How did you discover other collectors?

[turbo500]

A recent post in another thread inspired this - thought it might make for some interesting discussion.

We've all had that moment, haven't we? The overwhelming, shocking, jaw dropping, gleeful moment where we realise that THERE ARE OTHERS. Others with this unusual hobby. I've often said it can be an incredibly lonely hobby, especially before the discovery is made of others.

We first got the internt in 2002. It was in the days of dial-up where you had to buy a CD-Rom from a retailer and install drivers and a browser from it and register your details. We went with "WHSmithNet". Total budget thing, I think we were paying £10 a month, which back then was INCREDIBLY cheap as internet subscriptions were pricey - anywhere between £20 and £60 a month. Oh my word, I can't even begin to tell you how slow it was.

The first 2 sites I recall discovering (I can't remember which order) were Charlie Lester's 137.com and Jack Copp's Vintage Hoover Emporium. Well, I was in awe! I remember reading through all the info on the different Hoover's and looking at the pictures of all these old cleaners I remember seeing as a child. I think I made more of a connection with Jack's site as it was British, and full of machines I knew of, but I loved reading through Charlie's site as you got (and still do get) a real sense of all the feelings that one goes through in relation to the interest.

From there, I stumbled across Hooverland on Yahoo Groups and subsequently vacuumland. 12 years later, I've now met a whole heap of people through chatting online. Some of my very best friends have been people who I've met from here.

Big thank you to Charlie and Jack .

So, how did you make the discovery of everyone else?

 

[Miss Mercy]

YouTube, Facebook and here

 

[guido]

good memories

For me too it was the internet, when it still was a frustrating and time-consuming playground and it took hours to charge images :

- CHARLIE LESTER's 137.com ( not sure the adress was the same at the time ) thanks to which I also came to know about the person we could consider the "patriarch" of vacuum cleaner collectors : STAN KANN

- the now abandoned VINTAGE HOOVER EMPORIUM

- another site - I don't remember the name or could be it was a prior version of one of the other 2 sites, not sure - where the screen-background was made like a vintage vacuum bag fabric and the sound of vintage vacuum cleaners used to welcome the guests ! There was great stuff there too !

All these sites were very useful "bibles" for anyone who wanted to start a vacuum cleaner collection or at least start to understand more about it.
Today I see many curious guests entering VACUUMLAND and asking for general info...many times they don't even get an answer from " Us Experts " as we are some steps forward...but could be it's a pity and we might loose some fans or fellow-future-collectors in this way....

I really wish we could have some updated sites for general information and reference for starters ( but not only starters ), now that there is so much material and images around, if compared to the past !

 

[ronni]

For me it was doing an internet search on parts for cleaners. I believe I landed first on the Aerus site and discovered its "product history" pages which intrigued me. More internet surfing brought me to Vacuumland.

Thinking back to my college days when I used to rent a room; I recall that the landlord had two Model XXX Electroluxes which he had gotten from his relatives. His upright (daily driver) may have even been an Electrolux. While at the time I didn't pay much attention--except that he was an Electrolux fan--that obviously stayed with me until years later when I had the opportunity to own Electroluxes (Electroli ? lol) and grew to appreciate their high performance, quality design, and ease of use.

While I am not a big-time collector--having more of a casual interest mainly in Electrolux products--I like to connect with history and enjoy cleaning. I also like to repair and maintain appliances and fixtures (or hire someone who does) rather than get rid of them simply because they are old. Similarly, I feel that there is value in conservation--including using things until they wear out or are no longer useful to me. To illustrate this point, I searched and searched until I found a company who still made the faucet stems for my Central/Savoy/Rheem-Richmond faucet assembly (in a 1960s Rheem-Richmond shelf-back lavatory) rather than just replace it or the lavatory. It now works as good as new. By the way, even plumbing shops didn't carry the item and were disinterested in helping me with my restoration project.

I try to remain open to new products on the market, too. For example, I used a relative's new Shark vacuum cleaner not long ago and appreciate its modern features as opposed to my vintage machines. It is also important to me to respect the variety of preferences individuals have. That is, if someone has a preference for a newer machine or different brand I respect her/his choice. I struggle with persons with overly-biased and judgmental opinions that nothing is as good as the era, brand, or model they prefer (whether vintage or contemporary). Correspondingly, not everyone is in a financial position to purchase good quality items, so that's where the economical brands/models have their place (one person's "junk" is another persons "treasure.")

My Christian beliefs cause me to temper my attachment to worldly possessions, however, they also motivate me to spend my money wisely (although I'm definitely not perfect at it). To me, investing in quality appliances and their maintenance, such as vacuum cleaners, is part of that.

I perceive that the majority of individuals that frequent this site want to do their part in reducing the amount of trash we put in our landfills--whatever their degree of fascination. I also appreciate the level of respect that is shown as expected by the site's guidelines. We aren't here to ridicule or judge, but to support and assist. As Martha Stewart says, "That's a good thing."

