The "My Favorite Collectibles: Part III - A Calendar For Mother" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Sometime in the early 2000's and I had just returned from a trip to a few of the antique stores near Adamstown, Pennsylvania known as Renninger's Antique and Collectors Market and Stoudt's Black Angus Antique Mall.  This area of Pennsylvania is known for their high quality antiques and it is so interesting to see what others have decided to discard over the years.  My "big" find today was a 1922 calendar that I gave to my mother since it was the year of her birth.  Only problem was that it carried drawings of automobiles from that era.  When she and my father died, I sort of inherited just about everything that my brother didn't have an interest in at the time.  The calendar was special to me since I had bought it for her years before her death.  As I leafed through the pages of cars it amazed me that there were several that I hadn't even heard of before.  The first page from the calendar will show you the design of the calendar, but the photographs that follow will show you all the automobiles that were featured in the calendar.  See how many you can remember that were in production in 1922. It was a another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  PS - Click on images to enlarge them.

The car featured on this month is the Auburn.   It was  produced in Auburn, Indiana and this car was a four-passenger sport model, selling fully-equipped at $2,195, f.o.b. the factory.  Offered as standard equipment are shock absorbers, a nickel-plated radiator shell, bar filler cap with Motometer, cowl ventilator, individual fenders, polished aluminum steps, trunks with nickeled trimmings on each side of the car, barrel-type headlamps and a parking light on the left rear fender.

FEBRUARY
The Rauch & Lang was an electric vehicle made by Each & Lang, Inc. of Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts.  It claims to be an electric sedan that is a radically different electric automobile.  The company also claims more interest on the part of the  public this year than ever before inter history.

MARCH
This new and improved Haynes 75 two-passenger Speedster is equipped with a six cylinder, 75 horsepower engine of Haynes' own design.  Individual steps and fenders and two extra wire wheels are standard equipment.  Wind deflectors, rear vision mirrors, windshield cleaners, exterior side cowl lights and searchlight-type head lamps are also furnished at no additional cost.  Tests show the car is capable of an 80 miles per hour top speed.

APRIL
The Essex coach is a product of the Hudson Motor Company of Detroit, Michigan and is expected to be a trend-setter, offering a popularly-price car to the motoring public.  This is the first coach offered under the Essex banner and it is offered at a selling price of $1,345, just $250 more than the touring car model.

MAY
Although there is good reasons for buying a car from the more popular, established manufacturers, there are many of these buyers who would aldodlike their off-the-showroom-floor models to have a little extra flair.  For these buyers, the Automotive Body Company of Chicago, Illinois offers this racing body to transform their Ford, Chevrolet, Dodge, Maxwell, Saxon or overland into a lightweight racing model ready to do battle on the track. 

JUNE
Now in its second year of manufacture, Earl Motors, Inc., of Jackson Michigan offers this Earl touring model for $1,285.  Its low graceful lines are, in the words of its builders, designed to appeal to those who take an honest pride in their belongings, who seek to rise above the commonplace in their homes their dress and their cars. 

JULY
From Teledo, Ohio, the Willys-Overland Company offers this four-door sedan at a price of $895 for the 1922 model year.  The company claims this to be the easiest riding, longest-serving, most economical and most popular of the 800,000 Overlands produced since its beginning in 1903.  Equipment included electric starter, lights, horn, speedometer, and demountable wire wheels.  The economy claim is based on owner's records showing 25 miles per gallon.

AUGUST
This touring car, offered for $885, on one of four models offered for 1922 by the Maxwell Motor Company ofDetroit, Michigan.  The car boasts unusually long springs which it maker claims accounts for a degree of road comfort unusual for a car of its weight and size.  Standard equipment included disc steel wheels which are demountable at the rim and hub, leather upholstery, a new watertight windshield, electric horn and drum type head lamps. 

SEPTEMBER
A newcomer on the automotive scene for 1922 is this new Jewett, designed and built by the Paige-Detroit Morot Car Company.  This four=door sedan boasts all-metal coach work claimed to be free of rattles and squeaks.  Power is supplied by aa 50 horsepower six-cylinder engine.  Available through allPaige dealers, the sedan sells for $1,395.  

