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16/12/2019 4:23 pm
My love affair with the automobiles & Commercial Vehicles
The photos enclosed says it all. My life was taken over by the automobile for as long as I can remember. I'm like those old guys on American Pickers. They have a barn full of objects, and it pains them to sell off one item. I do, however sell duplicates. I sold models under the name Victory models for 18 years, and still am a dealer of sorts, for Brooklin, Goldvarg, Esval and other miscellaneous vehicles. Health and age limits that.
I have no filters so to speak. I have over 4,000 models. Car and trucks from all countries. Lots of American, British, French, Italian, and others. Very little racing. Mainly early 20th century to the 1970's. 80% 1/43rd, some 1/25th, including Danbury and Franklin Mint. Some old toys, Tootsietoy, Hubley, rubber, plastic. I have approx. 175 Dehanes trucks, 175 Shrock toys, a large collection of Fire Trucks, Ahrens Fox are my favorites, collection of taxicabs, including caps, badges, ashtrays, advertising, etc. 100 Citroens, nearly as many Mercedes, Volkswagens, Cadillacs, Buicks, Chryslers, Packards, and others. My comfort zone is the 1940's. My favorites are Cord, Lincoln Continental, Packard Clipper, GM Torpedo bodies (1940 to 1948), and Studebaker.
I also, collect, sales brochures, postcards, signs, trinkets, ads, license plate toppers, histories of automobiles and companies,bicycle stuff,old magazines, coca cola & soda pop, banks, showroom posters, and I could go on and on. I am a lost cause!
I have been a widower for 16 years, but my wife Madeline put up with all this from day one(43years). Love knows no bounds. I still have all of my enthusiasm and probably always will.
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See what I mean. A car guy through and through.
16/12/2019 5:24 pm
Thanks Raymond for sharing your personal history with us. Madeline must have been a Jewel in your life ! Sorry that she's not together with you still.
16/12/2019 5:28 pm
Thanks for sharing your good memories, Raymond. Keep these good posts coming!
16/12/2019 5:32 pm
Awesome bio.
17/12/2019 4:43 am
I too thank you for sharing your memories. Almost my entire life,79 years, has also been consumed with the love of cars. Incidentally, my first car was a Steelcraft Lincoln Zephyr pedal car my grandparents gave me when I was three for Christmas.
17/12/2019 5:08 am
Great post Ray - keep 'em coming.
17/12/2019 6:09 am
Thank you Raymond
A wonderful personal history. Thanks for taking the time to write and post. Your Victory models Nash, Studebaker, and Buick are at the front of my showcase. A memory chuckle over the pic of your own self in a pedal car. I wanted one so much and never got one. Probably set me in the course for collecting. I wonder how many former pedal car drivers are on this forum?
17/12/2019 6:13 am
+1 Thanks Ray! Same for me Bob; my first one was a green Dinky Foden chain lorry.
17/12/2019 9:40 am
Many thanks Ray - great memories.
17/12/2019 9:43 am
Pedal cars Alan....
I am a little older (9 months) than our Prince Charles, Prince of Wales. When I was little I very much wanted an Austin J40 pedal car - the dream of all boys of my generation. The fact that they cost the sum of 21 pounds - about a month's wages for my dad - didn't occur to me. When I found out that Charles had been presented with one specially sprayed in Royal Blue by the Austin factory I was highly annoyed!
17/12/2019 10:15 am
You just dislodged a childhood memory JR. My friend Nick had an Austin A-40 pedal car.
It was light blue and I loved it. One day I was pushing it fast while running behind it, lost my footing and the damned thing rolled over with me entangled, slicing my forehead. I still have the scar on my upper forehead to this day! Sadly this was my first, but not last rollover. Slow learner I guess!Lol.
17/12/2019 4:23 pm
An amazing story with some great photos! And 43(!) years of marriage! What great memories...