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AMARILLO -- It is an unusual site when you see a garage full of vacuum cleaners. If you visit Nathan Thomas, you quickly notice that his collection has surpassed the two-hundred mark...maybe even more than three-hundred. He lives in Amarillo, along with a house and garage in Wayside, mostly for storing his prized possessions.
"To be honest with you, I'd be afraid to count, " Thomas said. "If I could put all these vacuums to good use and keep my house clean, then I would be getting somewhere. What I do with these cleaners is more or less as a hobby."
Thomas is attached to most of his vacuums; a big reason is that each one of them has a story.
"I would sell the duplicate models, but not the rare ones, unless someone would give me a really good price. I doubt I would sell them," Thomas said. "I'm just a guy who's flipped head over heels over vacuum cleaners."
Thomas finds his antiques at thrift stores, garage sales, the internet or even in a dumpster. Ironically, Thomas gets to put all of his knowledge to good use at his day job, cleaning carpets for Cain's Carpet Care.
"It seems like all my life, as far as if it had to do with vacuum cleaners, I was fascinated. That's why I like this job I currently work at now!" Thomas said.
For other interested collectors, there is a club with members nationwide called "The Vacuum Cleaner Collector's Club."
