An estate sale listed as Toy Cars turned into so much more - and I can't quite believe it happened.
For background, I'm a discerning mid-tier collector with a bent for obtuse and oddball scale accurate models of real vehicles, along with a great appreciation for the classics. But while I've reached the point in my life when I have a bit more disposable income, I still have a hard time paying top dollar for the rarer stuff.
So back to this sale... as I go through everything I can only guess that this collection was assembled by a very eagle-eyed collector at the start of the golden age of 1:43 in the US. Many of the models I picked up have gold stickers on the outer boxes from Sinclair Auto Miniatures. And as I dug into them, most of them are very limited editions.
These Stylish Cars Duesenbergs would have been out of reach but are now in my collection.
I've long had my eyes on this Rolls Royce skiff from Ilario.
Here's a Motor City wagon I never thought I'd have in my collection.
This Frazier from Highway Travelers is marked 1 of 2. I've not seen this color combo before.
In the vein of oddball, here's one I never thought I'd get. It's Vladimir Lenin's car from ABC Brianza, one of 60 made.
A wagon from MA Collection, one of 80.
A Minimarque Edsel Citation, one of 50.
How about this beautiful Tin Wizard Duesenberg Mormon Meteor?
And a few others I couldn't say no to.
Finally, I picked up these Design Studio hot rods because they were there. Not really my thing but I'm sure I'll find someone who would appreciate them.
OK, so maybe I will be relegated to just looking in Chicago. My budget needs to recover.
WOW! What a nice selection. Lucky you! The Edsel has eluded me for some time, I'm always hopeful, someday. The Frazer is indeed a very unusual color combination, I like that one too. The two Duesenberg's are very cool, although I'm not familiar with that model brand, research. All-in-all, a bunch of excellent models. Congratulations.
What a fantastic selection, Randy. I’m not into hot rods, but the rest. I would especially like that Lenin car. Dave Sinclair sold some real gems back in the day.
Wow Randy, you did hit the jackpot. I love it when it happens to fellow collectors who appreciate what they have found. Thanks for sharing your good fortune.
@ed-davis I do have a lot of models and no, I don't display most of them, unfortunately. It's a case of overcollecting and running out of room. It's an illness and there is no cure. Buying more models seems to help with the symptoms of occasional regret.
@bob-jackman Thanks Bob. I notch this up as a "once in a lifetime" experience. I was in the right place, at the right time, and had some luck on my side. I appreciate that I have a great group of fellow collectors to share it with.
@jcarnutz By the way, Stylish Cars were white metal models that were precision engineered in Germany. Very much ahead of their time. Unlike other makers of the day, their models still rival some of the best stuff coming out today. They released four different Duesenbergs. They're rarely seen.
@jcarnutz Are you looking for that one in particular or any color issued of that model?
Randy, yes that is one of them. I've seen photos of 4 color combinations, if there are more, I don't know about them. I have seen the copper/white and a yellow/black, yours and a red/black. The only one I really don't want is the red/black, the other three are good, although the yellow/black is my 1st choice.
