To the no-good rotten, rat-fink creepy, lousy EBay-er who done stole this Universal upright from me..

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crevicetool

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Congratulations!!! I really have no idea at all if the person with the winning bid is a vacuum collector at all, or if they are a poster here on the forum or not. Just thought I'd say...good job and enjoy.

I had my limit on this item and was surpassed by someone who wanted it more than I did!

Below is a picture from the New Britain Library. I didn't look at the original paperwork that Terry and I collected yet, but I think this machine is from the early 1930's. It's a model 585A

Have fun with your new machine. It's gonna look great all spiffed up! There's another one waiting somewhere with my name on it.

Rick

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290407958958&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT
 
Ohhhh Rick, what a bummer. I think everyone here knows you're "Mr. Universal" and I doubt any of us would have outbid you.

But as you say, there's another one out there with your name on it -- just believe that. One day when you least expect it, you'll walk into a thrift store or yard sale, and there it will be standing, waiting for you, all original and sparkling. Stranger things than this have happened -- just believe it. The power of the mind is far more awesome than we mere mortals can comprehend.
 
Charles is right, there will be another one! I am guess that this machine would not accommodate any type of attachment set. Now I'm wondering if any of the Universal uprights did?
 
tehehehehe......

Good for you Stephen! I know you had shown an interest in that machine! I'm glad it went to a collector. I would have been disappointed if it had gone for some "other" use.

Trust me, the real reason for this thread was NOT to show ill feelings toward the winner of this machine. It was to show that - with EBay, we can all still get along. There have been so many disagreements about this subject.

When you get a chance, do post some pictures of it!

YAY!!!!

Sincerely,

Rick
 
BTW....

When we saw this machine in New Britain, it had the ORIGINAL original bag on it. They were brown, with gold lettering in the form of the picture above.

Rick
 
It's on its way...

Rick, I did indeed win the machine and it's on its way, though I missed the courier whilst at work. I'm expecting to get it on Monday.

I didn't know that you were interested in it, though Charles said he'd emailed you about it. It was relisted after the seller pulled the original auction, due to a death in his family.

I know that not everyone agrees on this but I have bid against friends before, mainly at traditional auctions eg vintage rallies. There's one guy in particular from the mower club who I have bid against in the past. Things can sometimes get heated...but we're still on talking terms, you just have to put your business clothes on!

Usually, if I see something I want I don't tell anyone else about it. If I know someone who also wants it and they know I'm interested I usually have a word with them before the auction starts about how I'm going to play it. Sometimes I'll keep out of it..but I don't do it all the time otherwise I could end up keeping out of it all the time! It also depends on how badly I want it. Sometimes I'll let it go to the other guy...but not for nothing...I'll make him pay for it!

Anyway, sorry for you that you didn't get it...but like you say there's others out there. I was recently outbid on another Universal that made even more money - not sure who got that.

Stephen
 
EXACTLY!!!!!!!

The whole point of looking through auctions, going to thrift stores, etc., is to find these machines and keep them from becoming thrown on top of the junk pile. You don't have to apologize for having done your job.

I had been watching that item originally after getting heads up on it. I thought I had gone crazy at first when it ended before the auction time was up. I wrote to the seller and, like you said - he explained the circumstances for pulling the auction.

Then Charles' thread talked about how it had been missed. That's when I knew you were interested in the machine too.

We are all in this together. I have had more than my share of good luck when it comes to acquiring machines. I have, to me anyway, the most coveted Universal and a display stand to go with it!!! (Picture below) The others will come along in due time.

Let me know if there is anything I can help you with your new machine!

Rick

3-13-2010-08-21-58--Crevicetool.jpg
 
Nice picture!

Nice picture Rick, the blue cylinder appears to be in excellent original nick.

You're quite right in saying that, by running the prices up, we help to stop these machines ending up on landfill sites. Whilst would-be buyers end up paying more we're doing a favour for the sellers...and most of us have sold machines as well as buying them.

Stephen
 
oh and thanks BTW!

