My New Celebrity S3199

[arh1953]

I was wandering around in the back of the Fort Pierce Goodwill today, and nearly tripped over a complete S3199. I wasn't just about to leave it there, with a posted price of $24.99. It misses its dust brush though. It's dark green and mint, with that huge chrome top. It's identical to one Fred has. I will post pictures tomorrow. In the meantime, I'm putting up a link to a two year old thread to generate some Celebrity fever. I also have the blue and chrome one that is sitting in one of Nicholas' pictures.

http://www.vacuumland.org/TD/ARCHIVE/VINTAGE/2008/2743x40.htm

 

[electrolux~137]

I have two Celebrities -- a two-tone light and dark green one that "floats on air" (even better than the Constellation since it's lighter-weight), and this one -- see link.

http://www.137.com/celebrity

 

[hoovercelebrity]

Mmmm.

The S3199...

One of my favorites! I absolutely love Celebrities!

Here's Terry using mine a few years back...

 

[gottahaveahoove]

great suction!!

like a flattened Connie!

 

[luxg]

Fred, as I remember that was one awesome vacuum!! Alan, is the one in Fred's picture like the one you found?

Terry

 

[arh1953]

Yes Terry, it is

And here it is, for $26.62 from Goodwill!

 

[codyf]

Seeing the powerhead on this maching reminded me of antoher machine my mother had when we lived in Mass. If i remember correctly, it was the same color green, the tools were on-board, and were covered with a tinted peice of plastic. The power switch and cordwinder switch were on a wide switch close to the back of it. My favorite part was there was a sliding switch on the hose that controlled the suction.. Does anyone remember this machine??

 

[petek]

Poor Terry always having to vacuum everyones house when he visits them

 

[luxg]

I know Pete,

My work is never done but it is so much fun it really isn't work!!

Beautiful Machine Alan, I would say you got a great deal.

Terry

 

[arh1953]

Thanks Terry

This is a machine I have coveted since I saw Fred's, and at least one other one. Someone replaced the plug with one of those industrial looking three prong ones, and I'm going to comb the store and see if the mint green dust brush shows up.

 

[constellation86]

Nice find Alan! Yay for Celebrities! I saw one like this at a yard sale about ten years ago for $20. I didn't have the money so I didn't get it. I wished I had ever since.
Nicholas

 

[arh1953]

I didn't have the cash

I used the debit card. I wasn't just about to leave it unattended while I went across the parking lot to the bank. It's the same colors as the Decade 80 I found in the same store. It has little use damage, the inside is really clean.

 

[crevicetool]

Wow Alan,

I am so impressed. Good job! The Celebrity looks to be in wonderful shape. Does it seem it was used much? Another Dream Machine finds it's owner!

Rick

 

[arh1953]

Thank you Crevicetool

It's got some black marks on the powerhead, and light spotting on the bright metal top, but it shouldn't take much to rectify it. Looks to have been treated well, considering how most people treat their machines.

When I went to the counter with it, one of my lady friends at the register said I have 24 hours to bring it back. I said I could use the parts if it didn't work.
"Do you repair vacuums?" lady
"No, I collect them. There's a club online." alan
"There's some boy that collects vacuums." lady
"Oh yes, Kyle-he's in the club." alan
"He must be older by now." lady
"Yes, he's about 16 now." alan
"What do you do, compare vacuums and someone picks out the best one?" lady
"We all show what we have and ask questions and give advice." alan

I went back today to find the mint green dust brush, it may not have made it to the store. I will have my hand out looking for that and a blue and white powerhead for the other QS sitting in the back of the car. I need to visit the vacuum store in the Stuart Flea Market, before I start begging! LOL

 

[arh1953]

Another Goodwill find

This was posted in our sister site, Grand Rapids Goodwill.

http://www.shopgoodwill.com/viewItem.asp?ItemID=6117824

 

[portable]

Wow, Alan...

very nice machine. They really didn't get the attention they deserved.

 

[gmerkt]

A couple of weeks ago, I got my second Celebrity, shown in the picture below. It is a model S3131 and looks like a basic model. It has the three little wheels on the bottom, not the air cushion. It came with the hose which is wired for a motorized brush head. No other attachments came with it, but I have the appropriate stuff from another machine.

This one has a minor ding in the top and the cord hook is chipped but otherwise it just needs a good cleaning off. You can always tell when a vacuum has really hit the skids, as it will be filled with dry-wall debris.

I got this one at the Goodwill Outlet store in Everett, WA for $1.99. When I plugged in for a test, it worked like gangbusters. The bag was about as full as was possible. I've been saving H bags that come my way in my travels around scrounger's paradise for the other Celebrity that I gave to my daughter.

One of my pass-times is rescuing various small appliances for recycling to various family members. Better they get something substantial rather than paying good (?) money for krapola from China.

Oh yes, the Goodwill "Outlet" store will not be found next to the Liz Claiborne Outlet store. You might call the Goodwill Outlet store a second second-hand store, as they peddle all the rejected stuff from the region's front-line retail stores. It's the real dreck, but a few overlooked gems may still be found. What a crew of rag-pickers I see there (I guess I'm one of them); I see the same scroungers that I've run into for years at the (now defunct) Puget Park Swap-O-Rama and other sleazy venues.

 

[eurekastar]

That's a great looking Celebrity! I have an S3193 that I paid $10.50 for. It's two tone green but doesn't have the chrome detail and cord winder. Yours is very nice! The Quadraflex PN is very effective too. The only drawback is filtration. Other than that, it is a great cleaner and fun to play with.

 

[arh1953]

I like your Celebrity, I've never seen that model with the little wheels, just the floaters. Our Goodwill seconds store is on the back of an overblown industrial/showroom complex on King's Highway, in a sparsely populated area. The folks from a certain island haunt the place, the women can be found folding clothing to heap into a shopping cart. I found two stereos, that were as good as mainstream Goodwill would offer, a stereo television in a luxury cabinet, and a couple of small appliances. I left the electronics, but scarfed a few record albums and books I didn't need. I can appreciate rag pickers, but I get in enough trouble in regular thrift stores!