Oreck BB280D thrift store find - dumpster edition...

[texaskirbyguy]

There is a small thrift store in Garland (Beltline & Jupiter) that I frequent on the way home from my mom's house, as I visit her once a week.
I have been going there for many years, usually to check the clearance cart, but sometimes I find other neat things at reasonable prices.

About a year ago, when parking was tight during a sale, I had to park on the side of the lot.
Given that their dumpster is right in the front, on the side of the building, I just happened to peek in the dumpster on the walk to the door. I was amazed (and shocked) to find lots of good stuff that was either unsold, or what they did not want to sell but could have.
I had since made it a point to strategically park on the side and check for free treasures each time I go. I would grab all the good stuff I could, to either keep or take to my friend's thrift store in Plano who WOULD do something good with them.
I had even started bringing my grabber stick so I no longer had to actually dive or reach (my joints do not bend well anymore)...

Yesterday I scored this entire Oreck XL BB280D canister vacuum set - my shtick helped out very well to get all attachments. Everything was very clean, attachments used though not abused, paper bag was empty (wow!)
Anyone have some history on this machine? I see no date code on it, nor did I find much in my searches. The 870 was from 2005 (based on a manual I saw), so I am guessing this one would be right around the 20 year old mark...

It seems as if one of the wands is missing, but they would not have known this.
I tried it out and it works perfectly. Why would they have trashed this??
I never recall them ever selling a vacuum cleaner, but never put any thought to it.
I am getting to believe that if anything is the least bit 'dirty', it is tossed. However this is the cleanest vacuum I had ever brought home.

That day I had also got a bunch of framed art, a good large cooler (just needed a wipe-down), small household stuff, a perfect clock radio (with ceiling projector & nature sounds), amongst some other stuff.

I personally do not like the business practices at this place. After 4 weeks, stuff gets trashed, which defeats one of the big reasons of donating to a charity. Anything old, or neat looking gets ebay prices and there is no negotiation. Art gets wild crazy prices. Even a no-name drinking glass will have 2 bucks on it. If it will not sell it gets destroyed.
Sure the discount increases per week, but still, many people do not want to come back a second time, and even after the discount, some stuff is still too high.

Upper staff is not too friendly either. I asked about buying 'lots' that are dumpster bound and they 'proudly' boasted that they do not sell lots.
Whatever...

Not sure what I will do with the Oreck, as I have a vintage Hoover Portapower that I am working on. The Oreck does have more attachments, so need to think about this a bit...

 

[human]

Cool Dumpster Find...

That's definitely a neat find and lucky that almost all the tools were with it. Definitely worth rescuing. The wand looks to be a generic plastic one. I've had the same ones with several machines of different brands—a Douglas ATV shop vac, a Royal Prince 501 handheld, and even an Electrolux Discovery Plus.

As to why the machine went to the dumpster, there's no telling. thrift store logic is baffling at best. It could be somebody on staff considers used vacuums to be 'unsanitary'. I've noticed one of the Goodwill stores near me has started removing the bags from bagged vacuums, presumably as a sanitary measure, but at the same time, they don't seem to empty the bagless machines. Go figure...

The Goodwill stores around here send slow moving merchandise to their outlet center, where it's sold by the pound and sometimes by the pallet load. I've been to there once or twice where somebody apparently has bought a pallet, scavenged what they wanted, and left the rest on the sidewalk as free pickings for others. I've even found a few good things that way.

 

[rugsucker]

Oreck BB

Good little vac for many jobs.The attachments are better than most new vacs.Usually sold as companion to the upright.These evolved from the GE MV1 of the mid 60s,then Eureka Whisk & Oreck.Earlier models were sometimes gray or red,later black & white.Later deluxe versions could add wheels & attachment holder at back.
(I just got a nice,clean 6x9 rug in a similar way.)

 

[texaskirbyguy]

Human - my guess is good as yours about them being germaphobics. The staff at this store still kick people out if they do not wear masks, citing an outdated mandate number.
However, like I said, this is the cleanest used vac I had ever got so far. There was just a tad of dust in the OEM bag. This will clean up like new. I may just have to keep it for dusting or such!

