Thread Number: 1330
Mint Hoover 634 Discovered in San Francisco Vac Shop
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Post# 13577   5/8/2007 at 18:59 (6,197 days old) by buffster ()        

I thought someone might find this of interest. I stopped in a local vacuum shop this afternoon to scope it out. This was my first visit to the famous F & H shop several people have mentioned. The owner has a mint Hoover Model 634 (at least it looked like it was in mint condition to me, but I'm certainly not an expert on vintage vacuums). It's turqoise--I don't know if that model came in other colors. The bag and cord are not original however. I can provide more information if anyone's interested.

Mike


Post# 13579 , Reply# 1   5/8/2007 at 20:24 (6,197 days old) by air-waycharlie (USA)        

air-waycharlie's profile picture
Save it for me!

Charlie


Post# 13584 , Reply# 2   5/8/2007 at 21:16 (6,197 days old) by buffster ()        
Hey Charlie...

I just sent you an email with the details. I'm happy to help in any way that I can.

Mike


Post# 13590 , Reply# 3   5/8/2007 at 23:55 (6,196 days old) by hoovercelebrity (Germany)        
Charlie~

Didn't you at at one point or another have a model 634??...

:-)

~Fred


Post# 13591 , Reply# 4   5/9/2007 at 00:15 (6,196 days old) by buffster ()        
Fred...

I don't know if either you, Charlie or anyone in the group will be interested in it. As I wrote Charlie, the guy is asking $150 for it. I have no idea what it's worth, so I don't know if that's an insanely high price.

Mike


Post# 13597 , Reply# 5   5/9/2007 at 08:01 (6,196 days old) by hoovercelebrity (Germany)        
Hey Mike...

I'm just teasing Charlie... long story.

I do in fact have a model 634. It came to me complete as can be. Only thing not original was the cord, which I replaced with a genuine replacement.

Story goes... A guy came into the store to buy something newer and lighter in weight, and mentioned that his old machine was too heavy. My co-worker knowing I collect vacuums gave my collection a plug, and the guy made a special trip back to the store just to give it to me. I was part time then, and when I got to work, it was sitting next to the coat rack when I went to hang up my coat. My co-worker unveiled it in two parts... the cleaner first, then when I picked myself up off of the floor, he reached under his workbench and pulled out the box of tools that contained the manual and handle tag. I had to pick myself up off of the floor a second time, needless to say.

Here are some shots of it.

~Fred



Post# 13598 , Reply# 6   5/9/2007 at 08:01 (6,196 days old) by hoovercelebrity (Germany)        
Picture 2

The Glam Shot.



Post# 13602 , Reply# 7   5/9/2007 at 13:19 (6,196 days old) by myhooverco ()        

Hey Fred!!

I just could not resist posting pictures of my 634. These are such rare machines and to have them complete is even more rare. Yours came all at once...a rare find indeed. Mine has come to me in pieces. I got the machine awhile back from R.J. with the original bag. I have since found an original black Hoover cord for it and YOU sent me the green top and spring for the bag. I since have found the tools (6330) not pictured. I believe you sent me the book and the hanging tag for it as well. These were very pretty machines and cleaned like only a Hoover can clean. This was Hoover's "anniversary machine". They were inexpensive machines to sell at grand openings or for sales which celebrated different store anniversaries. This was the beginning of the "Convertible Special". The 634 had a cheaper bag set up (no zipper) and only a half of a bumper. They were only built for a year. Still it is a great cleaner in a great color scheme. Thanks Fred for your pics!

--Tom


Post# 13603 , Reply# 8   5/9/2007 at 13:20 (6,196 days old) by myhooverco ()        

Here is the back side...

Post# 13604 , Reply# 9   5/9/2007 at 13:20 (6,196 days old) by myhooverco ()        

Here she is purring away...

Post# 13605 , Reply# 10   5/9/2007 at 13:31 (6,196 days old) by seamusuk (Dover Kent UK)        
Very Nice......

Hey Fred/Tom

We only had the 638 in this design and its a fairly rare beast.

Does this have a dump bag or paper inner?.

I think ive read somewhere on a previous post these used a 63 stamped chassis and the 4 was added in ink- am I imagining this lol?

Seamus

P.s Tom I will sort those pics soon- been hetic with family stuff etc!


Post# 13607 , Reply# 11   5/9/2007 at 15:06 (6,196 days old) by buffster ()        
Hey guys nice vacuums...

