Vacuum Cleaners Discussions

Hi,

I'd like to start researching financials and annual reports regarding some of the more significant vacuum makers -- both corporate and private. Surely there's a way for private individuals to do this but I need some advice and ideas as to how to go about it without the process becoming expensive.

Thanks,

Venson

Hi Venson:

The article which appeared in the March 18, 2009 WSJ has not been posted on-line yet [so I couldn't post the link].  It's author is Mary Ellen Lloyd.  The article is "Sear's Market Share Rises."

Carmine D.

Venson:

According to MIELE, on a yearly basis, the German MIELE plant ships ONE MILLION vacuums worldwide for sale.  [That doesn't count the MIELE's made in other countries].

Carmine D.

Thanks Carmine,

I'm still at work on this -- surely moving but doing it slowly. Besides my involvement with job hunting, the car up and went dramatic on me. It wanted a new fuel pump. What could I do but say yes?

Venson

You mean your BWM is not IMMER BESSER!

Carmine D.

CarmineD wrote:
Well, it's an eight-year-old BMW and things can only GET THE WORSER.

Venson

You knew it was not a new and unproven 'test' model!  You knew when you made the purchase that BMW's like all other cars require frequent maintenance, despite what the sales people say, and with BMW these come at a higher cost than most, unless you can fend for yourself.

Perhaps catlady is reading too.  She hopes to get 8-10 years out of the MIELE Salsa.  At $100 per year for just the bags, not counting the other items that MOLE pointed out will go bad during this time, she's looking down the road at some hefty out of pocket costs.  

Carmine D.

CarmineD wrote:
True Carmine but I take the event last week as one more of life's little surprises. If anything is painful it's expensive repairs that are required at not necessarily opportune times. I had the car checked out by a very experienced mechanic before I bought it and, overall, it has been running well. (He said one speeding ticket later.) Bad roads as opposed to bad car were more my problem.

I also wouldn't have been half as irritated if this had not happened after I'd just had an oil change and the mechanic informed me that he'd, "looked the car over" and everything seemed fine. Most fortunately, the car started right up for the trip home from the shop and I wasn't aware of any problems until I went down to the garage to take it out again. I could have been stranded on the road as I am told that fuel pumps die right out of the blue. Imagine that! She refused to die until she got me home.

There are great things under the hood like a chain instead of a belt for timing plus lots of sensors to keep you aware of possible problems. I am told that 100,000 miles on my car may be considered just the beginning. However . . .

I think Melanie's got a good chance. If the only problem she's had after many months of daily use is needing a hose repair -- that ain't bad. Most of the repair people here get plenty of demand for the replacement of stretch hoses on all brands I'm sure. They endure a lot of stress. In any event, Melanie appears to be a conscientious user and, if she continues to keep tabs on bag fill and the brush roll she should do well with the brand new one.

So far my S7 and he old BMW make me happy.

Venson

Venson wrote:

That's all that matters!  You can't put on price on that!

BTW, my sister owned a 1984 BMW for 20 years only to trade in for a new Mercedes in 2004.  She still has the Mercedes but, like you, due to unexpected repairs is looking to trade up.  Of course, while hers was being repaired, she was 'loaned' a new 2009 Mercedes, which of course she loves.  The BMW had over 200,000 miles and the body was beginning to decay after 20 years of hard NJ weather [never garaged].  The 2004 Mercedes is garaged.  She'll probably get a 2009/10.  Obviously she likes German made cars. 

Carmine D.

Sligthly askew of vacuums directly but an insight into how our neighbors across the pond perceive the leadership of the UK Prime Minister in the world of goernment and business.  Much is made of currency value/translations on "perceived wealth."  The british pound is down 30 percent in the last 12 months and it cost a number of UK "billionaires" their claim to fame on the Forbes list while still others are tettering on the brink of falling off.

Enjoy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94lW6Y4tBXs

Carmine D.

CarmineD wrote:
Hi Carmine,

My biggest lesson while I was away was the matter of shrinking money and that big numbers did not always add up to real worth. (Ever paid 60,000 drachma for a 12 ounce Coke?)

I'd never been anywhere before so when I landed in Munich, I thought two Deutschmarks for one American dollar was way cool but gave no thought to the actual value at the time. When I hit Denmark a couple of months later, I went to a bank to change about 40 of our dollars and came out with several hundred Krona. Feeling rich, I stopped at a shop where I saw a really nice pair of slacks in the window and that's when I got it. The price of the slacks in Danish money was almost as much as I had in my pocket.

That lesson learned, when I got to Turkey a good while later I followed an example I was taught by people more economically savvy than I. I would buy either more stable American dollars or Deutschmarks with the Turkish lira I was being paid and then hold onto them as long as I could. When I arrived in Turkey, 2,000 lira equalled one dollar. By the time I left the exchange rate was 7,000 lira against one dollar.

Vacuum cleaners there could average around 400,000 TL, for nothing particularly special, which was more than a lot people got paid for a month of work. I did not see a lot of new machines in private homes. In Istanbul people often went to a large bazaar at the bus station in Topkapi and bargained for "pre-owned" household goods and furniture.

Venson