Hood Ornaments: Cruising in Vintage Style

I am always on a photo safari. I carry my camera wherever I go in my hometown of Fort Scott Kansas because the town is a mecca for classic cars. This 1936 Plymouth sitting out in front of La Hacienda was no exception. Photos don't do this beautiful vintage lady justice. 

1936 Plymouth, Fort Scott Kansas: (c) Terri Lynn Coop

However, while a customizer might be curious about what is under the hood, I am a geek for the trim and accessories. This car had a stunning hood ornament in the classic Plymouth sailing ship style. 

Plymouth adopted the sailing ship style in 1935: (c) Terri Lynn Coop

The hood ornament matched the badge on the grille, keeping the sailing ship theme. Plymouth ornaments morphed into airplanes in the 1950s.

When it comes to hood ornaments and chrome, I am more of a virtual collector. I like photographing the chrome on the cars in good natural light. I don't have to worry about them breaking or rusting and I don't have to use my limited display place. Also, price. Hood ornaments can sell for $2.00 to $2000.00 (and more) depending on the rarity. That's a lot of mini-discs for my camera. So, if you see someone in cargo shorts leaning over a classic car on your street, don't call the cops, it's just me and I know to look, but not touch.

Fuzzy Dice. Yes, I Said Fuzzy Dice

"You was laughing at me, I was doing James Dean

You was the prettiest girl I'd ever seen

When you rolled your eyes and twirled my pink fur dice."

Sawyer Brown: "Some Girls Do" 1992

So, I like fuzzy dice. Sue me. They invoke a sense of nostalgia and history in me and make me wish I was out cruising and dropping the flag on a street race instead of reading on the Internet about WWII veterans street racing. 

Vintage Fuzzy Dice are the mascot for my
car memorabilia Facebook page (c) Terri L. Coop

On my Vegas trip I searched for the right souvenir
and on Fremont Street, ta-dah! Set to lucky number
seven (c) Terri Lynn Coop

Las Vegas Harley-Davidson Cafe

About halfway through my vacation visiting my friends in Vegas, they both had to work. I know, whatever was I going to do with myself? I had my bestie dump me at the Strip with a promise to call if I needed anything. 

Well, anybody can hang out at a casino. When you've seen one video poker game, you've seen them all. I was much more interested in the sights and sounds of America's biggest outdoor theme park - Las Vegas Boulevard. I started my hike at the Statue of Liberty (you can see her on the right edge) and was way ready for a break by the time I got to the midway point. And to my delight, that included the Harley-Davidson Cafe with the giant bike leaping out of the second floor ready to roar down The Strip. 

Harley Cafe on the Vegas Strip (c) Terri Lynn Coop

This second photo comes from the observation deck at the top of the escalator. The detail is amazing, right down to the logos and chrome. Hah! From this perspective, it looks like the front wheel is sitting on the pavement ready to rock and roll. I even got a shadow.

The Vegas Harley is ready to ride! (c) Terri Lynn Coop

Inside, along with cold beer and hot BBQ is a collection of vintage and customized bikes that roll by on a chain drive in the ceiling. The bikes circle the restaurant then climb out of sight. The restaurant has an amazing collection of celebrity photos and memorabilia as well. A perfect lunch or break stop for a car and motorcycle fan. The Harley-Davidson Cafe is located at 3725 Las Vegas Boulevard and is open from 9 in the morning until midnight, seven days a week.

Harley 1200 Low riding the drive (c) Terri Lynn Coop

Pawn Stars - Viva Las Vegas!

Gold & Silver Pawn at 713 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
Home of the "Pawn Stars": (c) Terri L. Coop

No trip to Vegas is complete with a stop at the "Pawn Stars" pawn shop. Well, at least no trip if you are a pop culture junkie like yours truly. My friends were great sports and we headed down there early on a Thursday morning to get in line. My luck was good and we barely had time to get exterior photos before being ushered inside. And, yes, it is hella cool, just like on the show. It is fun to go inside and see what you've seen on TV dozens of times. Yes, I am geeky like that. Unfortunately, Rick and company were in Sturgis at the bike run, so no filming and no stars. But, I'm sure that's why the crowds were lighter. So, it was still a win. I found a nice variety of car collectibles, including diecast and gas and oil signs. 

