Just about every household has a vacuum and there are a ton of apartments here. Many are tossed for no reason, perhaps an upgrade. Some are tossed because of simple clogs the owner couldn't be bothered to figure out. Some are broken. If the motor is dead, all the other parts are usually good. If something is cracked or ripped, same idea...the rest is good. That's where the parts come from, which I also stock up on to complete vacuum sets when I just find the canisters.

Either way, they're everywhere, and if I walk long enough, I can cherry pick the good ones that sell well. I can also take parts off of others since I'm familiar with most of them to know what moves. I do see a couple at thrift stores, but I've only bought 2 or 3 over the years, 2 of them being Mieles in recent months for $5 and $11 through the manager I know. If you didn't see the last David Yurman necklace I sold, which I found on a bike stand, I put the pic in another reply.