Chevrolet dealer hand-out key ring tube

[sandtrooper]

 

Any idea what this little tube was used for? Would assume it was a promotional hand-out. It has advertisement for a Chevy dealer and a hole for key ring I guess. End cap fits tight. About 7/16 inch diameter x 3 inches long.

 

Thanks in advance. 

 

 

 

[keiser31]

May have had a pencil in it.

[Lostwrench1]

Toothpick holder?

[Spinneyhill]

Tire pressure gauge fit in there? One of those pen size ones.

[emjay]

Is the chamber sealed from the key ring hole?

[keiser31]

Could also be a registration holder. That way you always have it in the car with the keys. The registration slips in the old days were small enough to fit in there.

Edited July 30, 2018 by keiser31 (see edit history)

[sandtrooper]

5 hours ago, emjay said:

Is the chamber sealed from the key ring hole?

 

No, it is a fully open hollow tube.

 

Lotsa good guesses so far. I did think that a filterless Lucky or Camel would fit in there just right. But afterward thought that maybe something like fuses might go in there. Did fuses blow a lot in the old days? Dealership started in 1926 and was still in business 1952.

[gwells]

This item's date range can be estimated by the "Los Angeles 37, California" address format.

 

Should roughly slot into the 20-year period from 1943 to 1963.

 

As for the possibility of it being a fuseholder, does anyone know when cars started being fitted with fuses and fuseblocks?

[keiser31]

3 hours ago, gwells said:

As for the possibility of it being a fuseholder, does anyone know when cars started being fitted with fuses and fuseblocks?

2

 

My 1931 Dodge Brothers has a fuse on the back of the ammeter.

[Douglas G. Brown]

My grandfather (1890 - 1972) had a similar sized brass tube that screwed together, and he carried his hunting or fishing license (depending on season) in it for about 50 years.

 

As said above, registrations and drivers license back then would also fit in a tube like this. My grandfather never carried a wallet except for serious shopping trips.

[Lostwrench1]

I found two for sale online. Both made of plastic.

 

One was a hand-out from a Chevy dealership in San Jose, California. Described as being from the 1950s and contains sewing needles.

 

The other from a Chevy dealership in Long Branch, New Jersey. Described as being from 1945 and contains "Original paper insert." I wish the seller described what is printed on the paper.  

 

 

[Lostwrench1]

Aha, found another one for sale.

 

Appears to be made of plastic. From Nichols Garage, Red Creek, N.Y.  Must be an older piece, the garage phone number has only four digits.

 

Described as "Made to carry Auto Registration, Paper Money, Toothpicks."

[28 Chrysler]

13 hours ago, gwells said:

This item's date range can be estimated by the "Los Angeles 37, California" address format.

 

Should roughly slot into the 20-year period from 1943 to 1963.

 

 

Zip codes started in 1963. The city codes broke up the big cities, many farming communities used "rural or city" after the address.

[gwells]

Correct. And the city codes first began to be used in 1943, according to my research. Thus the date range I suggested.

[sandtrooper]

16 hours ago, gwells said:

This item's date range can be estimated by the "Los Angeles 37, California" address format.

 

Should roughly slot into the 20-year period from 1943 to 1963.

 

 

Good intel - thanks.

[sandtrooper]

4 hours ago, Lostwrench1 said:

Aha, found another one for sale.

Described as "Made to carry Auto Registration, Paper Money, Toothpicks."

 

Excellent. I could not find another - anywhere.

 

Gonna run with the  'registration, money and toothpick' holder.

 

Kudos to John (keiser31) for early strike.