Why am I fascinated with vacuum cleaners?

[madman]

I don't know, but I'm pretty sure your local vac shop's not going to be able to help you with that. lol

 

[gregvacs28]

Based on descriptions above

 


It's sounds like that may well be the place to help me.  

 

[electromatik]

@stark

Tazewell???!!! Woot! Woot!

Born and raised near Grundy here. Howdy neighbor. Closest to home I've ever met. haha

 

[luxkid1980]

@completenutt

Good points. Those are the reasons I mostly collect vacuums. What type of photography do you enjoy.. film?

 

[myles_v]

I almost mentioned the gay connection but it almost felt out of place in this thread so I left it out. I've always felt like there was a connection to my sexuality and my interest in vacuums. Everyone in my family knew I'd turn out to be gay; I never played with the "boy toys" that I had, when on vacation or visiting family I always spent more time with my female family members while my male family members went fishing or camping, I was the only boy in the third grade after school knitting class.

I had plenty of toys when I was a kid but I was never interested in many of them, I always preferred the vacuum cleaner. My vacuums and my Easy Bake oven were my favorite toys as a kid. I think the vacuums almost provided an outlet for me when I wasn't interested in the toys I was given.

 

[completenutt]

@ Jason

From the same time when I was staying with my Grandmother during my parents divorce in the 80s, who was in her late 70s by then, when I first discovered her vintage (from the 40s or 50s, I think) Royal upright and became a vacuum enthusiast in my tweens, I also was encouraged by her to continue my taking pictures of anything and everything...  She even bought me my first Minolta SLR camera back in the late 70s and would happily want to pay for the developing (at Fotomat back then!) and buy more film.


 


I dropped the photography hobby in high school and college, because by then she had passed away, and it was a very expensive hobby back in the day.. so much wasted film and costs for developing and film..


 


I rediscovered my passion for photography when I got my first DSLR Canon Rebel T3, and haven't stopped since!


 


I'm more prone to take still life shots.. architecture, plants and flowers, sculpture... and now have a new muse.. My Vacuums!


 


I don't do much portraiture, as I would need lighting set ups, etc.  which I find cumbersome and limiting in freedom to just snap away at whatever catches my eye.


 


Regarding film, I'm all over the place.. I watch a lot of good TV stuff like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel or other similar richly textured and often period piece productions that transport me to another era, where I can get lost in the stories.


 


Thanks for asking, btw!!

[this post was last edited: 9/29/2018-14:49]

https://www.overstock.com/Home-Gard...ory-Brown-Wool-Rug-5-x-8/8569112/product.html

 

[completenutt]

[No message]

 

[rivstg1]

Completenut,

Like the photo is the 1205 model, rug is an interesting backdrop

 

[eurekaprince]

I’ve often wondered about the “gay connection”, too.

One theory I have is related to my mother’s obsession with cleanliness. It was very difficult to get her approval and the vacuum cleaner seemed to be a tool she used to keep the house clean. So in a roundabout way, with the vacuum cleaner being low to the ground as the crawling toddler I was, it seemed that the way to mom’s approval was through this magical machine she used. Since my dad was absent a lot in my early years, mom’s presence in my life was far more prominent and “in your face” so to speak. Mom seemed to enjoy using this cleaning “toy” so I determined it would be beneficial for me to love the toy too.

Beyond the attempt to placate a strong, scary overbearing mother, I also think there is a bit of a Freudian attraction to the phallic hoses and tubes of a vacuum cleaner, if you’ll pardon me for adding this graphic element to the conversation.

 

[honestjoe68]

@eurekaprince

Hello Brian,

Your last paragraph is Brilliant! I too had those feelings and the Vacuum Cleaner is a masculine, somewhat phallic symbol! And like gay men, the good ones suck really well! Lol

Not to disrespect your thoughts with my joke, but it’s actually a very valid point about your mother, that I have not really thought about before. But I too had a Mom who kept a very clean house, vacuumed a lot and I too wanted her approval. Wow I suddenly feel the need to find a psychiatrist now and share my feelings to see just how related they are to my Mom and growing up wanting her approval.

Thanks for your sharing!

Patrick

 

[eurekaprince]

Hi Patrick,

Thanks so much for chiming in on the discussion. It is certainly a welcome addition.

I actually am quite grateful for the years of psychotherapy I invested in (partly paid by Canada’s government health insurance, thank goodness). Finding likeminded gay cleanerphiles on the internet has been the highlight of my self-acceptance and healing from shame. Though it took many, many years of talking, reading, learning and meeting similar souls, I finally find myself in a place of centredness and “bien dans ma peau” as they say in French (comfortable under my skin).

Thank you to those wonderful people who have created Vacuumland and the VCCC - it’s an amazing support group for guys like me!

Now...never mind the psychoanalysis...enjoy life guys! And keep on vacuuming!
EP Brian

 

[gregvacs28]

It would probably be a good tool for mental health counselors to just refer their gay-conflicted clients to sites similar to this.
"Oh, I see, you're dealing with attractions to other men, you should check out the vacuumland website."

Problems solved.

 

[rivstg1]

late comer to vacs.....

I"ve only become a 'collector' as of 3 months ago! I started my vac interest with an Oreck XL in 1996 era......I had allergy issues but only knew 'so' much. A Rainbow person performed a demonstration for me after my first purchase of the Oreck....uh...'I think I wasted $400 on the Oreck' was my thought. Later, I got a Rainbow E series in 1999. Very impressed...but it was a tool....to remove dirt./debris/dust thus helping my allergies. I was a 'Rainbow only' guy ...bought a new one in 2012 E series Black and was content.

This year, I watched videos on youtube of an engineer doing tests on Kirby HEPA bagged vacs....really got my attention....couldn't imagine the air quality was BETTER in a room...with a slightly USED HEPA bag in the Kirby ( shown form the tests).... I like old cars...and older Kirbys have that chrome/aluminum bumper look....I got interested. Ended up buying one...newer..then an older one.....then another....to polish up...restore...and use. Then I read up more...watched more videos...learned....and started colloecting them.

So...I"m mainly a fan of Kirby/Royal and Rainbow....but I appreciate the others...and all YOUR passions on this site. So, I"m not a complete....vacuum nut, but I love this site for the aficionado's and their knowledge etc etc. As I"m learning, I"m unusual...I'm heterosexual... was originally 'into' vacs to remove dust=allergies....now, I ENJOY using them and cleaning....my wife lets me do all of it and doesn't fully know of my collection! haha . Later, I learned of the 'gay' connection here on this site and to these devices....odd true, but I don't have this since' I was a kid ' attraction to vacs I've heard of. I wonder if I'm REALLY in the minority since this is a 'late in life' addition.

Kelton