Hey Venson:
 
For us old-timers, we might say this old British vacuum looks remarkably like the USA Electrolux X11.  Even down to the runners, hinges and bakelite couplings on the machine ends.   Back then it was viewed as praise and respect to "copy" a competitor's innovations.  Today you'd end up in court and paying a outrageous settlement amount for patent infringement.  
 
BTW, glad to see the Supreme Court of the US recently relax interpretation of copyright laws giving more latitude to imitators and copiers (who are just keeping pace with the technological developments of the industry--like headlights, two way switches, paper bags and cordwinders.)
 
Carmine D.

Quote from old-timer on 05/12/07 at 4:42pm:

 
Hello Jimmy P/OT
 
Did you want the number I sold (lux X11's)?  Or the total sold?  
 
Even the shape and the color is the same as the Lux 12: Brown leather skin around a cylinder body.
 
In the 50's, I sold rebuilt Lux XXX's with one year guarantee for $34.95-$39.95 (bread and butter tank seller with HOOVER 28's as the upright rebuilt winner for the same prices).  I used rebuilt Lux X11's in newspaper ads for $14.95 as a leader for the rebuilt 30's.    Could fetch as much as $48.50 plus with a Preco power brush, which was about the price ($48.50) that Lux sold the rebuilt 30's for in those days (w/o the Preco power brush).   (If my memory serves me correctly!).
 
Carmine D.

Jimmy P:
 
HOOVER used the 60 series of consecutive numbers up through the model 70 for Deluxes (of course 31, 31 etc for standards). Then in the late 60's even used a 3 digit model number like the 707?  (I think).  It was a cross between the deluxe and standard model.  Tan base and blue top.  Then it went to 4 digit convertible models for deluxe and standard: 1010, 1020, etc like the Dials.
 
I did nothing with Royals except rebuilts.  Except for the mighty all metal handcleaner.  Sold alot new.  Same with Kirby--just rebuilts.  Filter Queen, Air-Way, Luxes, all sold as rebuilts.  Not new.  Nothing with new Orecks except parts and repairs.
 
HOOVER, EUREKA, and Panasonic were the new vacuum sellers.  A lock on the market.  Even did a short sprint with new Westinghouse canns in the late 50's and early 60's.  Worse cann on the market at time.  But brought the line in due to the salesman: Young college grad who worked for HOOVER, got fired and went to work for Westinghouse.  So I added the Westinghouse line: vacuums, radios, fans, small appliances.  Sold it all.  Made money.  Everybody happy!
 
Carmine D.
 

Hi Carmine,I dont know about your area,but in our neck of the woods there were always loads of shetland lewyts,and sunbeams,always canisters coming in for repairs.
 
My first repair as a kid breaking into the family business was replacing a hose on a sunbeam courier.Do you remember the double rubber hoses? Yes the cloth ones,then went to the vinyl type. The hose was $7.77 with the sales tax.
 
Dont you find it a little strange that hoovers and eureka's etc, still can market an upright for 59.95.It seems like the prices have not changed since 1965......
 
 O.T.

Quote from old-timer on 05/13/07 at 10:15am:

 
I agree GE, Shetland, Lewyt canns.  Parts and service.  The double rubber end cloth hoses were wonderful.  Better than original equipment from the manufacturer.  Didn't need the rubber cuffs off the old hose ends.  Sold them for $6.00 before tax in my neck of the woods with the labor for changing the hose ends.
 
The $39 cann and $59 upright were staples for HOOVER and Eureka in the 60's and beyond.  Why?  You know.  They (HOOVER and Eureka) made the decision to kow tow to the big box retailers (at the expense of the indy's) and had to do it with the cheap prices on new vacuums.  It got to the point where the new (60's) HOOVER and Eureka canns complete were cheaper to sell than the new deluxe attachments for the HOOVER uprights.  Sold new HOOVER convertible uprights and Eureka uprights w/o attachments with new HOOVER canns and/or Eureka canns complete in lieu of the attachments for the uprights.  
 
Carmine D.