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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).
 
misconceptions...

"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."

I am a Costco and BJ's member and can assure you that I am not loaded to the gills, I am comfortable but definitely not even close to loaded. Many people shop and buy in bulk because it is actually smarter and most of the time less expensive to pay wholesale for a product in bulk as it is for someone to purchase something at retail. For example, I am a vegan, for me to buy Tofu it is less expensive to buy it in bulk, at 2.19 per container retail VS $6 for 5 containers it is actually less expensive. Appliances that are exclusive to wholesale clubs a lot of the time actually have either more features or something is completely different about the product vs something you'd buy at walmart. Keep in mind too that a lot of wholesalers will also carry products that are limited edition, and or also products that aren't normally carried in stores like Walmart, Target, etc...
 
Well said Maytag142c !

I’ve heard good things about BJ’s from friends in Skaneateles. Wish we had them here in Texas. Costco can be unbearable on the weekends with the food samples on every end cap and I swear it seems like so many people only go there to graze on the freebies. [this post was last edited: 11/4/2022-18:03]
 
I cancelled my Bj’s membership, people say the gas is cheaper but I disagree, if I go to a “Delta Sonic” with their membership card, it’s almost 30-40 cents less. Besides, I like Costco more. As for the food samples, I can’t eat 98% of what they show so I just get what I need and go. ☺️
 
When

Your in costco on tasting day ho a many carts are full. If you see 8 registers open your going to see atleast 3 people spending over a grand. I don't use a cart. If you can't carry it you can't buy it. If you use a shopping cart you spend 3 times more than no cart.
If you see someone throw a block party you bet the farm there buying items at costco/Sam's club.
Dyson have sold at costco forever. Sir dyson is a billionaire and he used Costco as a selling platform.
 
I do not buy more than I can eat on a weekly basis so I have no use for some giant bulk-buy store nor do I need the fire hazard of filling my house with 100 packs of paper towels and toilet paper that will take 5 years to use. I get all my groceries at Dollar Tree. Also you restated literally what I just said.
 
I just accidentally discovered that Filter Queen is selling direct from their site when I went to buy a part.

Then they emailed me a deal to buy a new machine for $899. Couldn’t say no.

I guess the old FQ will live in the RV, LOL!
 
still havent seen

Any kirbys pop up on the costco website or even filter queens. But what I have seen is an inflation price for the avalir 2 on kirby's website. The base package which was the machine and attachments went up from 1600 to 1900 The next step up which includes the shampooer and zipbrush also went up from as well and as well as the ultimate package which includes everything plus 6 bags. Now breaking it down indivdually. The multi surface shampooer went up to 350 from the regualr 250. The zipbrush also went up $30 and the turbo accessory went up from 99 to 149. Any one know why these prices jumped, especially for a 33 year old machine.
 
Welcome to the 21st century...

...and good riddance to the door-to-door sales model. That has needed to go away for a very long time. I remember reading once on this site about somebody who had to show the sales goon to the door with a .38 in his hand to get the point across that he wasn't interested and wasn't buying. Kirby is smart to be putting the machines where the buyers are.

I could even see Costco coming out with a Kirkland Signature line of bags and belts for them--in appropriately humongous quantities, of course. I also have to wonder whether the Costco machines would have the same warranty as those bought directly through the company or an authorized sales center. That could be one way to get the cost down. Costco sells Interstate car batteries at a discount, but they have a different warranty (three years prorated, only through Costco) than those purchased from an Interstate dealer (two years free replacement and then three years prorated). They also might not offer the factory rebuild program for those machines. Of course, they still could also leave a little meat on the bone for the local sales and service centers by not offering accessories like the carpet shampooer through Costco. Please understand, this is all supposition on my part as I have no insider information.

The bottom line still remains that Kirby's biggest competitor is itself in form of the second-hand market. Who in their right mind would want to pay well over a grand for a brand new Kirby when a gently used one can be found in the same price range as a cheapo plasticrap vac at a thrift store or online. A couple of years ago, I got a very gently used Sentria with all the accessories, including a carpet shampooer, for $50 at a thrift store. It's essentially the same as today's Avalir although I understand the carpet shampooer may have been improved. Even though I am a Costco member, I have no intention of purchasing a Kirby there, if and when they ever actually show up at my local warehouse.
 
I’m hopeful this is the year that Kirby launches a new model I think this is a smart move from them
 

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