The wand is the same color as the attachments but the ribbing is different. All the attachments fit well. I think I will disassemble it all and run the plastics through the dishwasher. Motor should need no work.

Rugsucker - I did hear about them being included with uprights, which is why maybe this one got such little use (they did not need it or did not want to use it). I saw the later ones having the caddy that snaps on the back, and the cord winders. Wish I had those, but for free, who cares..

So many good things out in dumpsters everywhere, just waiting to be discovered & saved. My friends and I were hard core divers back in the 80's. Got a new Walkman still in the box, many bikes, stereos, TVs, appliances, you name it.
Mike the Scavenger on youtube had got me back into doing light scavenging here and there. Found some stellar things as well. Reselling can be a profitable career. I made quite a bit of cash a few years back, hundreds from one house alone over the source of several months. Mike does resale and scrapping and actually makes a good living from it. Cash from the trash!

 

[gottahaveahoove]

I have one of those

I'm hoping to sell.

 

[jo]

Is that the thrift store…

That is next to harbor freight tools? It faces Belt line road between Jupiter and Plano Road next to the old Richardson Square Mall? If so…I went in there maybe a month ago or so when passing by…I was less than impressed with their collection of stuff and their prices seemed high. There were no vacuums at all. Maybe with civic they are just chucking any vacuums but you’d then think cups and dishes should be chucked too. I didn’t much care for the store and won’t be back especially since it is far from me. I just happened to be in the area as I had an errand in the area that day and saw the store from the road on my way home. Goodwill has opened a new location at Forest and Marsh in Dallas. Not very good stuff there but maybe it’s getting a lot of customer turnover. I think Goodwill is getting selective in what they put on their shelves too or perhaps more customers. Often I end up disappointed in these stores walking out with nothing repeatedly and then I lose motivation to go back for months and that’s ok because I really have everything I need.

Well at least you were able to rescue that vac from a certain death in a landfill and were rewarded in doing so with one that is in nice condition and also free when you may have paid for it at that thrift store if they had put it up for sale.

I’m flabbergasted at how much womens clothing is at thrift stores. It’s a lot and judging from browsing through the mens clothing there’s a lot of worn out stained, stretched out logo laden items on the racks. I can’t see that those things really sell well and they sit there cluttering up the store space. About all I buy clothing wise at a thrift store is jeans and those must pit appropriately but sometimes there will be something nice in the right fit and size. Now that Goodwill has eliminated dressing rooms AND made all sales final AND raised prices I almost never buy any clothing items. For me I prefer to try on to make sure clothes fit right so I don’t waste my money. Electrical things used to be returnable and some stores do have an outlet or two to try things and that helps especially now with no returns.

Enjoy your lightly used Oreck canister vac! They are cute and meant to wear over the shoulder if it came with the shoulder strap!

Jon

 

[texaskirbyguy]

Hey Jon -
No; the one by Harbor Fright is Thrift City (Beltline and Yale). That store I actually like - been going there for over a decade. They keep stuff longer (6 wks for most clothes), longer for housewares. Some stuff seems to stay longer also if the racks are not full. Prices are reasonable there in my opinion. Ladyfriend had found some wonderful vintage clothes and I have found many radios and appliances there. In fact I got a Dominion 1109 toaster there this week for 10 bucks. Newer toasters are 6 each. The store on Jupiter and Beltline would have put 50 on it, or trashed it as it was dirty inside...
I would suggest anyone visit Thrift City. I got two other vintage toasters there about 6 years ago, for about 6 bucks total. They were 6 each until they let me try them out in the store. The smoke from the dust burning from the elements freaked them out but I said they just need some cleaning. They gave me half off without me asking. I got my heavy chrome near-perfect Mixmaster for 20 bucks about 6 years ago also.
They do sell vacuums - they are in the very back far corner of the store (between the shoes and dresses) - they have luggage in the same area. They give a few days return policy also (that I had never used).

