Why am I fascinated with vacuum cleaners?

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niclonnic

niclonnic

Well-known member
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May 19, 2014
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577
Location
Bonney Lake, WA
Today, one of my coworkers asked me why I'm fascinated with vacuum cleaners. I told him that it's a complicated thing and hard to explain. He was wondering if I grew up around vacuum cleaners.

I have to admit, I have Asperger's, and one perk of it is becoming interested in very bizarre things that most other people wouldn't care about, such as vacuum cleaners, particularly Fantoms.

Anyway, it's very hard for me to share with others that I'm into vacuum cleaners. I have a feeling most people would be baffled by it. Vacuumland has helped a lot; it shows that I'm not the only one with such a weird hobby.

What are some tips for explaining to someone that I'm into vacuums?
 
My long time friend asked me the same thing just yesterday!

Here's exactly what I told him:


 


HI Jeff!  A couple of factors, I guess.  The first is that I have always been fascinated by appliances since I was little (even before you knew me).   I love figuring out how things work and then using them.. dishwashers, vacuums, cars.. I have a killer high end espresso machine now that I use multiple times daily.. so, that's one factor.


 


In addition, they're friggin' gorgeous examples of vintage engineering and quality craftsmanship that give a sense of thoughtfulness of a bygone era.  I could never have afforded one new, the were the equivalent of over a thousand dollars each when they were new.. people went on payment plans.  It was a time when people invested more in quality, or items were new and in demand and became coveted new ways of house keeping, etc.


 


So, needless to say they work well, will last for years, probably the rest of my life and I'll have to leave them to someone!  And finally, they are an affordable hobby, and great subjects for my other hobby.. Photography!

[this post was last edited: 9/14/2018-18:41]

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Tips for explaining something like that?

Keep it simple. You like the way they look, you like the way they sound, you appreciate their mechanical beauty, or whatever reasons you have, etc.

Also, 'did you grow up around vacuum cleaners?' Isn't that kind of a silly question? Like, first of all, who didn't? And second, like, while I grant that's usually (and almost certainly) a factor, kids grow up around a lot of things and don't necessarily become obsessed with them.

Anyhow, tip number 2 is to act like it's the most normal thing in the world. Especially if you're 'coming out' about it. Just come out and say it 'Oh yeah, I collect vacuum cleaners, it's my hobby.' Just like it's totally normal... even if you feel kind of awkward or embarrassed about it. To be fair, just remember that it IS pretty normal compared to some things. It's not like it's offensive or disgusting or something. Is it weird? Yes, but that's a good thing, it makes you unique.
 
I like things that do their job well and are built like tanks, plus are serviceable and easy to fix. I like cars, computers, electronics, vacuums, washer and dryers, anything I can work on and modify to my liking. Actually I like tons of things and always try to find the best whatever for my money. I like to tear things down, figure out how they work and why and that way if needed I can fix or modify it to do what I want.
 
special kind of hobby

I have always been fascinated whit how things work why? how ? ect Is question i have in my mind . I love the quality ,styling ,sound ,feel of the older metal attachments , the hose .Also its older than me and works well like many older cars, it takes a special kind of people to appreciate those things and keep em in good shape .I told my friend yes i have 4 vacuums cleaner he said why 4 ?3 of them are older machine that i fix up for fun, i hate to see some thing go to waste if i can fix it i will.And its a fun hobby and photography plays into it also, i grew up whit people who like to have some thing well made and dont mind opening the check book to get it. it was a :when your older youll be able to afford such quality appliances . You need to make sure to get one whit the features you want, test it try it out ask question your the customer . And now i have 4 machine that i use and rotate weekly or daily when ever i want to play vacuum or shine em up or fix em ect vacuumland is golden for those reason . So for all this and more i collect vacuum in my special corner of the basement whit all my machine tools attachments booklets ect ect .
 
I just avoid telling people about it unless it happens to come up, or if I have someone coming over to my house. I tend to warn people before they come over so they're not overwhelmed and confused when they see the vacuums lol. I honestly have no clue why I've always been obsessed with vacuum cleaners, but it's always been this way. The very first thing I walked to was the vacuum cleaner.

