The perfect perfectly delightful email.

[aeoliandave]

This arrived this morning:

"Hi, Dave.
I found your listing on the vacuumland website after googling Electrolux 57. I hope you don't mind my contacting you. Imagine my surprise that we live in the same town?
I have an Electrolux vacuum cleaner Z57 which I bought at a garage sale in 1996 when I lived in Harriston and used for several years. It belonged to the mother of a friend. The last patent date on it is 1953. It has three of the attachments, the duster, the floor brush, and the flattened condenser tube, although I still use the floor brush with my new vacuum cleaner. The cloth bag has been repaired.
I want to give this vacuum cleaner away, and I was wondering if you might like it. I can send you a photo before you commit to taking it, but I live just over on Birmingham Street in Stratford, and it would not be difficult to bring it to you if you'd like to take a look at it in person. I was going to list it on line, but when I found your page, I thought that I'd rather see it go to someone who is really into vacuum cleaners.
Please let me know if you're interested!
Regards,
Leslie Watts
XX Birmingham Street
Stratford, ON
519-273-XXXX"

Of course I called right away and was on Leslie's veranda 20 minutes later...but first...

--------------------------------------

This would be a good time to make a mention about email inquiry etiquette. I get emails relating to vacuum cleaners frequently from all over after someone has googled my name or gleaned my email from the vacuumland profile. I certainly have no problem with this, do my best to accommodate and on rare occasions certain vacuums joining the collection have been the result.

Naturally, sometimes the writer simply wants to know if I can be of any assistance identifying or dating a vacuum or obtaining a new hose or bags and again I will do my best to share what information I have. As for price, it is not my place to suggest what someone might pay for an unseen vacuum other than "take your chances and try Ebay, Craigslist or Kijiji or donate the item to your local Charity Thrift Store." Send me a good picture, if you haven't included Brand, Model # and other complete information off the manufacturer's tag to spike my interest, and I'll do what I can to pass the information on...if I'm not interested myself, in which case I have been known to move heaven and earth to snag certain desired items.

BUT...and this is the nature of 90% of such emails I receive...the writer apparently has no manners, tells me nothing about themselves by way of introduction and thinks I'll be persuaded by their inarticulate punctuation, lack of grammar and/or miss-spelled 'twitter texted' message. Such as these recent examples:

#1
was wondering if my old vacuum is worth anything it is an Electrolux model ZB55 in working shape Serial # CA 4017836

#2
Hello,
I have a a 535 Watt Electrolux XXX which I am assuming was manufactured between 1949-1951 due to the motor wattage. However, I am looking for the original hose which is the only part I am missing. Do you have one of these hoses, or do you know where I can get one?

Thanks

#3
I have three vintage Filter Queen vacuum cleaners. How do I go about finding their date of manufacture? Any help would be great... Thank you!!!!

-------------------------

Notice, no "hello Dave' nor even the sender's name. I am not making this up and these have not been edited; there are many more inquiries 'twitted' in this vein. If any of these three came from Vacuumland members I trust you will take note of the reasons you received no reply from me nor embarrass yourself by claiming authorship. Oh how I wish I had an example of deplorable spelling or vowel-less texty typing but there are plenty of examples of this laziness to use spell check in our own Forums.

-------------------------

Now here I have a thank you note from a fellow vacuumlander, not because of the flattery (aw shucks, thanks) but because of the content that tells me a bit more about the writer which I can appreciate.

#4
Dave, was just browsing through my fave website, Vacuumland and saw the thread that you responded to. Very , very well written and by the book what I would have said and done, we must have a common interest I am guessing. Just had to write and tell you I was impressed. I see we also have common vacuum brand interest! Age 52 in California here, I don't think we collectors are that uncommon anymore! Take care, David.

Off the soapbox and on with the story...

 

[aeoliandave]

Leslie took the time to include enough information to pique my interest and during the phone conversation when she casually mentioned WHEELS I yelled BINGO!

We had a really nice visit at her home full of Mission furnishings, two exuberant puppydogs and a handsome husband who runs the Old Book Store downtown - he's a collector of vintage books so recognized the nature of my passionate eccentricity. Same age as I so there was plenty to chat about and Leslie is quite an accomplished artist painter, if I'm any judge.