Goodwill added a new store at 75 and 15th in Plano also. I am surprised at how many new stores they are opening. However they have changed too much over the last year or so. They ARE getting very picky at what they sell. Every electrical item has to work (or so one manager said) or they do not get put out. They quit selling vintage clothing, sleepwear, maternity, and lingerie as they said it did not sell. My ladyfriend hated that so she does not go there anymore. However a GW in Athens did keep selling all kinds of clothes. So more of a regional thing I guess.
I had got some cool stuff at GW - some 80s and 90's Technics tape decks and an EQ, a NIB vaporizer from 1973, a Royal Prince vac from the 80's, and a Hoover Portapower from the 70's. All were reasonable priced except maybe the EQ which was 20. Of course when did I last see one at a thrift store? All worked perfectly.
GW did quit selling stereo receivers and turntables last year. They may be auctioning those since people are willing to pay a bit for them. They used to have lots ont he shelves over a year ago. Salvation Army still sells them for 20-40 each but they go quick. I did score a nice old Technics receiver for 6 bucks from my friend's store last year as it was missing the power cord. I had an extra cord and it worked fine. Yes, I do collect Technics stereo gear...

With thrift stores, you can never shun them for not having much or what you want. They get whatever someone donates and they sell what they want, whenever, and some things may go fast. Afterall, most cycle through their stock in 4-6 weeks, so after then most everything is fresh stock. Certainly a treasure hunt - go regular or go often. I like the thrill of the hunt and between myself and the LF, I never leave empty handed.
Also keep in mind people like us scour the stores for certain things and I have met folks like that. No wonder I hardly find any old clocks!
We have been going to about 12 stores (in a 10 mile radius) in 2 month intervals. Some stores more often if they are close. The trash-happy one gets a weekly visit, as well as their dumpster...

I am also amazed at the amount of women's clothing, but then not if you think about why - most females 'have' to 'keep with the style' each friggin year! I am so glad my LF loves elegant vintage. It is usually cheap when it can be found and I prefer the looks of it myself also. It seems much better made as well - esp the stuff with the union tags in them! She is finding less and less as the years go on, as it slowly dries up...

For myself I only get sweat pants, shorts, and pullover shirts at thrift stores, and those often fit well when I measure them from finger to elbow and add 3". I usually only buy synthetics since they wash and dry well, do not stretch out, and do not stain easily.
Yes - lots of logo'ed men's shirts can be found but I do not care myself. They are fine as long as the logos are discreet for at work or not too goofy for around the house or yard. I just got a tank top with a big great white shark photo on the front and back - perfect for a the lake this summer. Got a T with a big skull with glowing red eyes - perfect for Halloween, lol... I have shirts of all colors for all seasons now it seems. LF like them. Problem is we are out of space for it all!

As for the quality of the men's clothes, my friend at the Plaid Tag says mens jeans and pull over shirts sell all day long to those in manual labor jobs. Most contractors and construction workers do not care about what they wear, as it will be worn out or damaged in no time. Same with shoes and boots.

I think I will keep the Oreck and try it out for dusting so I do not have to drag around the Kirby. It does have the shoulder strap so I think that will be helpful. Best thing is that the Kirby attachments fit perfectly so I can use my furniture-safe brushes.

Keep on thrifting and helping our environment (and our hobbies and our budgets!)

 

[human]

I just found one too...

So I was out running errands earlier this afternoon and popped into a Goodwill store on the other side of town. I passed up a Kirby G3 for $30 that I had seen several weeks ago and a Dirt Devil handheld with an unusual black and yellow bag for $25 but this little Oreck handheld for $8 just spoke to me. It certainly wasn't as good a deal as texaskirbyguy's dumpster find but for the cost of a hamburger, it was still worth picking up.

Made in 1994, according to the ratings sticker, it came with exactly what's in the pictures. While it would have been nice to at least get a dusting brush with it, I've got a bunch of tools that will fit it. It's got a nice little stretchy hose with no leaks or tears and I'm sure the white wand didn't come with it from the factory. The bag chamber was spotless, including the after-filter, and even though the bag was jammed completely full, it still had good suction. I'm getting ready to order some bags for it, which ironically will cost more than I paid for the whole vacuum. I'm looking forward to putting the machine through its paces once the bags arrive. I think it will come in quite handy for small jobs.

