Eureka serial number data questions

Hi!

I have several questions about Eureka serial numbers. My goal is to help create a way for collectors to easily date their Eureka vacuum, in the same way collectors in the typewriter hobby are able to. (I helped decipher serial number ranges for Smith-Corona portable typewriters made between 1964 and 1983. I feel I can do the same with Eureka uprights if the data is available. I've attached a few examples)

For

1. I know the model name is stamped next to the serial number. Is the serial number range of each model shared, or does each individual model have its own ranges? (With typewriters, it wasn't uncommon for different models to have different ranges.). As in, would the serial number range a Eureka 260 might fit in also likely contain a Eureka 1428? Would Bloomington and Kitchener have different ranges?

2. Does anybody have any data points (model number, serial number, factory and date of purchase) they would like to share?

3. Does anybody have any date code information they'd like to share (date by plastic nipple, and serial number?)

Thank you so much!
Nick

Photos... < > Photo 1 of 2 View Full Size


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Post# 466707 10/9/2023 at 21:50 (220 days old) by texbodemer (Mountlake Terrace)
Checkrate/Likes Hi! I have several questions about Eureka serial numbers. My goal is to help create a way for collectors to easily date their Eureka vacuum, in the same way collectors in the typewriter hobby are able to. (I helped decipher serial number ranges for Smith-Corona portable typewriters made between 1964 and 1983. I feel I can do the same with Eureka uprights if the data is available. I've attached a few examples) For 1. I know the model name is stamped next to the serial number. Is the serial number range of each model shared, or does each individual model have its own ranges? (With typewriters, it wasn't uncommon for different models to have different ranges.). As in, would the serial number range a Eureka 260 might fit in also likely contain a Eureka 1428? Would Bloomington and Kitchener have different ranges? 2. Does anybody have any data points (model number, serial number, factory and date of purchase) they would like to share? 3. Does anybody have any date code information they'd like to share (date by plastic nipple, and serial number?) Thank you so much! Nick Photos... < > Photo 1 of 2 View Full Size

Post# 466716 , Reply# 1 10/10/2023 at 14:53 (219 days old) by Paul (USA)
Checkrate/Likes Thank you for tackling this, Nick. The term 'serial number', of course, denotes a machine's series and (production, lot, etc.) number. In the past (maybe also currently for some manufacturers) the model and the 2-digit production year were embedded in the series, such as the early Electroluxes�see the early Electrolux Limited (Luton) manufacturer's tag below. So, it's reasonable that some other companies' model series included that data, too, but maybe in different form. I have tried unsuccessfully to decipher vacuum cleaner/floor polisher/carpet shampooer serial numbers�used by Electrolux Corporation and Eureka USA. Electrolux's could possibly be determined by the 2-letter series if branch office rotation lists were ever located by a collector/enthusiast. Aerus reps can often use a series online database to determine when a cleaner was originally sold from the mid-1980s on, but those may not be close to the production times. The first letter changed less than the second, which leads me to think that the first may have represented a certain style and the second indicated the production lot. A good example is the early single-handle Silverado Deluxe indicated with the S-prefix and the later double-handle style assigned with the P-prefix. Interestingly, Electrolux Corporation/Aerus LLC has generally used the same alpha-numeric system since the Model XXX's debut in 1937; with the exception of at least the commercial canisters, which were outsourced to its subsidiary White Mop Wringer Company; floor polishers & carpet shampooers. In Eureka's case, the production number may have been combined with a coded production date, year, or lot�taking for granted that the production number was the typical five digits. It would seem that Eureka's system varied among factory divisions as there appears to be less consistency, so that may take more ingenuity on your part. For example, I have noticed that the digits from the '60s to the '80s went from 5 to 6 to 7 and sometimes a possible production code seems to be at the beginning and sometimes at the end. The font also changed from the bubble-looking to the plain sometime in the early '80s. Another idea is that Eureka's numbers included a combined production and lot number instead of the time of production. If you're able to get to the McLean County Museum of History in Bloomington, Illinois, you could look through Eureka's archives to see if it includes any lists of serial numbers. mchistory.org/research/finding-a... That's more information than you'd requested, but I wanted you to know some of my considerations when trying to figure out unknown serial number composition. Photos�Along with the aforementioned Electrolux Limited (Luton) tag, are sampling of Eureka's over the years. I hope you're successful in your quest! Photos... < > Photo 1 of 4 View Full Size

Post# 466717 , Reply# 2 10/10/2023 at 14:55 (219 days old) by Paul (USA)
Checkrate/Likes Post-Script: Great work on the Smith-Corona typewriter serial number database from '64 to '83!