What Is Necessary To Keep/Save?

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bagintheback

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For the past few years or so I feel compelled to keep certain vacuum parts/packaging that most people would throw away. I keep thinking that it will be wanted someday by someone else, like a package of old Hoover bags that some other collector must have. Other items I refuse to use because of sentimental value. For example, I have the last bag in the last package of bags for my parents Hoover Elite and my grandparents Caddy Vac. I also keep the original belt from every vacuum I've bought new. They are only worth something to me. But other things I'd like to know if they will ever be worth anything, not necessarily in monetary value, to anyone else. Here are a few examples:

*Two years ago I ordered Hoover A allergen bags and received some in older packaging. I will need more A bags in the future, but so far I have not opened the older packaging thinking they might be wanted at some point. They might not, but I never see allergen bags in this type of packaging these days. Same things goes with F&G bags from the 80s.

*In my room is the box to my Rubbermaid extractor which I hope to keep as long as possible because the box is copyrighted 2002. I would not care much if I had received the machine in 2002, but I ordered it in 2011. Plus it might add value to the machine if I ever sell it, but more than likely I won't. Will the box ever have value?

I have many other things like this. Now the reason why I do this is that whenever I read of someone finding some sticker or box decades old, they are just thrilled to have it. One example that comes to mind is a sales paper someone found that was attached to a Fantom Thunder.

So am I going a little extreme on this, or it worth keeping it? I certainly don't mind doing these things. I have the space to do so, but I don't want to have anxiety about having to possible throw away wanted items.
 
I am the same exact way, and I do the same exact thing with belts on new vacuums. My grandparents gave me their Dirt Devil MVP and it actually had the original belt on it, so I felt compelled to save it after I replaced it.
 
I agree with saving things because you never know when someone or your self is going to need that exact part you had a year ago that you thought you didn't need. It has happened to me many times I will throw something away to reduce clutter and next thing I know I need the part. But in saying that I feel it has to be done within reason I can't keep every little part simpily becaus I just don't have the room (yet) but I suppose if I had the room I may keep more parts etc thanks. Zach
 
i sometimes have a tendacey to do this....

now mind you this is just MY opinion, weather its right or wrong is neither here nor there. with that being said, i don't mind doing that, but with much older items. like packs of Hoover or Eureka bags from the 60' and 70's for example. but they always end up getting used either in a period machine or in desperation. but if I was to keep that stuff around forever...i think it would drive me nuts....im already battling space, that would be one more headache. so id say if your gonna keep that kind of stuff at least use the bags and belts at some point...=)
 
same here!

I have a box of Hoover Handisacs in their original packaging, mothimizing bags, 60's bags too! :)! I also save the original belts out of my machines that were installed in them before I restore them. I keep and save just about everything. I try to preserve any remaining manufacturer, or salesman's stickers on the machines. I'll keep the original brush strips to send out to be re-bristled. I'll buy up boxes of old attachments in case I or another collector MAY need them some day! So you are far from being alone with that! In my opinion, it's part of collecting vintage vacuums! To many people these are "expendibles", and really they are... I just think it's cool to be able to save and preserve as much as possible! I'm a nerd, what can I say?
 
I understand what you are doing and why you do it.

I still have the original belt from my 1994 HOOVER Turbopower 1000 which has stretched and is glazed but I can't bring myself to throw it out.

Hell, I had a hard time getting myself to throw out an old blackened exhaust filter from my 2008 JMB SC1056!
 
Filters and belts are one thing - those can still be purchased online or at shops.


 


When it comes to parts and bits, it's always prudent to keep the bits that you may need in the long term. I used to have so many TP parts at one point, it was quite difficult to keep a track of what I had, but I kept the things that could be resold or use like chassis, wheels, grommets, hard box bag doors, tools (of course), hoses, height selector adjuster, pedals, even the spring mechanism that keeps the bag in place (where APPLICABLE). I also had a massive store of Hoover outer soft bags for my Junior, Senior and Powerplus. They've all been sold off now, but I think I have a still-packaged-never-unopened Junior U1104 face plate with the Hoover lettering in Gold. 
 
 Well no, but in its original packaging direct from Hoover which some collectors are very fussy over. I think it even has a genuine Hoover parts label on it. 


 


If you must correct me Jamie, try doing the same. I've just read your review on Ciao and it has been wrongly posted in the wrong section. If you had actually searched the site you'd have found that the models you've reviewed like the U2464 are already listed on there.
 
