I have a weird obsession with 1950's B movies. The stuff is super cheesy, but I love it for whatever reason. I love the space movies. I have often thought about delving into the world of collectible toys, surrounding these movies. I just don't know what is real and what is a repop. They still make a bunch of this stuff overseas. Example: This particular robot was listed at $2500. I would have paid, maybe $4o tops.
I love the old movies too, great stuff... Collecting is fun, especially if there is a good way to display it. I personally don't have the room to collect any more crap than I already have though....
I have a hard time not collecting things that interest me, so the closest I can offer is something I've collected but have yet to start properly restoring: Vintage electronics! I've got a 1942 Delco tabletop radio, a 1942 Crosley floor radio, and a postwar (1947ish) Zenith Cobramatic Hi Fi. The Delco works well, the Crosley I've yet to plug in, and the Zenith works okay but needs tuning string, a good cleaning, and a turntable rehab. They all need fresh capacitors. I have a spare tube radio for my Corvair that could use fresh capacitors as well.
I watched the movie "When Worlds Colide" from 1952 yesterday on cable... I wish one of the model companies would do up a model kit of the rocket used in the movie..... I'd love to build that one....
No… I’ll be 80 in June….my collecting days are over…. Getting rid of the bitchin stuff (aka junk s**t) I’ve collected needs to go somewhere else.
All the good stuff has been collected a long time ago. Gone are the days of spending a hundred bucks and have several things to show fellow collectors. I have a little knowledge on a few things and know an underpriced item when I see it. Buying and selling things I don't collect allows me to fund the things I do.
I collect a lot of different, but related stuff. Anything garage related mostly. I'd like to collect gas globes, but they are a little pricey and fragile for me to invest in.
Old country-western records. Records in general but the real country western stuff is just so cool! I have maybe 20 or so but need more. My daughter works at a place that sells them so that's a plus.
My thoughts! I can be thinking about doing this or doing that and suddenly I get to thinking about something I didn’t do that I was supposed to and maybe I did do after all since nothing has blew up and I need to go look at that piece and see if I can make it work on that, wait, what was that? A squirrel! Here buddy, here’s a nice acorn for you….
It is interesting how some collections get started. I was at a swap meet maybe 15 years ago and found this adorable little mini bike called a “little petro “ I didn’t know anything about them but I bought it. these are powered by a ohlsson and rice 1 hp 2 stroke engine. This led me on a search for other things that used those engines and I found a “micro power” mini bike. These originally came in a soft sided suitcase then I discovered that these engines were used on small tools. Here are a couple of generators 300 watts. So if you need to power 3 light bulbs I am your man haha here is a gas powered cordless drill. I think they may have been targeting guys tapping trees for maple syrup production. how about a gas powered circular saw? 1 hp water pump and a cutaway engine there are more things made with these engines but I was finally able to control myself and stop buying. This is an example of collecting things that I never even knew existed…..
I was into spark plug collecting, but quit when I started paying stupid money for the early ones. Looked at the ones I had and totaled their value, started selling, and put the funds in the projects.
Nothing so exotic, thankfully. Older electronics are usually full of expired capacitors, which are basically a smaller version of the condenser found in a points ignition system. When they go bad, the radio keeps working but develops a noticeable hum at all times. It's a bunch of unsoldering/soldering and then the radio sounds like new for another fifty years.
I have about a dozen Kennedy tool boxes, full of tools. Godzilla stuff is cool, but generally pricey. Same with vintage Disney. Still want to collect dead Presidents.
I just sold a few old tool boxes and a bunch of car stuff at a few swaps this year. Two Kennedys, a Waterloo and three craftsmen. Trying to down size but it seems I barely put a dent in the pile.
I bought a wooden Union tool box, pre war IIRC. Still sitting inside the front door, over a year later.
Drawer type? Those are just to beautiful to sell. I would probably hold on to that one too. I have an old home made carpenters wooden box that was my FIL. I’m going to keep that one.
Yes, wooden with lots of drawers, and steel wrapped around it. Union made them that way. Never seen one like this before. Price was right, tool boxes go cheap in Detroit. Not around here.
I had one of those gas powered drills a few years ago. It ran once or twice, then I couldn’t get it started again. Took it to a small engine shop, they had never heard of the brand and couldn’t get parts for it. After it sat in the carport a few years, got tired of looking at it and threw it on a load of scrap. According to the paperwork work it was for contractors building cabins and boat docks in remote areas….before battery operated tools of course. Seems like it came from a yard sale, gave about $10 for it
The Jalopy Journal
