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HomeMy WebLinkAboutGoderich Signal Star, 2017-06-21, Page 4040 Signal Star • Wednesday, June 21, 2017 GODERICH 1827-2017 40 years for Ken McGee Automobilia Courtesy of Ken McGee Ken McGee started collecting automobile brochures just after he got married in 1960. Having bought and sold cars as a teenager, this part of the car hobby was very interesting to him. Slowly the car collection and the literature purchases grew and finally a decision had to be made to house all of it. In 1977, Ken incorporated and built a new building on a lot he had earlier purchased in Saltford. He had the full support of his wife Sylvia, perhaps for two reasons: get the stuff out of the house and to have me quit harping about it. The most disappointing thing that happened there was, while sorting out the now large amount of literature on the floor of the building, was to come in the next day to find out that heavy rains coming down the embankment behind the.building had come inside, soaking and ruining half of the collection. We had to do better by our literature. We owned what used to be the print shop building at 36 Newgate Street and had leased out the store, but the person was in arrears so we decided that it would become our retail sales shop. Retired schoolteacher Glenn Rittinger started working for us and he was just a treat to have around. Also, my brother Ron had retired from being a judge with the Ontario Racing Association and came to work with us, bringing his previous car knowledge with him. He was an invaluable asset. My main job was running a car dealership and to have these two men and my wife working at this 'hobby' shop made things work out great. In the early eighties, we had the opportunity to buy out the largest automotive collection in Canada, operated by Carl Terpstra of Peterborough. Tens of thousands of brochures and manuals in every nook and cranny of his house, garage, every closet, under the bed and in the lofts, were jammed full of almost new material he had purchased from the car factories at the end of each year. Sylvia and I had a long talk outside of his home and decided if we were going to pursue this business any further. We made an offer and Happy Goderich: Someday TM Starts Today 1 dh ® / Trademark(s) of Royal Bank of Canada. 42314A (12/2015) GODERICH Toronto, where the owner had recently passed away. Before he left that store, he had purchased the entire content. Old money, stamp collections, war memorabilia, old newspapers, playboy collections, maps, books, 88,000 postcards, you name it. This decision brought us back to renting storage space around town. Luckily we kept the car literature and over the next owned it all. It took two American Van Lines trucks and a cargo van just to move it all to Goderich. In the meantime, Ken Was still buying at Flea Markets around the country. We vended out at a lot of the big events like the Barrie Automotive Show and had a lot of fun doing it. A decision had to be made as our literature shop was bulging, the shop in Saltford was full and Ken was still buying. A decision was made to build a new 10,000 square foot building on MacEwan Street and house everything under one roof. This was completed by January 1, 2000. Again, shortly after opening, Ken was asked to( ,.-1ichigan (Flint area). He was so surprised look at a literature collectidn to find me with on phone call attempt. He at a collectibles store in asked me if I remembered writing a letter few months sold off the remaining items to other dealers. Who buys this stuff? Obviously old car owners, literature collectors, tombstone engravers, gift givers and the list goes on. We have had lawyers and police forces use our material for reference and research. Car dealers across the country buy missing owners manuals for their used cars from us every day. Remember that Steven Truscott case? When it was re -broadcast several years ago, they got several brochures from us to show of the 1959 era cars in case it was something different than the 1959 Chevy that they originally thought was at the scene. We have shipped literature to 74 countries around the globe. Many classic automobiles have been sold in Canada, USA and Europe over the years. We still have our "pets" that are not for sale though. An interesting car story, two years ago I received a call from a man in Grand Blanc, to Chrysler in July 1960. I replied, 'Hey, that's 55 years ago, but by any chance was it about a 1927 Chrysler Roaster?' It turns out he found the letter under the front seat of this car that I had sold to his aunt in Traverse City, Michigan all those years ago. I had bought the car from a Mrs. Green in Clinton and sold it to his aunt, as I was getting married the following month and needed the money. An interesting literature story, I got a call from a man wanting a 1932 Rolls Royce owners manual. I told him we had one and the previous owners name — Henry Jurgens (of Jurgens lotion fame). I heard a gasp and I had the exact manual for the car he now owned. An interesting toy story, last winter Sylvia and I were in an antique mall in Florida and purchased two Buddy L toy trucks. The man reached down, grabbed an old cardboard box and put the two toys in it. As we walked out, we noticed a shipping label on the box. The label read Ken McGee Auto Literature. We have branched into old toys in a big way and always have carried a large amount of automobilia. CBC set up shop here a while back for a full day of broadcasting. They had picked our place as they had listed it as one of Canada's most unusual businesses. We have been written up by several newspapers and magazines all over North America. We have entertained school groups, service clubs, car clubs and tourism groups as well as curiosity seekers. Leaving the car dealership after more than 55 years and coming to our hobby shop, made for a very pleasant experience. Full retirement is not for everyone. We travel extensively and Ken enjoys his family, Rotary, his poker group, the YMCA, the theatre and dinner out with friends and good wine. Thanks to my wife who still helps out, Josh Middelkamp and Nicola Noble, who do great work in selling and listing items on eBay. Daryll Carpenter also lists eBay items for us as well, from his home and Rick Stright, our car whisperer who keeps the old cars humming away. We average 2-3 calls or e-mails a day, of people wanting to sell their collections because of age, health or downsizing. This has greatly reduced our need to attend swap meets for purchasing. We have 100 percent eBay feedback rating and so many wonderful customers that we have helped out with manuals and literature that has assisted them in repairs to their classic cars. All in all, it has been a great ride.