I know this is an older thread, but I've had this same line of thought! I always keep the plastic bags that the vacuum bags or other parts come in, particularly if that packaging style has been discontinued. Bags themselves I don't really have trouble using as there are plenty available on eBay, both newly made and new old stock. I think it would take years to run out of stock of bags for most cleaners.

Speaking of Hoover I actually heard at one point they were taking bags out of the older blue/white packaging and putting them into the newer black/white 2012 packaging! I bought some Hoover H bags recently which were in the new packaging but are green bags, so I suspect this may have been some of those "repackaged" bags. Why they did this I don't know, but at least it gave some people a job!
 
This was funny to see come up again lol. That Rubbermaid box is long gone but all those Hoover and Eureka bags are still in the same drawer. Those old graphics have sentimental value and aren't coming back. I'm sure there's much less in circulation now than there was 8 years ago! The Goodwills here are now mostly filled with late-2000s early-2010s stuff that's no fun. I've also gotten into the habit of saving pictures from eBay listings if they include the original box.
 
Cole,

yes, Hoover did do that. Tom A. and I saw them doing it at plant #2. Wasn't thwe ridiculous?
We saw the white paper bags get printed with the blue ink, too.
They'd open the 'old wrappers', and put the older, green bags into the new packages.

I would find all kinds of Hoover bags at thrift stores, etc.
I'm building a "display rack", like the one Tom Anderson has. I have the sign, etc. It's a great display, including belts, tools, fun!
 
I am always finding sealed NOS packages of bags and belts and filters at the thrift stores, and some with just 1 or 2 bags used. I never need to go to a vacuum store, lol

I use the vacuum bags if they are for models I have, but I save the wrapper and slide it into a sleeve protector with a piece of thin cardboard and put them in a 3 ring binder when the package is used up. Same with belts and filter packages too. They take up very little space, so there is no reason not to save them. They also have the old parts fitment numbers too which can help when referencing old parts sheets.

Last year I found a pack of Hoover bags from 1968! Never opened! I do not know what they go to but they are long and skinny, like maybe they fit a Hoover Pixie or one of those stick vacs.
 
Interesting...

I’ve found myself keeping some of the OEM packaging from bags myself, but I store the correct bags in them...so it makes sense. I mostly have Electrolux canisters in my collection so have a lot of genuine C bags, over 300 I’ve acquired from eBay, estate sales, thrift stores and so on. I do like it when they are in the original box and the box is in good shape..I have a lot of bags not in packaging as well so those get put in the genuine boxes If I come across one that is partially filled, this way I top it off with bags that don’t have a package. I tend not to keep plastic bag packaging especially from generics. The plastic gets sticky over time as it ages and breaks down.

Keeping things like bags, vintage packaging, advertising, and parts is all part of collecting and it really depends on the extent the collector wishes to keep such items. For me, worn out old hoses that are no longer functional, I don’t save. I don’t have enough space and they really are totally useless except for display purposes and since I don’t display my collection, but rather use it periodically, the hoses I choose to keep I prefer to be OEM, and functional, even if made from a newer material. If I want to see what the original hose for a particular model looked like, I can always find one on eBay and look at the pictures for posterity.

Many people have found original boxes for vacuums and have been able to sell them to collectors so while it’s just old corrugated cardboard with ink on it...there are collectors who wish to have these too. Those are the people who drive the value of an original box. It’s all a function of supply and demand and what someone will pay for that item.

Someone posted a link to a video of someone who came across a still sealed new in the box Electrolux Olympia and even the box was in fantastic shape and they ripped open the box and the packaging and unwrapped and put the vac to use in the video. Deleting a LOT of value to a collector little did they know. For them, they were pleased to get a new version of a vacuum they already had and love so for this person the value was more in having the item for daily use. For us collectors, we were cringing more than anything at the thought of how they were going to beat up a 40 year old unused perfect condition machine that is next to impossible to obtain for a collection.

I work hard to care formy machines even the ones I use daily to keep them nice, free of dents and scuffs, scratches and the like but still use them.

Jon
 
If it.....

wasn't for pack rats and old NOS stuff, we'd have to continually buy donor vacs to keep going. So I say a solid YES to those that pack rat stuff.

Unless of course you hoard(never sell, share or barter) and we have to wait for you to die to get access to your stuff.

Kevin
 

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