Well, I took along my binder to show them where the 57 fell in the Canadian Electrolux timeline and pointed out the bonus features of her 57. I gratefully placed it all in the car and drove off knowing I had made two new friends who will be on the lookout for anything similarly 'vacuumanageable' they may come across in future.

 

[aeoliandave]

So, before hitting the Spa here's what we have.

A 1953-ish ZB57 with a shortened ZB89 green hose with an intact pig-tail intake fitting cap (usually found broken) with the 57 swivel hose end grafted on. Cord winder is the first all chrome flip-down version loaded with the original brown cord and a replaced plug. Leslie has the dusting brush around still to be found and the floorbrush she likes to use has excellent bristles but the brown rubber bumper is perished away, so I'll let her keep that. In addition the brown Bakelite dust compartment cap has the paper bag spigot still in place, which my later 57 with the brown painted cordwinder I got from Doug Smith does not have anymore.

If I read correctly Doug says the early 57 did not have the paper bag option?

Well, the Smith 57 has all the tools and the tool saddle in brown but now I have the brown fibre crevicetool, too!

Story about the repaired cloth bag. Leslie habitually would shake out the bag into her wood stove. One time she began to run the vacuum again and there were live cinders inside, enough to fan them into a small smoldering fire with smoke coming out the exhaust! She quickly removed the bag and plunged it into the toilet. It burned a small hole in the bottom of the bag and she skillfully sewed it back up.

Say Doug, while the new 57 is in darn nice condition it is incomplete and I do have the complete one with the saddle so would it be very very wrong to transfer the chrome cordwinder over to the Blue & Red ZB54? It's a sharp looking machine mated to a red woven hose and the cordwinder comes with bolt-on wheel assemblies to clamp on the runners so I'm guessing it was an available option to retrofit...I could even put a red cord in it. LOL The only perished piece on this 57 is the brown rubber handle so I will replace that with a black one from a donor 30/55.

My logical thinking always directs that such things would be done by any Vacuum Repair Shop in the day when things wore out and the customer requested.

And what sort of paper bag liner suits this Electrolux other than an original? With judicious refolding & shaping of the cardboard end, a Bag for an Air-Way 66/77 is a perfect tight fit on the spigot and correct length and diametre to fill the cloth bag capacity. Oh, and what 'vacuum' does it pull and 56 or so years? An honest 60" on the Vac-U-Tronic Tester!

What a treasure Leslie's email turned out to be.

Dinnertime and off to the Spa.

Dave

 

[shag]

Hmmm, Harriston you say?
Born and raised here.
Shouldn't be too hard to find out about this woman, or vacuum for that matter. I would just have to check old phone books, tombstones or the local loud mouth gossip. Give me about ten minutes, I'll have the whole story.

 

[shag]

Does she remember whose yard sale it was? That should cut my time down to 5 minutes.

 

[crevicetool]

I've had this happen as well.....

Four times for that matter. I experienced the same thing as you did Dave, all but the last time. Even that one did not go all that well. The first time it happened, I was actually a little "frightened"...how the heck did they get my E-mail address? I went so far as to E-mail Fred and Robert to see if the system was some how being "hacked". Assured it was not, I did respond to the folks - never to hear from them again. In all but the last case, just like you...no Hello!, no explanation, just "I've got one of those - how much is it worth"?

The first three times I was accommodating. I explained the machine in question as much as I could and tried to help. Then I got tired of it. Never a thanks, or kiss my @&&!!! The third person went so far as to get an entire history report out of me and repeated it almost word for word in a Craigslisting. The machine was in such condition that I might even question it...(you know that it had to be rough), but went on to tell me that they lived in St. Louis. After a few days, I looked it up. I could not believe what they were asking for it!!!

By this time I had had enough, and when the fourth person inquired, I will admit I was a little rude and short. This time it almost backfired on me. (Almost). After a few more correspondences, it turns out this person just wanted to offer it to me. We had made semi-permanent arrangements for me to go pick it up, when all communication stopped and I never heard from that person again.

