And the rains came down

LAST EDITED ON Jul-15-03 AT 11:52 AM (CDT)
 
I spoke to John Brodak yesterday. He seems really bummed out over the flooding that occurred where he stored the vintage kits, engines, and other items he had collected over the years.

Alan Brickhaus mentioned this happening on another thread, so I thought I'd give what information John shared with me.

As I understand, while John was attending the Nat's they had a once in a century rain storm in Carmichael. At one time the rain fell at the rate of 7 inches in one hour. The result was that the basement of the house where he stored all the vintage items he was gathering for a Control line museum, unlike any ever collected in the past, wound up under water and in many cases ruined.

Over a thousand vintage, "collector" kits were destroyed or damaged. A few might be able to be salvaged, but for the most part are a gone. He also was able to, hopefully, save most of the vintage engines by immediatly immersing them in a drum of oil. He has a 55 gallon drum, full of vintage engines that will be salvaged, if possible.

I'm saddened by the loss, as this collection would have made the basis for the best CL museum ever assembled.

John could use our help salvageing what he can. He does have insurance, but, insurance companies are going to want to establish a value, and will possibly try and establish the original purchase price as the value of these vintage kits. We can help, those of us familiar with EBAY and know how to do the searches, could help establish the actual value based on current rates paid, at auction, for many of these kits, items, and engines.

This would help defray the costs involved with replacing, wherever possible, the items lost due to this happening.

John is putting together a list of all the items lost, and should have it ready as soon as he can. I've volunteered to help in whatever way I can, thus this post asking for your help also. I, and I'm sure John, will be grateful for whatever help any of you might be able to offer.

I understand that none of the other buildings were involved.

I'm wondering why everything is spinning around?

John,

I'm glad you followed up on this one. I'm sorry to hear of this loss.

As an inveterate eBay student, bidder, watcher and general pack rat, I have kept the html files for a lot of, but by no means all of, of older CL Kits and engines on my hard drive. I have files for various items going back to October 1999. These files, actually pages without pictures, are readily available and I would be glad to help value John's collection in any small way I can.

Please let me know if and how I can help, either with valuation verification, or the provision of the web page(s) for given item(s).

Paul

A couple of years ago, I was rear-ended in my station wagon and my Forruner profile was destroyed.The Ins. co. of the person who hit me only wanted the replacement price of a similar ready to fly plane.I asked Tom Morris to send them a catalog. I received Tom's profile Cavelier price for the Forrunner.FWIW.The Ins. co. was based in PA.-----Gary T.

I just gotta laugh at all you people that go around and scour up these old kits, then stick them in the closet, shed, basement or someplace else for 'Safe Keeping'.

Don't you have anything better to do with your time?

Send all them suckers here and be saved. Really, you need to just get over this habbit, send them to me.

Sorry to here of the loss John, it would be nice to have a museum like that somewhere. I knew a guy who had several kits dated 1917, he stores them in a leaky attic, go figger. He wants real money for something he stuffs his attic with. Me, I'd store them in the ceiling joists of my workroom where the termites tour from time to time.

>I just gotta laugh at all you people that go around and
>scour up these old kits, then stick them in the closet,
>shed, basement or someplace else for 'Safe Keeping'.
>
>Don't you have anything better to do with your time?
>
>Send all them suckers here and be saved. Really, you need
>to just get over this habbit, send them to me.
>
>Sorry to here of the loss John, it would be nice to have a
>museum like that somewhere. I knew a guy who had several
>kits dated 1917, he stores them in a leaky attic, go figger.
> He wants real money for something he stuffs his attic with.
> Me, I'd store them in the ceiling joists of my workroom
>where the termites tour from time to time.

Nothing lasts forever on the earth plane, and neither do we. All will be dust in the course of time. You do the best you can to save and preserve History- it will go it's own course no matter what you do. A perfect recent example is the antiquities that were in Iraq, some dating back thousands of years, many if not most now either destroyed or lost for good. Oh well...
I'm sorry to hear this happened to John, he is a good guy- but it seems that most of the really bummer stuff usually happens to them.

...A perfect recent example is the antiquities that were in Iraq, some dating back thousands of years, many if not most now either destroyed or lost for good. Oh well...
>JAK

It is my understanding that most of these had been stored in various places anticipating the looting and have now been returned to the museum.

LAST EDITED ON Jul-16-03 AT 11:12 AM (CDT)
 
x

>...A perfect recent example is the antiquities that were in
>Iraq, some dating back thousands of years, many if not most
>now either destroyed or lost for good. Oh well...
>>JAK
>
> It is my understanding that most of these had been stored
>in various places anticipating the looting and have now been
>returned to the museum.
>
> George

Most of them wound up in the neocons collections.
Ah ha, oh no don't let the rain come down! Ah ha, oh no don't let the rain come down! Ah ha, oh no don't let the rain come down! My roof's got a hole in it and I might drown, oh yes my roof's got a hole in it and I might drown...

