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Gee-you guys are amazing!  I have the LaSalle mascot but that's it!  Yes -the seven piece set would be neat to see.  I'm absolutely dyin to get out and do some antique hunting!!! 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Interesting - I've seen several done like that.  Collecting construction equipment and framing related fobs is a big deal and there are hundreds of them around.  The big watch fob auctions held earlier this year had a lot of them, and they made some pretty good money too. 

Terry

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There are some interesting Buick fobs around.  Some were produced by dealerships using local resources, and those will be unique to a small local area, perhaps even the specific dealer that had them made.  Others were produced in larger quantities and distributed to dealerships from Buick.  Those would be marked with the makers name on the reverse. 

 

One of the more commonly seen Buick fobs is the "Valve-in-Head" fob shown in my first photo.  All the originals I've seen were nickel plated.  Reproductions are chrome.  Mine is clearly marked on the back as having been produced by Whitehead and Hoag, a prolific manufacturer of fobs, pins, buttons and other types of advertising items.   The Buick fob shown with the red background is early and was produced by Schwabs and Son's Chicago.  It's marked on the back.  They are found with both red and blue enamel backgrounds.  Later unmarked reproductions were made and turn up frequently but they are not marked on the back.  I have also seen these in chrome plate. 

 

Last photo is of my celluloid dealership Buick fob.  I don't know which company produced these but I believe they were made by a large producer of such items (maybe Whitehead and Hoag?) using a standard image that could also be printed with the name and location of individual dealerships.  These were probably ordered through Buick rather than sourcing them locally.   I've seen the same fobs with many different dealership names printed on them.

 

There is a "Valve-in-Head" fob currently listed on ebay, mounted on an old ribbon, but it is a reproduction fob.  Yet another unmarked, chrome reproduction with a more reasonable starting bid is listed as a "rare early..." piece.  If you look at other items for sale by the same individual there are a load of reproduction fobs for sale-every one of them listed as "rare" and "early."  Perhaps they were made earlier that morning!

Terry

Buick Valve in Head front.jpg

Buick red enamel background orig.jpg

Buick red enamel background orig reverse side.jpg

Buick celluloid fob LaMars Lowa.jpg

Edited by Terry Bond
insert photo (see edit history)
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  • 2 months later...

Nice fobs!  The Mergen and Bock Ford fob is early - it's Model T era.  That's a nice one.  The little white tire is actually an advertising piece for the tires - believe there is some writing on it telling which company produced it.  Nice item as the tires on these frequently deteriorate badly.  It's an early piece.  

Terry

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  • 1 month later...

I know I'm coming to this party late but just found it and wanted to add my 2 cents. The earlier red white and blue fob was an expensive eBay purchase I just had to have as I've never seen another and the later blue one was a gift for helping a Maxwell owner with parts.

 

Howard Dennis

Maxwell Watch Fob 4.jpg

Maxwell Watch Fob 8.jpg

Maxwell Watch Fob 10.JPG

Maxwell Watch Fob 12.JPG

Edited by hddennis (see edit history)
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Great fobs, and absolutely authentic. Gondition looks great too. You should be proud to have them. Terry

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That's a nice one, and just perfect for someone who owns a Chandler.  I have a small lapel pin, probably worn by a salesman, but not a watch fob. 

Terry

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Here are front and back photos of my lapel pin.  It has a screw-on back and is made by Whitehead and Hoag.

Congratulations on the MGBGT - Great cars!   Hopefully you have grand-children with small hands who can help with reassembly.

Terry

Chandler lapel.jpg

Chandler reverse.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...

After reading all of the great threads in these forums for quite some time, I've decided to join and contribute a bit myself.I have a few watch fobs in my collections, and thought that I might share them here.

The first two photos are a REO fob that belonged to my grandfather. Both he and my father worked for a REO dealership prior to WWII. Grandpa was a REO owner exclusively until he bought his last car, a Chrysler, in 1941.

The second two photos are a Stewart Speedometers fob. It has a very detailed speedometer face on it and seems to be fairly early. The saying on the backside is still quite relevant today! This one came to me in the bottom of a box full of rusty old auto parts that I bought in the 1960's.

The last picture is not a fob, but rather a brass tag that I have always thought to possibly be a tool check or ?. I found a half dozen of them in another box of old parts in the early 1970's. I kept one for myself and sold the rest at Hershey, many years ago.

Thanks for looking.

Bob

 

 

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Thanks for sharing Bob, that Reo fob sure is pretty, and the family history really makes it special.   I like that Steward Speedometer piece too.  I found one in an antique shop a long time ago, before I ever considered myself a real collector. I think I only had one or two fobs at the time.  That Ford piece is great.  Sure wish I'd seen them at your Hershey spots.  They certainly could be tool checks, although those are usually numbered.   I really am not sure what the exact use for it might be but it's well made and I've not seen any others. 

You have three great pieces - and that makes you an official "collector."  Three is a collection - two is just a "pair" and one is just the beginning.  Now that you are an official fob collector, have some fun and share your discoveries here.

