Terry ....Wesinghouse upright

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Question

On some of the older machines for which parts and supplies are non-existent (or very difficult to obtain), do you collect them mainly for their historic/collectible value? I know that sounds dumb? I guess my question is -- do some people collect vacuums even though they may not be fully functional? I'm assuming (and perhaps incorrectly) that things like brushrolls for your Westinghouse are no longer available unless they were harvested from other machines. I'm guessing that someone who is very skilled could make some parts too. I really like to play with my vacuums but I think it would be fun to own some for historic/collectible reasons too -- like your Westinghouse. That's got to be pretty rare and worth collecting without using too!
 
I collect

for fun and also for historical reasons....I just got the westinghouse and haven't even plugged it in yet
 
I do too. Or did lol.
I had an old Kenmore hand vac that worked but the brushes on the brushroll were almost non existant, and an old Hoover (model 45 I think) Lucy had one like it in one episode. I didn't use that one either except once in a while to keep the bearings good Id turn it on. My dad decided to pitch them when I was on vacation because "I never used them anyway" I don't think I was ever so mad in my life. I wanted to go to the dump and see if I could find it lol. I havent come across one sence,except for 1or2 on e-bay and they went way out of my legue.Like 400.00 and one 700something, I paid *.00 for mine at a thrift shop when I was 13.
 
BOTH!!

Although I do love to play with my machines (to take them for periodic test drives!) I LOVE the historic value and the way (especially a chronological collection) documents the journey and the industrial progression of vacuums and other mechanical apparatus.
Rick
 
Brian, first off it was great to meet you this past weekend!! Thanks so much for sharing the pictures of your new Westinghouse find with us!! The base on yours looks like it is metal where on the ones that Rick and I have are bakealite. Is there any model number on yours? What kind of condition is the brushroll in?
 
Hey Eric:

I collect for the aesthetics (and love having full sets). Alot of my machines have never even been plugged in. They are in good shape physically and thats what counts to me.

Doug
 
Why Collect?

I have a relatively small collection compared to some other collectors, and, at least so far, have tried to get regular, light use out of my vacuums. I'd never use them for a prolonged period, or for really heavy cleaning, but I do like to use them. None of my machines are what you'd call "really" old or rare (the oldest is 44 years old), but they're all in good cosmetic condition and I'd like to keep them that way as much as possible, because I do enjoy the design progression and aesthetic side of collecting too.
 
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