OCTOBER
The Stewart Motor Corporation is seeking to expand its list of dealers in 1922, offering franchises to established dealers of other vehicles.  Leading their line is the stake-bodied "Utility Wagon" which falls in the same capacity range as more than 60% of all the trucks being sold today to they growing commercial market.   

NOVEMBER
The Impressively-named Southern Motor manufacturing Association, Limited, of Houston, Texas, announces for 1922 this roadster model, latest in the line of Ranger automobiles.  Powered by the four-cylinder Ranger-Supreme engine which features a 3 3/8" bore and a 5" stroke, this model offers ample seating room and luggage storage.  The roadster bodies mounted on the same 116 inch wheelbase chases as their touring model and sells for $1,595.

DECEMBER
Last year, W.C. Durant left General Motors, having been replaced as president by Pierre S. DuPont in 1920, to form his own company in Flint Michigan.  In this, the Durant Motor Company's first year of production, the firm is making a bid for the low-price market, offering this Star touring car for the reasonable price of $348.  

The "My Favorite Collectibles: Part I - 1/18" Model Cars" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Going through some of the cardboard cartons in the basement and came across a box of metal 1/18 inch scale metal Corvette models.   Some were made in Thailand by the Maisto Company, some were made in Spain by the Mira Company, some were made in China and sold by the Eril Company in Dyersville, Iowa while some were made by UT Models with no country listed.  

Standing next to my 1987 Corvette.

It was in the late 1990s that my wife suggested we buy a bright red Corvette we had seen a few months prior since at the time I was having a few medical problems.  Within a week the bright red 1987 Vette was sitting in front of our house on Janet Ave. in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  Before long My youngest son and I had begun entering the car in shows.  Took quite a bit of time preparing the car for the judging, but I had an entire shelf of trophies in no time.  

Magazine article in Vette Magazine.

Also submitted a story about the car to Vette Magazine and they published the story in the "Me & My VETTE" column.  As the months and years passed by I began to collect 1/18 inch metal model Corvette cars.  Had close to two dozen that I had purchased or others had purchased for me for gifts.  As time progressed,  the money we were spending for extra insurance, maintenance and entry fees for shows and contests for the Corvette was needed for other family projects as well as college expenses...so I did the unthinkable and sold my '87 Vette.  Sold it to my next door neighbor who allowed me to drive it whenever I wanted to so it eased the pain of selling it somewhat.  Well, the many models I had collected after getting rid of the Vette was what I found in the cardboard boxes in my basement.  

Carol and I with our '87 Vette on the Ocean City boardwalk.

Brought back the memories from the past as well as a few stories my wife and I shared from our years we drove the Vette on the Boardwalk in Ocean City, Maryland to making yearly visits to the Carlisle, PA Corvette Show each summer.  Rather than put the models back in the boxes right away, I thought I would take photographs of a few of my favorites to share with you.  So, the following photographs are some of the model cars I had collected in the past.  Still hate to give them up...so they will go back in the boxes and head back to the basement.  That is except for a half dozen that will fill my office shelves as a reminder of past memories.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

1954 - the second year that Chevrolet made the Corvette.

1957 - Neat car prepared for racing.  Notice the large tires on the rear.

1957 - This one is more a stock model than the one above it.

1963 Split-window, one of the most iconic Vettes every made.

1978 Official Indianapolis Speedway Pace Car.

1995 Official Indianapolis Speedway Pace Car.

1996 - Reminded me of my car with a few changes.

1996 C4 Grand Sport with White Stripe and Red fender accent stripes.

1998 Official Indianapolis Speedway Pace Car

The "Colorful Meals" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Cleaning some of the shelves in our living room for something to do to avoid the boredom of being confined to the house during this stressful time of fighting the coronavirus.  As I cleaned the shelves above our small sink in the living room, I admired once more the many pieces of vibrant Fiesta Ware that my mother had given to us over the years.  Carol and I very rarely use the plates and dishes since they are more valuable sitting on the shelf than they are sitting on the table full of food.  Fiesta Ware was designed by Frederick Hurten Rhead for the Homer Laughlin China Company in Newell, West Virginia.  It was first introduced to the public in 1936 at the Pittsburgh China and glass Show.  

