Thread Number: 42724  /  Tag: 80s/90s Vacuum Cleaners
Quadruple score from Goodwill! 		[Down to Last]

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Post# 448172   11/28/2021 at 14:15 (879 days old) by texaskirbyguy (Plano, TX)        

Well, this is a first for me. Of all my years of constant thrifting, I rarely find more than one or two good items at Goodwill, (or most other stores as well) at a time, for myself. Yesterday I finally hit the jackpot. Below they are in the order I had found them.

First is a Canon 720is digital camera, which is exactly what I am using now. This will be a great spare to put away for later. It is in very good condition.
Price - 2.92.

Second is the little brother of my Windmere Boss 1500 blow dryer that I got for my birthday back in the 80s (and still use) - The Boss 1250! This is the first time I had found a Boss dryer in all of my thrift trips - I had always been looking.
Price - 2.92

Third and best, I got a little Royal Prince 501 turquoise mostly-metal hand vac from 1985. It even came with the hose and attachment set, which I had almost left there. Once I got to the checkout, I had actually walked back there again to check for attachments, and glad I did!
Unfortunately it is missing the carry strap (a Kirby Tradition one might work), hanger bracket and belt tool.
It works and is pretty quiet. It needs the usual full cleaning and resto, but I will be proud of it afterwards. My ladyfriend loves this color, so she might be inclined to use it, too. Now to get some bags and belts... Hmmm... manual says type H bags and style 1 belts - time to get some!
Price - 3.93

Forth is something I have passed on before - a Hoover PortaPower.
While I am not a Hoover guy, I can see myself using this in the garage. I do not have space for a shop vac and the handle is convenient. It also has a small footprint for easier storage. Model is S1015-030. I found a wonderfully detailed thread on this site (thanks Ben!) that suggests this is one of the first PortaPower models from late 70's-early 80's. It works, but the exhaust air smells musty, even after removing the cloth bag which was half-full. It came with the hose but no attachments unfortunately.
Price - 3.93

I also got some videos and a pair of summer shorts and a cute dress for the ladyfriend that happened to be 1/2 off.

There was an Oreck unit that looked like the PortaPower, but it was missing the hose and other attachments - I left it.

In all a very successful trip. It goes to show that just because you do not find much at a particular thrift store when you go, never stop going or you could miss out on some really good stuff - one never knows what might show up and when. Some things will fly off the shelf, too (like the Royal did when I saw it...)

I will do a resto thread on the Royal and Hoover later on when I get to it, and my shoulder that was operated on in September finally heals enough to do some mechanical work. It is still too easy to aggravate it.


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Post# 448175 , Reply# 1   11/28/2021 at 15:10 (879 days old) by rivstg1 (colorado springs)        

rivstg1's profile picture
great to hear of a worthy thrift find!

Post# 448190 , Reply# 2   11/29/2021 at 12:32 (878 days old) by Human (Pines of Carolina)        
It's sort of like fishing...

 human's profile picture
...Sometimes you get lots of 'bites' and sometimes you don't. I told that to a lady in Goodwill last week when she was complaining about not seeing anything she wanted. Her response was "Sometimes, you just need to go to a different pond", which is quite true.

It's been a while since I've come up with a haul like that. The best recently was about a month ago when I came away with a Kirby G6 2001 Limited Edition (no accessories but in otherwise really nice condition) for $27 and a Kitchenaid blender for the quasi-girlfriend for $18. The only time I came across two vacuums I wanted was about five or six years ago when I spotted a Kirby G5 and a matching burgundy Royal upright, both in super nice condition for $19 each. I couldn't make up my mind which to buy and resisted the urge to buy both so I left them behind. I went back to get the Kirby the next day and of course both were gone.

Post# 448194 , Reply# 3   11/29/2021 at 14:07 (878 days old) by texaskirbyguy (Plano, TX)        

Yes, this was unusual but fun. And these are all small enough to not eat up much room or time. Just need time now to restore them...

Ironically this is the same store I got my Kirby G6 2000 ltd edition for 30 bucks several years ago. I had went back the next week and found the big box of unused attachments and shampooer there for another 30 bucks.
I did not think there was a 2001 edition also - cool! Did the G6 have any other years of special editions?

Anyone not happy what they find in Goodwill, or any thrift store really, should just go back 2-6 weeks later. I have found Holy Grails at every store I go to. The stores I get more of are just a coincidence. Some times the best item is in the wrong area, too, so check the whole store!

Now the Goodwills in my area had quit carrying some complete sections last year, like vintage clothing, sleepwear, maternity, and lingerie, which really PO'ed my ladyfriend. None of the employees know exactly why. Vintage sells well at other stores... Goodwills in other remote towns still have those sections, just not as big. Maybe that is why that one lady was upset...

Most Goodwill stores follow a 6 week purge interval, determined by the tag color. They have blue, purple, pink, orange, yellow, and green. The color on half-off sale that week will be purged the next Sunday or Monday. So in 6 weeks, the entire inventory would be brand new (theoretically). Some items do not get purged, whether accidental or deliberate, but most do, esp clothes. Media tends to stagnate.

I learned last year to grab stuff when you see it that day, as the next day it could be gone. I am still kicking myself for leaving a set of Nova 7 speakers that were in great shape from that same Goodwill I scored from last week. Yep, next day they were gone.

Post# 448214 , Reply# 4   11/30/2021 at 10:13 (877 days old) by Justjunque (Western MA)        

justjunque's profile picture
Hey Rob,

Nice haul! Congratulations!
I had all but forgotten about it, but I may have had that hair dryer back in the day. It looks mighty familiar.
Is it sort of a brown, see-through? Enjoy!

Barry

Post# 448240 , Reply# 5   12/1/2021 at 09:51 (876 days old) by texaskirbyguy (Plano, TX)        

Hi Barry - Yes, the Boss 1500 looks the same as this one, just everything bigger.
Both have the translucent bronze bodies and gold labels and silkscreening.

I have used my Boss 1500 every day since 82-84, when I got it as a Christmas gift. I had actually wore the motor out a few years back and I found a replacement online which required only a shaft notching for it to work perfectly.
Big motor and fan = lots of quiet airflow at low speed, so it dries fast at low heat setting which is good for my hair and minimizes wear on the dryer's parts.

I recently scored a NOS 'Pro 1500' hairdresser set and another set that was used from ebay.
Both dryers are nearly identical to the Boss 1500. However both have a slightly smaller blower - contained in a secondary housing inside the main housings (which seems a bit odd). Airflow and sound is similar to the Boss, though. The NOS one has black switches and cord (very striking!) while the used set had the colored switches and white cord of the Boss.

Needless to say I am set with hair dryers for the rest of my life, like I am with vacuums, toasters, and other stuff!

Post# 448375 , Reply# 6   12/6/2021 at 11:29 (871 days old) by kloveland (Tulsa)        

kloveland's profile picture
At least you have hair that requires a hair dryer! That's more than a lot of guys can say! I picked up a Port A Power myself this weekend. They are handy.


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