Thread Number: 848
My Kirby C series story!
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Post# 8757   1/30/2007 at 13:29 (6,267 days old) by funvacfan (Canada)        

funvacfan's profile picture
The first vintage vacuum I bought (1989) was a Kirby "C" series. I always wondered what the model was until I saw one on E-bay. A potential bidder informed the seller that it is an oldie, and that is a "C" series. I recognized that it was similar to mine because of the switch, and the armoured cable from the switch to the motor.

I really treasured that vacuum for a long time, I had no idea HOW old it really was. I fiqured it was from the 50's. So...a couple years later when a friend of a friend needed a vacuum for a month or so while they decided which model vacuum they were going to purchase, they asked to borrow my extra (the Kirby). Well of course I said yes, seeing that they had just moved in to a new place together.

I didn't see them for a couple of months...but I was invited to their house warming party. When I got there, they had really done a great job fixing and renovating the place. Some time during the evening, I asked if they were finished using the vacuum. They said they had decided on a Panasonic upright, they were very pleased with it. They thanked me for letting them use the Kirby.

"Great, no problem", I asured them, and told them I would come the next day with the car to pick it up. That's when they told me they had put it out to the trash! They thought it was just an old vacuum that was on it's way out.

I said nothing. I've never said anything to them about it. They are still friends of friends, although I rarely see them anymore!

A valuable lesson learned young!

Guy


Post# 8758 , Reply# 1   1/30/2007 at 13:57 (6,267 days old) by kirbyvacuum (Long Island New York)        

Hi Guy sorry to hear that story . i have a pretty good collection of vacuums.My pride and joy is the model c.Sorry i am getting off the subject if any one asks me to borrow a vacuum i tell them iwill come and vacuum for you but they are mine. Most people dont care about vacuums and dont take care of them. Good luck on finding another one try e-bay under vintage vacuums that is how i got my Kirby model c Take care God Bless Doug

Post# 8764 , Reply# 2   1/30/2007 at 15:04 (6,267 days old) by sukething ()        
Yes I have made this mistake as well...

Not with a Kirby, although I treasure my Kirbys very much. There are two stories,the first one is with a Regina quick sweep, I am not sure but it looked like a first version of Oreck, well they borrowed it and it came back with the handle nearly off the machine. I was very angry at the time.
The next story is a fellow teachers who wanted me to fix her Hoover Celebrity, so I did and let them borrow my home version of a Windsor. Well I did not see them or hear from them in a while and then I fianlly asked do they want there vacuum back? Well they didnt they got something else and I asked about my Windsor and she said they threw it away. I will not let people borrow vacuums again.

David


Post# 8765 , Reply# 3   1/30/2007 at 15:09 (6,267 days old) by dial-a-matic ()        
Regina quick sweep...

... If you still have the machine, could you post pictures?

-a-


Post# 8766 , Reply# 4   1/30/2007 at 15:11 (6,267 days old) by petek (Ontario)        

That's why it's good to have a couple of junkers you can loan out and not worry if you get them back. I've given away some thrift store trash that way,, like noisy whiny Elites etc.

OTOH 2 months ago I lent my sister, with warning that I wanted it back, one of my good Hamilton Beach commercial bar blenders. She brings it back on Christmas when they came for dinner and the lid is missing.. I've been hounding her since to find that lid. I really miffed about it especially after I made it very clear. So you see it doesn't pay to lend your good stuff out.. LOL


Post# 8769 , Reply# 5   1/30/2007 at 15:42 (6,267 days old) by sukething ()        
Andy....

I wish I still had it and did not lend it out. It was a cool machine that is for sure. I may also be saying it wrong it might have been a different model, but my great aunt had a light green version of this same machine before she bought her Hoover Junior (lime green). On the Regina the bag was on the front like an oreck, this machine was light tan in color.

I agree Pete there are times it is not worth lending things out to anyone, even if it is our own family. LOL

David


Post# 8792 , Reply# 6   1/30/2007 at 23:10 (6,267 days old) by swingette ()        

i know how yall feel. ive been robbed of a MINTY Hoover Portapower and PRISTINE commercial Waring blender. by the SAME coworker! both started out as loans, he then became attached and begged for me to sell. regreted it later, esp the Waring blender. ive replaced the Portapower with a better, nearly NIB, Dial-a-Matic-era model.

Post# 8876 , Reply# 7   2/2/2007 at 03:17 (6,264 days old) by tolivac (Greenville,NC)        

"My" Kirby "C" got away!One of the local Kirby reps was making a demo at an older person's home for a new Kirby Ultimate G.When the saleswoman asked what kind of vacuum the client had-it was a Kirby C!the salesperson says it was in practically new condition-the owner took excellent care of it.The Kirby person asked if she wanted to trade it in on the new Kirby-the salesperson was thinking of me all of this time and trying to get the C for me.no mattter how hard she tried-the woman would not give up the "C"-"I want to use it as my upstairs vacuum!"No matter what discount of trade in offer the Kirby rep offered-the clent turned it down-not wanting to miss the sale the Kirby person sold her the new machine at 50% off since she was a current Kirby owner.Those "C"'s have a beauty all thier own-very striking machines!and still very effective.

Post# 8888 , Reply# 8   2/2/2007 at 11:54 (6,264 days old) by kirbyvacuum (Long Island New York)        
Kirby C

Hi Rex i have a Kirby C also .i got it from e-bay i will not begin to tell you what i paid for it however it looked as good as the day it was new. I love the Kirby 500 series. My wife loves the G series i have one on every floor so she will not have to carry them up and down g3,4,5,i must admit they do a real fine job on the rugs. Ok Rex take care if you ever want to talk vacuums let me know God Bless Doug.

Post# 9038 , Reply# 9   2/5/2007 at 02:32 (6,261 days old) by tolivac (Greenville,NC)        

Doug:Too bad my "C" got away-but there is others to be found?-still looking.Older Kirbys for some reason or another are not easy to find in my area.I am looking for a C and the 500 series machines.Our family had a 511 when I was very little-my mother remembers when she bought it from a DTD salesman-"just knocking doors"now it is called the Kirby "van Campaign"as indicated in the Kirby salesmans manuals.I remember I liked using that machine as a kid.Looking for another-the one we had got lost in a flood.It had been rebuilt something like twice.-once after my dad used its sprayer to spray varnish on some wall panels as a remodeling project.They lived in Dayton,Ohio at the time and took the machine to Kirby and they cleaned it up and rebuilt it.My mother was very cross with Dad when that happened.That Kirby Spray gun was so handy-My dad bought his own sprayer and air compressor.I have all of the G machines and some of the others.The search goes on...

Post# 9048 , Reply# 10   2/5/2007 at 03:10 (6,261 days old) by vacjwt ()        

never lend out one of your babys no one has the love for vacuums we do I love makeing vacs look and run new I once saw my mom vacuum up ice cubes with my kirby lol not I keep 3 kirbys that look poor but work grate to lend out


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