JAK

WCrane. I hope you were just joking. Kit collection, engine collection and collecting related items is serious business, with lots of $$$ involved. I hate to hear of such loss, because the items are getting scarce.

Not that we would actually build a 60 year-old kit, but people DO collect them.

After reading this thread, I called up the Brodak hobby shop yesterday and talked to Linda. It turned out John was standing right next to her and, ever the gentleman, he spoke to me for a few minutes. The sun was out in Carmichaels that afternoon, and he said rows of waterlogged antique kits were lined up to try to dry them out a bit. Most of them were so saturated and mud covered that they are junk. As John Miller stated, he sounded pretty bummed about the loss. In addition to the kits, it seems that the Ford Ranchero restored by Bob Brookins was also flooded, and may be a writeoff.
Despite the loss, he remains determined to see the museum through, and I'm sure he will succeed. Maybe this is the time to root through dusty collections of old kits we are never going to build, and send him a couple, and give him a hand trying to recreate what was lost.

Some time back on another forum, there was a thread where people listed the many kits they have in their collections. It was amazing to me to see the amount of items that were packed away - probably never to be used. Is anyone in favor of helping to rebuild John's collection by making items available to him? How about someone getting a few people to search Ebay for items he lost once the list is posted?

Who else has some ideas?

I have some duplicates also that I would be willing to donate to the cause. Does he have a list of those that were destroyed or that he desires?

thx,
Mel Duval

>After reading this thread, I called up the Brodak hobby shop
>yesterday and talked to Linda. It turned out John was
>standing right next to her and, ever the gentleman, he spoke
>to me for a few minutes. The sun was out in Carmichaels
>that afternoon, and he said rows of waterlogged antique kits
>were lined up to try to dry them out a bit. Most of them
>were so saturated and mud covered that they are junk. As
>John Miller stated, he sounded pretty bummed about the loss.
> In addition to the kits, it seems that the Ford Ranchero
>restored by Bob Brookins was also flooded, and may be a
>writeoff.
> Despite the loss, he remains determined to see the museum
>through, and I'm sure he will succeed. Maybe this is the
>time to root through dusty collections of old kits we are
>never going to build, and send him a couple, and give him a
>hand trying to recreate what was lost.
>
>
>Steve

"That is not dead which can eternal lie, and with strange eons, even death may die".

H.P. Lovecraft.

If he wants to send that Ranchero down to me- I'll see to it that it goes again. If you have anything left at all- it is NEVER a "writeoff". Go look at GMA's "First Nobler" which is now in the AMA Museum. This was once a brown paper shopping bag full of smashed balsa fragments-it isn't now is it?
Where there is a will, there is a way- DON'T EVER GIVE UP!!!!

I have some duplicate 40's and 50's kits (controlline and free flight). I could make them available to Mr. Brodak. I feel really bad about his disaster. I have over 350 old kits and I am constantly upgrading box condition, etc. Unfortunately, some of these were purchased on ebay, which makes them overpriced. I will help him as much as I can as I am a museum fan too.
Bob Parker

This really does sound like a major loss. Utmost sympathy to John. From Ian R.

Thanks to all for the replies so far. John told me he'll be getting a list together as soon as he can. I can only imagine that there might be a lot on his table right now. As soon as it's done, we can start in whatever way you desire to help out.

Several have offered to help evaluate via EBAY sales tracking to establish the value of each of the kits.

For those who wish to help in other ways, perhaps a call to John in a week or so would be the best way to get started.

Here's a perfect examle of some of the best that comes from this hobby. Though niether John nor I are soliciting for replacement kits, some of you guys are willing to part with some of your own collections. I'm impressed at your offers.

The first item I think is to establish the valuation of the loss. After that John will have the additional funds needed to try and find replacements.

I can only imagine what a museum like John is planning will mean to me, and I feel sure, to most of you guys and gals.

I'm wondering why everything is spinning around?

I thought it was important enough to revive this thread and see if there is anything new on the subject.

Thanks Bill for bumping the thread up. I just recieved, in the mail, a list of the ruined kits from John Brodak. It's a long list. I'm going to get it typed up and posted here for those who are interested in helping. FYI, Bill has, in a seperate e-mail, made what I believe is a very good suggestion on a way to handle this.

The question is basically this.

Would it be possible to set up a special category or forum here on the list? One that would only have the list of kits that we are seeking information for? When a current value is posted, and , or a donor replies, Leonard could edit the main listing, showing that a particular kit is now covered.

This would help eliminate duplication of effort, and perhaps make the work go faster and smoother.

I also would like to say that the offers, by some, to donate from their kit stash has been discussed with John. He expressed his thanks, and assured me that any kit donated to the museum will have a plaque or notice displayed with the donors name, once the museum is operating. I personally believe that since the museum should be a not-for-profit enterprize, there might be some tax advantages for donors. Check with your tax advisor if this aspect is of interest.

I'm wondering why everything is spinning around?