my new finds, and yet another gay collector is there a link?

[edgar]

Hi hi, a few pics of the latest finds. I will be moving to another house next month, so it may be a bit quit, but I will be back. Is it just me or are a lot of vacuum collectors gay, I know a few collectors in person and all of them are gay, funny could there be a link ;-)) . This are the new finds a red Aeg vampyr 502, and a philips P 50 both from the midd eighties.

 

[volsboy1]

I have wondered the same,I collect Vacs,Washers,Dishwashers,and Disposer's and I'm gay also..It's kinda cool though not having to deal with a bunch of haters.

 

[rickenbacker]

Funny you mention...

Me and Chris Parker have recently been on about this. I myself am straight, I have checked out the gay scene but just couldent get off with it( sorry guys!) there is obviously some link but I dont have the time to find out what it is, and whats more Im very much in love with a girl anyway so homosexuality isnt a concern for me.


Charlie

 

[afton_r]

absolutely gorgeous!

i love this style of AEG, so sleek and 80s!

 

[dysonman1]

If you count my time (6 years) as President of the Vacuum Cleaner Collectors Club, as well as curator of the Vacuum Cleaner Museum, I've met thousands of guys who were dedicated vacuum collectors. Every single one of them has been gay. Some didn't know it at the time. But it has always manifested itself sooner or later. Don't know why. Of all the collectors I've met and spoken at length about this: we all seem to share a common childhood with relation to vacuums, finding them in the storage closet at homes of relatives and friends of our parents, etc. Standing at amazement at the vacuum display at stores. Remembering the demonstration vividly of a door to door cleaner. Watching the salesmen at Sears demonstrate cleaners, etc. I imagine there would actually be a straight vacuum collector, somewhere.

 

[weltron]

Well I have had dozens of vacuums over the years and had a small collection at one point. (I had to cut down due to room). And I am straight. So, if anyone is looking for the straight vacuum collector/enthusiast, here's one!

 

[rivstg1]

haha, that cracked me up weltron.....but I'm right there with ya

 

[gregvacs28]

Well hetero boys, according to Tom "....Every single one of them has been gay. Some didn't know it at the time. But it has always manifested itself sooner or later...."

Maybe it's just a matter of time for you two odd-balls.

 

[human]

Well, count me as a third hetero collector. As they say, one is an isolated incidence, two is a coincidence and three makes it a pattern.

 

[eurekafansquid]

yeah... not many in this community

Im just the bisexual guy in this community but im much different, for me my bisexuality is 60% gay and 40% straight.

 

[lesinutah]

Straight

I'm 4 straight. I've been with my wife,,10 years of marriage 14 together.
I noticed the majority is gay it's fine with me.
Les

 

[s31463221]

Count me as 5

I'm married to a beautiful woman, soon to be 12 years, I have two amazing children, and have quite a massive horde of vacuum cleaners. I've been fascinated with them since I was a child as many of the others have as well; but I guess there's more of us around that are straight than I realized. I too have noticed that most of the folks that collect vacuums are gay, however that doesn't bother me in the slightest. I have many friends that are gay (several on here!), in fact, my wife's best friend is gay, and is an amazing person! So, here we all are, straight, bi, gay; but ALL with one goal, collecting some amazing dirt sucking appliances!

 

[dysonman1]

I've been to 12 VCCC conventions as well as 10 conventions I hosted myself, and they represent a huge cross section of the gay population. The twinks, the bears, the quiet ones, and the old aunties. There's even been several drag queens. Bob Taber had to ask one of them to not dress in drag because of his neighbors. Some wear their leather drag. But all the conventions are just huge parties of homosexual men (and Tania) who like vacuums. Now that I think about it, there was one man who claimed to be straight and had a wife at home. During the cocktail party at the Convention though, he went from talking like John Wayne to talking like Ru Paul. I've met the young ones with their parents, and after talking with them for a while I'd almost like to say to the parents "let me predict the future". In a room FULL of gay guys at the vacuum conventions, it ranges from butch to very not butch. Just like a typical gay bar on a Saturday night. It's what makes the conventions fun - all the different men coming together to play with sweepers and share knowledge. Like the gay car clubs, each year they always try to outdo the guys who hosted the convention the year before. It's why they call the conventions "fabulous". And they ARE.

 

[kloveland]

Not all collectors are gay!

I can count at least five others than the ones who posted. One of them is married and his wife just had a baby within the past three years. I don't like people who use stereotypes or overly generalize things. A vacuum doesn't have a sexual orientation. Collecting vacuums should be open to all and not an exclusive club just for gay guys. And a collector shouldn't be labeled as gay for collecting vacuums.

 

[gottahaveahoove]

Well, here's yet another instance

where one should think before one speaks. It's true,here are numerous straight collectors, as, there are also gay ones. It shouldn't matter. For a fact, I've seen everyone get along beautifully at the conventions, mini meets, etc.
Labeling, insulting, etc,=. should not be tolerated.There are some 'standard' gay men. There are also others who would make Liberace look like a Marine!
Date whom you date, love whom you love, collect what you collect.And, the rest, is nobody's business.
"We must learn to live together as brothers and sisters, or, we will perish together as fools."

 

[dysonman1]

Not all vacuum collectors are gay. That's very true. The vast majority are. That's just a fact. I don't know why it is, but we all share common experiences. People (like Edgar who started this thread) notice the disproportionate amount.

 

[kloveland]

It's not right to stereotype people into groups. A few posts on this thread seem to insinuate all collectors were gay. I'm expressing my viewpoint. I personally wouldn't want to be placed in a group that doesn't describe me as an individual. I'm happy that some of the straight guys spoke up for themselves.

 

[gregvacs28]

It's human nature to want to think that everyone around them thinks the same way they do with the exception of the dastardly "ENEMY" the they that exists over there.  


 


Until we learn that the enemy over there only looks or sounds different but are really concerned about the same things we are and thus are not an enemy, which is usually the case.


 


It's probably fair to say that there is a disproportionate amount of gay men who collect vacuums and appliances in general.  Let's give it a non-scientific proportion of 55%-60%. 


 


To state an absolute of "everyone.....sooner or later" suggests that the club isn't about vacuums but about some screen that gay people hide behind, which it isn't.  


 


When I found AW.org around 2002 I was searching out appliance information, I had no idea about the sexual proclivities of the members of the club.   While it's nice to know, it doesn't change my interest in appliances. 


 


Besides we wouldn't want to create an atmosphere forcing heteros in the closet where they would feel they need to pretend to be gay in order to be included in the group.  That's not sincere. We also don't want to sound like we're closed to members based on their sexuality or other grounds as well such as race, country of origin, socioeconomic level, etc.  


 


 


 

 

[kloveland]

Well said!

Greg. That is exactly how I feel. Thank you for your reply. I believe in being open to all.

Kenny