My Grandmothers Kirby Classic III

In 1976 a Kirby salesman came to my Grandparents door and wanted to demonstrate. She allowed it. The price started out high and when my Grandmother refused he would come down a bit. They kept going back and forth and finally he said he would give her a trade in allowance for her old vac and let her keep it. I told her I would throw in some money on the purchase.

The salesman said he would put the vacuum in my name and the rebuild aggrement would be good for my lifetime. It was nice of him to do and it was a good thing because unfortunatly my Grandmother died three years later in 1979. My Grandfather kept it until his death in '89. After he was gone, I went and got the machine. If it hadn't been that salesmans idea to put the machine in my name it's hard telling if it would even be around today.

I got the paperwork out last night. I didn't realize it, but I've had it rebuilt 3 times. One time it came back with a grey generic bumper on it and I didn't care for that and they also replaced some of the tools with the wrong color, so the next time I took it in to the rebuild dept. I told them to use the correct colors on it and if they didn't have them to clean up the old ones and send it back that way. I also asked them which replacement tools they had available and took the ones they didn't have anymore back home with me. Here's the end result. I don't use it often, because I have other machines, but's it's neat to look at and remember.

Photos... < > Photo 1 of 14 View Full Size


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Post# 287387 7/5/2014 at 23:21 (3,581 days old) by beekeyknee (Columbia, MO)
Checkrate/Likes 4 In 1976 a Kirby salesman came to my Grandparents door and wanted to demonstrate. She allowed it. The price started out high and when my Grandmother refused he would come down a bit. They kept going back and forth and finally he said he would give her a trade in allowance for her old vac and let her keep it. I told her I would throw in some money on the purchase. The salesman said he would put the vacuum in my name and the rebuild aggrement would be good for my lifetime. It was nice of him to do and it was a good thing because unfortunatly my Grandmother died three years later in 1979. My Grandfather kept it until his death in '89. After he was gone, I went and got the machine. If it hadn't been that salesmans idea to put the machine in my name it's hard telling if it would even be around today. I got the paperwork out last night. I didn't realize it, but I've had it rebuilt 3 times. One time it came back with a grey generic bumper on it and I didn't care for that and they also replaced some of the tools with the wrong color, so the next time I took it in to the rebuild dept. I told them to use the correct colors on it and if they didn't have them to clean up the old ones and send it back that way. I also asked them which replacement tools they had available and took the ones they didn't have anymore back home with me. Here's the end result. I don't use it often, because I have other machines, but's it's neat to look at and remember. Photos... < > Photo 1 of 14 View Full Size

Post# 287405 , Reply# 1 7/6/2014 at 01:49 (3,581 days old) by KirbyClassicIII (Milwaukie, Oregon)
Checkrate/Likes *Here's My Grandma's Classic III* From my paternal grandparents. They acquired it from the original owner in ID back in 1987. The original owner bought his machine in 1977. When my grandparents moved into my paternal aunt's home in 1998, they gave me this machine. ~Ben Photos... < > Photo 1 of 3 View Full Size

Post# 287415 , Reply# 2 7/6/2014 at 02:46 (3,581 days old) by Gr8DaneDad ()
Checkrate/Likes Ben, Love the D80 next to it. That's the last Kirby I am actively looking for - love that green. Tom

Post# 287418 , Reply# 3 7/6/2014 at 05:41 (3,581 days old) by KirbyClassicIII (Milwaukie, Oregon)
Checkrate/Likes Tom, Thank you. As my next project I hope to get my Classic III all shined up like the one in the original poster's pictures. ~Ben

Post# 287423 , Reply# 4 7/6/2014 at 06:39 (3,581 days old) by Gr8DaneDad ()
Checkrate/Likes Ben, I'm sure you'll have it gleaming in no time. Tom

Post# 287425 , Reply# 5 7/6/2014 at 06:54 (3,581 days old) by eurekastar (Amarillo, Texas)
Checkrate/Likes Very cool and what a great story!

Post# 311678 , Reply# 6 1/11/2015 at 22:25 (3,391 days old) by smow69 (Muskogee Oklahoma)
Checkrate/Likes *I have my moms eurekas* I also have her Kirby classic 3 with everything they sold in that time saw drill, etc and also my deceased sisters eureka boss,will get pics of kirby will get pic of boss also............ Photos... < > Photo 1 of 2 View Full Size