Get in line early! (c) Terri L. Coop

1:18 scale diecast: (c) Terri L. Coop

Ultimate NASCAR
Collectible: (c) Terri Coop

Ready to drive home: (c) Terri L. Coop

.

Yes, for $50K, you can have your own 1:1 scale NASCAR racer. Low miles, mostly left turns. Has had several drivers, but still has a lot of life in it. I guarantee you will be the only kid on your block. Also plenty of autographed car memorabilia, sure to please any gearhead. On your way out, check out the great pedal car collection over the showcases. 

Vinrage pedal car: (c) Terri L. Coop

The Las Vegas Toy Shack

Next stop on my Vegas reality show tour was the Vegas Toy Shack, home of Johnny Jimenez, toy expert for History Channel's "Pawn Stars." I talked with one of his staff and got the scoop on a burning question, "did they go back and buy that outrageous Transformers collection?" The answer was "some of it" and that there was even more to the collection than shown on television.

The Toy Shack is a mecca for diecast and toy car collectors. They specialize in Hot Wheels, Matchbox, 1:18 scale diecast and model kits as well as action figures and other pop culture toys. One look at the storefront (guarded by Lion-O) and you know you are in the right place.

The Vegas Toy Shack in Neonopolis:  (c) Terri L. Coop

I admit to being just fascinated by the customized 1:18 scale (or there abouts) Disney Pixar CARS characters. Some were done at Ridemakerz, but some, like the outrageous Tater below came all from the minds and craftsmanship of the Toy Shack staff.

Pixar CARS Custom McQueen: (c) Terri L. Coop

One of a kind custom Pixar CARS Tater: (c) Terri L. Coop

Diecast & Model Kits: (c) Terri L. Coop

The Toy Shack is a great place to buy, sell, trade, and just hang out and talk toys. Located in Neonopolis at the far end of Fremont Street, it is a destination all by itself. Check. It. Out.

Count's Kustoms - So Cool, It's Hot

I know the photography rules so well at  Count's Kustoms in Las Vegas because I hadn't been there five minutes before I violated them.

Rut roh . . . 

I worked out the misunderstanding because The Count's staff and minions are truly as cool as the man himself. However, keep an eye on where you point your camera.

Once inside, be prepared to be smited with style (or is that "smote"? meh, roll with me). From Horny Mike's bike and spiked helmet combo to the hot rod swag shop, Count's Kustoms has got it going on. And you aren't even to the cars yet!

Follow your guide and stay on the path (*cough* okay, that was my second warning, but I was just like a kid in a candy-apple shop!) and treasures will present themselves . . . 

There's rare. There's really rare. And there's ZOMFG-freaking-can-you-believe-it rare ... 

Even the logo is rad:  (c) Terri L. Coop

An utterly cherried-out turquoise Chevy Bel Air convertible, perfect right down to the turquoise fuzzy dice...

  

Fit for a Countess: (c) Terri L. Coop

Where automotive paint work becomes fine art . . .

Automotive fine art:  (c) Terri L. Coop

 The ultimate piece of car memorabilia . . . a full-size Hot Wheels

The ultimate collectible, a life size Hot Wheels: (c) Terri L. Coop

The bona fides:  (c) Terri L. Coop

And, now, before we conclude, here is your trivia for the day. Back in the early 1990s, the Koker family, including Danny Koker of Count's Kustoms, owned a local Las Vegas TV station that featured Danny Koker as "Count Cool Rider" on the B-movie "Saturday Fright at the Movies." A few years ago, a dear friend of mine, Las Vegas artist Suzanne Hackett-Morgan, was part of a Vegas-wide art project to paint and decorate utility boxes. Suzanne did hers in homage to classic Las Vegas television personalities. Here is her tribute to Count Cool Rider himself . . .