A variety of colors of plates, saucers and cups.

Some of the original colors were red, yellow, cobalt blue, green and ivory.  One of my favorites, turquoise was introduced a year later.  What made the pottery interesting was that you could buy all the different plates and dishes in just about every color, therefore the chances of your neighbor having the exact same collection was rather slim.  And, being that most people in the mid to late 1930s weren't wealthy, you could buy a few pieces at a time instead of having to buy an entire set all at once.  Mr. Rhead's art deco design made it look as if pieces had been formed by hand on a potter's wheel instead of being mass-produced.  In my hometown of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, my mom was able to buy her collection of Fiesta Ware at the downtown Woolworths which was the first Woolworths to open in the United States.  

A gravy boat sits in a celery dish.  On the right rear of the
photo is a set of three mixing bowls while a serving
bowl is on the left rear of the photo.

She could buy individual pieces as well as a 24-piece place setting which sold for about $11.  The Homer Laughlin China Company produced more than 1 million pieces of Fiesta by 1938.  In the 1950s many of the pieces could be bought in soft pastel colors while brighter colors were made in the early 1960s.  But, there was some talk about the old orange-red glaze that was used.  It was called by many "radioactive red" and was made in the early 1940s.  One of the key ingredients of the glaze was uranium and was restricted to government use for nuclear bomb research.  At that point, red Fiesta disappeared, but did eventually make it's way back on the shelves in 1959.  The pottery reached it's peak in 1948 when 10 million pieces were purchased.  Fiesta Ware was retired in the early 1970s.  

This photo shows the serving bowls with a
serving platter.

But, in 1986, when it became popular with collectors, Bloomingdale's partnered with Homer Laughlin to reintroduce the colorful pottery.  The new line became known as Post 86 and is lead-free and safe to use in the microwave and dishwasher.  The Fiesta Ware that Carol and I now have is always hand-washed and is never placed in the microwave for fear it may cause sparks.  We still use a few of the pieces we have from my mother at special occasions such as Christmas and Easter dinners.  Didn't happen this Easter, since we didn't celebrate the holiday with our family due to the coronavirus.  Check out some of the pieces we have stored in our cabinet in the living room.  They still are beautiful and heavy.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

My favorite piece is this serving bowl that has handles and a knob on the
top.  Original casseroles featured details such as these hand-applied handles
and knobs that added to the value of the piece.  

The "1931 Ford 'Model A' Tudor Sedan" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Walking the streets of Stone Harbor, New Jersey when I noticed a car parked  at an angle along the curb.  Caught my eye instantly.  Walked around the car snapping photos with my iPhone and in a minute a few more gathered around this piece of motor history.  The Ford Model A was Ford Motor Company's second market success after its predecessor, the Model T.  The Model A was first produced in 1937.  Prices for the Model A ranged from $385 for a roadster to $1,400 for the top-of-the-line Town Car.  The engine was water cooled and provided 40 horsepower with a top speed of 65mph.  The 1930 and 1931 models  were available with a stainless steel radiator cowling and headlamp housings.  The Model A was the first Ford to use the standard set of driver controls with conventional clutch and brake pedals, throttle and gearshift.  It had a visual fuel guage, and the fuel flowed to the carburetor by gravity.  A rear-view mirror was optional.  The Model A was the first vehicle to have safety glass in the windshield.  As I stood next to the car I loved the exterior tri-color, whitewall tires, spoked wheels, adjustable windshield, simple dash and full-sized covered spare tire.  I spent a few minutes taking photos, but tough to do when the car was in a small parking space.  Check out the photographs I was able to take.  I did wait a few minutes, but never had the chance to meet the owner of this fantastic car.  I'm sure you will agree it is remarkable, even if you don't appreciate automobile history.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Front view of the 1931 Ford Model A. 