That's it--the one I saw yesterday. Thanks for posting your pics.

Fred, what a nice surprise from your coworker! And, it sounds like you lucked out too Tom. At some point, I need to get my first Hoover upright. The closest I've gotten to having one was the few we went through at my fraternity house in college (Sigma Chi to any brothers out there). You can imagine how much abuse they got. Needless to say, they never lasted very long.

Mike


Post# 13611 , Reply# 12   5/9/2007 at 16:27 (6,196 days old) by rexairman ()        

My mother and my paternal grandmother both bought new 634's. My mother traded in my first toy, the 150 her mother had bought new. A black cord is correct on this model so that may be the original cord. Can't tell from the pic.

Post# 13618 , Reply# 13   5/9/2007 at 20:28 (6,196 days old) by luxg ()        

Fred, that was sure a lucky day for you. Is the bag orginal as well??

Post# 13624 , Reply# 14   5/9/2007 at 23:13 (6,195 days old) by hoover28 (Oneida N.Y.)        
wow nice 634s

thanks for the pictures, now I know what the oringal bag should look like as mine is missing the oringal one. I think I have a bag slide for it. now I would like to find an oringal bag for it.


chris


Post# 13635 , Reply# 15   5/10/2007 at 07:51 (6,195 days old) by air-waycharlie (USA)        

air-waycharlie's profile picture
Mike,

I may have to spring the $150 for the 634 after all! Maybe I can negotiate the price down just a bit!

Interesting to note, that, at the Louisville convention, John Young gave me a 634 that needed some cosmetics. R. J. took it with him to Seattle after reassuring me that he "promised to restore it to like new condition!" Let's see, the Louisville convention was what............about 5 years ago...........and I have yet to see the vacuum. I wonder if that is the one that ended up with Tom!

Moral of the story: Be careful who you let take your vacuums after they "promise" to restore them. I know of one person that will never get one of mine again!

It sure seems that a 634 is destined to come my way.


Post# 13641 , Reply# 16   5/10/2007 at 13:46 (6,195 days old) by charles~richard ()        


Yeah Charlie, I have a few "Sweeper Sob Stories" too.

The worst, by far, was the time I was swindled out of five near-mint and 100% complete and all-original canister machines (see pics) sent on good faith that I would receive a huge bunch of rare Electrolux and Kirby stuff in kind.

My machines all had complete literature, tool caddies, etc. The Filter Queen had every available optional accessory under the sun including a VERY rare commercial-length bare floor nozzle, a complete dealer sales demo kit with special tools for demonstrating the machine including a TRANSPARENT canister that attached to the machine in place of the normal tan one (to show the cyclonic action by sucking up marbles), a hair dryer, clothes dryer rack, floor polisher, optional large rug nozzle ... a dozen pieces of literature; literally the works. I've never seen another one so complete, and have never seen most of the rare options like the large bare floor nozzle, the clothes dryer and the sales demo kit.

There were also a bunch of sales incentives I had collected over the years -- G.E. Sewing Kit, Constellation tape measure, Filter Queen Salt/Pepper shakers, Filter Queen Sewing Kit, and Compact Salt/Pepper shakers.

The person who wanted this stuff -- a canister freak -- claimed he had all sorts of similarly rare Electrolux stuff that he had gotten from a retired Electrolux dealer -- original XXX, LX, E, AE and AF hoses brand new in the box, rare commercial attachments, literature, etc etc etc., and a Kirby 505 brand new in the box, untouched from the day it left Cleveland. He claimed not to care about Electrolux and Kirby and was happy to make the trade. Little did I know it was all bullshit.

I sent all the stuff along to the person, spending almost $500 in packing and shipping costs (to say nothing of the value of the machines themselves), trusting I would get the things back in trade that I had been promised. Days turned into weeks; weeks turned into months; months turned into years. I never got so much as a dusting brush. Nearly 10 years later, the person finally admitted what he had done -- had co-conspired with a friend to swindle me. Oh, what a story. It would befit a daytime soap opera.

The intense frustration and sadness I went through with that experience, along with the very demoralizing experience of being such a sucker and so easily duped, along with the knowledge that someone I thought was a friend but was really a crook, still lingers with me. I will probably never completely get over it.

I have forgiven the person, because he did finally come to me and admit what had happening. But I haven't been able to forget. What that experience did to me was to lower my innate level of trust just a little. I am more wary now about entering into such trades than I used to be. I lost a little innocence around that experience.

