There is a vacuum-cleaner repair store near me, a family owned business. Over the years, I have taken several dying old vacs there. As a man, the routine was always the same. The female owner greeted me, then got a technician from the back room to start taking the thing apart, figure out what was wrong, and give me an estimate.
The last time I went in, the owner herself plugged in the machine, and turned it on, then quickly off. She said, in her Brooklyn accent: "Oy! It's da motah. No fixing this thing. Let me show you this nice Orek. I'll give you a discount."
She was right, the motor bearings were shot, but still....