Have to correct a typo I just noticed in my original post. The brass plated loco didn’t bring $69K, only a mere $60K.
Still true however, that it was the largest sum ever for that sort of artifact.
That’s true about Carl, black eye glasses without lenses. Carl was a ladies man. My brother-in-law and I were in the store one late afternoon, and when my wife and sister entered later, Carl dropped his attention off us, and it was all: HEL-LO, LADIES! After that, we could not get a word in edgewise and never finished business with Carl that day.
I guess most folks are aware that a Book has been written about Madison Hardware.
The book is being sold direct. Here is a link: http://www.madisonposter.com/
I was there a few times includingafter going to an audition (did not get the part) and that time though I did not buy anything I said Someday I’ll be back That was in the fall of 1988 II got many an item there including Lionel HO About one third of my collection came from there Then I did get back to the store when they were packing it in One of the young mne there who got me the HO Trains told me they had closed (THANK YOU RICHARD KUHN) If only I could have been let loose in there for an extended time what would I have found?
you obviouly knew carl and lou , lou was big brother. i worked there as a boy ,16yo. an incredible experience.
nice mem. i can’t believe til 101. do you know about carl? he loved his polo.
I recall going to Madison Hardware many times and mainly dealing with Lou. The place had just about everything post war and pre war Lionel. Years of buying Lionel’s left over trains and accessories. One time while I was there Lou showed me a new tinplate set in the original boxes that he was packing for a customer. The company made money anyway that they could including reproducing parts and selling them as originals.
I recall visiting Madison Hardware in the 1950s with my Dad. But we bought American Flyer trains there. Am I remembering the wrong hardware store?
Yes. The brothers were VERY faithful to JLC.
If what I’ve read is true they called JLC “Pop.”
And supposedly when the question of carrying American Flyer or Marx products came up both brothers agreed and said the same thing:
“No, we can’t do that to Pop!”