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Electrolux Model 30
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Years ago, we did more visiting as we shopped.. Now, face-to-face contact has given way to email, text, and blog. As for shopping, we order online. Our package might come by UPS or FED EX, but there’s little need to trek to the post office and meet your neighbors.
NO SOLICITORS you’ll see at apartment and development entries, along with NO DOGWALKING. We used to open the door when the doorbell rang. We didn’t hesitate, even as we girded ourselves to say NO to an Electrolux or Fuller Brush salesman.
Fuller Brush Men were irresistible—sexy attractive, born salesmen. They’d walk in and Mother would curl her feet under her on the couch and lean back on the cushions. Those brushes! Somehow you didn’t think of mere cleaning, you thought of glamour. Luxury. Extra time to listen to daytime soaps, read the Saturday Evening Post, and light up a Lucky.
The Electrolux man made an appointment. “Why did I do that?” Mother would say before he came,” Our family doesn’t need any more cleaning.” But what amazing things that vacuum-sucking tank could do. Obliterate lurking bugs. Allergy- causing dust. I think Mother did actually succumb and buy an Electrolux vacuum cleaner that hung around long after we children grew up and left home.
But I’ve just read that Electrolux is moving into the smart appliance market. Soon you’ll be able to buy a room air conditioner controlled by an app, while another app will tell you if a storm has shut off your power while you are away. And several appliances will soon be connected.
You can be sure no salesman will be ringing your doorbell—and at least for a while, you’ll have to go to the store for a demonstration by an actual real person.
Paula Pederson 
Another odd thing is the very limited inventory kept by the stores. It seems that there are all the choices one could want in the aisle after aisle. However, more and more, no matter where I go, it seems the stores tell me that they can “order that for me…and have it in the next few day.” That doesn’t work well for me, because getting the desire to go to the store and give them my money in the first place was a big enough accomplishment. It would be very unlikely that I’d want to do it again in a “few days.”
I remember the Fuller Brush guys coming through the neighborhood.
You’re right. Shopping is often a chore. I’ve noticed more home food delivery services cropping up. They avoid spending time and thinking up what to eat.
Funny to read about the Electrolux vacuum cleaner. One of my uncles worked at the factory and we had only this make in my childhood I guess he helped us to get them a bit cheaper
This brought a smile to my face. And how about the Encyclopedia salesman? I remember him coming to our door too. But I admit, I prefer not having to answer my door to a salesperson these days.
Then came the Childcraft encycl. man who implied child abuse if you didn’t buy them.
Door to door salespeople do seem to be a thing of the past. Some were nice, some not so nice and some very tricky.
we’re more suspicious of strangers at the door. Also, they are easier to delete on the internet.