# finds at Carlisle, PA car show! (Eldon, Atlas, others)



## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

ok, I gotta gloat now about the pile of stuff I took home from the Carlisle Collector Car Swap Meet today. I live half an hour south of there, and I go to the Spring and Fall shows every chance I get, but I've never gotten to go on a Thursday before. The way it runs, Wednesday is set-up and early bird stuff, Thursday is the first full day, Saturday is nutzo with all the weekend-only folks, and Sunday is the day to make deals because they don't wanna take the stuff home. I usually go Friday or Saturday, and I find that stuff has been pretty well picked over. But today I was there by 8AM and I found a few neat items that I'm sure wouldn't have still been there on Saturday.

I'm really excited about this Eldon 1/32 set:










Last year, after getting an Eldon set for pennies at a toy show, I got it in my head to start collecting old Eldon 1/32 stuff...it's fairly cheap as vintage stuff goes. I really wanted the stock cars pictured above, but I found they were going for $20, $30, even up to $40 or more on Fleabay. More than I wanted to spend. I got together some track, bought a Corvette online, and got distracted by other junk. Well, today I found the set in the pic above for $22. All 4 Detroit stockers are complete bodies with bumpers, windows, and intact screw posts. there are 2 running chassis, one loose and the other under the Lotus. (Incidentally, those sports car bodies to the right do not interest me... I'm thinking Fleabay...) There's also a good Eldon 3v transformer which I didn't have before , a couple of controllers, a bunch of track/guard rails/et cetera, and some spare car parts...

Next is a bunch of Atlas and Lionel track, which is my preference for HO layouts:










$10 for the lot, and yes, that is a 3" intersection piece...

A bunch of cars:










The orange JLs were $2 each loose. It was nuts... there were diecast vendors who wanted $10 or $15 for pullbacks in the box. The two G+ and the Tyco NASCAR wound up being $18 for the lot of three. That Cobra was 12; I thought it was worth it just for the solid rivet chassis. And the two Mini-Lindy camper caps were .50 each... how could I turn that down?

This Parma Spyder (edit: it's actually a Parma Tiger, but for some reason that sticker has a picture of a spider. Duh.) controller was sitting on the top of a huge box of Tycopro track and transformers:










The guy sold it to me for $5. I thought that was a good deal even if it has a 25 ohm resistor at the moment. I noticed there's a big ground wire strap type thing under the trigger... gotta take it apart and see what's what...


Runner lot. The prices speak for themselves.










More in a minute...

--rick


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

This lot I wasn't too happy about... I ended up paying $40, which was more than I wanted to pay and more than I think it's worth. I think the Fall Guy truck clouded my judgement. It's missing the roll bar...










I noticed the silver Porsche is REEEEEEEEALY thin... anybody recognize the manufacturer? I was thinking it looked like the LL Porsche, but it's thinner... wonder if it's Amrac or Rokar?

I met up with a guy who I see at slot shows often, he sold me this pickup for $5:










I'm thinking: Take off the rollbar, put it on the Fall Guy truck, and put the camper cap on this one...

1/43 scale Maserati (is that a Bora?)
I picked this up strictly in case someone on the board wanted it. It has a cool feature I've never seen before: there's a little switch on the bottom that you use to turn the headlights on or off.










I'll skip the pictures of diecast cars and Stomper 4X4s to bring you this:










No cars, just track, $1. How was I supposed to turn that down?

okay, gloat over. we now return you to your regularly scheduled whatever...

--rick


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## jph49 (Nov 20, 2003)

Rick,

would you be interested in trading the Eldon sports car bodies for some ho cars?

Patrick


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## WesJY (Mar 4, 2004)

rick, how much does it say on police pursuit box i see a price sticker on top right corner? that set was my first set i got for christmas - i was like 9 or 10!. i think it was back in 1980 or 1981?? do you want to sell that box or trade? let me know. that brought back lots of memories..