So, I understand your frustration. I am happy that this time it worked out for you. Looks like you may have gotten an original painting too. (Referring to the picture frame on the parcel shelf of the Subaru) Glad you made some new friends too.

Rick

 

[aeoliandave]

Hey Brian! Leslie, as she says, got the vacuum in 1996 at a garage sale being put on by a schoolchum girlfriend that was disposing of Gramma/Mom's house contents. She gave me the names but I forgot to write it down in the flurry of a fast visit. I'm assuming the sale was in Harriston. But when I talk with Leslie later this week. when she locates the dusting brush, I will accurately note down the full provenance story for the record.

Dave

 

[aeoliandave]

Ah yes...the picture frame...

 

[aeoliandave]

There's practicably a whole new thread for off topic here, but since crevipoo is forcing the issue, welll...

Okay, judge me as you wish but when it comes to Domestic Decor Kitsch, it's hard to top over-the-sofa pictures. They are soooo on display at all times and of course are meant to soothe and provoke onlookers musings. I confess a fondness for these large format paintings, pictures, prints, silkscreens & lithographs in plain or over the top ornate frames meant to be viewed from a distance . Indeed some probably think one cannot put enough distance between oneself and this wall 'art'. However I find scenes from nature quite soothing and dreamable, a reminder of similar scenes and vistas I've seen in real life upon my road trip travels and often I will pull to the side of the road or to the 'scenic outlook' off ramp to spend quality time in wonder and amazement at this earth of ours.

As a solid fishy Pisces guy you might expect that I would have many pictures of the Sea but this is not the case. Invariably, Sea, Lake and Ocean scenes involve depictions of waves, from gentle lapping froth to crashing surf of Tsunami proportions. Due to an unfortunate childhood incident with undertoe at the lake, the creepy feeling of getting my legs tangled up in shoreline weeds and my brother's propensity to throw seaweed strands at me I have a great aversion to being held by the ankles with the threat of drowning. Annalists professional and amatuer feel free to comment but 'been there, done that'.

I love to visit the sea and frolic in the surf and sand but then I am in control of avoiding premature death. Why, when I fell out of the boat in the Sargasso sea like shoreline this summer my first thought was an almost overwhelming panic that I would be grabbed and tugged under by the mischievous Sprites of the lake. Then I realized I was standing in water 2 feet deep and common sense prevailed. But oh, the feel of mucky mud on bare feet! :-(

I spent my childhood preferably wandering/hiking in forests and fields around creeks and rivers and derive a great peace and understanding in a sun-dappled wooded glade or on a mountain side gazing across the valley.

My only other requirement in a pictured representation is that there be no people or animal creatures cluttering up the scene. Birds are okay as long as they are distant and not the focus but merely and scarcely decorative.

And so when I spot a potential candidate usually on display up a high wall at a Thrift Store and it continues to draw my gaze as I graze the treasures quite often the inexpensive painting print lands in the trunk or back seat. I inspect them for any scratches or scuffs that would spoil my contemplative pleasure before carting to the check-out. Besides, at close range this sort of printed on cardstock copy of an oil painting reveals it's cheapness and slapdash technique churned out by the hundreds/thousands for decorators on a budget. From a distance of 30 feet and more the artists' true skill and intent become evident, I think.

This is a favorite found a few years ago:

 

[aeoliandave]

Another one fully 54 inches wide. Way off in the distance there is a mist shrouded mountain, a common theme. It is Autumn and the falling leaves revealing the skeleton branches is so evocative of this time of year and harvest before sleep before rebirth in the Sring (Hoo Boy, what a dork! LOL). I like to see the bones of things rather than verdant greenery.

 

[aeoliandave]

gaze and Stare at this for a while and let your thoughts dri

This is the one got my attention today. It tips dangerously close to utter fantasy but once again, the Autum Theme saves it from banality. The awe-inspiring mountain range seems too close and out of synch with the gentle stream and appears mystically transported and revealed in a settling mist like some beckoning heavenly Utopian Kingdom where all is civilized and peaceful. If one ventures too close the mirage will whisk away in a swirling masking vortex of dry leaves in the wind...

A picture of two Worlds a mere 4th dimension and a wish apart...

