World's oldest functional vacuum cleaner

A 78-year-old man in Scotland claims to have (and use) the world's oldest vacuum cleaner, a wonderfully named "Goblin Triumph" his mum bought from a door-to-door salesman in 1936.

'My Goblin is still used regularly about the house and has never stopped working since the day my mother bought it.'

Mr Cameron's superb collection of ancient gadgets was first featured six years ago when the pensioner was a familiar sight in his blue 16-year-old Reliant Robin around the streets of his native Paisley.

Then, he said: 'The Goblin is a very simple design. It is a motor and a fan with a cardboard tube attached.

'There is little to go wrong with the cleaner, so there is very little reason why it should not go on working forever. It will probably outlive me.'

Link

(via Gizmodo)

Update:

Dave sez, "My wife and I were given my great-grandmother's hoover vacuum, along
with the original documentation for the same when she passed away
(2002). The vacuum was purchased in 1928, if I recall correctly. It
worked fine, and my wife and I used it for over a year until we could
afford a newer model that had a hepa filter. The vacuum still works,
and is in the possession of my great uncle, who is a bit of a
nostalgia buff."

Update 2: TC sez, "This link gives a good early vacuum cleaner history."