Count Cool Rider Utility Box Las Vegas (c) Suzanne Hackett-Morgan

Las Vegas Fun: Rick's Restorations

Rick's Restorations Exterior, (c) Terri L. Coop

When I planned my trip to Las Vegas, my friends asked me what I wanted to do. Well, duh, I wanted to go to Rick's Restorations, so off we went. Unfortunately, Rick Dale was at the Sturgis Run, but his gorgeous wife Kelly (the model behind the saucy retro logo), talked with me.

You are in the right place! (c) Terri L. Coop

Kelly - sexy and smart! (c) Terri L. Coop

After laying out the rules on photography (customer privacy and to not accidentally reveal projects for upcoming episodes of their show American Restoration), I got an awesome tour of the workshop area from Brett "The Butcher."

I cannot overstate how warm and fun-loving the crew at Rick's Restorations is. Every visitor was treated like a long-lost friend and the entire operation is set up as a combination business, museum, and tourist attraction.

When you arrive, check out the retro small town street scene. Classic cars, restored and unrestored, grace the front for browsing and photo-ops. (Hint, look all around the parking lot, there was some fun stuff to see tucked away in the corners.)

Chrome details on one of the restored beauties
outside of Rick's, (c) Terri L. Coop

Then try your luck at figuring out which of the doors actually leads inside. Luckily, you get as many tries as you need. Once inside the showroom, take your time and explore. The display isn't huge, but the variety and craftsmanship is stunning (I seriously want the slot machine Kelly is posing by AND the gas station paper towel dispenser).

It was practical! Yeesh! (c) Terri L. Coop

And no trip is complete without browsing through the souvenir shop. Why yes, I did get a hat, why do you ask? Las Vegas is very sunny and hot this time of year. It was practical, I tell you, practical. Next time you are in Vegas and, um, need a hat (or an antique vertical gas pump restored), be sure to stop by Rick's Restorations at 1112 South Commerce Street. Hours are 9 - 5, Monday through Friday and 10 - 4, Saturday and Sunday.  You won't regret it one bit.

Viva Las Vegas!

Hi everyone!

I just got home from a vacation in Las Vegas and wanted to let you know what is coming up this month in posts about awesome car memorabilia:

1.  I visited the pawn shop made famous by Pawn Stars on History Channel and discovered some cool automotive collectibles.

2.  I then visited "Rick's Restorations" where I met Rick's wife Kelly and got a tour of not only the restoration shops, but a look at the fun collectibles they offer.

3.  Then over to the lair of Count Cool Rider himself, Count's Kustoms, just four days before the premiere of his new show! A great tour of the car collection and memorabilia and gear shop.

4. What? There's more?  Yes, a stop by the Toy Shack and a chat with the toy expert featured on Pawn Stars. I got a look at the fantastic custom toy vehicles they make based on the Disney/Pixar animated movie "Cars." True one-of-a-kind collectibles.

5.  Scratch a car lover and you find a Harley fan. So, a trip to the Harley-Davidson Cafe on the Strip was in order. It did not disappoint.

6.  Whew . . . then a trip to the Goldwell Open Air Museum in Rhyolite, Nevada to check out the remains of a sculpture titled "Desert Flower" made entirely of vintage automotive chrome (one of my favorites!). Tragically, the sculpture was destroyed in a wind storm. However, you'll see before and after photos of this lost artwork.

7.  And yes! We have a new avatar for the About Car Memorabilia Facebook page. I had given away my vintage fuzzy dice in a contest the week before my trip. However, Las Vegas abides and Fremont Street provides. I'll be unveiling our new mascot on Sunday.

So, how was your weekend?

Shining It On . . .

Fancy Lady: (c) Terri Lynn Coop 2012

I love chrome. Yes, I know the plastic bumper on my 1995 Mercury Tracer station wagon is safe, sane, and economical. Whatever . . . My heart and my eyes follow the fancy vintage ladies from Detroit loaded down with the shiny stuff. It's a little known fact that chrome makes your car go faster. True story . . . Trust me . . .

