Regrets & Missed Opportunities

[broomvac]

So, who here regrets removing a particular vacuum cleaner from your collection OR feels stupid for passing up an opportunity to buy one?

I do.

One fresh spring Saturday morning 3 years ago, happily happened upon a clean maroon Hoover Legacy at a garage sale in my neighborhood for $10. Drove across town with my new cargo on board, had lunch, then for reasons I cannot understand today, decided to try selling it to the used vacuum shop across the street. I sold it for twice as much as I bought it for a couple of hours later.

Man, do I wish I would have kept it! What was I thinking? Passing up on having a Hoover Legacy is NOT worth $10 in my pocket! I was worried about having space for it, I guess. You know, buyer's remorse not for spending the little bit of money, but for "hoarding" yet another vacuum I, um, didn't exactly need. I refuse to keep vacuums in the open in my house, so I maintain a very well-organized, small closet to store my vacuums in when I'm not enjoying them. I like to keep them private--others don't need to know that I have an "unconventional" hobby, even though it makes me very happy. I should have sacrificed one of my at-the-time occupied vacuum "parking spots" for this machine.

The Hoover Legacy is one of my dream machines now. You begin to appreciate it only once you no longer have it. Sure hope I can run across another, now! The black model would be my first pick...

Anyways, if you have ever regretted giving up OR passing up a vacuum cleaner, feel free to share your story below.

broomvac

 

[fan-of-fans]

There have been a few vacs at Habitat I regret passing up. A Sunbeam Touch N Lock canister and a gray Kenmore Home Cleaning System with Spraymate.

Once as a kid, I spotted an avocado Sears Best canister in the trash, but my mom wouldn't stop for it because she was embarrassed. I wish I had gotten it as I never saw any since, at least not that color.

There was a Dirt Devil Broom Vac in the trash last year I think that I passed up and before that I saw a Dirt Devil Hand Vac. I kinda wished I'd gotten them but I didn't have time to stop.

That's about all I can think of, honestly though I have to be selective about what I bring home or I would be unable to move around in my house!

 

[kenkart]

Oh yes...

In 2005 The company I worked for, laid off all the security dept, so I was out of work after being there 10 years, ended up having to sell my house and around 250 machines to get out of debt, some I will never find again, im not much of a upright person, but I had a Eureka 255 that was perfect..Candy apple red and it matched the 800 canister,that and few others, but now Im going to thin the herd because I cant walk thru my storage building..LOL, I also had a D-272 Eureka that was perfect,several Westinghouses I would love to have back, I think we all have been down the road of wishing we had to do some things over..

 

[kenkart]

Oh yeah,

I had a MINT Sunbeam Dual Deluxe I would LOVE to have back!

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

I Have Several!

My regrets included having taken apart every single vacuum cleaner I collected before I got my grandparents' 1977 Kirby Classic III!

Among them they included:
Kirby 3C (1940-1941)
Kirby 505 (1945-1948)
My Mom's 1978 Kirby Classic III
Royal 801 (early 1960s)

If I could take it all back, I would have done a total rebuild of all the Kirbys I mentioned above, using the proper genuine Kirby repair parts!

And among the missed opportunities... not getting the 1980 Kirby Tradition from my next-door neighbor!

~Ben

 

[human]

There have been a couple of machines I've walked away from at thrift stores that I sometimes wish I hadn't. One was a Kirby Ultimate G Diamond Edition with its accessory kit for $50. It was just a little rougher than I wanted to mess with for the price. Another was an Electrolux Epic 3500 for $35. That one turned out okay because two days later, I found a Discovery Plus at another thrift shop for $25, Then there was an older Kirby that I spotted by the curb on my way to work one morning, but traffic was too heavy for me to stop. You just can't grab 'em all.

The only machines I regret parting with are my Kirby Heritage I that my (now ex) girlfriend "borrowed" in 2013 and my orange Eureka Princess that my (now ex) wife made me get rid of. I think I'm sensing a pattern there.

 

[fcs3]

Parting is such sweet sorrow

But what about never having loved?
I've tried for 4 different non-electric
pneumatic sweeper vacs over the past year
on Ebay and other auction sites.
Been nipped at the wire in the last second on
each one! (I'm beginning to think there's a
conspiracy!) LOL

 

[kenkart]

Pneumatic sweeper vacs

Pics please, I might have what you want.

 

[rugsucker]

Not a vac but an attachment set--

--for the first Raymond Loewey Singer upright.It was in the basement of a nearby antique shop in the last century with the cardboard caddy.I didn't have the upright then and thought all this will be here the next time I am in the area.The next time the downstairs was EMPTY!I now have more than one upright and have never seen another set of attachments.

 

[electrolux137]

~
~


Jimmy, I didn't know such an attachment set even existed! How did the hose connect to the machine?

 

[broomvac]

All,

Thanks for the stories! I enjoyed reading them, and I can see that I am not alone here. I knew I wouldn't be the only one. lol

I thought of another sweeper I should've snatched up. A couple of months ago, I passed on a Fantom Lighting, sans power nozzle, for sale at a thrift shop for $10. Yeah, that was a dumb move, too. Oh well; I'll live and learn. Should I happen upon another Fantom, I'll be sure to save it.

There was also a time I came across one of those monstrous black and blue Clarke Alto vacuums that resembles a Sanitaire on steroids. You know, the kind that turns on when you recline the handle. For $5, that would have been a unique save.

broomvac

 

[ultralux88]

Fortunately I've managed to make up for most of these regrets and missed vacuums. But I think its just part of collecting.

 

[rugsucker]

Charles,

The hose converter fit under the nozzle similar to later FG style Eurekas or hoover Concept.Singer along with Premier seemed to promote the idea of upright for carpet and hand vac for above floor cleaning while Hoover had the hose and'dusting tools'.The Singer hand vac could have a fixed straight suction nozzle or removable if used with the attachment set.Both the hand and upright Singer attachment kits had similar cardboard caddys and complete set of quality attachments.
Jimmy

PS!--I happened to be on the same road that went by the,now former,antique shop today.After an appointment I stopped at 2 thrift stores and found---an original LX,E,LXI box with 15 blue original'wrappers'and 1 filter!!!