Unusual automotive artifacts

The automotive hobby, like any other, has many different levels of involvement. There seems to be a scale of severity that ranges anywhere from stamp collecting to hunting humans for sport. Sometimes the little simple things can be the most fun. Here’s an example: a fellow AACA member contacted me a while back and told me that he found something buried in a drawer that he wanted me to have for my Hupmobile collection. Nothing priceless, just a promotional pencil that was given out by a dealer in Peoria Illinois. I thought it was pretty cool, since he could have just as easily thrown it out rather than going through all the trouble of mailing it to me. Perhaps the gesture says more about the hobby than the object. Anyone else have any interesting items that have just turned up over the years?

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Jul 19, 2026

Reply to Hupp31…

Replies (45)

· 2w

Travis, I love that pencil, not because it’s so priceless, but it’s symbolic of what I like about the hobby. The people it allows me to meet.

I have been the giver and the recipient of lots of cool stuff like that through the years from this hobby. The kind gestures, the humor and support, it all is part of what makes it so great…… and then there are the cars

· 2w

Absolutely, John. As a younger guy in the hobby, I’ve been blown away by the generosity and help from elder members who are very willing to pass things on to the next generation. That’s why I just roll my eyes when I hear people griping about the hobby dying.

· 2w

Love it. I have a couple of interesting things I'll try to dig up.

· 2w

Where does one hunt humans for sport?
Do they supply the human or can you bring one you prefer?
Do they have a newsletter?
Asking for a friend.

· 2w

😂 On a private island that you can only find if you already know where it is.

This reply has been deleted

· 2w

Here is my contribution to the topic. The keychain in my Stearns. Interestingly the dealership changed names somewhere around when my car was sold and the plate on the door is a different name.

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· 2w

Cool keychain. I like finding dealer memorabilia because it sometimes leads to finding some great old buildings. It seems like there must have been quite a few dealers on South Figueroa in LA, I feel like I’ve seen it come up quite a bit.

· 2w

I believe you are correct. Much like Broadway in NY.

· 2w

I love this stuff. Cheaper than cars and promotional items take up less space. I was eyeing these on eBay the other day.

· 2w

Thanks. Now I've gone down the eBay rat hole.

· 2w

There are some tremendously generous guys floating around the hobby. I've had so much help on my Stearns, REO and Stutz and all my cars in terms of time and parts.

· 1w

The surprising ones that I see on eBay are the letter openers. Seems a bit odd to hand out potential weapons with your company info on them.

· 1w

The only stuff I buy now is photos and a bit of paper stuff. Easy to organize and store. The other collectibles related to the hobby just create a storage or display problem.

My mom has been giving me a toy car for my birthday and for Christmas every year since my dad died. They are all good things (because I bought them for my dad). So I guess the toy cars are an exception.

· 1w

We love smalls. Fun to hunt vs. Humans...

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· 1w

My dad has so much of this stuff. Not sure what I will keep.

· 1w

Well when you build your carriage house you can keep the best of it!

· 1w

That should be any day now Steve. 😂

· 1w

Wrestled this from David Coco a few years ago. Right now a lot of my stuff is obstructed by a collection of old west artifacts I hope to largely liquidate this year - I miss being able to get to the auto collectibles. More pics coming if folks like them.

· 1w

Steve, keep em coming...........! I love this stuff.

· 1w

Cool stuff, Steve. One of the cars you have there looks very similar to one that turned into a flower planter.

· 1w

Love that!

· 1w

Here is my favorite toy car and it is not antique.

· 1w

That model is really cool but you might be biased on that one.

· 1w

“Said with the objectivity of asking a parent if their child is cute”…..

What a find.

· 1w

No bias detected!

· 1w

Here is another I got from my mom.

· 1w

The ones you got from your mom, you take to the grave unless you give them to your grandchildren.

· 1w

Travis, did you see this?

· 1w

No, I hadn’t seen that watch. It could tell you that it’s time to piss away some more money on another old car. Interesting how it has two different eras of logo on it. I wonder when it was made.

I have been eyeballing this watch fob though. Mainly because it has the correct number of cylinders on it.

· 1w

The watch was a facebook post to the Hupmobile group. Probably a club project from some time in the past.

· 1w

Some super cool stuff.  Here are a couple others

Packard electrical (ignition) parts box - a sort of "car warming gift" when we re-jpined the Packard fold from a great guy  (thanks John!)

Oilzum oil rack sign dated 1941, I picked up in Hershey around 2005.  Oilzum guy looks a little like AJ I think - they are both from MA.

Yellow nylint Ford was mine, late 60s.  Never beaten up - I remember I loved it but lost the top at some point.  The pink roadster Mrs. Mack had to have.  It's probably never been played with.  Came with the box and brochure.

Fun stuff to collect!

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· 1w

Steve, I love your "smalls". It inspired me a few years ago to start buying a couple vintage large glass display cases......you can guess how that is going. Like an alcoholic buying a liquor store.

· 1w

Funny boy Steve. Cool stuff. I'll try to take a picture of my Dad's Packard Approved Accessories kit that is the coolest thing he has. I've never seen another complete one like his.

· 1w

Probably the coolest shelf item we have. I will make sure to keep this.

· 1w

I have never seen that kit before. Nice.

· 1w

This is not vintage, we had it made for my dad's 85th birthday. I'll keep this for sure too.

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· 1w

That is cool. I have no problem with newer neon pieces as long as no one is trying to pass it off as much older. We need some young people to go into neon fabrication. A hedge career wise in an AI world......

I've had mixed results with neon repair/fabrication. My kids think I'm weird because I buy them vintage neon pieces for Bday/Christmas presents. They are starting to warm up to the stuff.

· 1w

Nothing looks like neon.
I can pick out the new LED tube stuff a mile away.
Most people are completely oblivious.

· 1w

They guys that made this were part of a family that owned a Packard dealership. It was brilliant marketing on their part as that had nothing to do with them putting a sign together. My dad owned 4 Caribbean's over the years and he had love for them. I like them too just not enough to keep his car.

· 1w

BTW, my mom was looking for that gorilla a few weeks ago. It went in a dumpster the second I sold the car.

· 1w

You guys have cooler stuff than I do.
I buy old service manuals whenever I find them but I also collect old accessory and machine tool catalogs.
I have a thing for hand-painted signs as well, I'll grab some pics in the shop tomorrow.

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· 1w

Shawn, service manuals are cool. I try to collect them for every machine I own, not just automotive. It’s a good thing my wife never goes out in the shed because I have a bit of an Ariens problem.

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· 1w

A long time ago I started collecting original owner's manuals for prewar cars. Really dumb sometimes when a good copies were available but I have a few unobtainable ones. The idea being that I would buy the car later. HAHAHA. Dumb idea.

So I almost have a complete set of these through the 60s if I count the ones my dad has. This is the unobtainable one that cost me real money. It is the 1929 printing. Also have a very cool just as thick Hupmobile parts book that I need to find and photograph for Travis.

· 1w

Btw, I bought it because @Edinmass brow beat me in to it.

· 1w

I have a single hood ornament in my collection. It is a Minerva ornament from the 1920s that was put on my Stutz in the late 30s.

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