Author Topic: Vacuum Cleaner Collector's Club Convention Pictures (Read 9179 times)

dysondc16 · « **on:** June 27, 2016, 01:19:37 am »

I don't know is there is any interest on this forum, but I know vacuumland (which has not been associated with the collector's club for several years now) hasn't sat well with many of us on here. So I wanted to share a few pictures of the most recent vacuum cleaner collector's club convention. I have been a member of the club for a long time, and this was my tenth consecutive convention. They are always very fun.
There were many strange, interesting, and rare machines present. I will apologize in advance that I don't have pictures of everything, my phone has a bad habit of not saving pictures!

The convention was a week ago, with Thursday evening being the start and a time to bring in machines and to visit with everyone.

First, a few of the machines displayed in the convention room

There is a machine in this picture that was known to shock people. Legend (along with a lawsuit) say that it even killed a few people

I didn't get very many pictures of the other side of the convention room sadly

The raffle table, sale of raffle tickets goes towards the club and the last night of the convention we draw the tickets. If one of your tickets is called you are free to go up and take your pick!

Friday we went to visit a member's home and collection. I neglected to take any pictures there, but his collection was extremely well categorized and restored. Another collector who was in attendance gave an open invitation to anyone who wanted to see his collection. He primarily collects central vacuums. This is a huge central vacuum from a school that dates from 1918! It still works, is very quiet, but has enough suction to have 3 simultaneous users! The most interesting part about this unit is that the company still exists and still produces this model!

Later Friday evening we had vacuum competitions, where we throw muck on the hotel carpet and run three machines against each other. It's more lighthearted fun than competition but we do have a panel of judges and give out ribbons. I think you get the idea. We had quite a few runs that I neglected to photograph

Oh, and here's the for sale area....

Madrat · « **Reply #1 on:** June 27, 2016, 04:20:28 pm »

Which one was the shocker

beko1987 · « **Reply #2 on:** June 27, 2016, 06:35:56 pm »

I've always said that if I ever win (or play) the euromillions I'm going to bring a load of machines along to this one day! I'll always be too poor to go sadly.

I reckon we should have something similar in the UK, I'd be game for that. Be like Shitefest (I'll post about that later when Autoshite is back up) but for vacuum cleaners! I've mooted it before to the UK collectors, I can blag a scout hut locally for £0, but it would be in Oxfordshire, and alot of the collectors are young and don't drive, so that probably wouldnt work

dysondc16 · « **Reply #3 on:** June 27, 2016, 07:50:57 pm »

The shocker was the strange looking blue cylinder in the second picture next to the orange upright, the Lewyt Electronic. It was the first cylinder ever to have a motorized power head. It was very advanced for the time, with a geared non-slip belt and direct connect system for the power head. But it had no built in rectifier and the current for the power head passed through the main motor first (as I understand it) and the current was carried through the extension tubes. This apparently delivered a lethal shock to an unlucky few. The resulting lawsuit basically bankrupted Lewyt.

Beko, If you ever were able to come I know the group would be glad to have you, but I don't even want to think about how expensive travel would be for you.. It was a stretch for me too this year, even traveling domestically. I was sad to see the attempt to organize the U.K group a few years ago fail. Maybe there can be another attempt, it would be good to see. It does take a lot of planning. I know we're very lucky over here to have a long established system.

I have more pictures to post, but the site is giving me issues again and I've been meaning to contact MVacs about it.
And I'm going to see a friend tomorrow who was kind enough to drive all of my finds back to Texas. He had rented a van to drive about 40 of his machines that had been sold to people, and it was cheaper to rent the van for a round trip rather than just up to Chicago. So I'll have pics of those soon!

dysondc16 · « **Reply #4 on:** June 27, 2016, 08:15:04 pm »

Also Beko, I'm looking forward to any explanation for those "autoshite" videos on your channel! I assume it's another forum you are a part of?

beko1987 · « **Reply #5 on:** June 27, 2016, 08:22:12 pm »

Yes! Did you enjoy them? Was a top weekend! The forum has had an ftp (failure to proceed) today, problem with the server centre it sits on apparently, ill put a link up so you can see when its back up!

I dread to think of the cost of shipping machines over to the US, but if I could I would!

dysondc16 · « **Reply #6 on:** June 27, 2016, 08:29:03 pm »

Indeed! Very fun to watch everyone messing around with that JCB, not to mention the bus maneuvering that was somewhat nerve racking. I look forward to taking a look when the site is back up.

Shipping vacuum cleaners domestically is expensive enough! I have a bad habit of acquiring way too many new machines at these conventions. So let's just say I'm a pro at packing them now! Luckily thanks to my friend I didn't have to this year! Although the lack of that hinderance did open the flood gates a bit

beko1987 · « **Reply #7 on:** June 27, 2016, 09:03:46 pm »

The Jcb was class, we had to jump the starter off the battery to get it started every time, and it was low on hydraulic fluid so was Jerky as crap.

We got one of the old cars going too but I didn't film that as I was too busy laughing at other stuff and ogling other cars!

dysondc16 · « **Reply #8 on:** June 28, 2016, 12:34:17 am »

That's the same reason I was such a bad camera man at the vacuum convention!

I just finished watching the videos of all the cars trying to escape that muddy field. Now that was entertaining!

dysondc16 · « **Reply #9 on:** June 30, 2016, 01:52:14 am »

Here's the haul. My storage space is

beko1987 · « **Reply #10 on:** June 30, 2016, 10:15:59 am »

Wow! Thats a good haul. We never got interesting Hoover's over here, always liked the look of that dial a matic with handy vac built in! And the Celebrity with powered turbo head!

I know what you mean about no storage though, our shed has the perfect burglar alarm built in, you open the door and everything falls out and wakes the whole neighborhood!

dysondc16 · « **Reply #11 on:** June 30, 2016, 03:43:31 pm »

Quote from: beko1987 on June 30, 2016, 10:15:59 am

Wow! Thats a good haul. We never got interesting Hoover's over here, always liked the look of that dial a matic with handy vac built in! And the Celebrity with powered turbo head!

That hoover would be a concept two, a very weird and not too common cleaner. I now have both versions. The blueish grey one has electronic speed control. And luckily they run well enough, just need belts and their brushrolls greased. With these, the tools for the hand vac store on a carrier that hangs off the back of the bag, and to use the hand vac you pull the cord out of the upright and plug it into the hand vac.

I cleaned up the celebrity yesterday and found the rest of the tools. It didn't need a full strip down but I did disassemble the front control panel as the suction selector switches were stuck! Hoover U.S had a habit of cheating with suction control, those buttons just open up vents on the bag casing! Sadly the power head is a lost cause, the motor isn't securing properly so it shifts with the tension of the belt making the belt rub everywhere!
Too bad you only ever got the bottom of the line boring celebrity's over there!

Some of the pictures I haven't posted yet are of another collector's home that we visited. He had a small collection of proper British Hoovers that I got to use, I can see why the turbopower is so loved! You most certainly DID get interesting hoovers over there!

Quote from: beko1987 on June 30, 2016, 10:15:59 am

I know what you mean about no storage though, our shed has the perfect burglar alarm built in, you open the door and everything falls out and wakes the whole neighborhood!

Now just put some kirbys on top and you can trap or injure any burglar!