Happy Travels, Mr. Taber...........

Now that my stuff is in a local storage unit I feel a huge wieght off my shoulders. Why should there be about 20 vacuum cleaners missing from my storage unit? Well here's the story.

As most of you know, I lost my partner Charles in July of 06. A new club member named Steve Groff aka Electrolux 1950 befriended me. He lived in Sacramento. In November, to defray the high cost of living in San Diego, I made the move, planned to live with him and care for his house while job hunting. Bottom line was that he was a horder with severe O.C.D.! Boxes were piled to the ceiling. We put my stuff in a 10X 30 unit at the local Public Storage facility. All was well till I decided to go home for Christmas. I left my dog, a golden retriever in his back yard and went home for ten days. Once I was gone he took my dog to the anamal shelter, claiming I abandoned her, then told me he "gave the dog away"!
As she was micro chipped I was able to have them put her on a flight to Chicago. Steve also had a key to my storage unit, which interestingly was right next to his. Naturally, I contacted Public Storage and banned him from my unit, but by then he had helped himself to a number of my Electrolux and Kirby machines. When I loaded the truck on Monday I knew that the model LX was gone. That night in bed I tried to recall what machines were not there. One after the other popped into my mind and upon unloading the truck here I made a list. At least 9 Electroluxes are gone, at least 5 Kirby's, a few Hoovers and a Compact. Now all of these are replaceable, but this is not the point, nothing should have been taken in the first place. Oh, you'll love this, he gave me a beat up Electrolux Super J that was in his unit.

If you ever hear from Steve Groff from Sacramento run in the opposite direction. I'm angry and sorry that the machines are gone, but as I said, I can replace them.

That is the basic story, a more detailed version is available if you want to know all the things this creep did to me.

Fortunately, the club revoked his membership after he pulled the stunt with the dog.

So my friends, I start to rebuild the collection.

Alex Taber.


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Post# 97829 5/6/2010 at 12:53 (5,103 days old) by portable (Corvallis, OR)
Checkrate/Likes Uh....do you remember this? (5/31/88) - hopefully, it can be rotated...and yes, it IS vintage, so it's in the right thread category, so THERE!

Post# 97830 , Reply# 1 5/6/2010 at 12:54 (5,103 days old) by portable (Corvallis, OR)
Checkrate/Likes *Uh, well....* read it sideways.....sorry. BTW, I love the "Muscles" ad along the side. If you vacuumed with this Whirlwind enough, you wouldn't NEED anything to help you build muscles!!

Post# 97865 , Reply# 2 5/6/2010 at 17:05 (5,103 days old) by crevicetool (GA )
Checkrate/Likes *WOW!!!!* Inquiring minds want to know! What a cool clipping to have in our club archives! 1988 huh? Just imagine what the other 300 some entries were! I'll bet there would be a lot of really great machines that we've not gotten our hands on.....and never will. Thanks for sharing John. Rick

Post# 97870 , Reply# 3 5/6/2010 at 19:17 (5,103 days old) by portable (Corvallis, OR)
Checkrate/Likes *I think Alex* has the full details about the other entrants. There were some pretty lame entries...nothing CLOSE to the age of this one (what could be?!)

Post# 97916 , Reply# 4 5/7/2010 at 13:52 (5,102 days old) by caligula (Wallingford, Connecticut)
Checkrate/Likes *Thank you John.* Thanks for the picture John. I was able to print it. Actually you picked the perfect time to send this. As you may or may not know the guy who helped me store the stuff back in Nov. of 06 had a key to my storage unit and his is right next to mine. (I had management change the lock a few weeks later). If God forbid he took that whirlwind, I now have proof of ownership. In answer to the question of other contestants. One of them was a 1909 canister monster called the Dust killer it was the first vacuum cleaner to be published in a Sears catalog. One of the other contestants sent it to me. Once I get my stuff back, sorted and cleaned up I will post pictures. Also, all my back issues of the newsletter, instruction books, and a host of paperwork will again be at my fingertips. This has been a long three and a half years/ Alex Taber

Post# 97924 , Reply# 5 5/7/2010 at 17:50 (5,102 days old) by caligula (Wallingford, Connecticut)
Checkrate/Likes *My God I looked so prim and propper!* A few of my buddies here at work couldn't believe this was me. I mean no beard, and the real clean cut look. One buddy said I look geeky and that was long before the tee shirt and jeans. Talk about a trip down memory lane. Thanks again John. Alex Taber.

