New Filterqueen $1199 & Kirby $1295.

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jarvis

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Oct 26, 2022
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If you weren't already aware Filterqueen Majestics are now sold New on Amazon for $1199 and New Kirby Avalir 2s are now being sold at Costco for $1295.
 
what?

This must be some sort of hoaks. Idk about filterqueen, but kirby's being sold at costco is unacceptable. Not because costco isn't a great retailer but kirby themselves have always been an in home, and still is, sales tacket. Of course when they went to selling them via their website that opened up a whole new can of worms, both for the company and for the door to door sales people. Just imagine a kirby rep coming to someones home, who also owns a kirby, and the rep ask them where they got there unit and the customer replies, costco. Do you know how that is gonna look. Plus kirbys require bags, belts ect, which costco isn't going to carry because its not a vacuum store. Then again if you look at all the big box stores, all the vacuums that are sold are cheap plastic and also bagless. I don't thing I've seen any bags or belts at all big box stores that sells vacuums in quite some time. Most vacuum parts that are sold are filters and carpet shampoo solutions for carpet cleaners. And most, if not all the kirbys being sold on amazon are most likely used kirbys that users don't have any use for anymore.
 
Kirby Co. is now actively selling and expanding into Costcos. They already sell directly over the internet and and now have specialized managers responsible to selling to vac shops.

Healthmor is selling New Majestics and Defenders directly now over the internet and on Amazon at much lower prices than ever before. Under $1200 for a new Majestic.
 
Any way to substantiate this Kirby @ Costco claim?? Proof??

I see nothing about it on Costco’s website and the photo would probably look the same if these were on sale at Sam’s instead. Can anyone prove that this really is happening?
 
I wish someone would provide the source for the above picture. It’s been circulated quite a few times now online and only this one photo that looks like it was taken with an early 2000s flip phone.
 
I think selling Kirbys to Costco is a VERY smart move. It's probably no wonder one of the reasons why Kirby hasn't released a new model yet is they might be behind financially. Door-to-door has become a thing in the past nowadays. I personally would NEVER want to buy from door-to-door, especially when my grandparents were FORCED into buying a new Kirby from a salesperson after they already own two other Kirbys just simply because he wouldn't leave.
 
So is costco going to start carrying bags and belts for these machines as well as spare parts and not to mention the other optional accessories. This to me just sounds really odd and I don't think itll last at all. I say this because the averge consumer who shops at places like costco probably wouldn't know what a kirby is and their most likely not gonna want to lug it into a basket and then to their verhicles and then into there homes and not know how to use the machine. I mean unless kirby started doing video owners manuals again, which they need to bring them back for those who like to visually see the machine in action. Then this also leads to question how will future models, if any, will be announce and launched and also marketed Because from what the picture shows it looks like theres two kirby boxes, brown boxes with a graphic of the system on and then one box with a lot of graphics on it, which is so odd for a kirby box. Also another thing that is odd is the pricing of these machines. The standard/base kirby package that you can get is about 1600,but yet these are cheaper, so whats the catch?
 
I hope this helps Kirby release a new model the Av2 is a great machine but time for a new one
 
It's not that difficult to comprehend

Warren Buffet got rid of Kirby due to poor sales. Poor sales caused by several factors and exacerbated by Covid. No one lets strangers into their homes today.

Right Lane Industries doesn't care about how Kirby "Used" to be sold. This is 2022. Internet is the way most people buy things. Upscale people in San Fernando Valley, where the Costco pic was taken, can afford to throw the Kirby box into the cart.

Kirby has been setting up vac shops as Authorized Kirby Service Centers for almost a year now. In anticipation of this very thing: Kirby sold in retail stores. Wait until you see the QVC package.

Kirby is going to sell their factory rebuilt cleaners to the public, probably through their authorized service centers. The service centers provide warranty work on new Avalir 2 models, as well as providing service and parts for all previous models that have available parts.

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Filter Queen

Nice to see the Majestic being sold on Amazon, their website and vac shops. However, I would definitely not buy a new one! Filter Queen is definitely a shadow of it's former self, and quality has taken a steep nosedive in recent years ever since the 75th Anniversary came out. The single stage Ametek motors don't last very long....consider yourself lucky if you get more than 10 years outta one before it dies, and they have issues with the electrical connections on the hose, wand and powerhead and the latches on them breaking easily. Also the powerhead is poorly designed and doesn't groom the carpet well.

I would rather buy a older brown Model 700 with the double stage Ametek motor online and put a new motor in it and refurbish the vacuum. Much better quality, the powerhead, hose and wand were a better design and cleaned better. Even if you wanted a better setup, there are retrofit powerhead hose, wand and powerhead kits you can buy to use on any model.
 
Filter queen

I didn't find special at all. If I'm getting something for cleaning the air I'd go with a rainbow. If I had to choose between kirby and filter queen and kirby it's kirby hands down.
If I wanted a cannister vacuum the patriot cleans and filters well.
 
