williamr1248
Well-known member
This is a funny story about how your age can effect how you look at a new product and value it compared to an older machine.
When I was young our neighbor called us and told my mom to come RIGHT over for a cup of coffee as she had something to show her. We lived in the country so you had to drive to her house. For some reason, I went along too. When we walked down the hall and into the kitchen, out of corner of my eye I could see a brand new vacuum sitting in the bedroom.
It was the most beautiful vacuum I had ever seen. She had just bought a new Electrolux G with an optional new attachment to clean the rugs. I was stunned at how modern and quiet the new Electolux appeared.
My family were Electrolux users, so I was just SURE my grandparents would be buying one the next time the Electrolux man stopped by the house. Back in those days, the whole family lived in the country and they ALL had Electrolux's. It was nothing unusual for the Electrolx man to stop at least every 6 month.
A few month later, when I went in my grandparents house I noticed the carpets were fluffed up under the table. I KNEW the Elctrolux man had been at the house and must have demonstrated the new G. To my amazement they DID NOT buy one!
When I asked my grandfather (who was a farmer and very wise with finances) he started telling me all the things he DID NOT like about the machine.
Here were some of the points he made and I can still see him reading his paper as he told me point by point. I was so disappointed.
Compared to their XXX he felt:
(1) the new G has plastic wheels that would break, compared to the sturdy metal runners on the XXX
(2) the new G has a cheap,thin plastic step on switch that would break soon
(3) the new G had light weight aluminum wands compared to the heavy chrome plated wands of their XXX
(4) the new G had the cord winder instead of the easy to replace extension cord on the XXX
(5)the new G has plastic tools and their XXX had metal sofa and dusting brush
(6)the new G had the electric cord with plastic clips that would soon break off
(7) the new G had paper bags which required you to keep spending money where their XXX had the reuseable cloth bag (of course he was not the one that had the empty the bag).
(8) they had wool carpets and had no desire for the power nozzle that "messed up" the nap and left streaks on the rug. That was not a desirable look back in those days with nice wool carpets that had a very different cut to the pile than today's nylon carpets.
The point of this story is that when I read about a younger collector writing with excitment about some vacuum (that to me) seems like a worthless, cheap plastic vacuum , I try to HOLD BACK and remember when I was young the BIG difference in my view of the Electrolux G and how my grandfather saw it as a cheaper product and less quality than their XXX.
To me it was ONE beautiful machine and still love them today and they have stood the test of time like the Electrolux XXX,60 and G.
When I was young our neighbor called us and told my mom to come RIGHT over for a cup of coffee as she had something to show her. We lived in the country so you had to drive to her house. For some reason, I went along too. When we walked down the hall and into the kitchen, out of corner of my eye I could see a brand new vacuum sitting in the bedroom.
It was the most beautiful vacuum I had ever seen. She had just bought a new Electrolux G with an optional new attachment to clean the rugs. I was stunned at how modern and quiet the new Electolux appeared.
My family were Electrolux users, so I was just SURE my grandparents would be buying one the next time the Electrolux man stopped by the house. Back in those days, the whole family lived in the country and they ALL had Electrolux's. It was nothing unusual for the Electrolx man to stop at least every 6 month.
A few month later, when I went in my grandparents house I noticed the carpets were fluffed up under the table. I KNEW the Elctrolux man had been at the house and must have demonstrated the new G. To my amazement they DID NOT buy one!
When I asked my grandfather (who was a farmer and very wise with finances) he started telling me all the things he DID NOT like about the machine.
Here were some of the points he made and I can still see him reading his paper as he told me point by point. I was so disappointed.
Compared to their XXX he felt:
(1) the new G has plastic wheels that would break, compared to the sturdy metal runners on the XXX
(2) the new G has a cheap,thin plastic step on switch that would break soon
(3) the new G had light weight aluminum wands compared to the heavy chrome plated wands of their XXX
(4) the new G had the cord winder instead of the easy to replace extension cord on the XXX
(5)the new G has plastic tools and their XXX had metal sofa and dusting brush
(6)the new G had the electric cord with plastic clips that would soon break off
(7) the new G had paper bags which required you to keep spending money where their XXX had the reuseable cloth bag (of course he was not the one that had the empty the bag).
(8) they had wool carpets and had no desire for the power nozzle that "messed up" the nap and left streaks on the rug. That was not a desirable look back in those days with nice wool carpets that had a very different cut to the pile than today's nylon carpets.
The point of this story is that when I read about a younger collector writing with excitment about some vacuum (that to me) seems like a worthless, cheap plastic vacuum , I try to HOLD BACK and remember when I was young the BIG difference in my view of the Electrolux G and how my grandfather saw it as a cheaper product and less quality than their XXX.
To me it was ONE beautiful machine and still love them today and they have stood the test of time like the Electrolux XXX,60 and G.
