13 replies to this topic

[Cheater]

e·phem·er·a
əˈfem(ə)rə/
noun
1. things that exist or are used or enjoyed for only a short time.
2. items of collectible memorabilia, typically written or printed ones, that were originally expected to have only short-term usefulness or popularity.

 

I hear the word more commonly in the world of 1:1 car collecting, but it applies to slot car racing as well. 

 

Here's one piece of slot car ephemera.

 

pic from eBay

 

Anybody race there?

[Mike K]

Yes, once. Dad took me there.

[don.siegel]

Ah yes, right around the corner from where my brother lives now, in the neighboring suburb. In fact, this Tom Thumb's encapsulates the history of slot racing: it started out with seven tracks, then gradually got rid of them, one by one, as the fad hobby aspect died out... the store was huge, and they basically converted into a craft, R/C, and skateboard store, with a small stock of regular hobby parts, even some slot car stuff. I would go there every year when I visited my brother, stock up on K&S brass, and see if Glenn, their slot car guy, had dragged any interesting parts up from the basement... Not sure when they sold the last track, maybe somebody here knows - Mike? 

 

They finally closed about two years ago, and the only reason they survived that long was that they owned the building - a huge piece of real estate in a pretty well-to-do suburb (Evanston is home to Northwestern University, although it's at the other end of the city). Either the owners got old, or died, or just decided it wasn't worth it any more, at least in that building - seems they moved to a smaller shop further north, in another suburb I think. Haven't been there yet... 

 

Greg, I know that's not the subject of the thread, and in fact I have a whole folder full of slot car ephemera, which I will gradually drag out and scan... 

 

Don 

[MSwiss]

My sister-in-law's, that lives in Colorado, best friend was the owner, Art Harris's, significant other/mother of his son.

By the time my group of guys got cars and were mobile enough to get there, they were down to two or three tracks. I remember driving a Champion G20 around the American Red, just as wrap-around spoilers got popular.

As Don mentioned, they were phasing in heavily into crafts and skakeboards, retailing and wholesaling both, while also staying a full line hobby shop. I would visit them periodically, to pick up HO stuff.

The last track they held on to was an American Orange.

I remember seeing Bud Bartos's name as a record holder on that track.

I eventually serviced them when I worked for a hobby wholesaler. I visited them in 2007, right before the first Sano, when I purchased a car in that area. I could tell things were winding down.

Last I heard they moved to an industrial location in an adjacent suburb, after their large space was subdivided for two restaurants. I'm not quite sure when or if Art sold the building. I was under the impression Art was no longer involved in day to day operations.

Probably more than most people cared to know, but that's the story.

[Eddie Fleming]

i count $3.35 remaining. At today's rates you should get about a lap and a half. 

[Cheater]

Greg, I know that's not the subject of the thread, and in fact I have a whole folder full of slot car ephemera, which I will gradually drag out and scan...

Not a problem. This is the History subfolder and you know we're not super-picky about thread drift at Slotblog.

Bring it on... I probably have some more myself.

[don.siegel]

A couple more miscellaneous time slips and cards from raceways: 

 

[don.siegel]

A few more, from my collection; I didn't really set out to collect ephemera per se, but a lot of these little bits come in big lots and occasionally I see something that seems important to the collection: stickers, post cards, flyers, etc. 

 

 

 

[gc4895]

I lived a few blocks away from Tom Thumb during 1973-77 while I attended Northwestern University. I remember going in there and checking the place out.

 

My recollection is there was only one track left in the store at that time. As a "starving college student" I had no discretionary income for racing and no time at that point in my life for anything beyond school. 

 

I just remember that it seemed slot racing was on the way out and the store was transitioning over to other hobbies.

[MSwiss]

Don,

My sister-in-law is in for Easter and staying with us, so I got the update on the owner, Art.

He is alive, apparently real well off, and living in the toney suburb of Bannockburn. Doing a little Googling, he and his partner apparently sold the building at the time of the move in 2014. I'm guessing a space that size, in that area, is a million bucks, possibly more. There was mention of it being subdivided into two 2,500 sq. ft. restaurant spaces. It seemed bigger.

At 5,000 sq. ft., seven tracks seems to be a stretch. Sano Dave talked about remembering four tracks.

He was always real curious about the origin of a large blue track that was there when he raced in an enduro. It wasn't a King, and he remembers being impressed with both its size and quality of construction.

I also remember the occasional vintage part sitting in their showcase.

I can recall seeing the TN on a Team Nutley chassis piece, on the late '90s, possibly this century.

[don.siegel]

Thanks for the info, Mike - seems logical! 
 
I'll see if I can scare up an article in an old hobby trade magazine about Tom Thumb - I even sent a copy to the old-timers at the store a few years ago, and they were very touched... I had always heard seven tracks in the beginning, but couldn't go there as a kid - too far away, and we were on the south side – so mostly stayed there... 
 
Don

[Dennis David]

... so I got the update on the owner, Art. He is alive, apparently real well off...

 
He got out just in time. ;-)

[MSwiss]

If they started as a raceway only, seven tracks is possible.

My friend, Ron, from Hobby Service & Supply, would talk about the old days at TT.

"Art's girlfriend, this tall blonde, who would wear these short skirts, was always on a stool, by the big bank of timers, with a look on her face like she wished she was somewhere else."

A slot racer friend of mine told me once his best friend made $25K one year while in high school, assembling skateboards for Art/Tom Thumb, after school.

[Steve Ogilvie]

We built a track for the 1997 ISRA Worlds. We went over and put the track together for a warm-up race in a hospital auditorium.

 

I found this little box sticker when I was going through a box of slot stuff today: