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 Posted - January 13 2007 : 6:39:37 PM
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OK. Seems I’ve raised more than one eyebrow with the off-hand reference to my “magic box” a few weeks ago. Someone even “called me out” on it.
And I continually talk about my “haunt” without having ever described just what it is… so pull up a chair kids – I haven’t blogged or written anything worth a damn in two months, and it’s story time!
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When I finally fled the civic travesty that is Lexington, KY and moved to Frankfort in 2002, I decided to get a lay of the land of my newly rented digs. Frankfort is an awesome little town – not quite urban, not quite rural, not too modern, not too stodgy. Which might be frustrating to today’s generation of go-go-goers, but I find it’s muddied identity crisis sort of charming. True, the whole place dies after 6:00 pm on most days - after all the government drones go home - but I never was much of a rabble-rouser anyhow.
To wit - I can honestly say my dad never really understood me until a few years ago. We were visiting in my hometown of Chicago as we used to do often, and I’d had to excuse myself to go to the local pick-n-pull auto boneyard. I used to carry a list of random pieces and parts to keep an eye out for, and in KY the junkyards won’t let you dig. He was flabbergasted but amused: “Tony, sometimes I wonder if all the smarts and college and talent you have isn’t just a distraction, and if you wouldn’t just be happiest if you just ran a junkyard or something.”
It took him 27 years to figure that out. [:D] But (un)fortunately, I know that lacking seed money, junkyards are a grandfathered, entrenched industry, and running one is no way to pay the bills these days. So the distractions, misapplied to them as I am sometimes, will have to do.
But if junkyards are an enigma, antiques are infinitely more approachable.
Being a state government drone herself, my wife had worked in town for a few years already and knew of a place that would interest me. And she wasn’t kidding. She’d found an antique store all right, but not just any antique store mind you – Frankfort’s main street used to be lined with them. No, this particular antique store specializes in trains.
Owner's a confusing sort of character. A middle-aged soft-spoken fellow blessed with a touch of curmudgeon, he possesses a wealth of experience locked behind an impatience for those who lack patience themselves. It took me a while to figure out if I was welcome in his shop or just getting in the way.
But if Lionel, American Flyer, Marx, and the old guard of all manner of great toys that filled the department stores and wishbooks of of yore is your thing: he’s your man. Oh, and he has rooms full of the assortment of other odd junk and trinkets and useless stuff you might expect at an antique store. Or a flea market.
Every time I went there, I found something I couldn’t live without, be it old Star Trek comics for my dad, HotWheels I'd previously (and regrettably) hammered to oblivion, politically incorrect postcards from 100 years ago, or the missing ivory pedestal wheel for the Lincoln bed we inherited. The Lionel trains were a bit out of my interest (and as the infamous “Girl’s Set” would attest – out of my price league), but the shelves full of loose old RTR HO junk often yielded some interesting finds.
Somehow though, I never felt comfortable around the owner (who, appropriately enough, is named "Jim"). And after a while, I just sort of forgot to check the place out routinely.
Until one strange, wonderful day… it hit me, out of the blue. I can’t make this stuff up. I needed to go there. It didn’t matter that the place should have been closed – just go.
When I pulled up and got out of the car, it looked closed, all right. All the lights were off, save for the dim one behind the window where the main counter and the register was. If Frankfort has a rep for being a ghost town after 6:00, this was certainly helping the mood. I saw his truck outside, but still no sign of activity. I went up to the window and peered in – and the Halleluiah Chorus rang out.
Sitting – alone – on the counter, which was unusually devoid of the usual assortment of clutter and junk, was Lindberg’s 1/32 model of a 1975 2-door Ford Granada. Yeah – if you know the car I’m talking about, you’re rolling your eyes and shaking your head. Which means you would question why there would ever have been a model kit for one. But there had been – and it was truly rare. I loved our family’s old battletank, and I’d been searching for one for years. And lo – there it was.
And it most certainly had been calling me.
I rushed in and looked at it, sitting there. The owner came out from his back storeroom and seemed surprised. “Haven’t seen you around here in a while.”
I feebly excused my lack of visits and then pointed at the car. “I know this sounds ridiculous, but I think this brought me in here. If you knew me, you’d understand. I don’t care what it costs, I’ve wanted one forever now. Name your price.”
In my excitement, I’d foolishly tipped my hand. I’d seen three on ebay in 5 years and the prices shocked me – I got sniped twice and finally settled for a Mercury Monarch on the third. But to my surprise, he asked me about it. Did I know what it was?
Most certainly.