 

[huskyvacs]

These Buster thingys were given to anyone that purchased a new Oreck as part of a package deal, since the Oreck had no way to connect tools or do any above-the-floor cleaning at all. They came in many different colors and versions, and also commercial grade models were made too. Most of the time most people had seldom to no use with them, and you can still find a lot of them that will run like they just came out of the box.

I'm not sure how strong the suction is since all mine are used and not been restored yet, but they look pretty good for doing the car and stuff. - I'm sure thats what most people used them for.

 

[human]

car vac...

Yeah, vacuuming out my cars is one of the main uses I see for it. The compact size makes it well suited for tight spaces.

 

[texaskirbyguy]

Human - nice find on your Oreck! Sounds like it was donated because the bag was full - common 'issue'. I like the black color over white but cannot complain for free (mine). $8 is more than reasonable.
I hope to use mine for dusting as it is small and suction is respectable. Just not sure how tight the bags are. We shall find out...

 

[panasonicvac]

Edgar, your Oreck was made in 2010.

 

[texaskirbyguy]

Well I took another look at my Oreck and its bag. Bag was new - no dust in it what so ever. I even tapped it opening-down on a clean dark surface - nothing came out.
Attachments look used, so maybe they had put a new bag in it before donating it. And still it was still trashed.
Looks like a keeper, once I get it all cleaned up and a storage spot found for it...

 

[human]

Reading the date forwards is actually backwards?!?

Okay, so the date code of '10194C' starts with the year? I had assumed it was read in month/day/year sequence, making it October 1, 1994. But you're saying it's in reverse order, making it April 19, 2010. I'm further assuming the letter 'C' at the end indicates the plant in which it was produced?

To be honest, I know next to nothing about Orecks. I briefly had an Oreck upright last summer but donated it to my church's rummage sale. I think this portable unit may be more of a keeper. Amazon delivered my bags for it yesterday and I gave it a little test run, just sucking up debris along the baseboard in my hallway, a task that most uprights have trouble with, it performed quite well and in some ways was easier to use for that task than a regular canister. My next test, maybe this afternoon, will be to stick an Electrolux combo tool onto the end of the hose and vacuum my car.

 

[human]

So I just finished vacuuming out my car with that little Oreck and have to say I was favorably impressed. For attachments, I used a generic Electrolux style combo dusting brush and upholstery tool that, appropriately enough, is black to match the machine. Along with that, I tried a (Swedish) Electrolux branded Eureka turbo brush. I was really surprised the machine had enough suction power to drive the turbo brush but it worked just fine, proving this to be an even more capable machine than I initially would have thought. One really nice thing was that the machine's compact form factor made it easy to place it on the seat, giving unimpeded access to the floorboards. I think I've found a new favorite tool for (dry) car vacuuming. That said, the wet/dry shop vac still has a job when water collects in the rear boot of my convertible, thanks to a leaky top.

 

[texaskirbyguy]

Human - you have been walking in my shoes lately it seems..
I am also new to Orecks. Last year I did a simple repair to an upright I had donated and found they are as simple as can be. I never actually used it though so cannot vouch for its performance. It sold fast due to its condition.

I am also getting to like my new little canister, though I had not used it yet.
Like you said, the size is nice and is easy for doing cars, which I may use mine for also.

However my little vac does not seem to have a date code - or do any of these numbers mean anything? The 2393 almost looks like a date code - 23rd wk of 93? Or is it just a serial number?
What about the numbers on the bag? It would be funny if those were dated and not the vac itself. However I do still find food items with no dates but the inside rollers of my toilet paper are clearly marked. Certainly cannot use old TP, can we!

 

[human]

The Oreck 9100c upright, which I bought last summer for for $2, also lacked a date code. I seem to recall from a thread I read at the time that date codes didn't show up until sometime in the mid-late 1990s.

I enjoyed playing with that machine but in the end, it quickly lost its appeal and I decided it needed another home.

 

[texaskirbyguy]

Well, this is the dumpster that keeps on giving...

The finds just keep getting better!

Yesterday in the same dumpster I had spotted a white usb cable, which I thought I can always use a spare charging cable...