This is something I've always wondered about really, why we're all into vacuum cleaners. I can't put my finger on what it is exactly that attracts me to them, but I feel like it does relate in some way to my desire to take things apart and figure out how they work, similar to a couple of other replies. It is also a relatively cheap hobby as another response mentioned, if I had the storage space and the money then I'd gladly have a large collection of electric cars, one of my other interests. But vacuum cleaners are much cheaper and easier to store than vehicles, so they're relatively easy to collect. I'm also into security systems for whatever reason, thankfully they're quite a bit smaller than vacuum cleaners.

Getting back on topic, if it does come up then I usually mention it casually. I don't make a big deal out of it. When I was a kid I was constantly picked on for it, so I've learned to really keep it a secret from most people. Over time I've realized that most people really don't think much of it, I actually mentioned it to a coworker recently and he said something along the lines of "Oh okay, that's not too weird. I've heard of much crazier things"

Just enjoy your hobby and don't worry too much about what other people think, but learn who you can share it with. I've learned that not everyone needs or wants to know about me collecting vacuum cleaners, and that most people just wouldn't care either way. I only share it with people who I'm close to.
 
why I like vacuums

I have enjoyed vacuums since I was a kid, particularly how they sound. I'm a blind person, supposedly when you don't have one of your senses, you use your other ones more to try to fill in the gaps, since I was born this way I can't compare it to being sighted but the theory makes sense. I really like the sound of the older two stage motors, on the other hand I despise the sound of the high pitch screaming motors that are so common now, honestly they just sound very cheaply made, and in many cases they probably are. When I mention that I collect vacuums, people find it interesting probably because it's not that common. Interestingly I only like canister vacs, doesn't matter whether it's a central vacuum, backpack, tank or round, that doesn't matter since they all clean the same way, using a hose. I'm just not in to uprights at all and have no desire to get any of them. Of course, many collectors love uprights and that's fine, I just love the way canister vacs clean.
I'm also a collector who doesn't mind pairing up attachments with other vacs than the one they came with, I figure I will use whatever works the best for what I need to clean.
There are a few motors that I really like the sound of. I love the sound of the Lamb motor that was used in many canister machines in the 1950's and 1960's. The pitch of the motor is a "D"note or sometimes a "D flat," which could be caused by slight motor or voltage differences. Other motors that have a similar pitch are the motor in the Electrolux 1205, the Hoover Constolation, and the motor used in the Westinghouse canister. Another nice motor is in the Electrolux Super J and Olympia, you can tell that this one is slightly more powerful, the pitch is an "E flat" note. One of the compacts from the 1970's uses a motor that sounds almost identical, and the motor on the Sirena water vacuum sounds almost the same as well.
Mike
 
I have always liked both mechanical things and things that are old. My interest is not limited to vacuum cleaners, but they are the easiest to collect because people often do not know what they have and it is not an expensive hobby because I flip certain models such as Orecks for a profit. As time went, I grew pretty fond of some of the older and more high-end types. I keep most nicer models from brands such as Kirby, Aerus/Electrolux, and so forth. From what I have come to understand, collecting stuff runs in my family, so I could have picked worse things to collect than household appliances.

For years, my closest friends had no idea that I collected vacuum cleaners. All I had to do was keep them from going into certain areas of my house and they never knew. In middle school, I did a great job at making people think that I had fairly normal hobbies. It wasn't until they stumbled upon FanOfVacuums2 on YouTube that they knew. After that, word spread pretty quickly that I was the vacuum cleaner guy. When I meet new people, I only mention what I do when I think that they will be genuinely interested in it. I have found more people who think that it is cool than I ever thought I would, so it is not a big deal. If I do not think that they will be interested and they ask me what I do and what my hobbies are, I conveniently forget to mention my collections and instead talk about my interest in cars, for example.
 
My reasoning for my fascination with vacuum cleaners is psychological: I grew up in a very emotionally “messy” family with a lot of chaos and anger and drama....lots of what is now known as “Cluster B Personality Disorders”.

As a child, the household vacuum cleaner symbolically provided a cleansing mechanism: I was mesmerized by how our Eureka upright magically made the carpet I played on clean and orderly. Somehow, I fell in love with any vacuum - these were magical machines that took away the dirt and the mess and left behind a cleaner, nicer world.

And I guess it kind of just blossomed from there. I still get a calm feeling of satisfaction cleaning anything with a vacuum cleaner - especially dirty floors and carpets. The vacs are my heroes in the war against chaos and dirt.
 
I am not a big fan of cordless stick vacs. Much prefer corded machines.

