Grandma's Kirby. Any info help?!

[classicfan1]

I'm now curious, I'm keeping it, but we still have my grandma's old Kriby. Until a few years ago, it still had the attachments in the box. My dad tried to toss the vacuum but failed thanks to me! I rescued the attachments as well...but they found their way out unfortunatly! The vacuum is still around and I will not sell it not matter what it is worth.

My questions...is it worth anything (not that it matters, but curious)? How old is it? How should it be stored, any precautions to take? Last I tried it, it worked. But that was years ago, evidenced by the rust on the spindle and cracks in belt. It was since stored in an attic until we moved to a new house and its now residing in the washroom in a finished basement.

PICS!


http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa306/rlfan1/013-1.jpg

 

[classicfan1]

Another pic

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa306/rlfan1/012-2.jpg

 

[classicfan1]

weird system here

I'm not going to put down multiple posts for a single picture in each one, just copy and paste the links. Save space.


http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa306/rlfan1/011-2.jpg

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa306/rlfan1/010-1.jpg

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa306/rlfan1/009-1.jpg

 

[classicfan1]

Whoops!

Forgot the serial number:

R 170691

 

[thermokid]

Kirby Classic Omega

Those are from 73 to 76 You can still get attachments fairly cheap on rbay for them.. I have four of them one of those was the very first new Kirby I ever bought!!!!

 

[a007kirbyman]

Stephen & Kirby...

Hello & good morning Stephen.


What you have there, is a Kirby Classic Omega. It was produced between 1973 & 1976.

As for the worth of it, that's a matter of what someone is willing to pay on any given day. ~~lol~~ This you've seen with some of your other eBay postings that you've listed here. It all depends on who sees it.

I hope this helps.

Cheers & hagd all,

Bill

 

[classicfan1]

interesting! I remember it have some kind of hand-held shampoo thingy? I used to always mess with this thing as a kid. Maybe due to the movie "The Brave Little Toaster"?

 

[classicfan1]

ps...

The sentimental value is very high on this item as evidenced by me rescuing it from the curb that rainy day.

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

What you have is one of the last Classic Omegas ever made. But what I want to know is: were there any out there with the bag cap as used on the Classic III, Tradition and the ComVac 1300?

One promotional picture from June 1976 shows an Omega with the Classic III's bag cap.

~Ben

 

[classicfan1]

ZOINKS!

How do you know it is one of the last ones built? What number out of how many made? I'm eager to learn.

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

The Serial # Suggests Why

The serial # on your unit indicates this is one of the last Omegas. In June 1976 the Classic III showed up.

~Ben

 

[classicfan1]

Lol, I know thats how you got it. I guess I should have asked how you decoded it? Sorry, I just like to admire Kirby vacuums, I know ZIP about serial numbers.

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

The Serial # Letters of the Omega

Hi,

The serial # letters on the Omega series denote as follows:

M = 1973 (July-December 1973)
N = 1974 (January-September 1974)
P = 1974-1975 (October 1974-September 1975)
R = 1975-1976 (September 1975-June 1976)

Other models which used letters in their serial #s:

Dual Sanitronic 50 (1965-1967)

A = 1965-1966 (April 1965-May 1966)
B = 1966 (June-December 1966)
D = 1967 (January-August 1967)

Dual Sanitronic 80 (1967-1969)

A = 1967-1968 (September 1967-April 1968)
No letter used in serial #s after May 1968

Classic 1-CR (1970-1973)

R = 1970 (January-June 1970)
S = 1970 (July-December 1970)
T = 1971 (January-December 1971)
A = 1972 (January-August 1972)
B = 1972-1973 (September 1972-June 1973)

Classic III (1976-1979)

A = 1976 (July-December 1976)
B = 1977 (January-July 1977)
C = 1977-1978 (July-December 1977)
D = 1978 (January-August 1978)
E = 1978-1979 (September 1978-June 1979)

Tradition (1979-1981)

F = 1979-1980 (July 1979-February 1980)
G = 1980-1981 (March 1980-February 1981)
H = 1981 (March-August 1981)

~Ben

 

[kirbymodel2c]

Hi Ben...

Hi Ben Do you have the codes to the serial numbers to the rest of the Kirbys?? either from the model C or from the 505?

Thanks James

 

[kirbylux77]

Thanks for posting this, KirbyClassicIII.....

Now I will finally be able to figure exactly what time period my Classic III came from!

Do you happen to know the codes for the 500 series though? Would be nice to pinpoint a more exact year than just 1959 or 1960 for my Kirby 519. And thanks for posting this helpful information for us all! Much appreciated, Ben....

Rob

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

As far as I know, a 519's serial # can break down as:

000001-077000 = March 1959
077001-173250 = April 1959
173251-250250 = May 1959
250251-327250 = June 1959
327251-423500 = July 1959
423501-500500 = August 1959
500501-577500 = September 1959
577501-673750 = October 1959
673751-750750 = November 1959
750751-847000 = December 1959
847001-924000 = January 1960
924001-999999 = February 1960

This will have to do until I have access to an official Kirby database pertinent to all of this.

~Ben