“Well, I’ve been wondering what to do with that for three days now. Not something I usually deal with, but for some reason I couldn’t get rid of it. Eh, it’s built. Ten Dollars sound fair?”
Does a bear poop in the woods?
After that, I made more regular trips, at least every couple months as time allowed. We built a rapport as I fixed things for him in exchange for items – a stereo for a LifeLike DT&I Bicentennial GP38; an old Lionel Gantry Crane for a whole bag of HO stuff. I never actually spent much money – mostly scraping the barrel of pricing for old Hot Wheels and the random serviceable HO refugee. I was more into serious modeling exclusively.
Then, this past July I made a discovery that opened a Pandora’s box - the GN 430 in my avatar.
After that, the floodgates opened, and I’ve scoured the shelves and purchased much more, including items that a mere 6 months ago I would never have given a second thought. I think I’ve finally cherry-picked most of it.
But I’ve made two more important discoveries. The first is, that while I don’t know all there is to know, I do know quite a bit about this stuff, and love learning about the rest and its history. Jim appreciates my willingness to listen. The second is: Jim doesn’t know or care much at all about post-1970’s HO scale. And he appreciates my efforts to help him out in the arena and not blatantly take advantage of him. I actually fix Powertorque engines for him to sell.
So recently I went in for my now almost-weekly visit, and he had something for me. A box of engines that he said were “junk”. In truth, a few were, but a lot of them looked nicer than some he actually had for sale! And I told him so.
“Eh, it’s not worth fiddling with that stuff, Tony. If you want to fix it, that’s fine. I’d just as soon not bother. Because it works and then someone buys it and breaks it and then I’ve got problems trying to do the right thing.”
Honestly, I think he was just having a bad day, but who was I to complain? So… after ringing up a half-dozen more LNIB Tyco cars and other “junk” cars from the refugee shelf for less than a picture of Jackson, he gave me "The Box" of HO scale engines.
One of them was the Revell F7 I’ve crowed about here already. That was undoubtedly a prize I never would have found otherwise.
The others, in no particular order:
• Tyco SD24, Rocky Mountain Line, MIB
• Tyco SD24, Rocky Mountain Line, looks mint, dead
• Tyco 630 PhIII, Santa Fe. LN, runs LN (fixed)
• Tyco (Mantua) GP20, Burlington, MIB w/ rail kit
• Tyco 430 – President’s 1776 – VGC shell, dead motor
• Tyco 430 – 1776 blue roof – GC, dead motor
• Lionel HO (70’s) Alco FA – American Freedom Train – like new
• Athearn GP30 – Burlington Route – VGC+ (great paint), runs (fixed)
• AHM C-Liner – UP – VGC, runs (fixed)
• AHM C-Liner – UP – dummy (poor)
• AHM Alco RS2/3 – PRR – GC, runs
• AHM Alco RS2/3 – PRR – dummy
• AHM Alco RS11 – Southern - parts
• AHM F7 – Santa Fe – missing rear wheels
• Athearn Hustler – Red #59 – GC, runs
• Marx switcher – Green #10 – runs (fixed)
• Tyco (Mantua) F7A – B&O – VG, runs but needs work
• Tyco (Mantua) F7A+B – Penn Central 9451 – runs but paint on B-unit came off during cleaning
• Life-Like F7 – Santa Fe
• Athearn F7 shell – Southern Pacific black daylight – filled headlight? – poor condition
• Life-Like GP38 – Chessie – LN, runs
You might've seen some of those on ebay, but not before I told him he had a given me a couple gems and I had fixed some others, and did he want them? “No… but I appreciate your honesty”. Then he sold me a box of old-stock built Revell building kits and other structures for $10. “I’d rather sell it cheap to you than have to deal with all those clowns on ebay and pack and ship all that stuff. Thank you!”
Bethany has fun with this stuff... the rest is feeding my addiction.
There’s been a few other finds there (I now have 3 Lionel/Bachmann GS-4’s) but I don’t want to boast. And yes, to be fair, and before you all get mad – I most certainly have taken baths elsewhere. Oh yes. Sometimes I think this place exists solely to keep my Karma (and checkbook) in balance.
I’ve tried to bring him on-board for my Tyco research – to let me see what he gets before offering it to the unwashed masses. We’ll see where it goes but I honestly think he’s putting the HO to rest for now. He only ends up with it unwittingly as he pursues “true vintage” Lionel and other antique toys (He just got a metal Buddy L cargo plane that’s about 3 feet across and weighs about 15 pounds! [:O]).