But at least Midea brought back the classic Eureka Williams “flying E” logo! So cool to see that on a brand new vac! Now, if they would expand that use of the logo to ads and boxes and other places, I’d really be happy!
 
new Eurekas

Unfortunately Ureka is not what it once was, they made some of the best canisters in the 1950's, I have one, I think it was one of the first canned ham models. And although they were late to the game with power team canisters, apparently when they did start making them they were awesome, I'm not sure what their top of the line power team was in the 1970's but I think it was the canned ham, I think they had three series of power teams and each one used a different bag, not sure if the motor was the same or not.
Mike
 
If I may chime in...

I am one of the few people who was *not* totally thrilled by them when little. I had some interest, and I did play with my Mom's Electrolux, but I didn't study them fanatically. My interest in them actually GREW as I got older. After a while, I did know almost all there was to know about Lux. This was much harder during a time period prior to the internet when information came from paper sources and a lot of info wasn't available to the general population. I understood that these machines lasted a VERY long time and had great features and I grew to be more interested.

The best way I explain it is that it should be fairly obvious why a man would be. From what I can gather, there aren't nearly as many women who are into them. There are some I am sure, but it seems dominated by men. Men tend to like machines. Men tend to enjoy figuring out the engineering behind what makes something go. It usually isn't just restricted to vacuums. Most of us are probably interested in other machines and appliances to a degree also. I love dishwashers and other small appliances too. Also love outdoor power equipment. Why? Because they aid us in so many ways. There is something thrilling about flipping a switch and something comes to life and performs a service for you. Frankly I'm surprised there aren't more of us. Vacuums offer something truly fascinating. They create suction and most of what is in front of it will disappear. You can see the "action" as long as it's on.

And finally, there is a lot in common with a vacuum and a car. Both have wheels. Both have motors inside. Both have performance standards that can be measured. Both have features that can be compared. Many men are more interested in them than will admit because they are historically associated as an appliance for women is my opinion.
 
Have been since I was a child. It was the same with the washer and dishwasher, which was portable. But really anything that used hoses, or pumped water. Garden hoses, rain gutters, sump pumps, water fountains, plumbing in general. then I realized the electrical lines did things as well and started learning, and taking an interest in, electrical products.

As a result, I'm excellent at plumbing, electrical, fixing appliances, building, solar stuff, etc.

But, I have no interest in fossil fuel burning vehicles.
 
Greg

See...at least you did something useful with your fascinations.
I too was drawn to all the same things. For me though, including fossil fuel burning vehicles.
But I was never able to do anything practical with it.
I just admire them, and enjoy playing with some of them.
When something goes wrong with one of them, I have to run to a repairman like a kid going to their parent with a broken favorite toy.
I really admire when people can learn what makes things tick.
I just don't have an aptitude for it.

Barry
 
depends on environment

Some kids don't have a chance to experiment or are discouraged or even punished for "getting into things", which is really about taking an interest and trying to learn. As a result, these kids who had interests never had someone to explain to them how things really work and the kids can end up getting frustrated at that which they once were interested.

Came across this "case" on Youtube a few days back. Take a look at his video collection. It's mostly fans, vacuums, and small appliances. Some he demonstrates and often includes the proper names of the appliances in his titles, then he smashes them.

Am I wrong in thinking he is a frustrated, "closeted" interest, young person, who's afraid to admit he has interest in appliances? I mean, I've seen videos of people who simply get off on damaging things. They really don't care what the things are, and certainly don't care what models they or care to demonstrate them. They just want to damage things. Consider the state he's from.

Sad really

https://www.youtube.com/user/flushstuff
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That really is a sad sight

I think it's the most wasteful thing to destroy things that are perfectly working. I understand that this forum is about the preservation of vacuum cleaners. It's not appropriate to talk about destroying vacuums.

Random memory: When I was in 6th grade (2005-06), it was an off period for me. It was my first year in middle school; I was going through puberty and thus, things were weird for me. I had the most bizarre interests which I don't enjoy looking back on, and one of them was watching "smashing stuff" videos on YouTube, back when it was a new thing. In these videos, kids would smash perfectly working electronics, and as an immature 11-year-old, I got a lot of pleasure out of watching them. But then, just before school ended, my mom caught me trying to watch another one of those videos. One thing she asked was: "Do you want to be a destroyer someday?" I said no, and she told me to stop watching the videos, and so I did. Just a random thought from possibly my least favorite period in life.
 