Post# 97927 , Reply# 6 5/7/2010 at 18:21 (5,102 days old) by caligula (Wallingford, Connecticut)
Checkrate/Likes *The Dust Killer* In my haste to post this I forgot to tell you that the collector with the Dust Killer was so impressed with the Whirlwind that he sent the 1909 metal monster to me. In my collection there are several non electric pumpers including the Warner, or Wagner (I forget the actual name) It's an upright pumper that can be seen briefly in the movie "My Fair Lady" (At the begining of the 'Rain In Spain'number). In doing a list of my collection I have about 107. More info when I get back. Alex Taber

Post# 98046 , Reply# 7 5/9/2010 at 23:02 (5,100 days old) by caligula (Wallingford, Connecticut)
Checkrate/Likes *Allmost there* Hi everybody: My buddy Larry and I are just outside San Francisco. Tomorrow, Sacramento, aand loading the truck! More info later. Alex Taber

Post# 98077 , Reply# 8 5/10/2010 at 21:25 (5,099 days old) by caligula (Wallingford, Connecticut)
Checkrate/Likes *collection is on its way home* Hi everybody, a few Elextrolux machines have been removed by Steve, my LX, LXI and AE are gone but no big deal, the non electrics and the Whirlwind are on their way home! More when I get back. Alex Taber

Post# 98081 , Reply# 10 5/10/2010 at 22:09 (5,099 days old) by aeoliandave (Stratford Ontario Canada)
Checkrate/Likes Hooray Alex! Glad to hear you're unlocked, loaded and hitting the long road cross country soon on The Great Vacuum Sweeper Retrieval Voyage. Bon Chance and Happy Trails, you two. Dave

Post# 98084 , Reply# 11 5/10/2010 at 23:42 (5,099 days old) by electrolux~137 ()
Checkrate/Likes Hey Alex, I am not sure I have your current email address. Drop me a line, eh... about your missing Electroluxes. Charles~Richard vacuumland@137.com

Post# 98078 , Reply# 9 5/10/2010 at 21:30 (5,099 days old) by caligula (Wallingford, Connecticut)
Checkrate/Likes *A very happy Alex* The move is going great, thank you Larry. Alex Taber

Post# 98432 , Reply# 12 5/16/2010 at 22:30 (5,093 days old) by caligula (Wallingford, Connecticut)
Checkrate/Likes *Thank you Charles* alextaber1@yahoo.com is my email address. Upon careful checking when unloading the truck I discover about 20 machines gone. Here is the ones I know are gone. Electrolux Pre war XXX, post war XXX, LX, LXI, E, AE, G, 1205, and a model L. Kirby Classic, Classic Omega, Classic 111, Tradition, G-6. Hoover 700, Hoover Floor Washer. Compact Electra. Needless to say, I'm angry, but the important machines ARE there, and yes I have the Whirlwind, in fact it's next to my desk. What angers me about the LX is that it was the very machine owned by the woman who started my interest. I can get a new one but the most important Electrolus in my collection is gone! Be careful of Steve Groff, this guy really is a thief! He left the club after I loaded the stuff into the unit. Long story! But I will survive. Alex Taber

Post# 98484 , Reply# 13 5/17/2010 at 19:23 (5,092 days old) by caligula (Wallingford, Connecticut)
Checkrate/Likes *For those of you who don't remember.* Now that my stuff is in a local storage unit I feel a huge wieght off my shoulders. Why should there be about 20 vacuum cleaners missing from my storage unit? Well here's the story. As most of you know, I lost my partner Charles in July of 06. A new club member named Steve Groff aka Electrolux 1950 befriended me. He lived in Sacramento. In November, to defray the high cost of living in San Diego, I made the move, planned to live with him and care for his house while job hunting. Bottom line was that he was a horder with severe O.C.D.! Boxes were piled to the ceiling. We put my stuff in a 10X 30 unit at the local Public Storage facility. All was well till I decided to go home for Christmas. I left my dog, a golden retriever in his back yard and went home for ten days. Once I was gone he took my dog to the anamal shelter, claiming I abandoned her, then told me he "gave the dog away"! As she was micro chipped I was able to have them put her on a flight to Chicago. Steve also had a key to my storage unit, which interestingly was right next to his. Naturally, I contacted Public Storage and banned him from my unit, but by then he had helped himself to a number of my Electrolux and Kirby machines. When I loaded the truck on Monday I knew that the model LX was gone. That night in bed I tried to recall what machines were not there. One after the other popped into my mind and upon unloading the truck here I made a list. At least 9 Electroluxes are gone, at least 5 Kirby's, a few Hoovers and a Compact. Now all of these are replaceable, but this is not the point, nothing should have been taken in the first place. Oh, you'll love this, he gave me a beat up Electrolux Super J that was in his unit. If you ever hear from Steve Groff from Sacramento run in the opposite direction. I'm angry and sorry that the machines are gone, but as I said, I can replace them. That is the basic story, a more detailed version is available if you want to know all the things this creep did to me. Fortunately, the club revoked his membership after he pulled the stunt with the dog. So my friends, I start to rebuild the collection. Alex Taber.