Kirby Sentria

[bikerray]

Hit 7 Goodwill stores today, found a Kirby Sentria at the 7th Goodwill for $8.
I cleaned it up, a little polish and it turned out fairly nice.

 

[fairfaxclass]

I'm always surprised to see Kirbys at Goodwill, but I often do.  Usually, the shine is completely gone.  I imagine they get stored in the garage a lot.  Suck nice machines.  Good find!  I got a Diamond Edition last weekend.  Just waiting to have it serviced.

 

[huskyvacs]

I have never seen a Kirby at Goodwill in my 14 years of going to the only 2 stores in my area.

I did however pick up a Sentria on eBay (LED headlight model) for $40 w/ shipping. The seller screwed up on the shipping charge and lost a lot of money on it (new seller) but I offered to pay him the difference and he said no, and I also helped him with some other issue with eBay he had, so I guess that was payment enough for him.

On mine the condition of the finish is really good too, and will just need a light wipe down.

 

[honestjoe68]

Congrats Bikerray!

Wow what a great Kirby find and to be in such great shape, it makes you wonder why it was given up?

I agree with huskyvacs though and in my many years of shopping Goodwill, Salvation Army, Volunteers of America and other type stores, I’ve Never seen a Kirby for sale, ever! Sadly for collectors like me, recently the only vacuums being donated at our stores are the cheap $30 when new “disposable” vacuums.

But you have an excellent Kirby in the Sentria! I LOVE my Sentria 2 and was lucky to buy it from a woman in my neighborhood, who had kept it very clean and never even used the shampoo system or the attachment tools. Sadly she was going through a divorce and her new apartment had all hard wood floors and tile, and she thought it best to sell her Kirby.

Thanks for sharing and please let us know how you like it and if you are interested there are Attachment Kits and Carpet Shampoo systems for your beautiful Kirby Sentria on eBay, so if you want to make it complete.. just check eBay out! Congrats on your Kirby!

 

[human]

Wow! Great catch!!!

If I had paid just $8 for that machine, I'd have been looking over my shoulder for security guards on the way out because I would have effectively stolen it. I wouldn't have been able to leave it behind, either.

It's rare that I see a Kirby--or any vac worth having, for that matter--at a thrift shop around here and never for that cheap. Usually they're pretty broken down and overpriced for their condition so I usually just let them go. In fact, the only Kirby I've ever bought at a thrift shop was a nice Gsix, complete with its toolkit for $50. Not a steal of a deal, but not exactly a ripoff, either. At thrifts around here, I actually seem to see more classic Electrolux machines, both canisters and uprights, than I do Kirbys. The best deal I've found on one of those was a Diamond J canister with hose, wand and PN5 power nozzle for $10.

 

[bikerray]

I traded it to a dealer for a Royal 602 the next day.

I've run across a lot of Kirbys at Goodwill.

 

[human]

I would have kept the Kirby but to each his own, I guess. Royals just don't speak to me the same way.

 

[gottahaveahoove]

I've seen a few in thrift shops.

It is staggering to see a vacuum, costing over a thousand dollars, being sold for under $30.00 Amazing. I saw a 100 yr anniversary model being sold for twenty bucks! Hardly scratch on it. The tools were in another aisle, selling for twelve dollars! Boggles the mind!

 

[huskyvacs]

@ gottahaveahoove

When I see them do that I just put the tools with the vacuum and take the price off the tools (if there is one). I stuff it between the bag or on top of the vac in my cart. I just say the tools go together with the vac (because they do) and that's all you have to do. It's just they get separated in the back room and stuff gets priced and put out at different times by different people on different work shifts, so it isn't intentional they price it differently. The workers don't know any better.

When I bought my Hoover Breathe Easy I found the tools in a vinyl Hoover bag sitting on a dresser 3 aisles away and I just hung them on the back of the vacuum and purchased it like that.

One time I got there too late and missed out on a 1960s Kirby, but the person that bought it left the hose behind with no price. When I checked out, I told them there was no price on it, they put $3.99 on it, and it was half-off day so I got it for $1.99. It later came in handy when I found a 1960s Kirby on eBay the hose goes to for $30. It was a good find because the hose looks like it was never used.