Original Fred Bronner Invoices

[matchboxrw]

I just added some original Fred Bronner invoices to the website (http://www.regularwheel.com/p293147750). Does anyone know who James Talcott is? The invoices are Fred Bronner but the checks are made out to James Talcott. Did James Talcott buy from Fred Bronner and resell Matchbox items to stores and distribution centers?

[Ewan]

A little bit of 'Googling' and it would appear that James Talcott Inc was a lending/factoring company. I remember years back when I ran a tyre and motor parts business one of my suppliers operated like this. Basically they passed all their accounts on to their bank, and it was the bank I had to pay. It did tend to mean they were first in line to get paid!

[matchboxmarcel]

Superb Matchbox papermaterial for your collection, Steve.

marcel

[kwakers]

Your invoice is of Great personal interest to kwakers, because both Emerich's Toy and Train Shop and his superb Lionel Train collection have been mentioned on this Forum many times during my years here. My family shopped for our Matchbox variations there for many years, as well as Fisher Price pull toys and any other Christmas Gift Toys we may have needed to buy. Emerich's trips to Fred Bronner's warehouse in New York City brought many varied and unique Toys back to his small but busy Florence Street Schenectady Toy Store. I was born and raised in Schenectady, and Emerich was a very colorful local man who smoked large cigars and made friends with every child or adult who would enter his store. There was a very large display of expensive Gold U.S. coins in a rotating cabinet to the left as you entered, with expensive all brass HO scale locomotives in a large case to the right. This varied inventory brought people from all walks of life into that small shop, and Emerich could locate any Toy, Coin, or Train of interest if you gave him some time.
I did some Great trading as well as a lot of buying from Emerich over a 15+ year period, and I do have a couple of Lesney regular wheel pre-productions directly out of Fred Bronner's New York Sales Displays that he was sharp enough to spot for us while buying direct from his displays. My three line base GPW 28 Jaguar also came from Emerich way back in 1969, but he would never tell us where he had found that 'nearly-mint' one for us.
There is also a legendary bright white interior pre-production 38 Vauxhall Station Wagon that was in Al Robitan's collection in Scotia New York that Emerich had also sold him out of Fred's display. I had first choice of two pre-pros, so picked a pure white interior 23D Pre-production Trailer I have discussed with Hardy instead of that 38 I also held in my hand. Hardy has a 23D that is identical, so I had to remove the interior of mine after 40 years to expose the early casting differences he had mentioned to me at Charlie Mack's last Convention. They were all there! I am sure Nigel's color trials will have the same casting differences inside his, it was a pleasant surprise for me to learn of them.
I have only heard of a fake painted white interior 38 Vauxhall showing up at 'The Gathering' years ago, but I can authenticate that Emerich's was the real bright white plastic interior deal, not stock green or 'painted'. This model will forever be 'The One that Got Away' for me, because my friend Al had offered me choice out of his collection before selling it to a dealer for his daughter's college expenses in the early 1980s. One day I will hear of it's whereabouts and can give it some factory-Bronner provenance.
So as you can see matchboxrw, your invoice is not just a piece of paper, it is not just a piece of Lesney History, it is a living memory in kwakers mind of a good local man who gave many people some real smiles in life over many years. You now have some known knowledge of it's provenance to share with all who may want to look beyond what is written on a simple invoice for a few of our precious Lesney Toys..........kwakers
It is very interesting and odd news to me that Fred Bronner would use an institution to handle his cash receivables. Perhaps it indicates that his entire inventory was floorplanned through Talcott in 1961? Also of note is the fact that my friend Emerich was only paying 7 1/2 cents each for his regular wheel Matchbox cars in 1961. How did Lesney survive?? The least I ever remember paying was 25 cents each for discontinued models from a basket in the Four Star Hobby Shop. That was in 1966, and I still have those early 'display' models. Four Star was located only 3 miles from Emerich's, but in a busy downtown Schenectady location at a railroad bridge on State Street. Memories.......

[matchboxrw]

What an incredible story to read and think about. I am envious that you had such an opportunity. Living in GA there is very seldom a toy show and not any toy shops to speak of. I would have loved to experience some of the things you spoke of. Memories are great and I guess that’s what makes our little Matchbox treasures so special.

I do hope someone can provide more details on the checks being made out to someone other than Fred Bronner. This is baffling.

[kerbside]

Hello Dick that is a great story you have posted, It must have been wonderful to be able to aquire the models that you have got, I did not start collecting the 1-75 models until the 90s so all my models came from collectors or toy fairs and of late ebay. But even in the 90s there were always plenty of models to be had at the UK toy fairs, mind you back then I needed plenty of models. But now they seem to be all dried up, as when we find some thing we need it is put in our collections to keep.

The paper of those early days is really great to have and read thank you for showing them, my material is more recent like this cheque that Matchbox sent as I sent them to much money for a model.



Only for $10 but it is worth more than that to me.

George T.