New Collector wishing to say hello!

[kubvan1]

I sort of stumbled upon this site recently after not really giving much thought to collecting vacuums, even though I have loved vintage electrical appliances since I was a small child, and have a bad habit of collecting nearly anything old and electrical or mechanical. My actual job is in restoring and building vacuum tube audio equipment, and I have been tinkering with electrical things since I was about 7 or so.

I would love to get into collecting vintage/antique vacuums and have always loved the looks of 3 makes in particular... Classic metal Royals, Compact/Tristar and Air-Way vacuums. I think these brands in particular appeal to me since they all represent types that remained in production in the same basic style for many years. It is nice to see Royal still produces their traditional metal vac, as does Tristar in an updated version. Sadly, Air-way was lost a few years ago.

I currently don't have much of a collection, just a Royal Commercial HD 1040, A Tristar CXL (I'll have to double check the model) and a Royal 501 Prince.

Anyone else around here love these particular vacuums?
It seems as though these all metal classics don't have the "cult" following that vintage Kirby's, Electroluxes and Hoovers have.

Sorry for the lengthy first post, but I appreciate any words of encouragement, and I wish everyone a happy 2011!

Cheers,
Doug Eisemann
Douglassville, PA USA

 

[djtaylor]

Welcome

Welcome, Doug. I think you will enjoy this group. The members have been very friendly to me and I'm sure they will be to you as well.
I like the same vacuums you do. I have three Royal uprights, an early commercial 606, a red 903 and an 886. Until three months ago I had a Tri Star DXL, but gave it to a local thrift shop when I was down sizing my collection. And Air Way, a wonderful machine. I hope to find an Air Way Saniclean one day.
I mostly collect Kirbys, but have a couple of Rainbows too.
Again, welcome.
Justin

 

[eurekastar]

I'm pretty much a Kirby guy myself; however, I own one Royal and it is a fantastic vacuum. The brush stiffeners turn it into a self-propelled vacuum and really improve the performance of the brush roll. It is light and maneuverable too. Hang onto that Tristar too. In my opinion, older Tristars and Compacts are the best canister vacuums made. They are very durable, simple to work on, filter very well, and are extremely powerful too.

 

[kubvan1]

Thanks for the kind words! I love the TriStar as well, and they have that classic look that changed little over the years. Unfortunately, if you want a new one, they are ridiculously expensive, but it is not too hard to find a good used one for not too much.
I am just waiting for TTI to kill off the metal Royals, but for now they are one of the last companies to make a classic vacuum that has it's roots in a 1940s or prior design. While my Commercial 1040 is not really vintage, I cannot complain too much as it saw years of hard commercial use before I got it, and it still runs beautifully. (perhaps not as smoothly as the earlier Royals, but it is powerful and runs cool)

Many thanks again!
Cheers
Doug E.

 

[crevicetool]

Well, for having just stumbled onto this site, and the things you mentioned - vacuum tube audio, vintage electric appliances, vacuum cleaners - you will find all of those topics covered here!

Additionally, there are quite a few collectors in Pennsylvania - you might happen on a mini-meet.

There is a huge following of Royal, Tristar/Compact, and Air-Way vacuums in the club.

I currently have in my collection about thirty small electric appliances (almost all made by one now obscure brand). I NEVER thought I would be collecting these....and about fifty vacuums - it just gets more and more exciting......

Welcome aboard. You should consider joining the club and attending our conventions. They are truly a great experience. Bad thing about them is - they leave you wanting more and more member interaction. You will want to go to mini-meets and won't be able to wait for the next convention.

Looking forward to more posts from you....

Rick

 

[kubvan1]

Thanks again all for the warm Welcome!

I look forward to joining the club!

Best Regards!
Doug E.