Terry

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I think Bob’s tag is either for an inventory or equipment numbering system of some kind. Here’s a very similar tag that was to denote the content of a Gaylord container on the assembly line. E.L.W stood for Electric Light and Wiring, I am assuming ZE-4 is a plant location, and C3-57 would be the first four of the assembly number of the contents or what they made where C3 denotes 1963 model year. The weight listed usually denotes the container empty weight so you could quickly weigh the contents for a count.
 

This was removed from a container that had been damaged to a point where Ford didn’t want it back while I was working for a company that was running off some custom equipment for them in the 1980’s. It’s been my keychain ever since...

8B2F6ECD-F7BB-444E-805A-44D2D081A60C.jpeg

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  • 2 weeks later...

Mark,

You and Terry both mentioned the lack of any numbers on my brass Ford tag. Valid points which lead me to doubt that it is a tool check. Further reflection has me thinking more along the lines of “property markers”.  Tags that would be fastened to items such as desks, chairs, shop equipment, etc. seem a bit more likely to me at the moment. I’m still not sure if I have an answer yet, but you guys have helped me narrow the possibilities down a bit more.

Thanks for your comments.

Bob

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Here are a couple of fobs that are considerably newer than those previously posted. I was a bit unsure whether or not to include them in the discussion. Finally, I decided that they illustrate how fobs have endured to this day, even though their practical day to day usage has almost completely disappeared. Both fall within the present day date guidelines of the club and are auto/motorcycle related, so here goes.

The first was received when we bought our 1982 Chrysler LeBaron Mark Cross Edition convertible. Although I am not completely certain, I believe the number on the reverse side was the key code. I do remember that the ignition key had a crystal Chrysler star on it.

The second is an anniversary fob from the AMC in 1974. Commemorative fobs are still popular today and reflect one of the interests of the fob collecting hobby.

Bob

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Edited by Bob Barrett (see edit history)
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  • 1 month later...

Here is one that went quickly on evil-bay before too many others may have noticed it.  It's gotta be one of the rarer ones in my collection.  I didn't hesitate using the buy-it-know option on this one.   Only reason I knew what it was - I'd researched and written earlier about a wonderful Garford automobile pin that I added to my collection. 

 

Garford, in their failing moments as an independent automobile manufacturer had introduced a new model with a single headlamp mounted in the top of the radiator.  Their "Cyclops" car was a failure and helped seal the fate of the company. 

 

While looking for other Cyclops cars, of course the much later Briscoe popped up.  Also, I found mention of another company that may have attempted to introduce such a car in 1914 - the F-A-L Motorcar Company in Chicago.

 

The F-A-L was named after founders R.S. Fauntletroy, H.R. Averill, and E. H. Lowe.  They had taken over the Reliable Dayton company and operated roughly from 1909 through 1913.   When introduced, the F-A-L was actually known as "The car with no name" and identified itself in advertisements only as "a classy, speedy and efficient car from Department C, 19 North May Street, Chicago. (The address had previously been the location where the  Reliable Dayton automobile had been built.) You could call it whatever you wished!  The idea behind the name, or lack thereof, was that it would allow its buyers of the generic vehicle to name the vehicle as they wished (or as ego permitted), without the expense or bother of setting up their own automobile concern if they wished to re-sell them as a dealer.  By 1910 however, they actually named the car "The F-A-L Car."  

 

By 1913 the company was having financial problems.  They had designed one final model for 1914 introduction, a vehicle called the "Grayhound" which was a cyclops car.  That car also was supposed to be a "sleeper" with seats that folded down to make a bed.  I've not been able to determine if that car was ever actually produced and sold, but for sure, none survive.  In fact, I'm not sure if any F-A-L automobiles survive at all.  By June 1914, all assets had been sold to the Puritan Machine Company.  The owner of that company was A. O. Dunk, who seems to have specialized in acquiring the assets of defunct automobile companies. (The advertisement for the car below is from 1910.)

 

I love it when there is a story that goes along with stuff in my collection.

 

Terry

 

 

FAL Motor Company.jpg

FAL Motor Company reverse.jpg

FAL-Car-1910.jpg

Edited by Terry Bond (see edit history)
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That's neat!  I have a lapel pin in my collection but have not seen this (or a watch fob) before. 

Terry

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  • 2 months later...

Of course I paid toooooooo much for this one, but it's a rare item.  I saw one other sold years ago and I was badly outgunned on it, so was determined not to let this one slip away.  It's a very rare Nyberg fob that was produced by Bastian Bros. Rochester, NY.  The Nyberg is a rare automobile with limited production between 1910 and 1914. 

 

Henry Nyberg was from Swedan.  His first efforts in automobile production began in 1903 when he helped found the Nyberg-Waller Automobile Works in Chicago.  The first cars built there were one and two-cylinder runabouts.  From 1905 until late 1909, he concentrated on automobile repair and sold used vehicles through his garage in Chicago. 

In 1909 he relocated to Anderson, Indiana and having purchased the building and equipment from the defunct Rider-Lewis Automobile Company established the Nyberg Automobile Works.  He also opened a factory in Chattanooga TN. 

 

Nyberg Motors specialty was a large, elegant touring car that sold between $1,300 and $2,000. In addition to several touring cars, the company made a roadster and experimented with a firetruck and several other products.