BTW - NICE SCORE MAN!!!!! i cant never get lucky to find all that!!! congrats man!!

Wes


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

Looks like your in hog heaven Rick! Thats a darn fine haul. :thumbsup: 

If your unhappy whith that thin 911 Carrera send me a bill! 

I'd like to have it if you dont plan to keep it.  

I'm surprised at the variety in your finds. The track appears to be in great condition.


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## SplitPoster (May 16, 2006)

Neat haul! I read in Mike Vitale's book that auto swap meets are a great place to find slot car stuff! I guess you proved it!
Have never seen Eldon stuff in person, I would have jumped on that too! I have just a little bit of old 1/32, a few Marx cars and a couple of Strombeckers, all sports racers. Would love to see how those Eldons compare.


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

wes... got your pm. it's cool. will get back this wkend

hey patrick and bill... please send an email instead of a PM. i'm too lazy and/or busy to clean out my PMs at the moment...

SplitPoster... when I got into these a little last year, I discovered that some collectors tend to be "snobs" about Eldons. Eldon tended to be at the bottom of the prestige ladder in toy departments. In fact, part of the problem is that they were sold in toy departments of big chain stores instead of hobby stores. They're not "serious hobby" items like Revell, Monogram, and some of the other more collectible brands. They are in fact a pretty cheap, plain design, at least the ones I have. However, from the little bit I've played with them, they seem to work pretty well... kinda like big Tjets, actually. I like the way the wheelbase is adjustable for a range of body sizes.

I believe they did have more expensive lines of cars too, with more advanced features, but I think the fact that the name was known as a department store name kept people from taking them too seriously. I seem to recall reading that some of the low-end Strombecker stuff was considered by some to be junk, too.

--rick


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## noddaz (Aug 6, 1999)

Way to go Rick!!!
It is great to find piles of stuff like that cheap...
The cheap stuff also makes up a bit for something you paid too much for...
Scott


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## T-jetjim (Sep 12, 2005)

Rick - The Porsche is an AMRAC. Fortunately, my haven't shattered, but I did shatter the AMRAC 240z. It was just as thin.

Jim


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

T-jetjim said:


> Rick - The Porsche is an AMRAC. Fortunately, my haven't shattered, but I did shatter the AMRAC 240z. It was just as thin.
> 
> Jim


thanks! hey, does it fit LifeLike chassis? I didn't look close at the mounting tabs, and I don't have any Amrac chassis...

--rick


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## T-jetjim (Sep 12, 2005)

Rick- Life like will work!

Jim


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

Bill, sent you an email. Sorry about the PM box...

--rick


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## gear buster (Dec 1, 2005)

*slow..*

Nice haul...Now meet me at the front gate..I will be the one in the big truck to load in the haul.. :tongue: :thumbsup: 

Why do I always wait till saturday to hit carlisle..UUUuhhhggg..
I always seem to hit the vendors with a $ sign tattooed on their forehead..
The super deals are still floating around..Glad to see that :thumbsup:


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## Grandcheapskate (Jan 5, 2006)

T-jetjim said:


> Rick - The Porsche is an AMRAC. Fortunately, my haven't shattered, but I did shatter the AMRAC 240z. It was just as thin.
> 
> Jim


Guys,
My inventory list shows the same Porsche as a Rokar X-Car #1011. Unfortunatly, I am not at my house to check if it's exactly the same deco (Rokar usually has Rokar printed somewhere on it's cars), but it is the same paint scheme.

Joe


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## SCJ (Jul 15, 1999)

ParkRNDL-

Isn't Carlisle great!

I used to set up there every spring and fall, I would find tons of slots on Thursday & Friday but come Sunday EVERYTHING was gone! I loved it, but between the ever increasing set up fees, dust, dirt, weather and the sticky fingered people I just quit going.

Glad to see there are still some deals there.

I have the Fall guy roll bar I think, and I know I have an extra front push bar assembly........assuming yours is missing the actual push bar as it appears in the pic.

