vintage Whirlpool Vacuum on eBay

[electrolux137]

I do believe this is the most I've ever seen an old vacuum cleaner go for.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/165616480328?hash=item268f82f048:g:H6QAAOSw24hi8DvD

 

[electrolux137]

Sorry, I posted this to the wrong department. That's what I get for trying to do the Internet on my phone!

 

[kloveland]

The seller is a great guy and a member. Hopefully the transaction goes through. I know sometimes people bid high amounts then never pay.

 

[bnsd60m9200]

i saw a u4085 bicentenntial convertible (wasnt even NIB, but just in the box) sell for $5600 in 2018. unfortunately there are a few rich closet collectors who take all the nice toys.

 

[kloveland]

Well, I think we are still a free country! I've seen people complain on here about other collectors who are fortunate enough to bid high on rare eBay items! I don't hold that against them. Some people work very hard in life to get where they are! Life isn't fair!

 

[electrolux137]

Well, I'm not questioning the integrity of the seller nor the economic status of any buyers. I was just shocked at how high this auction went.

 

[huskyvacs]

Yeah someone here mentioned that before - I think it might have been Tom? There is 1 or 2 collectors that are in a high income bracket job and they buy vacuums for insane prices, hoard them away, and then you never see that vacuum ever again.

I will say this much - if you look hard enough you can find rare vacuums for cheap when you know what you're doing. I bought a United Way Electrolux Model G from a seller in a town of only 150 people and it only cost me $50 w/ shipping incl. I also got a Oreck Radio Vac for only $90 a couple years ago - I love that vacuum to death!

 

[eurekaprince]

There is a label on this Whirlpool that says it was distributed by the Oreck company. Did this relationship have something to do with Oreck buying the rights to that early Whirlpool upright design?

 

[eurekaprince]

Never mind…found the answer: David Oreck was working for RCA at the time, and he created his company when he or RCA Whirlpool bought the North American rights to the design for a lightweight upright from McDonald Electric in Hannover, West Germany. Not sure exactly what the corporate relationship was between the three companies: McDonald Electric, RCA Whirlpool and Oreck.

 

[luxlife]

RCA Whirlpool wanted to shut down the vacuum division

This occurred after the limited success of Whirlpool’s CVR uprights, which were essentially a Kenmore PowerMate nozzle fitted with a fan blade for airflow. This is when David Oreck got his company off the ground and began selling the German made Orecks, predecessors of the “8 pound hotel upright”..

 

[dysonman1]

You'll note that was the 'old' power nozzle design as well as 'old' canister design. Sears was NOT about having Whirlpool sell power nozzle canisters if they could at all help it. Sears was selling every PowerMate canister they could obtain at that point in the 1960's.

Wouldn't it be nice if that vacuum were on display and the general public and collectors could plug it in, turn it on, and see what it would have been like to own one of them? It would. But that's NOT what's going to happen to that machine. It will never see the light of day again.

Thanks to my friend Alex B., I at least can use the power nozzle with a machine that would have had the same motor as the Whirlpool.

 

[luxlife]

And…

Yours is in better shape too. That machine on eBay looked haggard and tired! Well good luck to the new owner. If he wants to source any replacement parts, he’ll need it. [this post was last edited: 8/16/2022-15:41]

 

[gottahaveahoove]

Yes, Kenny

That seller IS a very good guy.  He is the reason I joined The VCCC in the first place.


 

 

[dysonman1]

John

The Whirlpool from eBay was the Lady Kenmore in a different color. My husband thinks it's heavy to push. And, it is.

The Whirlpool has a cracked hose connector on the front of the machine. Sliced pig-tail cord. And worn brush roll. I have a brand new brush roller for that power nozzle in my stock of NOS brushes. Wonder how the bearings sound on that $3049.00 Whirlpool? We'll never know. Off to the silo it goes.

 

[gottahaveahoove]

This seller is also

the man I GAVE that GE one.Everyone seems to go crazy over that model).  I was glad to gift it to him.  He has a vast 'array' of machines..all models, styles, etc.


He even has 2 Os!

 

[dysonman1]

I guess Sears wasn't going to give up all the things that made it a "Lady" Kenmore.
The direct connect hose and pistol grip handle. The full bag indicator and two-speed switch were on the front for ease of use. The extra wands stored under the machine. All the tools rode along. It even used a much different bag/bag change set up than the Whirlpool.

The Theme for the Vacuum Cleaner Collectors Convention next month is Power Nozzle Canisters. My favorite kind of vacuum.

 

[luxlife]

My favorite kind too!

I grew up with my grandmother’s Lux 1205. It was so ahead of its time.

 

[centralvacs1928]

CELOC

I remember seeing the 1990s orange Oreck canister called the "Celoc" (pronounced see-lock?) and didn't Oreck also use that word to describe the filter bags on the uprights?

Interesting to see that it originated with Whirlpool. Anyone know what it meant? Was it an acronym?

Amazing to see what this one sold for. I bet the seller was very happy!

 

[eurekaprince]

Thanks for that information Luxlife.

I'm so curious as to who was first with the design: Whirlpool in the USA or McDonald Electric in West Germany? And what is the year that this design made its debut? It looks like one company copied the configuration from the other....but which one originated the concept and when?

I ask this because I actually love my Hoover Platinum Lightweight upright...it actually performs as well as much heavier uprights. The concept is also very simple -and makes a great "carpets only" companion cleaner to a suction only canister.

 

[luxlife]

Don’t quote me but…

I think Whirlpool’s design was first because of similar models that were sold under the Kenmore name in the in the 1960’s. This is not my expertise and I’m sure someone will correct me.

 

[eurekaprince]

Thanks Luxlife....sorry for the thread hijack friends! Gotta keep focused on that early Whirlpool power nozzle vac....

So sad that Whirlpool and Sears Kenmore are out of the picture now....they both sold some amazing American vacs.

 

[dysonman1]

If you think about it, Whirlpool was private labeling a lot at that time. Kenmore certainly. But they also took the power nozzle they were making for Sears in the mid 1960's, added a fan to the neck, and added a red bag to the handle, calling it an Advance. They added a hard bag compartment and called it a Kenmore. They added a wand and called it a power nozzle. Before the Oreck was an "Oreck" it was a black Whirlpool. Oreck sold it as a Whirlpool, then changed to McDonald Electric when Whirlpool discontinued making any other vacuum than for Sears.

 

[luxlife]

So what you’re saying is….

The black metal CVR upright that was a direct copy of the PowerMate was also a McDonald? I’ve only ever seen the McDonalds as the Gen2 version of the CVR with the plastic hood and handle release lever. I owned one of those black CVRs with the houndstooth looking outer bag. It was horrible and died a painful death. I was more impressed with the later, German made CVR. It was the quietest Oreck I ever used. It had a slow wind up and then the motor would just purr, but you’d never guess by looking at the ones on YouTube. I guess time takes it toll.

 

[dysonman1]

The German McDonald, also sold as the second Oreck model in the US, had nothing to do with Whirlpool. Whirlpool was busy at that time making Kenmore vacuums. Eventually, David Oreck began to make his own 8 pound upright. While similar to Whirlpool and McDonald, they all were really very different machines.