with space toys from the '60s and '70s--stuff I'd had, or wished I'd had--as a kid. Most of them are displayed in my living room. Right now, I'm doing penance on collecting as I sell off my dad's collection/hoard of vintage electric trains and model cars that he accumulated over the past 50 years or so. It's slow going selling it a piece at the time on eBay, but it's bringing in decent money.