I tugged at it and out pops a tablet!
An LG Gpad F8.0. Older (2014) but not obsolete (yet). Nice 8" screen - rather sleek looking.
It looked perfectly good - clean, no damage anywhere, not even dirty!
In fact I cannot find a major scratch on it anywhere...

At home I connected a 2A charger to it and it took about 5 minutes to show signs of life. It took another 10 minutes of 'device needs to charge more before powering on'. While I was waiting I dug up a master HW reset procedure as I knew I was going to have a password to get around.

A few hours later at 58% I gave it a power on.
To my disbelief, it powered on and was unlocked - seems like the donator was thinking ahead!

In poking around in it, the data usage monitor shows it was last used between 2018-2019. Only 248MB of data was used, and most of that was from the play store (probably app updates).
I found 21 pictures from the camera - most dark-blank burst shots, some poor quality partial shots of the owner's face, and a 5 minute video of mostly blank stuff.
Only 3 pictures looked planned and they were of the room he was in, which looked like a doctor's office. He obviously did not know what he was doing.
There was nothing else on it to speak of - no music or downloads.
There were also about 12 apps running in the background (he did not know seem to know how to close them).

I got his name off his email address (his emails were still pulled up). I conclude this was owned by a very old guy; it was probably given to him while he was in the hospital or something. Very little use as if he had no interest in it. I do hope that he is still alive and well...

After it charged to 100% (about 4 hours), I plugged in a USB drive (has full sized port up top) and watched some videos - worked perfectly! Camera works and wifi found my router.

So now I have a tablet for showing pictures and videos, or simple net surfing. I could put a prepaid service on it, but I do not need that.
I will see how long the battery lasts - that may be the next issue since it is 'non-replacable'.

Moral of the story - always check the dumpsters. I am finding better stuff there than in the store!!

Oh - in curbside scavenging before big trash pickup, I brought home a working Samsung 46" smart TV (no base or remote). Need to see how well that works to see if I will keep it or sell it. Also got a walkman and a mini CD player.

Neighbors were trashing their yard sale leftovers so went to pilfer through that. I picked up a vintage sewing machine desk and a lot of housewares/misc to take to my friends thrift store in Plano.
Another guy came by and got a vintage coffee table still with the $75 price tag on it (75 at a garage sale?). Lots of good furniture was left but the truck is only so big. It is now full and I am heading to the store this afternoon to empty out.

We live in a very wasteful society. It really pays to scavenge and be knowledgeable on how to work on things.

 

[human]

That's Amazing!

Yes, we are a wasteful society but I'm glad to see that people (at least here in the South) increasingly tend to put things on the curb for others to grab before trashing them. A couple of weeks ago, my neighbor put a 2010-vintage Phillips TV (32 incher or thereabouts) out front with its remote and a note that said "TV Works". I now have it in my storage building but I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it. For now, it's just in reserve in case one of mine craps out but I may end up giving it to someone who needs it. I need to at least stick a set of rabbit ears or a spare ROKU box on it and test it out.

I have no clue why the thrift shop would not be interested in selling that tablet other than they didn't have the expertise or desire to do a factory reset on it. The Goodwill stores around here have a facility where they refurbish old computers and such. That tablet would have definitely been sent there before being put out for sale.

Seniors are often perplexed by newer technology. I've observed this with my grandparents and more recently with my parents. It seems after about the age of 75 or 80 (individual mileage will vary, of course), a technological regression seems to occur and people lose the ability to absorb new technologies as they come out and sometimes even forget how to use technology that has come out within the past 20 years or so. My grandmother needed a new TV when she was in her late 80s or maybe 90 and my dad searched to find one that had the fewest possible buttons on the remote (power, volume up/down, channel up/down, mute and menu). Anything more than that was too confusing. When Dad was in his early 80s (he died just before he turned 84), my sister got him a smart phone, which he couldn't fathom and just left on the kitchen counter, plugged into the charger. My mom, who turned 86 a few weeks ago, laments the fact that she no longer knows how to do things on a PC that were once second nature to her. My sister, wisely, got her a Chromebook a couple of years ago, which she really can't mess up.