Is there any doubt why my one and only Computer 'game' series is MYST? I have, besides all the 5 MYST games the later RealTime 3-D full 360 degree spherical motion MYST made in Japan for Ubisoft in 2002, for both Mac and Windows. It was not easy to track down and a friend found it for me...in Japan. One of the first new programs I installed on the Cube.

 

[aeoliandave]

Did you notice the similarity of the river bank detail and composition of the trees in both of these pictures? I expect I'll hang them on walls opposite one another. With 10.5 foot high ceilings the ideal viewing place to hang such grand vistas is way up near the ceiling so they can be appreciated at distance.

 

[aeoliandave]

Now, lest you imagine I am swamped by lurid sentimentality I also have 5 Group Of Seven authorized Oil Screen prints put out for Institutional Buildings such as schools and hospitals. Adapted from the Artists' actual paintings and approved and signed by themselves, I found these dusty and abandoned in a dusty back corner of an old highschool auditorium in town that was slated for demolishment within days at least 20 years ago. They are silk screened in layer over layer of solid oil colour to achieve the abstract realism the group Of Seven were/are renowned for. I have searched for and found the originals of then next two paintings shown, as well as in Art Books.

http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=group+of+seven&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

 

[aeoliandave]

Wish I could recall the title penciled on the back. I call this one Blue Mountain Storm Approaching.

It comes as no surprise that 'artsy fartsy' A list folks have tried every trick and bribe in the book to pry these out of my hands over the years but I know better than that. They are purty and give me great pleasure and will be left to the local History Museum unless gifted one day to a local buddybear.

 

[collector2]

Hey Dave:

Sorry I havnt had time to be on here lately. Nice find. Thats the fist brown fiber crevice tool I've seen.

As for the cord reel - no. Chances are it would never have been on the 54 as that was bottom of the line. Adding the cost of a separate cord reel to it would have made it pretty much the same price as the top of the line 57, which came with the reel and the better attachment kit. There was a halo you could get for the 54 in red though to wind the cord on. On the flip side - that silver cord reel was available as an accessory (with black cord and wheels) for the alligator skin model 55.

Doug

 

[aeoliandave]

I figured that would be true, Doug. To my eye the red & blue 54 is so pretty (prettier than the 55 imho) it cries out to be upgraded with a wheeled cordwinder with a red cord, tho the brown cord looks darn nice too, especially with a red woven 80 hose. The 54 cord halo ring makes it look like a fire extinguisher. And I don't need two tricked out 57s, as the one I got from you is so complete now with the brown crevicetool.

Ah well, we shall see when I have the time for an Electrolux Fashion Show Switcherrama.

Btw, were the paper dust bags for the 57 simply gathered around the inlet tube with w spring hoop, were they tappered to fit or did they have a round shaped cardboard disc with a hole in it? Ever seen an original paper bag?

Dave.

 

[vacbear58]

Info please

As we only had the "aligator skin" 55 here, could you guys please give us the model run down? And after this model finished, did you go onto a version of the pink/cream 65? I must say that to my eyes the 57 looks wierd with the crafter on cordwinder and those runners, although I do like the colour scheme. Any chance of some pictures of the other varities.
Many thanks
Al

 

[aeoliandave]

Until Canada's own Electrolux Chronicler Doug Smith chimes in, visit his webpage picturing the evolution timeline of Canadian Electrolux linked below.

Here are the residents of the upper floors of my own deLuxious Towers parking garage complex.

Dave

http://dkas1.50megs.com/ElectroluxCanada.html

 

[vacbear58]

Thanks Dave

For the information, pictures and links.

I am curious to know why these cleaners differed from the equivalalent US models in the period 1939 - 1957. And why did they change in 1957?

I quite like the different finish although the Electrolux "stripe" looks a bit like a throwback to 1930s art deco and those runners look SO strange to me, but then I am used to the low runners on these models.

Looking at Dougs site, I see there is a sort of round framework inserted in the back of some of the machine. What was that for please?

Your display looks great too, although a bit reminiscent of what a (sadly deceased) member of another forum described as TTOD - "Tottering Towers of Death" - although that racking looks pretty secure in your case

Thanks
Al