Abhor a vacuum? The star of the cleanest convention in town? Brush roll, please: Vacs!

AMERICAN-STATESMAN ^ | Helen Anders

[rawhide]

It's hard for his friends to hear this, but 13-year-old Scott MacMillan of Georgetown sometimes falls asleep with a vacuum cleaner in his arms. His mother, Barb, backs up his story. In fact, she says, when a tornado siren once sounded, Scott rounded up all his vacuum cleaners and hunkered down with them in the bathroom.

That wasn't easy. Scott owns 150 vacuum cleaners.

"I've been made fun of so much, it doesn't matter anymore," Scott says. "I collect vacuum cleaners. So what?"

Scott is among 42 people - mostly adults - gathered at the Embassy Suites Central in North Austin this weekend for the 25th convention of the Vacuum Cleaner Collectors Club , "dedicated to those who love and are fascinated by vacuum cleaners," according to its website, vacuumland.org.

The convention isn't open to the public, but if you were to drop in, you'd find these people attending clinics on repairing, cleaning and restoring vacuums. You'd see them holding vacuuming contests, playing "Vacuum Jeopardy" and eating vacuum-shaped cake on tables decorated with vacuum components. Each was allowed to bring along 12 vacuums.

What's to love about a vacuum? Craftsmanship, the collectors say. Lovely shapes.

[rawhide]

Hmmm? Wierd hobby!!!

[pnut22]

Now that’s a hobby that sucks!

[Tainan]

Truth to tell...I've also always admired the craftsmanship in a really good vacuum cleaner.
I once found myself, somehow, in ownership of 6 different ones.
Several were 'gifts' from friends who where moving, some I'd purchased and one from a roommate moving and leaving it behind.
Strangely, I now do not own any other than a 'computer vac' for cleaning the dust from my machines.

[rawhide]

I think you have found your long-lost friends! (smile)

[Tainan]

And like is mentioned in the article, it all started with our buying a Kirby when I was a child.

[rawhide]

For you:
http://www.vaccc.com/

[Bernard]

I've also always admired the craftsmanship in a really good vacuum cleaner.

When you think of these vaccuum cleaners, does the image involve June Cleaver or Donna Stone in highheels?

[Tainan]

Wearing an apron with a martini in hand?
That came later.

Hey...back then I was only a wee tyke...lol.
To me they were neat machines that made noise!

[pingman]

Hubba-hubba!

[dljordan]

A 37’ Kenmore Upright Bugeye. That is a thing of beauty.

[mrs. a]

Much as I hate vacuuming, when I read about what women went through to keep a clean house before the invention of the vacuum cleaner, I do bless the ugly noisy little beastie...

[Liberty Valance]

"And just what is it you've got that we don't? You suck!"

[LonePalm]

Nature abhors a vacuum, but not as much as a cat.

Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)