Most insane collection of vacuums on the face of this earth!

[washernoob]

WOW!

Just went to the "so-called-closed" odowds vacuum shop today. (the other odowds not the one I normally go to)

WOW! Aparently they are still open! I went in and checked the entire store out which I did not get to do the last time I was in there 6 months ago!

I toured the basement (pictures to follow) and the huge "other" room next to the main room, and its much bigger than the main room!
___
In the basement there were about 300 or so vacuums. Most were just pilled on top of each other. There was a corner with about 50 hoovers lined up laying against each other.

There was a section of wall that was knocked out to create a small crawl space. FILLED with kirby vacuums. I would say there were about 100 or more of them stacked on top of each other.

There were more hoover concept ones in there than I have seen in my life. I counted probably 40 of them. In the basement alone! 2 hoover concept twos as well!

A shelf was filled with hundreds and hundreds of brush rolls too.
____

In the "other" room things were less organized.

There is a crate in there that is about 50 feet long, 12 feet deep and 5 feet high.

Absolutely stuffed with vacuum cleaners. Probably between 300-400 I would imagine.

On one end there were just hoovers and airways. I found 6 SIX hoover constellations, including an original blue one and pink one. Probably 5-10 airways ranging from the round one to the 88 mark II.

Most impressive thing I have EVER seen. This is why I love omaha. No other store in the world has this many vacuums i think!

_+__

First pic, the kirby corner.

 

[washernoob]

Second pic,

Along side the kirby corner. Some broken hoovers and such.

There were hundreds of bags behind this wall just sitting there.

 

[washernoob]

Next, the center of the basement!

Sorry its so dark. I tried to lighten them a bit. Non of the florescent lights worked.

 

[washernoob]

Next, A little bit to the left from the last one.

There is one of the concept twos. I want it! It was not that bad looking!

Notice the stuff just thrown around! These are no longer used machines.

 

[washernoob]

Next, more to the right!

I ment to say more to the right in the last post.

Pretty blue concept sticking out of a post!

 

[washernoob]

Last. Just a random picture! WOW!

So much stuff.

 

[washernoob]

I have two videos on here but dont know how to put them on the internet without using youtube.

No pictures of the "other" room as I was kinda in a hurry. But some day. maybe tomorrow I will go back.

 

[washernoob]

Screen shots

My phone takes terrible video but I tried to take some screen shots of a few rare vacuums

Here is a rare kirby Super Sweeper commercial vacuum. This has an 18" bolt on nozzle.

 

[washernoob]

Constellations

The yellowish one appears to be the same as mine.

That is a pink one on the left and is one of the very first models! Quite rare! And it was very very nice looking.

This was in "the other room" in the crate.

Again sorry for the poor quality. Maybe next time I will remember my nice camera.

 

[gansky1]

This is the O'Dowd's vacuum store on Radial Hwy? I'm not surprised it looks like this, they've been in business a long, long time.

 

[washernoob]

Yep

Byron on 13th street said they were closing long ago, but apparently his brother decided to keep it going.

So yep its still there. For like 40 years or so!

Its a bit dusty in there but hey its old, and so many dirty vacuums get put in there every day its hard to keep it clean.

The basement is understandably dirty. Not finished, and very very very old brick walls crumbling. Its just been too long unattended that its kinda falling apart. Its also quite low ceilinged in there so its a paint to get around and do stuff.

He has collected so much that he has NO room for more. Eventually he will HAVE to part with some.

Greg, if you have never been, nows the time! Its really something for sure!

 

[washernoob]

WENT BACK TODAY!

I went back today with a friend, a local kirby nut.

We were going there with intentions on finally getting him to part with the old stuff.

So we start in the basement, John pulled out all the kirbys. Didn't find anything older than a 1950 510 though.
I found 4-5 hoover 28s, and a model 61. Some original and some rebuilt.

____

NOW for the fun part!

THERE IS ANOTHER BASEMENT TO THE STORE!

Holy crap... my dreams completely realized. There is an entire and much larger basement to the store that we did not know about.

way more vacuums.... and one thing that I still think was a dream.... On the far side of the one room in the basement, behind some rubble and car fenders, sits a PILE Of well over 100 very antique, very rare vacuums!

Some of the rarities which we dug up-

1920s Kirby model C
1920S Scotts and fetzer sanitation system
Kirby 510 with original parts.
2 hoover 541s
hoover 102, 103, 105.
Hoover 700, (x4-5) (725 (x3) hoover 800 (x2)

SIX... 6 hoover model 25s!!!! Holy crap. One of my most sought after hoovers! Six of them in mostly original and some quite mint condition!!
2 Hoover model 150s.

3-4 GEs and premiers.
-______

This was literally just the tip top of the two massive piles almost as tall as me and 15 feet deep.

First pic- The "other room" mentioned above. Showing the vast bin of vacuums.

 

[washernoob]

Next

Some of the constellations. I found 8 in this bin. Ron said he had about 20 or so of them.

 

[washernoob]

Next

This is more to the left of the bin.

I am holding the camera at chest height to give you an idea how tall this thing is.

THis is the low side, and really the only side that you can see above machines.

 

[washernoob]

Next

Looking from the low side to the high side of the bin.

Whoa its like a tidal wave of vacuums!

 

[washernoob]

Next.

Next. A bit more to the left. Its getting taller and taller!

 

[washernoob]

More

This is to give you an idea of the size of the bin.

 

[washernoob]

Next.

JUNK!

This is a random pic of the middle of the basement. Most of these are stripped of their parts.

 

[washernoob]

more

More junk. lol

But wait! Whats that I see?!?! A pink model 65!?! Yes it is!