In the meantime – We sometimes spend hours just BS-ing about stuff. Some guys to go the bar; I go the “junk shop”. If I hang around there long enough, I could see myself absolutely wanting to take over his business someday. But as long as I’m addicted to this stuff, the “seed money” will always be a problem… [;)]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So... if there is an odd piece or two you guys are looking for, let me know. Chances are it just *might* turn up there someday... and I can get it much cheaper than you'd ever hope to find on ebay.
Edited by - GoingInCirclez on January 14 2007 01:25:38 AM
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 Posted - January 13 2007 : 6:51:15 PM
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OK, can you watch for any #59 Athearn Hustlers other than the Red also the Lionel HO Center Cab see pic:
Thats it for now.
Thanks,
Gareth
 Attachment: Lionel Center cab 0545_Side.JPG ( 11505bytes )
Edited by - romcat on January 13 2007 6:52:16 PM
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Posted - January 14 2007 : 01:03:53 AM
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Great read. For come reason "the haunt" is a great fit for your place. I was reading this in a dark room and suddenly a voice from the kitchen started, "Imagine if you will...,"
With being drawn to the haunt that night and mentioning the engine in your avatar, which reminds me of the Tyco Alco C430 GT for some reason, it hit me. OMG, I forgot to bid on the GT that went tonight, I quickly switched over to ebay and put in a couple of bids with less than a minute. That was freaky. I didn't win but still.
An engrossing story nonetheless.
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Posted - January 14 2007 : 01:23:28 AM
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quote:| OK, can you watch for any #59 Athearn Hustlers other than the Red also the Lionel HO Center Cab see pic: |
You got it. Hustlers, not the magazines. [:D]
Actually I do happen to know where a red #57 is, if you're interested. Better shape than the 59 I had.
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Posted - January 14 2007 : 01:33:40 AM
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Gotta be born 59 like me!
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Posted - January 14 2007 : 12:38:58 PM
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Great Story and Great Shop!
That Lindberg 1/32 Ford Granada is a classic model. I had nearly all those 1/32 cars when they were available in the '70s. The 1977 Ford Thunderbird is the Lindberg 1/32 kit I would love to have as it was my first car.
Trying to think what else Lindberg made in that series of 1/32 cars. Seems there was a possibly under-sized late '70s Chevy Monte Carlo; a Pontiac Grand Prix; the Mercury Monarch Granada-clone that you mentioned. Was there a Chevy Nova or Olds Omega? Is there a Dodge 1/32 Van too??? Or was the Dodge Van not Lindberg?
Those cars, at least a few of them, were re-issue some years back and I bought what I could find.
Tony Cook
HO-Scale Trains Resource
http://ho-scaletrains.net
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Posted - January 14 2007 : 7:45:49 PM
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I really do like those Lindberg kits, but I don;t know anything about the rest of the line. I mainly just zeroed in on searching for the Granada / Monarch ones. Now that I have three, I gave it a rest ;)
My wife has a Lindberg 1/24 '78 (I think) Chevy Monza 2+2 that was a dealer promo car. That one is interesting. It has the fully-detailed interior that the 1/32 cars seemed to lack.
Lindberg really did make some neat models, that I've come across here and there over the years. Wouldn't mind having a couple others sometime. If I find that T-Bird I'll let you know.
Toby Halicki's "sequel" to the the original Gone in 60 Seconds (a GREAT flick, miles better than the '01 version) was called The Junkman. Kind of a lame movie, but a must if you;re a car freak. The "bad gal" drives a black Baskethandle 'Bird (77-79, not sure on the exact year).
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Posted - January 14 2007 : 11:09:12 PM
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Outstanding, as usual, sir.
There was a place in Lancaster, Texas (south of Dallas, between Grand Prairie and Arlington, Texas) that was a HUGE barn-style flea market. A guy there had TWO huge booths of HO...that's it. Tyco, AHM, Pemco, Hotco, Roco, Atlas, Revell, Bachmann, Life-Like, Lionel HO...and he priced it very reasonable. About 35% of my 1st collection (1994 thru 1999) came from that building.
Another neat thing I love about barn-style flea markets...this place had the ENTIRE Hardee's "Looney Tunes" 12 oz. Pepsi promo tumbler/glasses from yore...circa 1971, 72, 73, 74...etc.
I have all but 3 of those original 1st edition glasses...and Foghorn Leghorn is my favorite. My mother bought an entire set for me when I was 7, and after helping my folks rebuild after Hurricane Katrina...I found them in the ORIGINAL Hardee's bag, wrapped and clean in the attic, in a HUGE sea chest. I have 'em now in Texas.
In fact, I just polished a glass of pomegrante juice from my ol' pal Foghorn.
Nitey Nite.
Edited by - theoldreliable on January 14 2007 11:10:49 PM
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