sanitairewill
Active member
I tried to select off topic but it wouldn't let me. Just hoping to find some female collectors
Just wondering if there are any woman collectors? If so Hi :-) And what do you have?
- Thread starter sanitairewill
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vacuumdevil
Well-known member
Yes there's one who works in a vacuum shop who's in one of the Facebook groups I can't remember her name.
dysonman1
Well-known member
The only woman vacuum collector I've ever met is Tania. I met her a quarter century ago, at one of the first VCCC meetings at my home in St. Louis. She has a beautiful collection of near flawless things. She loves Compact and Air-Way and Apex as well as most 50's canisters.
In all the years I was curator at the Vacuum Museum, I met many hundreds of vacuum collectors who made the trip to see it. And I met thousands and thousands of people who came to see the Museum who were not collectors. Never met a single woman collector in all those years. They were all men.
I worked for a woman who many people in the VCCC know (Ruth Hollander). I worked for her more than 50 years ago. She wasn't a collector as much as she ran a vacuum shop and never threw anything away. She only liked vacuums because that's how she made a living. I don't even know if she's still with us or not.
I just don't think vacuums appeal to women enough for them to bother knowing the models and brands, and then actually collecting them. But who knows, there might be one other than Tania.
In all the years I was curator at the Vacuum Museum, I met many hundreds of vacuum collectors who made the trip to see it. And I met thousands and thousands of people who came to see the Museum who were not collectors. Never met a single woman collector in all those years. They were all men.
I worked for a woman who many people in the VCCC know (Ruth Hollander). I worked for her more than 50 years ago. She wasn't a collector as much as she ran a vacuum shop and never threw anything away. She only liked vacuums because that's how she made a living. I don't even know if she's still with us or not.
I just don't think vacuums appeal to women enough for them to bother knowing the models and brands, and then actually collecting them. But who knows, there might be one other than Tania.
human
Well-known member
There's a lady named Michelle who posts here occasionally and also restores cars.
Yes,
Ruth Hollander is alive and well. She has a great passion for vacuums as many collectors will agree!
Ruth Hollander is alive and well. She has a great passion for vacuums as many collectors will agree!
She was SO
gracious to us when The VCCC met in MO.
gracious to us when The VCCC met in MO.
rugsucker
Well-known member
Ruth Hollander
Glad to hear she is well.As some of us have seen she has been not only a wife,mother,teacher,vacuum distributor,great host and wonderful cook but a sometime magician.
Glad to hear she is well.As some of us have seen she has been not only a wife,mother,teacher,vacuum distributor,great host and wonderful cook but a sometime magician.
dysonman1
Well-known member
Ruth Hollander's vacuum shop was about a 5 or 6 minute car drive from my house. I met her, and her two sons, when I was about 4 or 5. That was more than 50 years ago.
When I was about 10, I used to work for her on Saturdays for three hours (nine until noon). I did repairs on Compact and Filter Queen vacuums for her. They are not hard to work on. I continued to work for her for years, riding my bike or walking to her store.
She started as a Compact saleslady in 1958 and opened her own Filter Queen distributorship in 1960. She also sold Air-Way Sanitizor and Sani-Way as well as Gem vacuums. I remember the day she brought Riccar vacuums in, they were rebadged Panasonics.
I spent hundreds of hours with her over those years in the 1970's and asked her every question I could think of about vacuums, the demostration, closing the sale, etc.
She was going to teach Home Economics in High School, but found she made more money selling Compact vacuums. She taught me her Angel Food cake recipe, which I still make to this day.
Ruth is a lovely woman who has gone through many trials and tribulations in her life. She never 'loved' vacuums like I do, but she taught me exactly how to SELL one.
When I was about 10, I used to work for her on Saturdays for three hours (nine until noon). I did repairs on Compact and Filter Queen vacuums for her. They are not hard to work on. I continued to work for her for years, riding my bike or walking to her store.
She started as a Compact saleslady in 1958 and opened her own Filter Queen distributorship in 1960. She also sold Air-Way Sanitizor and Sani-Way as well as Gem vacuums. I remember the day she brought Riccar vacuums in, they were rebadged Panasonics.
I spent hundreds of hours with her over those years in the 1970's and asked her every question I could think of about vacuums, the demostration, closing the sale, etc.
She was going to teach Home Economics in High School, but found she made more money selling Compact vacuums. She taught me her Angel Food cake recipe, which I still make to this day.
Ruth is a lovely woman who has gone through many trials and tribulations in her life. She never 'loved' vacuums like I do, but she taught me exactly how to SELL one.
When the VCCC was in her shop in 2014. It was evident she had a fondness for vacuum cleaners at least to me. She was the guest speaker at our banquet with her speech ending "I love them too!" In fact, Michael Turner bought a very nice Filter Queen 31 from her (new in box). I would think a person who has been in business for as many years as she has would enjoy it. I get that some vac shop owners think selling vacuums is just a business. However with Ruth I know that this is not the case. She told us she keeps her shop open, so her customers could still purchase bags, parts etc, Ruth is still very collector friendly since we all share the same passion.
Here are some pictures from Ruth's
Shop. Here is Michael with his Filter Queen from Ruth.
Shop. Here is Michael with his Filter Queen from Ruth.
Excellent points, Kenny
She was MOST gracious to us when we were there. WE even got her to be our 'guest of honor' at the banquet. We have numerous photos of her. She gave me some wonderful Hoover things, personally. Ken Wagman, Kenny Loveland, Michael Turner were some recipients of our "Ruth Hollander Award".
She was MOST gracious to us when we were there. WE even got her to be our 'guest of honor' at the banquet. We have numerous photos of her. She gave me some wonderful Hoover things, personally. Ken Wagman, Kenny Loveland, Michael Turner were some recipients of our "Ruth Hollander Award".
Yes I was.
And I have it hanging in my vacuum room. Here are some more pictures from Ruth's shop including a Filter Queen made for Western Union. The last picture is at her counter in the front of her store.
And I have it hanging in my vacuum room. Here are some more pictures from Ruth's shop including a Filter Queen made for Western Union. The last picture is at her counter in the front of her store.