This is going to be a hot topic for a while now. My other question is, will kirby discount the 1599 price tag that they have on there website to match what costco will be charging for the same package (unit and 15 attachments)? Because if costco is going to charge 1295 for the avalir 2 with standard 15 attachments, then why should kirby themselve charge $304 more for the same package for 1599. To me the pricing doesn't make sense, unless they're really trying to clear out their inventory of a platform thats been out for well over 30 years at this point. Also, what are they then going to charge for the optional accessories, assuming costco will be selling them. Base on the photo they're selling the multi surface shampooer as well, which if you ask me, its a glimic, simply cause the machine is loud, wide and cumbursome and would be unbareable to use on hard surface floors.
 
The

Kirby multi surface shampooer is actually pretty nice.
I know quite a few people who work at costco. I used to work at WALGREENS and the average markup at Walgreens was 40 percent sometimes 400 percent. Costco markups are 10-13 percent. If I were a betting man the vacuum price will go down.
If they had an avalir 2 fully loaded I'd pay $500.
With costco low margins they might be able to leverage a descent price.
 
Selling Kirbys at full retail has been a long time coming and really is needed. Door to door sales died in the early 1990s. Kirby's door to door sales plan was one big ponzi scheme anyway, as as the salesman you only got paid on a per machine commission basis and you had to sell so many machines to get that payment, otherwise you're essentially working for free. Also the salesmen were just overnight companies of a few people that set up schemes to either fraud Kirby or rob people. There was very few reputable salesmen selling Kirbys in the last 10 years. I can't tell you how many Kirbys I've seen in pawn shops that look to have little to no use and with their serial #'s scratched off. The pawn shops don't know anything about vacuums and they have no idea the vacuums are coded with a serial #.

I have pretty much all the Kirby models and my unobtainable ones right now are bookending the collection with the prewar Kirbys and the Avalir 2.
 
I find it quite odd that some of you seem mortified at the thought of Kirby being sold at retail. Why? It's their business, not yours. And it seems even Kirby can't deny how sleazy the door to door salesmen are. This is a way to avoid that and sell direct.
 
I

Wish pickup only would show up on searches done by people close to the location.
I get a used avalir 100th anniversary edition tomorrow. I have the shampooer, multi surface cleaner and attachments. I paid $125 for it. There is a kirby avalir 2 for $450 about 2 hours drive from my location.
I think $400 is the most I'd spend on a new avalir 2 with every attachment.
I hope prices lower and tge costco venture will become a success story
 
I think selling in Costco and online is a VERY smart move. It's been a long time coming. I know I've admired Kirby's over the years and have a few in my collection, however I would *never* allow a door to door salesman into my home- especially after Covid. I have after 31 years of life finally bought a brand new Kirby- because I could do so online. I imagine there has//will be quite a few others to follow. Especially if they're being seen on the Costco sales floor. It's too bad Sears is no more. I think they'd do quite well- even at their price point- with the right Sears salesperson demo-ing them.
 
I would never allow

A door to door sales person in my home. The main reason is because they're total strangers whom you don't know. The other main reason is, I don't want someone coming into my home for 2+ hours just to demonstrate a machine when I can go to youtube or other online sources and figure out how to use it myself. Plus as we've all mentioned door to door tend to hike up the prices regardless of what brand it is. If I wanted a brand new kirby without the door to door demo then I would go to a local kirby service center and purchase it that way. It would save me both time and money. Thats basically what I did when I got my SRX Rainbow a couple of years ago. I went to an authorized rexair service center and purchased a brand new SRX that way. Yes I paid the typical price of what a rainbow would cost, but I saved me time becuase I new what I wanted and was well informed on how to use the system. Speaking of a new kirby, its about time they came out with something, even if its another G-series, cause avalir 2 is on the brink of turning 5 after the first of the year.
 
I can assure you that Costco/Sam's Club shoppers are loaded to the gills. Those are stores where you buy in huge bulk purchases of a massive amount of stuff for a huge price and nobody bats an eye. It's all normal to dump $1k on a grocery trip. There has been many Costco exclusive vacuums before so the idea is not an alien one, but it is a first for Kirby. Kirbys come with both print and DVD manuals so people will be fine if they know what they are doing.

This is a big relief for many people that wanted a (new) Kirby without the BS of a salesman hawking it in your house or pressuring you to buy it right now (Kirby salesmen worked under high risk and high stress conditions and were prone to violence if they did not make a sale). This is part of the reason why they sell better secondhand then new because of the hassle of only being able to get one (new) through a door to door sale or through pestering a vacuum store to sell you their floor display model.

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What about roof salesmen? I just had a roof salesman come into my house and quote me a price on a new roof. Most salesmen want to talk to you inside the home. It’s not just vacuum salesmen who want to enter your home is the point I’m trying to make. What about exterminators, repairman etc.
 
Costco has a very generous return policy. There's a minimum of 90 days to return most objects. What is the return policy for Kirby vacuums sold at Costco? It looks like vacuums sold on kirby.com will have a 30 day return window with a $100 fee for returns (more if vac damaged).
 
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