Kyle Krichbaum, a 15-year-old boy from Adrian, Michigan, has been fascinated by vacuum cleaners since before he could talk. His passion stuck with him through adolescence, and he’s now known as the world’s youngest vacuum cleaner collector, with a collection of around 200 vintage devices.

Most teenagers don’t have that strong of a relationship with vacuum cleaners, or any other cleaning gadgets, for that matter, but Kyle Krichbaum doesn’t like anything more than using, fixing and collecting all kinds of vacuum cleaners. His mother, MaryLynn, remembers that when Kyle was only a baby in his little baby seat and she would start vacuuming the house, he would be mesmerized by it and follow her everywhere around the house. “Vacuum Boy” got his first vacuum cleaner at age 1, and when he was 2-years-old he dressed up hot Halloween as a Dirt Devil…

One of his former teachers remembers Kyle Krichbaum was vacuuming around school, during recess, when he was just 6 years old. It’s not that he didn’t like recess as much as the other kids, vacuuming was just his favorite pass-time. He would vacuum one side of a classroom one day, and finish the other side the next, and has even vacuumed the principal’s office.

Now, at just 15 years of age, Kyle is a Member of the Vacuum Cleaner Collectors Club and has one of the largest and most valuable collections in the world. He has all kinds of vintage Hoovers, Electrolux’s, Kenmores and Kirby’s and the most valuable item is a functioning Hoover 0, from 1908, worth over $10,000. The kid stores his vacuums all around the house and uses many of them to actually clean carpets and floors. Kyle Krichbaum’s father says he normally vacuums a couple of times a day, and even four times, during the summer. As much as they like that he keeps the house squeaky clean, his parents say they’re going to have a big vacuum cleaner sale, when he goes off to college.

These days, Vacuum Boy makes some pocket change by fixing his neighbors vacuum cleaners, money he then invests in his great vacuum cleaner collection. In the future, he plans to work with vacuum cleaners, and dreams of inventing the world’s first truly quiet vacuum cleaner.

via Faded Tribune