Hi John.
Thank you John:
The history of our club is an interesting one, and yes, it began with Hoover! Later today, I'll share the info on exactly how the club was created. Bottom line was that it was Mrs. Stacy Krames who was the director of the Hoover Historical Center who put John and I in touch. She also gave us a list of people interested in vacuum cleaner collecting. The rest, as they say, is history!
The reason John and I decided to form the club was to save fellow collectors from the endless search for information. Both he and I had acquired information as children. Looking in other peoples cleaning closets, saving magazine adds, and hounding shop owners with questions. John had spent most of his time digging up facts on Hoover, while I was interested in Electrolux and Kirby. In the early days, the club was a teaching center. It was also a place for guys to go and be free of the comment "you collect what?" When we were kids, the vacuum cleaner was not a nice device, and vacuum cleaner salesmen were like the dreaded car dealerships. So together we got the ball rolling.
Did you know that there was a club museum? No, not an on line museum, but a whole room full of vacuum cleaners? Everything from brooms, waxers, non electric, early electric, and a myriad of brands. There were posters, instruction books, walls of tools, and parts galore.
It's been an interesting 30 years, and one that I'm proud to have been a part of. As I said, I'll tell the entire story later today.
Glad you are a part of the club.
Alex Taber