Chrome plating was patented in the US in 1926 and car makers caught the bug over the next ten years. By the 1950s it seemed like the Big 3 auto makers were in competition to see who could hang the most chrome on their new models. If GDP could be measured in tail fins, then the US led the world.

So, when I'm out and about, if a pretty lady catches my eye, I whip out my camera and snap her photo. This vintage Plymouth was basking in the sun outside my office building in Independence Kansas. Out comes my smart phone and she is part of my collection. Part restored, part vintage, she was a beauty. Not perfect, but stylish and classy. There were bigger cars in the parking lot and fancier ones, but she was the queen.

When I look at newer cars, I am always bewildered by the lack of style. Look that the burgundy car in the upper corner. Sleek, streamlined, utilitarian and . . . meh . . . Then I realized what the problem was. It has no chrome! The uni-body style with the bumper incorporated into the body is, frankly, boring.

Luckily, you don't have to have Jay Leno's garage to enjoy vintage chrome. Hood ornaments, grille badges, and side panel emblems are a great addition to any collection. With a little care, your house can shine like vintage Detroit on a sunny day.

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. 

Driving In Style

1963 Car and Driver, Photo (c) Terri Lynn Coop

In car culture, clothing invokes images and expectations. 

Whether it's the rugged respect and individualism of a black leather motorcycle jacket or the sleek poplin racer jumpsuit, when we see a driver in a certain outfit, we have a vision of what kind of vehicle he owns.

Clothing makers have always capitalized on this tendency. Garments and accessories like dusters and goggles had a practical application in an open top Model T or roadster. However, they quickly morphed into style statements by adding flowing scarves and stylish caps.

Starting in the post-WWII boom and the rise of car hobbyists, magazines catered to enthusiasts with advertisements from specialtyapparel makers like Vilém B. Haan and Stirling Moss. 

Whether a car collector or a memorabilia hobbyist, they promised their customers a look rife with European class and élan.

For the apparel collector, ads are a good way to identify a garment or item found at an estate sale or racks of a second-hand store. I am big on identifying and dating my purchases. I don't just want to know that I found an MG logo lighter. I want to be able to place it in the 1963 Car and Driver magazine Haan advertisement. Finding it is half the fun. Identifying it is all the fun. 

1963 Car and Driver, Photo (c) Terri Lynn Coop

Taking It to the Redline

One of the Hot Wheels from my favorite score. Photo (c) Terri Coop 

When I was a kid, every year for Christmas I asked for race cars and Legos. As a girl, I usually got dishes and dolls. So, I played with the cars the boys didn't want anymore (by the way, doll dishes make great jump ramps in the sandbox).

As an adult, the only thing that has changed is that I can eat dessert first and collect all the race cars I want.

Like most kids (grown up and otherwise), I love Hot Wheels. Mattel introduced these 1:64 scale muscle mites in the 1960s and are still going strong more than half a century later.

Like most Hot Wheels enthusiasts, I have a fondness for redlines,the original series of Hot Wheels produced from 1968 to 1977. Finding a redline Hot Wheels is finding a piece of the past and a piece of my childhood.

Most collectors can tell you where every car on their shelf came from. My biggest find or "score" of Hot Wheels redlines came from a flea market in Claremore, Oklahoma. I was out with my husband digging around when I saw several plastic silverware trays (you know what I mean, the ones in your drawer with molded compartments for each utensil) in a dealer booth. The trays were mixed with cheap toys and small appliances. They were tightly wrapped in plastic film and the hand-written tag read "TOY CARS BOX - $2.00"

Quick look.

Stop.

Double take.

Closer look.

Happy Squeal!

There were five trays and they were full of redlines. About 50 in all. They weren't perfect. All were in what is called "good played-with" condition. Didn't matter. They were redlines and they were mine.

Many years later, this is still one of my favorite Hot Wheels memories. What is yours?