 

The company even produced a race car which Harry Endicott drove in the third Indianapolis 500. The car finished 21st in a field of 23 drivers.

 

The company was under capitalized and by September 1913 was forced into receivership. 

 

In 1914, the remains of the company was sold to A. C. Barley of Streator, Ill.  Nyberg moved to Canada, and then eventually returned to Swedan where he retired.

 

There are many interesting twists-and-turns in the story of the Nyberg, and even the Regal automobile, as well as Chattanooga Tennessee's history of the early automobile.   I believe there are two surviving Nyberg automobiles in Corky Coker's collection.

 

Terry

 

 

 

Nyberg fob front view.jpg

Nyberg factory.jpg

Nyberg automobile.jpg

Nyberg Indy 500 car.jpg

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I try to always refer to one of my "rules of collecting." 

Anyone can have money, you have to be lucky to have stuff.

 

Yes, looking at that fob again in my display case, the pain of payment quickly goes away and I'm glad I took the chance on it.   Next one that turns up is all yours.

 

Happy collecting-Terry

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  • 2 months later...
On 4/8/2021 at 9:43 AM, Terry Bond said:

I try to always refer to one of my "rules of collecting." 

Anyone can have money, you have to be lucky to have stuff.

 

Yes, looking at that fob again in my display case, the pain of payment quickly goes away and I'm glad I took the chance on it.   Next one that turns up is all yours.

 

Happy collecting-Terry

 

Truer words have never been spoken.

 

On 4/8/2021 at 9:43 AM, Terry Bond said:

the pain of payment quickly goes away

 

but the pain of regret had you not bought it would linger forever.....

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On 6/23/2020 at 12:03 PM, Terry Bond said:

There are some interesting Buick fobs around.  Some were produced by dealerships using local resources, and those will be unique to a small local area, perhaps even the specific dealer that had them made.  Others were produced in larger quantities and distributed to dealerships from Buick.  Those would be marked with the makers name on the reverse. 

 

One of the more commonly seen Buick fobs is the "Valve-in-Head" fob shown in my first photo.  All the originals I've seen were nickel plated.  Reproductions are chrome.  Mine is clearly marked on the back as having been produced by Whitehead and Hoag, a prolific manufacturer of fobs, pins, buttons and other types of advertising items.   The Buick fob shown with the red background is early and was produced by Schwabs and Son's Chicago.  It's marked on the back.  They are found with both red and blue enamel backgrounds.  Later unmarked reproductions were made and turn up frequently but they are not marked on the back.  I have also seen these in chrome plate. 

 

Last photo is of my celluloid dealership Buick fob.  I don't know which company produced these but I believe they were made by a large producer of such items (maybe Whitehead and Hoag?) using a standard image that could also be printed with the name and location of individual dealerships.  These were probably ordered through Buick rather than sourcing them locally.   I've seen the same fobs with many different dealership names printed on them.

 

There is a "Valve-in-Head" fob currently listed on ebay, mounted on an old ribbon, but it is a reproduction fob.  Yet another unmarked, chrome reproduction with a more reasonable starting bid is listed as a "rare early..." piece.  If you look at other items for sale by the same individual there are a load of reproduction fobs for sale-every one of them listed as "rare" and "early."  Perhaps they were made earlier that morning!

Terry

Buick Valve in Head front.jpg

Buick red enamel background orig.jpg

Buick red enamel background orig reverse side.jpg

Buick celluloid fob LaMars Lowa.jpg

 

Thank you for that lesson on Buick fobs Terry

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That fake Buick fob in Chrome that's been attached to an old ribbon continues to get listed on evil bay. Although the price has dropped over time, it's still no less a modern reproduction worth only a couple of bucks. Note the back of it has a simple cross-hatch pattern.

Terry

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13 minutes ago, Robert G. Smits said:

I was at the Tulsa Advertising Show last weekend and only saw one fob for sale. Fake or Real?  I thought it looked too perfect but what do I know!!!

6D7E2BA5-688E-4031-BC94-04EA297D3405.jpeg

Photo of the back needed to answer your question.

Terry

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23 hours ago, TheMoneyPit said:

At $125 it was quite expensive

Exactly my thinking.  At $50 I probably would have considered it as I had a great day selling.  It did not sell.   Reading this thread has been a learning experience.  Thank you all .

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  • 2 weeks later...

I was very lucky that more collectors didn’t see this one listed on eBay as the seller put it in a Railroad category as a box car item. It’s the car emblem in miniature and as perfect as you could want in a fob. Made by L F Grammes in Allentown and a very scarce radiator emblem let alone watch fob which this is the first original I’ve seen. Every now and then you get exceptionally lucky, it cost just south of 1/4 what I bid!

B7522A89-358C-4FEA-B030-19FA077A6AFB.jpeg

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Wow, that's a beauty!!! Congrats on your find. About a year ago I found a rare stick pin that had been listed incorrectly.  It was a pin for the Firestone Colombus automobile but was listed as a "bicycle pin."

I have a photo of that Standard fob from an on line auction a couple of years ago. It brought some big $$$. 

Terry

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