Promotional Models Auction

[Thom]

If you thought the Lambrecht auction for 1 to 1 cars in Pierce Nebraska was rare, then check out this promotional car auction this Sunday in Omaha.

auctionsolutionsinc.com

Edited November 8, 2013 by Thom

[ChrisBcritter]

So weird to see a car like this:

together with a car like this:

What was going on with the plastic back then?

[pharoah]

I wonder what happened to the molds for that one?

The plastic they used wasn't quite like the styrene they use now. A LOT of them warped over the years.

I had a 1956 Chevy wagon pormo/bank for a while,and it was warped. Too bad.

[Erik Smith]

They used acetate for promos until about 1961, then converted to more stable styrene - to the best of my knowledge.

The glass on that '58 wagon is weird, though. Looks like shattered safety glass. Body is straight!

[ChrisBcritter]

And I'm not even talking about the bodies (although those are two of the straightest '58 wagons I've seen); look at the chrome parts. What weird process is going on with the first car's chrome that didn't happen to the second one? Same thing with many others in that auction. Acetate promos are just depressing to look at...

[Tom Geiger]

And I'm not even talking about the bodies (although those are two of the straightest '58 wagons I've seen); look at the chrome parts. What weird process is going on with the first car's chrome that didn't happen to the second one? Same thing with many others in that auction. Acetate promos are just depressing to look at...

The led different lives! The nice one probably was in a nice warm house it's whole life while the funky one may have been stored incorrectly... in an attic, too cold / too hot or someone tried to clean it with some chemical sometime in it's life. We'll never know for sure.

I believe the acetate plastic was chosen for promos because of it's shine. I don't think they realized what would happen to it in time. Then again, these were promos with an expected life of one year, so as long as it didn't happen during the model year. I did read that the warping was the oils in the plastic drying out. I've been told that it happened within a few years of manufacture and they won't warp anymore today since the plastic is long dried out.

I agree about your assessment, I cannot collect old promos since I so want to fix them!

[iBorg]

Actually I think the crinkled glass was intentional. The cars had no interior. This could have been done to hide that. It is interesting to note these are mainly Jo-Han promos that had this effect. I have had some and the outside of the glass was perfect therefore my belief it was intentional. I can post pictures if desired.

[lordairgtar]

Those 58s had interiors, so your hypothesis is wrong. I'm going to go with more of an environmental reaction, heat, cold, cleaning with harsh product.

[chevyfever2009]

Those 58s had interiors, so your hypothesis is wrong. I'm going to go with more of an environmental reaction, heat, cold, cleaning with harsh product.

Agreed you can even see the interiors in the pictures