The white-walled tires with spoked wheels can be seen in this photo. 

Notice the windshield can be opened for ventilation and on
top of the windshield is a sun shield.  The rear-view mirror
is attached to the frame of the front door window. 

I can see from the plate that the car belongs to Pop and he lives in New Jersey.

The spare tire is a feature of artistic imagination with the white leather cover and
Ford logo. The rear bumper is split to allow easy access to the spare tire.

I love the tri-color shown here.  Running boards were always
a neat feature to me.  I believe the top had a type of canvas covering.

Very simple steering wheel.  You can see the gas, clutch and brake pedals
in this photograph.  Seats were cloth with stitching for artistic effect.

The "Lancaster's 'Mr. Downtown' Has Died" Story

Steve's store at 315 North Queen Street in downtown Lancaster, PA.

It was an ordinary day.  Trying to remember when the last time was that I talked with Steve Murray.  Steve couldn't be missed since he was over 6 feet tall and always dressed in vintage clothing.  How he ever found clothes to fit his frame was always amazing to me.  There weren't many people his size who lived in the 1920s to maybe the 1970s.  But, he always seemed to find something different to cover his frame.  

Steve in his vintage clothing.

I never got to know Steve very well, but did stop many times at his shop at 315 N. Queen Street in downtown Lancaster.  Shop was known as Zap & Company and featured vintage clothing and furnishings, estate jewelry, objects d'art and Art Deco lighting.  He had fur pieces from the 1940s, Hawaiian shirts from the 1950s, pins, pearls, cigarette lighters of all types, cocktail shakers, classic movie posters and compact discs, to name a few other items.  He opened his store in 1973 and always seemed to have a few people shopping in the store when I would stop from time to time.  I did enjoy his vintage Hawaiian shirts that he wore all summer.  

Steve with mannequin Hilda outside Zap & Company.

Now, I tell you all this since Steve, The "godfather of downtown retail" died this past Sunday after suffering a brain aneurysm.  Steve was 68 years old.  Steve's Zap & Co. was a treasure trove for period clothing and pop culture memorabilia.  The store was a source of costumes and props for many Hollywood productions, from James Cameron's "Titanic" to TV's "That '70s Show" to Woody Allen's "Radio Days".  

Inside photo of his store.  It was jam-packed throughout.

You just couldn't walk past the store without stopping out front and see what was in the window display.  The mannequins were dressed, and in some cases very scantily, in inventive ways.  The mannequin that stood by the front door, known as "Hilda" greeted customers in her latest get-up which was always picked by Steve.  

Remains of Zap & Company.

I may not have made many trips to the store, but after meeting me in the mid-1970s, he never forgot who I was.  Always greeted me as if I was his best friend.  But, on January 20, 2011 Steve's dream store was destroyed when a fire consumed his entire store.  The reason for the fire was never determined and the biggest asset to the store, "Mr. Downtown", was almost lost in the fire.  He recalls trying to reach for a fire extinguisher that was at the top of the basement steps when he must have fell and smashed the side of his head open.  The firemen found him, at first thinking him to be a mannequin.  

One of the few remaining memories I have.  A business card.

They did mouth-to-mouth and CPR on him and determined if he had been in the building another three or four minutes he would have died.  He was rushed to Lancaster General Hospital where he was first treated, but the severity of his burns was so great that they flew him by helicopter to well-known Crozer-Chester Medical Center in Delaware County for treatment.  Over a third of his body was burned.  

"Mr. Downtown"
You most certainly will be missed!

