A few dozen of those bought back then by an astute older relative would come in handy today… they’re selling for around $500 each.
Problem is, almost no one imagined this stuff would become “collectible”… those astute older relatives would have put the $50-ish into a savings account paying maybe 1.5% interest instead…. today worth less than $200.
….
BUT… if anyone had been super astute and bought a few hundred of these, their very presence in the collectibles market, if known, would lower their rarity… and rarity=value.
That’s OK…. let’s see… $300 in a bank account at even 3% interest for 85 years (1937-2022) … OK, I found an online calculator… would be $3,700.00 today.
300 handcars at “only” $250 apiece because you flooded the market… $75,000.00. Much better.
If only.
…
BTW… there are lots of plastic reproductions of these… some from “Toy Story”, some from Disney’s 100th anniversary. Some of those, from this century, supposedly already sell for $100+.
Beware of modern collectibles… if they’re made and advertised as “Collectibles” they’re NOT.
your’e right!……I used to have the fabled ‘American Flyer’ electric trains and the
feature that I considered them to be superior to Lionel was the number of rails.
Lionel’s signature three rails?—not realistic at all.
It was an engineering choice for the way they supplied the power. Don’t remember the details, but it had to do with the way the engine was put in reverse.
I’m a fellow American Flyer. What I remember most is that the electrical pick-up for the engine was the coal car. Every time I sped into the curve and jumped the track, those darn wires from the coal car to the engine broke.
As I understand it, these cars were made and partially designed by Lionel, to Disney’s specifications…
But they’re single wind-up toys, non-electric, and come with a loop of their own, non-powered track, so they didn’t need the power rail.
I don’t even think you can join two of these tracks if you buy two handcars… but I’m not sure.
….
They’re for kids. Adults were theoretically not interested, in the 1930’s… but I bet some were.They couldn’t run these as cars on their existing lines.
I don’t even know if they’re exactly O Scale, though I’d think so just because that’s what Lionel was tooled up to produce.
I read that the company was in bad financial shape … not many buying electric trains in the Depression…. so they were very happy to get the contract to make these, and co-brand them with Disney.
Et j’veux qu’on rie, j’veux qu’on danse J’veux qu’on s’amuse comme des fous J’veux qu’on rie, j’veux qu’on danse Quand c’est qu’on m’mettra dans l’trou
..
.
Poor pup has been looking all night for a comfy place to lie down.
Look at the grey in the muzzle. Pups been around for some time. 🙂
,
This takes me back… My mother bought a set of stencils like that, but they were used with some kind of thin spray snow in a can.
I must have been in high school.
I sprayed some Christmas designs on our one suitable window, the picture window in the living room…
My Dad came home from work and made me wash one off to show him that I didn’t use something that would etch the glass in our (military) rental.
Pop didn’t like them because they were heck to get off.
.,
Sweet!
It’s mighty sad.
Without a doubt.
Nobody loves you.
But… but… kitty loves him!
I bet the cat finds it nice and warm in there with the dog’s breath.
If a little smelly.
awwwwww!
,,,
A few dozen of those bought back then by an astute older relative would come in handy today… they’re selling for around $500 each.
Problem is, almost no one imagined this stuff would become “collectible”… those astute older relatives would have put the $50-ish into a savings account paying maybe 1.5% interest instead…. today worth less than $200.
….
BUT… if anyone had been super astute and bought a few hundred of these, their very presence in the collectibles market, if known, would lower their rarity… and rarity=value.
That’s OK…. let’s see… $300 in a bank account at even 3% interest for 85 years (1937-2022) … OK, I found an online calculator… would be $3,700.00 today.
300 handcars at “only” $250 apiece because you flooded the market… $75,000.00. Much better.
If only.
…
BTW… there are lots of plastic reproductions of these… some from “Toy Story”, some from Disney’s 100th anniversary. Some of those, from this century, supposedly already sell for $100+.
Beware of modern collectibles… if they’re made and advertised as “Collectibles” they’re NOT.
MMM has his original Lionel train set from the year he was born……1941!!!
I’ve got my big ‘ol Marx New York Central train set from 1954. (Pity I painted all the cars more “realistic” colors…)
cant be Lionel, only two rails. ;-{
your’e right!……I used to have the fabled ‘American Flyer’ electric trains and the
feature that I considered them to be superior to Lionel was the number of rails.
Lionel’s signature three rails?—not realistic at all.
It was an engineering choice for the way they supplied the power. Don’t remember the details, but it had to do with the way the engine was put in reverse.
I’m a fellow American Flyer. What I remember most is that the electrical pick-up for the engine was the coal car. Every time I sped into the curve and jumped the track, those darn wires from the coal car to the engine broke.
As I understand it, these cars were made and partially designed by Lionel, to Disney’s specifications…
But they’re single wind-up toys, non-electric, and come with a loop of their own, non-powered track, so they didn’t need the power rail.
I don’t even think you can join two of these tracks if you buy two handcars… but I’m not sure.
….
They’re for kids. Adults were theoretically not interested, in the 1930’s… but I bet some were.They couldn’t run these as cars on their existing lines.
I don’t even know if they’re exactly O Scale, though I’d think so just because that’s what Lionel was tooled up to produce.
I read that the company was in bad financial shape … not many buying electric trains in the Depression…. so they were very happy to get the contract to make these, and co-brand them with Disney.
Rat in a hat?
..or cat on your lap
More preferable!
Three pleasant songs. But if you watch Little Darlin, you may be surprised by some goofy antics.
Et j’veux qu’on rie, j’veux qu’on danse
J’veux qu’on s’amuse comme des fous
J’veux qu’on rie, j’veux qu’on danse
Quand c’est qu’on m’mettra dans l’trou
Dang!
I meant to post that song…
But of course it’s not for “Little Darling.”
Did anyone know these songs from DC’s Top 10: The Children’s Marching Song, Petit Fleur, All American Boy, or I Got a Wife?
pastries
I like Cleo’s fleeting look of happiness, and misplaced tail-wag, when she hears that there’s no Elf on a Shelf this year.
Alas, her joy is only momentary, until she sees that a rat of a snitch will be on her case instead.
What did our poor innocent Cleo do to deserve this?
Sniffle.
Yeah right.
…
However, knowing Clara and Claude… don’t waste money betting on the outcome.
We all know that Santa will come anyway, probably even bringing Cleo the sort of destructive gifts that got her in trouble in the first place.
The Snitch may report to Santa…
but Santa leaves the gift decisions to the human Cliffords.
And they never say no to their baby.
Plus – a piece of coal in your stocking?!? – Hooray!!!
santa has a lot of surveilence these days. better watch out, Cleo!
Nice evil grin on the rat. Probably gets along great with the EWC.
Pretty clever Snitch in the Ditch. Maybe you should try being good for a few days, Cleo.
I meant to post this last night.
Terry Jacks “Seasons in the Sun” is based on a Rod McKuen song, which is directly based on “Le Moribond”, a song by Jacques Brel.
It got more upbeat on the journey.
…
Brel’s original is darkly sarcastic… A man who knows he is dying, singing a “humorous” farewell to his cheating wife’s lover.
This version has the translation… It includes the chorus posted by Grayhame, above.
…
Four songs on Dick Clark’s top 10 are completely unknown to me. I’m surprised.