Why Used Vacuums Won't Sell

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kirbyclassiciii

kirbyclassiciii

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Is there practically no one who wants any used vacuums now?

I ask because I'm trying to get rid of a few of my vacuum cleaners, and the dilemma I face over getting more is because the garage at my house is full to the brim. No matter what I do, my goals of getting something in the future may be at least temporarily dashed with two more Kirbys on the way from my sister and grandparents.

I want to sell some of them but would like to get money from them as well in order to buy the ones I want in the future. I paid at most $25 for four of them.

I thank you for any suggestions in advance.

~Ben
 
It depends.

I've sold over one hundred vacuum cleaners through craigslist since 2011. With four and a half years of experience, here is what i've learned:

-People haggle. Don't expect to sell it for your original asking price.

-Bagless is king. It doesn't matter how old it is. Most people want a bagless vacuum and for a low price, aren't bothered as much by outdated cartridge filtered baglesses.

-Don't expect to always make a profit. Some machines, I lose a ton of money on. Others I make a good profit or only a couple dollars.

-Vintage vacuums are a HARD, HARD sell. I've never made much money selling vintage machines. Most people who buy vintage vacuums from me want it because of a vac from their childhood, or they are into vintage appliances.

-Vacuums over $50 are VERY difficult to sell. I wanted $130 originally for my Filter Queen Majestic. I sold it for only $30. Nobody wants to pay that much, even for a great, high quality machine. I usually sell a vacuum for between $15-30. If I get lucky, I'll make a little more. The most i've ever sold an individual vacuum for was $100. It was a Kirby Ultimate G.
 
A good argument for buying used

When I see all the used Kirbies on Craigslist, including almost new Sentria 2's for a fraction of the cost of new, I scratch my head at why anyone would buy new - or at least a new Kirby. I don't see many Mieles on CL and I've sold a couple of them with no problem - inducing a 10 year old canister for $150 and it only took a day. the machines I've sold that aren't so popular, i think sold because I cleaned them up very well and stressed the fact that the machine was clean in my posting. Nobody wants a stinky, dirty vacuum. At the very least, change the bag and make sure it doesn't smell when it is turned on.

On the popularity of bagless, I think people are impressed because the see the dirt every time they vacuum. I have a old Kirby with a saniemptor and cloth shake out bag and must admit that I'm impressed when I see what comes out of it. Though I'm sure it doesn't do any better job than my bagged vacuums and is a lot messier to clean.
 
Well, unless it's something special that is always expensive and hard to find nobody is going to pay good money for a used vacuum.
In 90 I bought my first Royal 413 canister with everything from a Kirky salesman for 200 bucks becuase my old one was beyond fixing and this one was basicaly new.
Since then I have nursed it along replacing parts as they broke or wore out. Recntly I found a Starks/Royal 4650 with everything and a bunch of Royal bags for 25 becuase the speed and suction control wires in the hose were open but it did work. I tried the straight blower part and the power head and everything worked fine in that setting and replaced the hose later.
I'm not going to pay full retail for anything, especialy used, but I like the older ones becuase they are built so much better and parts are easy to replace and find, except for the old Royal hoses, but they do turn up.
With all the plastic vacs going for less then 200 it's not surpring most folks wont buy a older vac for any money and all of them want a bagless as that's what all the comersials tell them they need and that they are so much more sanitary and don't spew dust in the with with their hepa filters.
None of my Royals have ever spewed dust either and the bags are cheap and you just toss it when full and don't make a mess.

I used to repair TV's for fun and profit but don't do that anymore for the same reasons. Nobody will buy a used set, all the older ones don't do digital or HD and are basicaly useless, and nobody does board level repairs anymore. They just buy a new board or assembly and screw it in. Most flat screens are done when they break and folks just toss them and buy another cheap one on sale at Best Buy or someplace.
I used to be able to sell a crappy working set for 50 bucks and sold plenty, a really nice clean sharp set would bring 150 to 200 easily.
Now older sets are everywhere for 10 bucks or free just to get rid of the heavy dinosuars.
Everything eventually changes and we adapt or die. My garage used to be full of parts and sets and now I've pretty much tosssed everything but still have a few cool peices of test and repair gear and meters just becuase.
 
You might also consider..

.
most people think of a used vacuum like a used mattress, kinda gross.
So they don't even look for them in Craigslist etc.
Also you can buy a new one (Bissell/Eureka) at Walmart for under $50. Which will probably work fine for the 18 months they need it until they move on to their next apartment, job, school, etc.
And hard surface floors are extremely popular as well.
If a vacuum is heavy, has a learning curve, or needs a belt or bag changed with any kind of regularity furgedaboutit . Miele seems the exception, Kirby has a fading(?) following, while Dyson /Shark are asked for by name.
Tacony may be the one who reteaches America what a vacuum ought to be, they certainly have my attention.
My off the cuff two cents painted with a very broad brush.
And before ya flame me let me say, i love the quality vacs out there, but i understand why they don't sell like they used to.
 
We live in a germaphobic society today. Many people can't even stand their own dirt, much less somebody else's. No wonder they don't want used vacuum cleaners.

I am continually amused by the perceived "convenience" of bagless vacuums because if you maintain them properly they're really quite high maintenance machines and a heck of a lot messier than a bagged one. I mean, what could be neater and cleaner than having all your dirt automatically bagged up for disposal as you go.
 
True! I was at Granmothers and the Kenmore canister (circa 2000) had a full bag. it packed hard as a brick before it lost suction. grandpa said he changes it 2 months ago, and the same thing happened! I taped the bag shut and pitched it. The only mess i made was that the bag cover on that vacuum never quite latched right. ill fix that one of these days. I prefer bagged vacuums. I dont have to mess with dirt or dust and there is the thrill of your Electrolux telling you the bag is full, or ejecting it!
 
Someone gave us a new Shark vacuum a few years back. I don't like it and it is banished to the basement closet.


I can't remember the last time I used it.


The loft and the basement are the only places that have carpet. My 1st and 2nd floors are all hardwood.


It helps that we have central vac as well :)
 
At the Sew&Vac place I visit bagless machines DON'T sell there-they end up in the dumpster-no matter what brand.The higher end bagged machines are the only used ones he sells-along with used good condition bagged central vac units.I would NOT buy a used bagless vac of any kind presently made.
 
I just sold my Electrolux UltraPerformer/UltraActive. It was about 2-3 years old and in good condition.
My asking price was 70€, but I barely managed to get 60€.
Those vacuums cost new around 200-250€. (Basic Classic straight suction model).
I sold it because I am not big fan of bagless vacuums and prefer old bagged vacuums.
I really don't understand why bagless is so popular nowadays.
Bagless vacuums are noisier and has less suction power due to the cyclonic system. They also require more maintenance and are messy to empty.
Also modern bags are so efficient at filtering and has long lifespan. So saving on bag costs is bad excuse to buy bagless unit.
For me bagless has only one good point. You can see how much you managed to pick up.
 
There are lots of cheap new vacuums to buy. Many of them look better than they actually are. So many consumer don't want someones old "dirty" machine in their home. Vacuum collectors are also very small group who know the quality / worth to buy vacuum when they see one.
This is my assume.
 

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