The vast majority of vacuum collectors are gay. I'm always shocked when a vacuum collector isn't. In my life, I would say with much certainty that I've met probably a thousand adult vacuum collectors in person. Can think of only 3 that were NOT gay. And have met only 1 woman who collected 'sweepers' (Miss Tania).

People ask me EVERY DAY "why did you start collecting vacuums?" I find no shame in collecting vacuums, in fact, I meet hundreds of people from all over the world every week BECAUSE I collect vacuums. I'm quite proud of my collection and what I've done with it.

This is my pat answer to the 'why' question: Every dryer you've ever seen is a rotating drum. All dry clothes dry. The final design has been 'finalized'. No vacuum cleans the rug 100%. Most don't even get 50% of the dirt. As such, the design isn't finalized. There's all types (robot, stick, upright, canister, central etc.), none are perfect and none do the complete job. I'm always interested in how design affects efficiency. As such, the best vacuum design hasn't been designed yet - always looking for a better design to do a better job.
 
@stark

Hi Shannon,

I have wondered about the “Gay” connection too. I personally (in my humble opinion, so nobody go crazy on me! LOL) feel that gay men in general are more open to things that are typically “categorized” a Female dominated topic. Washing, Cleaning, Vacuuming used to be typically a Female dominated area of housekeeping. In fact, as a 50 year old gay male, as I was growing up, I never saw my Dad use the vacuum cleaner (other than his “Manly” Shop Vac) nor did he clean house or wash dishes. Now, in 2018, of course Dad pitches in where he can and has since done all those things to help Mom take care of their home. But this could be just a very small part of why a lot of vacuum cleaner collectors are gay.

Another thing is I think Gay men in general, when they are too young to worry about it or as adults, once they are “out” to everyone, tend to not be worried about Male/Female “typical or stereotypical” roles and ideals. I know I’m grateful that while growing up my Dad never critized me for not wanting to participate in sports, he found other ways for us to connect and have father and son time... he’d play badminton, toss a frisbee or other things so I would feel more comfortable participating in beyond the typical “male” sports. Now remember, I am not trying to offend anyone’s 2018’s time of hyper political correctness or offend women or gay men.. I’m saying in 1978 it was not “typical” for a 10 year old to be playing with vacuum cleaners or obsessed to the point I wanted the Hoover kept in my bedroom, but god bless my parents for allowing me to be different.

Another theory, the Felix Unger (Odd Couple) complex, I was and still am quite a neat freak and enjoy a very tidy home. I remember as a college student 99% of the other Males NEVER cleaned their bathrooms, or ran a vacuum cleaner or generally took care of keeping their dorms or apartments clean. So as a gay man and enjoying things very tidy.. a vacuum cleaner is the obvious item that would appeal more to me than a heterosexual guy of the same age. I remember a straight friend who was going to throw his vacuum cleaner away and buy a new one as he had NO IDEA you had to change the bag or belt or maintain it. LOL

But in general, of course all this is diffent now and Dad’s do almost all the same things Moms do and vice versa, slowly parents are allowing their sons to play with dolls or their daughters to play with a football.. again, I am 50 so I’m very happy to see these gender roles being neutralized.. but in my childhood my grandmother Refused to buy the Star Wars Princess Lea doll, but bought me ALL the Male Dolls as they were like a G.I. Joe and “harmless” for boys. OMG I’m sooo glad things have changed. Other than Grandma and if she were alive, she’d be 100, so 1918 was even MORE Girl/Boy gender specific in roles, play and behavior. Oh and to throw something else in to the mix too, Men who sold Vacuums Door to Door when my Grandma was a young housewife, that was considered ok as Men, typically had the majority of “working paid jobs” and the Wives, stayed home. So Grandma wouldn’t think anything of a Man selling them Door to Door, but I remember she was uncomfortable that I was “Allowed” to play with the vacuum cleaner. Thankfully, my Mom was very ahead of her times and she and Dad nurtured my non-typical gender interests. I took Home Economics, was in FHA (Future Homemakers of America) and was saving my allowance to by Vacuum Cleaners!

So, all this said, there is no one reason why a majority of Vacuum Cleaner Collectors are Gay.. and from my personal experience, I’ve yet to personally meet a female or heterosexual male collector. THEY EXIST but my online collector friends are all gay men, just my personal experience.

