"Corny" NASCAR Collectibles

In the world of diecast collectibles, I doubt any one category is as big as NASCAR. From very inexpensive off-brand 1/64 scale (Hot Wheels size) to the very detailed (and often very pricey) 1/24 scale models, if it has ever made a left turn at a NASCAR race, it has probably been issued in diecast. 

Typically, collectors will pick a theme and follow a racing series, a driver, or a team. In my case, I tend to follow sponsors for their flashy and stylish graphics. I personally like the Kellogg's cars. The Kellogg's iconography fits well with my general fondness for pop culture and advertising memorabilia. I also like that a good selection of cars are offered as cereal premiums rather than strictly as collectibles. To me, digging into a box of Cheerios to find a #43 Richard Petty car is way cooler than just picking it off a peg or ordering it online. Additionally, these cereal premiums are still relatively inexpensive. Check around the high shelves in flea markets or in the plastic bags in the bins. Treasures abound.  

However, you like to collect, NASCAR diecast has something to suit your taste and budget. 

I found this six car set that was originally a mail-in premium in 1996 for $5.00 on the shelf of a little flea market in Independence, Kansas. I like it because it includes a car you don't see very often. In 1990, the #97 car, driven by Chuck Brown, was the first NASCAR racer to carry the Kellogg's colors. At the other end of the spectrum, is the 1996 "Iron Man" car specially built to celebrate Terry Labonte's 500+ consecutive starts. It's toys! It's advertising! It's history! That is a nerd triple-play.

1996 Mail-In Kellogg's NASCAR Diecast Set (c) Terri Lynn Coop

Now, these cars I dug out of the Cheerios and Wheaties with my own sticky hands, just like going after the cereal box toy when I was a kid. Man, we at a lot of cereal at my house while the car promo was going on . . . .

2008 Kellogg's Cereal Box Premium

It's 1984 and Mustang was Turning 20!

1985 Ford Dealership Mustang Standee Side 1

A few years ago I attended what started out an as an auction, but  turned into a battle-of-wills marathon.
The auction was the estate of one of the most successful Ford dealers in the Midwest and it ran over with rare an unusual pieces from the business.

The sale was a two-ring nine-hour marathon of unintended memorabilia. It wasn't that the family collected Ford memorabilia. It was that they never threw anything away. 

This treasure is a never used promotion standee intended for the dealership showroom. It advertises the 20th anniversary edition of the classic 1964 1/2 Mustang pony car. The limited edition Mustang, produced in 1984, came in Oxford White with a Canyon Red interior. It had the original pony badge on the front fenders and came with a plaque engraved with the owner's name and the vehicle's production number.  Overall it is about 16 by 44 inches. Each side of the folded triangle would measure about 15 by 17 inches.

These backroom pieces are always a rare find, especially in flat unpunched condition. Neither the bottom flaps nor the side flaps have been creased. The entire unit is nicely flat and the colors are vibrant. I've chosen to keep it flat and display it on top of a shelving unit. However, carefully folded up and notched together would not significantly detract from the value.

Unusual pieces are often found at auctions. Businesses put extra items in the backroom and forget about them, sometimes for decades. Be prepared to be patient and dig through a lot of boxes. This beauty was in the barn. I'll be posting more about this crazy auction. Stay tuned, it was not your everyday sale.  Photos (c) Terri Lynn Coop 2012

1985 Ford Dealership Mustang Standee Side 2

Cop Car Cool

1987 Ford Brochure: Photo (c) Terri Lynn Coop

I like collecting advertising. The longer you read this blog and my car memorabilia collecting site you'll see that I talk about it quite a bit.

To me, advertising often captures the essence of both the item and the era. It also gives me clues about memorabilia and helps me identify mystery items (That came in blue? Who knew?) Often overlooked by collectors and pickers at auctions and estate sales, a patient and persistent shopper can come away with boxes or bags of ephemera full of surprises.

I became a collector of vintage police car advertising by accident. I was at an estate auction for a man who had been the police chief of a small town in the 1980s and 1990s and was, frankly, a hoarder. The sheer volume of boxes that came out of that small house was staggering. The entire front yard and back yard was covered in boxes of books, paper, model trains, and all manner of household goods.

Most of the buyers were there for the trains, so I was left virtually alone to pick through the boxes of paper. Before long, I started turning up all sorts of advertising and paperwork from his days as police chief. I found equipment catalogs, weapon catalogs, and an entire expanding file full of brochures for police cars, motorcycles, and ambulances.

The brochures are amazing, each a full-color capsule ofautomotive and law enforcement technology and history.

While bidding was hot for the trains, I stood by and quietly picked up most of the police paper for $1 - $2 per box. Also about a half pallet of vintage SEARS catalogs, but that is a story for another day. Auctions require feet of iron, nerves of steel, and a poker face worthy of Vegas. However, they are a great way to add to and expand a collection. 

Art of Advertising

Car and Driver Magazine, Photo (c) Terri Lynn Coop

For a car enthusiast and memorabilia collector, a gallery of art and photography lurks in every automotive magazine. New magazines have slick full-color spreads of what is new and hot.

However, in my opinion, the real treasures are between the covers of the vintage hot rod rags from the 1960s and 1970s. 

The 1960s is when advertising changed emphasis from line drawing to photography and is considered to be the "Creative Revolution" and the birth of branding. For the first time, cars and products were sold as lifestyle choices as much as products. 

And it worked. The Corvette and the Cadillac are both cars. Four wheels, seats, and chrome. However, they represent very different outlooks on life and driving. This branding is what makes advertising art fun to collect.   

Car and Driver magazine is one of my favorites. Founded in 1955 and originally called "Sports Cars Illustrated," Car and Driver showcases the best in American cars and a solid sampling of foreign cars in every issue. The magazine is a combination of reviews, buying guides, photo spreads, and advertisements printed on nice quality glossy stock.

Individual vintage issues in decent "reader" condition typically run $3 - $5 online and at collector shows. However, the key is to always check through the boxes of magazines at garage sales, especially if the sale includes tools or car stuff. I've picked up new car magazines for a dime a piece and vintage 1960s beauties for $2 for a foot-thick stack. Always check under the Popular Mechanic issues for the hidden hot rod treasures.

Don't leave inexpensive vintage magazines behind because they aren't pristine. You have to take the good with the bad. Crumpled pages, water damage, and missing covers are common. However, the prizes, the singlepage advertisements (tear sheets) are often intact and can be turned into high quality collectible art.

What is your favorite vintage automotive advertising? The indestructible VW Bug? The sophisticated luxury cars? The untamed hot rods? Let me know and I'll see what I can dig up for pictures.