 

[suckolux]

I think I googled Lux and found the link to Charles and his fabulous history.

 

[electrolux137]

One day in 1990, a new friend came to my apartment for coffee. When he walked into my living room he noticed there were a few old vacuum cleaners sitting around. He exclaimed, “I don’t believe it!

I asked, "Don't believe WHAT?

He said, Here's another nut with a house-full of old sweepers!”

I said, astonished, “What do you mean, another nut?!”

He replied, “I can’t believe you’ve never heard of Stan Kann, that zany guy who’s been on the Carson show a bunch of times with his gadgets and antique vacuum cleaners that never work! He’s the organist at my church.”

I couldn’t believe my ears! Another person on this planet who not only is interested in vacuums but who is also a church organist, like me. I was very anxious to meet him. My friend didn’t know Stan’s number but thought it was in the phone book.

The next day I looked up his telephone number. I phoned him and introduced myself by saying, “Mr. Kann, my name is Charles Richard Lester. You don’t know me, but I am calling because we have something in common.”

“What’s that?” came the vaguely suspicious reply.

“I have here in my living room a 1937 Electrolux Model XXX, a 1925 Scott and Fetzer Sanitation System, and a 1937 Hoover Model 150 vacuum cleaner.” In his inimitable way, he asked, “Well, what are you doing with all that stuff!?” He was quite surprised to hear from me, and we talked for a long time that first day. He told me about three other people (all in other parts of the country) he knew who also collected vacuum cleaners -- John Lucia, Mike Pupek and George Bourhill (R.I.P.).

Through John Lucia I met Alex Taber and, from then on, well, "The Rest Is History!"

Here's a photo of Stan and me taken in 1991.

 

[suckolux]

Great pic!

 

[beko1987]

Hooverland first for me, then 137 and James's site, then here! Youtube and facebook are great now too!

 

[kenkart]

Early in 1994

I was working in a sewing machine and vacuum cleaner shop in Marion NC, The lady who owned the shop took the VDTA news magazine, in it was an ad by the late Craig Long of Buffalo,wanting to buy vintage vacuums....ahhh haaa i thought, someone else in the world like me!! I called him and he put me in touch with Alex Taber and John Lucia, the founders of the club, then Charles Lester, the first convention I went to was in 95 in Allentown PA, and met many of the guys who i am still friends with today, we had , I think, more fun back then, the internet had not made everyone have dollar signs when they saw an old appliances, then, people would just about give you old vacuums to get them out of their way, stoves and fridges were rarely over 50.00 a piece, now everything has been priced out of existance.We had a nice, close nit group of people and we always had fun, our conventions were much less formal, and much less expensive too, and we had a beautiful newsletter, which Charles lester was doing then,Alex did the first ones and they too were great, these were not silly things, these were really, professionaly done training on anything related to vacuums, it was a great time.

 

[kenkart]

Second Convention..

I went too was St Louis in 96, I drove the 735 miles in my 62 Plymouth Fury!Tom took us to a great little restaurant that had wonderful food, and the waitress stood at the end of the table and threw hot rolls at you..LOL, Ruth Hollander cooked lunch for us on Saturday, and it was great,this was before her store got picked over, so there was a ton of stuff!I cant remember where we stayed, but it was somewhere affordable, not a Hilton LOL!David Watters drove his 65 Chrysler 300,and everyone got a kick out of the old cars, in those days we really were like a family, there were no little groups, just all of us having fun.

 

[gsheen]

I was searching the web and Came across Charles Lesters website, I emailed him and we exchanged emails a few times but after a while life got in the way and I carried on collecting and the came across vacland a few years back.
Its a huge relief to discover you aren't the only one

 

[tase]

I'm too young to have had anything other than Vacuumland. To be honest, I only started collecting within the last year!

On an unrelated note, are there any Vacuum IRC channels anywhere?

 

[sebo_fan]

Hooverland on the Yahoo Group first, then Abbysguide (the Moderator on there is right up his own hole!) and now on here.

 

[collector2]

My first knowledge of there being other collectors in the world was in the 1970's when the Stan Kann show came on TV here. It also made my life a lot easier as my parents suddenly accepted my collection. Their attitude was - well, if he collects them too and he's on television it cant be all bad. Thankfully I got to meet Stan about a year before his passing. He was a fantastic man and is sorely missed. (Thank you again Charlie for putting me in contact with him)

The first web site I saw, about 15 years ago, was Charlie Lester's site but my first actual contact with another collector was with George Bocknewch in Florida who purchased a 1940's Electrolux I had put up on ebay in 2001. We have stayed in contact every since and become very good friends.

A lot of other contacts have been made through here and, in the last couple of years I have found several other collectors closer to home.

Doug