69B Bi-Color - Lucky or?

[KennewickMan]

New to the forum and really enjoy reading and learning. Returned to collecting a few months ago and found this on an on-line auction as part of a "beater lot" of 4. Normally, my luck definitely doesn't run this way, so I need to know...was I really lucky, or did I pick up someone's handiwork?

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[Idris]

The fact that the turntable rivet is unpainted is a very good sign. (This is a detail missed by most fakers.)
I think it's probably genuine.

[SMS88]

Looks good to me. If somebody has glued a transplanted rivit in there it will break easily with little pressure in the wrong direction..........

[ford_a_30]

I always love finding a gem in a beater lot. Models sold without regard by sellers with no knowledge in the hobby and without a premium sit well with me. After all, why create a high dollar fake and then sell it for pennies.

[kwakers]

As SMS has said, unless the boom rivet has been cut and glued together, this one looks like you have found a 'Holy Grail Sleeper'. If it was bought cheap in a lot, I totally agree with Ford, and it will be a model you will always be proud of finding. Was it found in the upper Northeast USA area?? I am just curious, because these were in our upstate N.Y. area as a mid-production shipment to at least 2 local stores we shopped at. This is another case of using up leftover Orange Bodies during the changeover to the all yellow Hatras, similar to Brad's mixed M Series/ K Series Car Carrier he has just shown us earlier this week. Because these two-tones were found with either style rear axle design in store displays by me personally, I can state the colour change (LOL) was also being done as the dies were being modified for that rear axle change. What a terrific and exciting find you have introduced yourself with here, Welcome to the Forum!! kwakers

[KennewickMan]

Well, like I said - my luck *almost* never runs like this, but I've looked it over really well and even tried torquing/forcing and it is holding true.
My biggest worry was that the seller had picked it up unawares and was passing along in the same vein, but you folks have made me feel pretty comfortable with it/

kwakers, as you say, I will never be able to look over at the Hatras in my case and do anything but smile...BTW, the source was only given as "MD, USA" so not quite NE.

I did write the seller afterwards and he stated that he supposed these (the whole lot) had "been in my father-in-law's attic for a couple decades" before the seller listed them. It was not *quite* a cheap lot as I suspect someone else spotted the Hatra, but a lot less than I was expecting

Loving the forums - and starting up the collection.

Thanks for everyone's comments!!

[kwakers]

Even in Maryland, this model would have been distributed by Fred Bronner at the time it was brand new. Thanks for that bit of information Kenn. I am left wondering if his Father in Law had been raised in N.Y., then later moved to Maryland? Yours is the first two color I have run into that did not originate in New York State, so it now seems Bronner may have had enough of these odd production models mixed with stock for some of them to turn up in his other distribution areas. Do any Forum members know of any two color Hatras that were found originally in an area outside of Fred Bronner's East Coast U.S.A. area?? I'll explain why I ask that question.....
I first brought this variation to light in 1968 in a letter to a man named Bell with a Club attempt in the Miami Florida area, and then again in 1970 in a letter to Bob Brennen for listing in his 'New' 1971 NAMC Matchbox Guide. Very few of these have survived over the years, so few that Mike Stannard and all the British Pioneer collectors helping him had never even seen or heard of an example of one to list in his 1985 Guide. Harold Colpitts was never able to see mine (or anyone else's) in person, so left it out of his 1976 AIM Guide.
What a way to start a collection Kenn! WOW

[kay]

My version came out of a collection from Pennsylvania, but I don't know where the former owner bought it.

Kay

[KennewickMan]

Even in Maryland, this model would have been distributed by Fred Bronner at the time it was brand new. Thanks for that bit of information Kenn. I am left wondering if his Father in Law had been raised in N.Y., then later moved to Maryland? Yours is the first two color I have run into that did not originate in New York State, so it now seems Bronner may have had enough of these odd production models mixed with stock for some of them to turn up in his other distribution areas. Do any Forum members know of any two color Hatras that were found originally in an area outside of Fred Bronner's East Coast U.S.A. area?? I'll explain why I ask that question.....
I first brought this variation to light in 1968 in a letter to a man named Bell with a Club attempt in the Miami Florida area, and then again in 1970 in a letter to Bob Brennen for listing in his 'New' 1971 NAMC Matchbox Guide. Very few of these have survived over the years, so few that Mike Stannard and all the British Pioneer collectors helping him had never even seen or heard of an example of one to list in his 1985 Guide. Harold Colpitts was never able to see mine (or anyone else's) in person, so left it out of his 1976 AIM Guide.
What a way to start a collection Kenn! WOW

Awesome history lesson, kwakers...very cool. Do you have an idea of how many may be out there? I have no interest in having it move from its current home, but still curious.
Hope to be a regular contributor...but you folks have a huge head start on me.

[kwakers]

That is very interesting Kay, I swapped one into New Jersey to Bill McCullogh back in 1971, a pioneer Yank collector whom we really enjoyed, and even met in person at Ed and Abby Myers house in Conn. kwakers