Interested in a trade for one of those campers.......assuming they are as clean as they look in the pic? I've been looking for a clean one.

LMK


--------------------------
www.SlotCarJohnnies.com


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

SCJ said:


> ParkRNDL-
> 
> Isn't Carlisle great!
> 
> ...


 I have the push bar. It's on there in the pic, though it wasn't attached at the time of purchase... it was actually jammed up inside the body when I got it. I do need the roll bar, though... the one on that other truck isn't chrome, which this is supposed to be.

the campers are VERY clean, and I guess I'd trade one for something interesting... I'll take a few pics later (my wife took the camera to my daughter's dance practice) so you can see better.

Funny story... the guy who had them actually had about 15 or 20 in a couple different colors, all stuffed into a Mini-Lindy Chevy camper truck box. He said that at the public auction where he got them, apparently the old guy who had the stuff separated it all into lots... all the camper shells in one box, all the truck bodies in another, the chassis in another... and somehow, when the auction was over, he didn't end up with a complete set of pieces to build anything. I guess I shoulda bought a few more of these, huh? Well, he IS gonna be there till Sunday... anybody going? He's in the middle of row P...

--rick

edit: I just went downstairs to diddle with this camper a little... did you know it's like a PERFECT fit on both a JL Dodge Ram pickup and a Vibe Ford pickup? The only thing... you either have to cut the mounting tabs off the bottom of the camper or cut holes in the pickup bed cover for the tabs.

Now THAT would be a funny race class: four campers on JL Dodge Ram pickups scooting around on MT chassis. Or better yet, AFX non-mag... how far can you slide before you roll? :thumbsup:


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## micyou03 (Apr 8, 2003)

Nice haul Rick. If the 1/43rd is not taken yet I would love to have it. I'll PM you.


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## roadrner (Jul 21, 1999)

*Wow.......*

Rick,
Talk about stepping in a great pile. Like SCJ said, have to go on day one for sure. Weekend and the pickings are picked. Congrats on your finds and post pix of you IROC Campers.  Dave


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

Thanks Dave. 

Mike, I had you in mind for that car. I think my PM box is full... send me an email.

Everyone I talked to about trades... don't think I forgot about you. Today is Little League Opening Day. We have a 4-year-old in T-ball and an 8-year-old in baseball. Here's today's schedule:
8:45 T-ball team pic
10:00 Baseball team pic
12:00 Opening day ceremonies for whole league
2:00 Baseball game
4:00 Tball game

All this while lugging around a 10-year-old girl who doesn't want to be there and a 2-year old.

As soon as I have about 20 minutes to breathe (like maybe after they're all in bed) I'll get all the pictures shot and emailed... thanks! 

--rick


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## dlw (Aug 17, 1999)

*Weight Issue*

Several years ago, I bought a custom camper using the Afx Datsun pickup. Looks good and came with a fast chassis. But mind you, that camper is very rear-heavy, and requires a weight.......which was included on my car. The weight is Afx brand that fits around the front axle. These are a bit hard to find though. But I'm sure youve got an alternative in mind. 

Also, don't use silicone rear tires, you'll get bunny-hop.......stick to stock tires.


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## micyou03 (Apr 8, 2003)

I thought you might have been thinking of me.


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

good point, I didn't think about that. all that weight BEHIND the rear axle would tend to lift the nose...

ya know, I think I have one of those weights... a little lead weight that fits over the front axle? came on cars in AFX sets from Sears, maybe? I found it on an AFX Camaro...

--rick


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## TX Street Racer (May 8, 2004)

Rick, what an incredible haul for sure!!! Car swap shows have always been a hot spot for me for slots,model kits, and old BMX bicycles. There's a "trade days" coming to my local fairgrounds in a couple weeks...and YES, I'll be there EARLY...lol


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## dlw (Aug 17, 1999)

*Yep Rick.......*

That's the one.


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