Both his arms and hands were burned with his right hand sustaining fourth-degree burns; burned to the bones.  Steve was in a coma for six weeks then underwent the first of 15 surgeries.  He had no memory of the fire.  Back in Lancaster shops in the 300 block of North Queen had signs asking people to pray for Steve's recovery.  Flowers and notes were left at the boarded up store at 315.  Steve went through quite a bit of physical therapy during his recovery.  But, his prized store, as well as his pet cat, was gone.  His sister and daughter were his biggest supporters during his recovery.  Today his pride and joy still is a vacant lot with a six-foot high black wooden fence in the place where Hilda one stood.  Oh, Yea!  Hilda did survive, but somewhat charred.  What happens now to the lot remains to be seen.  Whatever it is, it will never be as interesting and entertaining as Zap & Co. used to be.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Cherish Is The Word That I Use To Describe ..... Part II" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Adding a few more photos from my recent visit to the Big Valley Antique Center in Reedsville, Pa.  While visiting with our friends Jere and Just Sue for a couple of days, we took the time to explore this huge antique center to see and relive our life in real-time.  The items in today's story have a bit more meaning than those from yesterday.  Follow along with the photos and see if you can remember them from your lifetime.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

A great find in an antique store in northern Pennsylvania.  This is a Demuth snuff stoneware container.  It was made in Lancaster, PA sometime in the late 1700s.  It is in very good condition and has a price of $165.00

I used to have a round tube of Tinkertoys that I loved to play with all the time.  My mom and dad bought them for me for Christmas when I was about 6 years old.  I still have the Lincoln Logs package that I had, but not the Tinkertoys.  Didn't see a price on this.

Merle Good has written several books on the Amish.  He is from Lancaster County and writes about the Old Order Amish and the Mennonites.  This book looks fairly new.  No price was listed on it. 

I have my baby plate from when I was a young boy.  Now that I know I could ask $65 for it, I may have to sell it. 

I loved my view master and all the round reels that you could put in them.  Great time watching them with both eyes.  made it look 3D.  Price was $10.

I have posted a few stories about these choir boys and girls.  Every Christmas my church choir director gave all the choirboys one of these as a gift.  I still have a few of mine from back in the early 1950s.  A few were lost one year when they were too close to heat and melted. These are $29 each.

Were you alive in 1986 when this happened.  Ricky Nelson had such a soothing voice as he sang.  He was one of my favorites except he was supposed to play a concert in Lancaster one year and canceled at the last minute. Luckily we hadn't paid for tickets for the concert.  This newspaper page is $18.

The flag being sold here was captured by an American soldier who risked his life battling through Europe in defense of freedom.  "The flat is a symbol of hate and fear, but is also a war souvenir, a reminder that we must never forget that evil exists in our world and that it is our duty, that of every man and woman, to stand up against this kind of evil and make sure it never invades our lives again.  Yes, the flag is a symbol of hate, but is also a symbol of cowardice and fear among those who would wave it.  Tyrants who wave such flags have no place in the world today."   These are the words written and attached to the top of the flag in the showcase.  I did not see a price for the flag, but wouldn't have purchased it anyway. 

I had a 120 bass accordion exactly like this one.  I sold it close to 50 years ago for less than the $59 that the owner of this one is asking.  The number 120 tells the amount of bass keys or buttons on the side opposite the keyboard.  I am often tempted to pick up one of these monsters and try playing it, but fear I will hurt my back.  Last thing I need to do!

This is a really neat #3 Corona typewriter.  My guess is that it doesn't work and if it would you probably couldn't find ribbons for it.  It is selling for $399.  It is marked July 10, 1917. Can you imagine having to type on something like this?  What's interesting is the keyboard keys have the letters, numbers and punctuation in the same order as my computer keyboard has today.  

My final piece of history is this Underwood Tabulator model typewriter.  It too is neat and probably was used for many years.  The cost of this one was $100 FIRM, but was marked down to $80.  So much for FIRM! Same thing here...no way to buy ribbons for it. I learned typing in high school when I took the class in 11th grade with Mrs. Morse.  An old maid that was a neat old lady (at least we thought she was old) who was made fun of by just about everyone.  After being a teacher for over 30 years, I felt so bad that I treated her the way I did as a student.  Only wish I could have apologized for my behavior, but could never locate her.  She did teach me to type about 40 words a minute with 0 mistakes.  I am much better today since I have been writing these stories for over 9 years now. My hands just fly over the keyboard!  Not!  This story probably took about 30 minutes to write and illustrate with photos.