To me personally, I don’t feel anything is strictly male, female, gay, hetero or bi anymore in life and I’m glad it’s that way and to each his own in interests, hobbies and so on. But no matter what the reason, I’m so very happy to have this website and blog to chat and share and be excited about Vacuums with ALL of you, regardless of any title. We all just took the beautiful Vacuum Cleaner, for whatever reason and at one point in our lives said.. I love these cool machines and I want to collect them.

Ok, I hope I’ve not bored anyone or sound like a silly, antiquated old person. More than anything I hope I’ve NOT offended or insulted anyone either.. it’s just me and my humble opinions and thoughts and whether right or wrong, just thought it would be an interesting addition to this conversation. @niclonnic Nick, Thanks for starting this discussion and to all of the Vacuum Collectors here.. be proud of your hobby, fascination or collectible.. It’s OK to do something different.

Love and Respect to everybody,

Patrick
 
Glad to see that mentioned

As a straight guy who likes vacuums, and vintage appliances, and lots of antique/vintage things for that matter, I've wondered that myself.
I never knew there was a connection until I discovered this site!
I'm thankful that you've made me feel welcome here anyway.
Everyone that I've communicated with through this site, as well as Automaticwasher, has been very helpful and pleasant!

Barry
 
@justjunque

Hey Barry,

Thanks for sharing Barry and congratulations on your two hobbies and collections! I definitely welcome you and everyone here with open arms and non-judgemental mind. It’s great to hear from a Heterosexual collector, I would love to hear what fascinated you about vacuum cleaners of automatic washers to start your collecting. Do you have any insight you’d like to share, were you fascinated by either vacuums or washing machines as a child? I know that’s all very personal and I do NOT want to sound like I’m putting you on the spot. I just thought it would be cool to see if you have any different reasons or ideas about this topic.

Again, sexual preference has No importance in any of this, but it’s fun to see a common thread. It’s also interesting to see Dysonman1, Tom has similar experiences regarding vacuum collectors being typically gay males. Also, Tom I LOVE your points on the effectiveness and final design of vacuum cleaners versus something more simplistic like a clothes dryer. Great points and I agree with what you said, it does drive my vacuum collection desires to get the “latest and greatest” vacuums as they improve on the “Wheel” so to speak. Fascinating and thanks for sharing!

Patrick
 
Patrick

I did have an interest in vacuums and washing machines from a very early age!
I too, never had the slightest interest in sports of any kind.
I always liked antiques and old houses and buildings. And music. I used to play the piano.
My idea of fun was probably a toss-up...riding my bike, playing with my toy cars, or helping Mom with housework.

I like to say that I was "raised by women".
Kind of like "raised by wolves", except more domesticated. Lol
My dad had health issues that kept him from being overly involved with me when I was young, so I was always much closer with my mom.
Add an older sister, who was like a second Mom to me, and my two grandmothers into the mix, and the picture might become a little clearer.
Both of my grandfathers had passed away long before I was born.
And I have an older brother, but he wasn't around much during my formative years.

I don't know. Maybe that's why I've never really fit in with any group or clique or anything.
I wasn't interested in "guy" stuff.
I wasn't gay.
I probably had more in common with girls, but I wasn't good looking, so they had no interest in me.
Geez! I'm a mess! Lol

Barry
 
@justjunque

Barry.. Bring it in for a Big Friendly HUG!!

Thank you, and I’m so sorry to hear about your fathers health issues. But wow raised by women.. you are so very lucky and that is awesome how you look at your experiences!

One things for sure though.. you are Not a mess, far from it and in fact I bet most woman would LOVE the fact you have these “raised by women” qualities.. I would guess that’s a very desirable set of qualities a woman would want, in a boyfriend or husband.

Thank you for sharing and I really appreciate you and everyone here at vacuumland. I too have had great experiences and lots of friendly advice and chat.

Patrick
 
Patrick

Thanks!
I'll consider myself hugged!
I did manage to find myself a date/girlfriend once in a while, and one of them agreed to marry me.
We've been together since 1987, and married since 2002.
I often feel like she would prefer if I was a more manly-man, but she's stuck by me for this long!
We're an odd little couple, but we can't complain too much.

Barry
 
I didn't realize ...


We are THAT Gay.   


 


I need to get my gaydar repaired.  Does anyone know of a factory repair service that does that?
 

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