Those who were around during that time remember what a nightmare it was for me.




Post# 13642 , Reply# 17   5/10/2007 at 13:47 (6,195 days old) by charles~richard ()        


(This is most of the FQ set, but the sales demo kit and literature collection are not shown.)



Post# 13643 , Reply# 18   5/10/2007 at 13:48 (6,195 days old) by charles~richard ()        




Post# 13644 , Reply# 19   5/10/2007 at 13:49 (6,195 days old) by charles~richard ()        


This also had the tool caddy, instruction booklet and original pack of bags.


Post# 13645 , Reply# 20   5/10/2007 at 13:50 (6,195 days old) by charles~richard ()        


This Rex-Air was literally in mint condition.


Post# 13646 , Reply# 21   5/10/2007 at 13:51 (6,195 days old) by charles~richard ()        


I also had complete paperwork and original bags for this Air-Way.


Post# 13647 , Reply# 22   5/10/2007 at 14:12 (6,195 days old) by rexairman ()        

The name "Rexair" is correctly spelled "Rexair," not "Rex-Air."

Post# 13656 , Reply# 23   5/10/2007 at 16:15 (6,195 days old) by vacuumkid3 ()        

Hey Charles...

I am very sorry to hear about your unfortunate circumstance with trading those wonderful vacuums. I would've wanted some Kirby and Electrolux stuff too! I am curious: did the person ever refund the $500 for shipping? And I suppose he never returned those beauties, did he? Thanks for sharing, Charles!

~~K~~


Post# 13662 , Reply# 24   5/10/2007 at 18:29 (6,195 days old) by charles~richard ()        


Kyle, I never got any refund at all from the person. By time he had finally admitted what he had done, it was not about the money for me anymore. Nor was it about the "vast storehouse of Electrolux and Kirby treasures." Ultimately, all I really wanted was an admission, and an apology. When I got that emotional and spiritual relief, I was able to move on.

It may not sound like it, but I am "over it." If I wasn't over it, I -would- still be hounding him for the money. I only posted about it here to serve as a "been there, done that" warning for others, to echo Charlie Watrous' experience. Sometimes greed and dishonesty can even come between good friends.



Post# 13668 , Reply# 25   5/10/2007 at 20:32 (6,195 days old) by vacuumkid3 ()        

That's a shame really...But it's great that you have forgiven the person and you are over it. I don't know if I have told anyone, but I once posted an ad in our local newspaper in a section called "Good Neighbors" whose purpose is to sell/give things to other people who need them. My question was roughly, "Does a good neighbor have any old vacuums (preferably Kirby or Rainbow) that needs a good home?" Anyways...I got several responses, and thus several vacuums! I got a Kirby Omega, a Kirby Classic, and several people at my church commented upon my question in the newspaper. However, those were the ones I got for free. A young couple was selling one of their grandfather's demonstration Kirby. I was expecting it to be a BEAUTIFUL shiny Kirby with all of the attachments, including the Handi-Butler and etc. All they needed (or wanted...) was $60. It came out of my pocket. I thought I was getting a great deal...until my mom opened the trunk of her car. It was a musty old Kirby Sanitronic XII that looked worse than any vacuum I have seen. The aluminum had oxidized so much that you could absolutely FEEL its roughness. However, it did run, to my surprise. I got the hose, a moldy/mildewy box of attachments. The only good part about it was the attachments. And the attachments ONLY! After further examination, I found a hole the size of a dime or penny in the fan housing. I ended up sealing that with some JB Weld, but it looked terrible still. To make a long story slightly shorter :-), I ended up throwing everything out except the attachments and the rug fluffer/floor buffer. That fluffer/buffer was in mint condition I suppose. It still had the tag covering the Magic Finger Belt Lifter. So, the moral of THIS story is, always get a pretty good picture of what you are buying. Some people prefer to take chances, but I only do that if I can see SOME sort of picture, good or bad. Hope I didn't bore anyone to death! ;-)

~~K~~


Post# 13669 , Reply# 26   5/10/2007 at 20:58 (6,195 days old) by charles~richard ()        
"Let the Buyer Beware"

Kyle, your story about the Krappy Kirby is one of the main reasons I don't allow eBay sellers to use materials from my site. They may claim they are just using photos of, say, my mint 505 as "illustration only" but how does the potential buyer know that if they are using photos of someone else's machine? Indeed, more than likely what they DO have is a "P.O.S." -- otherwise, they would be willing to take their own photos!



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