Posted on 12/02/2007 8:22:35 PM PST by Coleus
In an age when most things are disposable, cell phones swapped annually , cars traded every three years and homes put on the market ever so often, John Nordskog and his Super Dynamic vacuum cleaner appear to be from a bygone era. "This thing is almost as old as I am, and it's running better than I am," the 57-year-old Nordskog said of the dark blue canister machine his mother, Thelma, purchased in October 1952 from Ideal Vacuum Stores in Newark.
At least once a week, Nordskog pulls out the Super Dynamic, shunning the more modern incarnations of the vacuum like Dirt Devils and Hoovers. On Monday, Nordskog pressed a small button on the Super Dynamic's silver handle and a low buzz filled the living room of his Lyon Street home. "It looks old and beat-up, but it runs like a top," he said. With six cats and a dog, Nordskog is happy that the Super Dynamic has done a "wonderful job" so far.
As a child, the city resident had seen his mother attach the long hose and brush to the machine to remove dust bunnies from drapes, under dressers and other hard-to-reach places, but he had no idea the vacuum cleaner was that old. A few weeks ago he found the guarantee certificate with the 1952 date. His mother died two years ago. "I was kind of shocked," Nordskog said of the discovery. "I said, "Holy cow! This is unbelievable."
Thelma Nordskog had the vacuum serviced once in its 55 years of existence, according to John Nordskog. Since taking over ownership, he has bought new cords and new brushes at local appliance stores, but no repair work was needed, he said. Nordskog said his mother's vacuum is testament to the days when American-manufactured products were not only made well, but made to last. "This is what America was," said Nordskog, originally from New Milford. "It's about when people made things with good quality. They cared about things. When something outlasts its warranty that's pretty good. Even today when you buy a car, they tell you to buy the extended warranty.
"I just thought it was cool that old-fashioned quality American stuff still works," he added. Scott Wells, executive director of the Des Moines-based Vacuum Dealers Trade Association, which supports independent vacuum retailers, said Monday that the earlier vacuums were made from sturdy materials. His grandparents had a Hoover vacuum cleaner that dated from 1948 and that his parents used into the 2000s, Wells said.
"It's not uncommon that it would still work," Wells said. "It's a little bit uncommon that someone saves it and uses it that long. Vacuum cleaners from that time period were certainly built to last." Nordskog said he took to vacuuming back in the early 1980s when he became a stay-at-home father, while his now 31-year-old son, Miles, was still a toddler. His mother and father, John, had come to live with the family, and Thelma Nordskog brought the vacuum along with her. With the kids running around and spending a lot of time on the floor and rugs, it was not long before he picked up his mother's old vacuum cleaner and went to work.
"I have been using it ever since," Nordskog said.
Nordskog does not shun modern conveniences: He appreciates that his caller ID system allows him to screen telephone calls so that he does not miss the ending of close football games or movies. Newer, however, is not always better. "Technology is wonderful," Nordskog said. "But sometimes things get too much. Look at the phones with all the video cameras and televisions. A phone should be for making phone calls. You have to read a manual the size of a book. It's ridiculous."
Miles Nordskog also thinks the old cleaner is something notable, although he and members of the family use the Dirt Devil and Eureka vacuums more than the Super Dynamic. In the long run, his father's vacuum, which has a reusable bag, has an advantage over those that require users to purchase a bag, he said. He also likes that the Super Dynamic is made from "real parts that don't crack or break down," Miles Nordskog said.
"It's hard once you find something that's really good," he said. "You're always hearing about people giving negative feedback, and (with) all the recalls we've been having lately ... it's nice to hear about something that was made so long ago, and it still works great. It's a different kind of quality." John Nordskog said he also has used the Dirt Devil but only when it is handy and not without some degree guilt.
"I only grabbed the Dirt Devil thing the other day because it was at hand and my grandson had just spilled some of his dry cereal over the floor," John Nordskog said. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have touched it. I would have gotten the other one." As for his Super Dynamic, he said will use the vacuum proudly until it sucks up its last piece of dirt. "It's like finding a good doctor or a good mechanic," John Nordskog said. "Once you get a hold of it, you don't let it go."
I have two words for you: planned obsolescence.
Yes, but have you ever tried to haul one of those steel monsters up and down the stairs? It is not easy. I have an old Kirby and my late MIL's Electrolux -- both vacuum incredible well, but they are heavy and not very manueverable.
This was a really neat story of appreciation for not only something well made, but something that was handed-down. Thanks for posting.
In matters of style maybe, but quality is something else.
How do you define quality - your definition, don’t use a dictionary or anything like that.
I have some old tube radios from the 40s. All of them were US made and most still work. A couple even have evidence of repair work done long ago. How many people would get a small table radio repaired these days?
American quality went out the window when American companies realized 1) that their products could be made more cheaply in China, and 2) that it would be better for the bottom line if their products were only made to last a few years before wearing out and forcing their consumers to buy new replacement products.
I would like to borrow the Super Dynamic and give David Oreck a thorough beating with it before he appears on my TV or radio again.
The thing was ridiculously overpriced and actually had less suction power than the old Dirt Devil it was to replace.
The instructions that came with the Dyson were like something I've never seen. It was all drawings with circles and arrows with no text.
I think Dyson is a big con game with such chutzpah that it takes one's breath away.
How much did it cost in 1950?
It was in the 1950’s ...According to old advertisements by Hoover and other vacuum cleaner manufacturing companies, vacuum cleaners ranged from $35 to $65 in price depending on the model.
http://www.geyservac.com/information/vacuum-cleaners-1950.html
You don't like David Oreck, creator of the incredible 8 lb Oreck XL?
LOL.
I have a hunch it wasn’t made in China.....but it’s only a hunch.
A vacuum costing $35 to $65 in 1952 would cost $262 to $487 today.
One reason quality has gone down is that for many types of products people aren’t willing to pay more for the quality. Low quality drives out high quality unless people are willing to pay a premium for the quality product.
A vacuum costing $35 to $65 in 1952 would cost $262 to $487 today.
One reason quality has gone down is that for many types of products people aren’t willing to pay more for the quality. Low quality drives out high quality unless people are willing to pay a premium for the quality product.
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Inflation?
Free trade with cheap foreign labor operates outside the laws of inflation (and laws of gravity). Free trade is better then sliced bread, more pure then the wind driven snow. A religion. A godly standard to live up to.
Its suppose to deflate the cost of goods by 1,000%.
I do know you can buy a quite functional vacuum cleaner for about $100, which is considerably less than you would have had to pay for an equivalent in 1952.
BTW, I haven’t bought a vacuum in many years. I just pick up discarded ones at the curb and check them over. About half the time the only thing wrong is a clog (usually as from sucking up things like pennies or hair pins), a jammed brush or a belt needing replacement. If people can’t operate a piece of equipment, quality isn’t going to do them much good.
I have an old Rainbow a friend was going to toss out. All it needed was a new cord. It's a great vacuum cleaner, but no way would I pay for a new one. I think they ask around $2,000 for them these days.
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