Thanks for your offer of help...though I'm hoping not to need any with this machine!

It's interesting how you talk of the original bag being brown with gold lettering. The advert above mentions a maroon and gold-coloured colour scheme. Are you implying that the seller swapped the bag on this machine (the one you saw in New Britain) after he bought it?.. or was that another machine of the same type?

Stephen
 
Perhaps it was maroon originally,

then it faded. This is the machine at New Britain. After seventy-some years, it may have lost some color over time. It looks brown to me. The "original" bag that the seller is sending along with the machine, doesn't look like this bag at all.

3-13-2010-09-52-15--Crevicetool.jpg
 
looks like faded maroon

Yeh, that's kinda what I was thinking; that bag does look like a maroon colour that's faded.

Presumably, the item on the right is an old washing machine with mangle. I have one a bit like that.

Stephen
 
Here's one I robbed earlier...

Is this what you were looking for?!

Then look no further; what a beauty, purring away...shall I go on?

Needs a good clean and polish...and a cloud of dust blew out when I first plugged it in..but it runs and picks up well.

Stephen

3-15-2010-09-35-7--hooverbaby.jpg
 
a view of it working on the bed..

Here's a view of the cleaned machine working on the bed. I had to take it somewhere out of the way, since I've already had a warning about Hoovers today and didn't want to create any more tension!

3-15-2010-15-31-9--hooverbaby.jpg
 
Looks great Stephen!

Is it hard to maneuver with just the one rear wheel? The terminals on top look frightening too! I don't think I've ever seen those before. Glad it got all the way there in good shape.

Rick
 
Very nice Stephen!!! I too am wondering about those terminals on the top. I sure have never seen anything like that before.

Terry
 
Just finished my 3 day 12 hour work shift!

Rick, it doesn't seem difficult to manoeuvre the machine, though I've only tried it out briefly.

Terry, the terminals do look unusual; I'm wondering if these may have been added at a later date - perhaps there was originally some other type of connector linked in with the holes machined into the casing?

Obviously, it's important to make sure that no bare wires touch the casing when making connections!

Stephen
 
I didn't take a snapshot of your particular machine...

except for the bag. That picture as a matter of fact, was just a bonus as I was really trying to take a picture of the blue tank unit only. Below is a picture of a machine that I did concentrate on. You can see an "appliance" type of connector on it. Universals were often as if they were hand made. I think whenever they could, LF&C used parts from other appliances within the factory depending on what was available at time of manufacture.

My theory is, as the ad says above, it was shipped in two parts, they had to offer a means for the customer to complete the assembly. Yours appears to have "farenstock" (sp?) connectors. One wonders why they simply didn't go with some kind of plug-in type device if as you say, they weren't added later on.

Rick
 
didn't post the pic did I?

Yeah, it's time to hang up the guns and put myself out to pasture.......However, notice that the floor polisher has the same type of connectors you have......

3-18-2010-19-46-20--Crevicetool.jpg
 
Those "frightening" looking terminals were used on several early brands of vacuum cleaners including the Ohio and the Franz-Premier (the forerunner to the Scott/Fetzer & Kirby).

This was in a different era when people were expected to have common sense instead of suing the manufacturer for millions of dollars when they were stupid enough to touch electrical terminals on a "live" electrical appliance...

"Warning: Coffee is hot and may burn your crotch if you spill it in your lap while driving and eating......."
 
The reason that I suspected that the connectors might not be original was down to the black insulators looking slightly 'chiselled' and out of round - the sort of thing that you might do in your shed at home..so I suppose you could be right about Universal hand making parts and using what happened to be lying around in the factory at the time. I'm not refering to the knobs on top but the little washers underneath between the terminals and the metal case.

It's interesting how the front cover plates vary on these early Universals; mine has a round one, which clips on. Other models, such as one in your picture utilise thumb screws to secure the plate, hence the plate is shaped to suit.

My Renew 'Hotshots' catalogue shows this design, along with another similar one.

Stephen
 

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