Baranger Motion CASEY JONES Steam Train Diamond Display Vintage MOVING Electric Locomotive Advertising Jewelry Start Price USD 9.99 Current Price USD 2,801.00 Time Left - Bid Count 19 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Friday, August 22, 2008 End Time Monday, September 01, 2008 Location South Pasadena, California See more about 'Baranger Motion CASEY JONES Steam Train Diamond Display' Description   ATTENTION BIDDERS - THIS ITEM HAS PREVIOUSLY BEEN FOR SALE OR BEST OFFER HERE ON EBAY AT $5,500 BUT IS NOW IS BEING AUCTIONED TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER!!! THIS AUCTION STARTS WITH A $9.99 OPENING BID AND NO RESERVE!! HIGH BIDDER WILL OWN THIS RARE AND UNIQUE ITEM, SO BID TO WIN!  ITEM: A truly rare, desirable and very large Baranger Motion diamond jewelry store advertising window display from 1947.  This is motion #136, “Casey Jones”. This beautiful, wonderfully detailed moving display features an active steam locomotive and coal tender rolling down the tracks. Intended to catch your eye, and lure you into a diamond jewelry store with its hypnotic motion, this item has a dizzying array of actions: the large wheels turn with piston-action like a real steam locomotive, both the locomotive and coal tender bob up and down, and the engineer rings the bell with one hand, and occasionally pulls the steam whistle with the other, causing the “steam” to turn so you can see it! The fireman also lowers his oilcan to oil the wheel, both engineer and fireman turn their heads, and finally the furnace is lighted, and glows in the mica windows below the boiler between the wheels, simply fabulous!  The smoke coming out of the smoke stack declares “You Will Always Be On The Right Track With One Of Our Beautiful Diamonds!”   The Baranger Studios produced these fabulous, whimsical electric moving displays for diamond jewelry store windows from 1937 until 1957. They were never sold, only leased on a monthly basis to jewelry stores around the country. Each month, a store would receive a new motion with a different theme, then return the old one to the factory in South Pasadena, California. The factory would then clean it, touch it up if necessary, and send it out to yet another store, which in turn sent its current display back to the factory, only to be sent out to yet another store. An ingenious business plan! The Baranger Studios had hundreds of accounts all over the country, and each month each one would receive a different display.   Over the course of about 20 years, with engineering, foundry, paint shop, and shipping facility all under one roof, the company produced 169 different styles including space themed motions, cowboy/western, musical, transportation, fairy tale, and others, but they only produced 30 units of each one. Each motion not only has a number and name, but each has a tag showing its number hyphenated with which number of 30 it is! However, today not all 30 of each motion has survived. When the company closed, motions still out in the field were offered for sale to the stores that had them. Barangers also dismantled many of them over the years for salvage, or to make other motions, so in many instances there are far fewer than 30 of certain motions, as is the case with this Casey Jones; 11 of the original 30 were destroyed for salvage, leaving only 19 Casey Jones motions surviving worldwide! Of those 19, there may be even fewer that survive today. The word “rare” often gets over used or misused on eBay, but with only 19 Casey Jones motions in the world (and probably far fewer), this truly is a rare item!   The company stopped producing new motions in 1957, but continued to lease them to jewelers until they went out of business in 1977. I grew up, and still live in the same town right around the corner where the factory still stands, and have been involved with these wonderful displays since the company closed.  These motion displays are a very esoteric collectible, and many folks don’t even know they exist, but the ones who do, collect with a fervor and zeal reserved only for the rarest and most coveted antiques and collectibles; some motions have brought as much as $20,000. and entry-level motions often start at a minimum of $6500. This is one of the few times you will ever see one of these for sale on eBay, or anywhere else for that matter!   ***This sale also includes a copy of John Daniel’s terrific (and out of print) 2001 hardcover book, “Baranger: Window Displays In Motion” that chronicles the company’s history, and shows every motion ever made! This beautiful book gives the full company history of the Baranger Studios, and shows dozens of glossy, high quality photos of motions, the factory, and employees. Using original company records, the book shows how many of each motion was intact at the time of the company’s closing, and includes useful information, documentation, and anecdotes from company workers, all of whom are now gone.   CONDITION: Baranger Motion #136-23 Casey Jones measures 27.5” wide, by 18” tall, by 9” deep. It is in excellent to near-mint original, and perfect working condition. It was the 23rd Casey Jones motion made, and one of only 19 possible surviving examples. It features original paint and finish with only very minor factory touch-up. Very minor crazing can be observed on the sign above the smoke stack, but paint and finish on the locomotive, coal tender, and background is in beautiful shape with only very minor wear from age; overall a beautifully preserved example of vintage electric advertising Americana. Please see the huge, clear and detailed photos I shot, they tell the story, and please remember to click on the links below to see the YouTube videos!  Baranger motion displays beg to be seen in motion!   I have many other Baranger Motion displays in different themes available for sale; please e-mail me for a list if interested? And should you have one to sell, need one restored or repaired, or you just want to talk motions, I’m always available! Books are sold separately as well, please e-mail for details?   BIDDING: International bidders welcome. If you have 0-5 feedback, excessive negatives, or multiple non-paying bidder strikes, please e-mail prior to bidding to pre-qualify? Placing a bid on this item means you have entered into a legally binding contract to purchase this item. Please do not bid if you do not plan to pay or follow through? High bidder will win and must pay for this item - Serious bidders only please.   SHIPPING & RETURNS: This is a large and fragile item, local pick-up is encouraged, however payment must be received in full prior to pick-up. Sale is final, (returns are permitted only if gross mistakes are made in the listing, and at sellers discretion). Visual inspection of this item is available prior to bidding; please e-mail to make arrangements before bidding. I am located in South Pasadena, California, (zip code 91030), 10 minutes outside of downtown Los Angeles.   Packing and shipping is available as well – buyer pays for all packing materials, shipping costs, and a nominal packing fee. Shipping will be based on the packed, weighed and measured carton once the destination is known. I cannot speculate on shipping costs, but I can give you the approximate measurements and weight of the package and you can get your own estimates.   PAYMENT: I accept personal checks, cashier’s or bank checks, money orders, and bank-to-bank wire transfers (fee applies for wire transfers). All forms of payment wait to clear bank before item will be released or shipped. ***Paypal may be available, but bidders must contact me for details PRIOR to bidding or winning. Please e-mail for details. All international payments must be in USD. Intl. Payments made by check must be drawn on a U.S. bank or a $35 fee to deposit applies. Other forms of payment may be available, but please e-mail PRIOR to bidding to discuss? Payment must be received within 10 days of auction close, no exceptions! I reserve the right to end this listing early to sell locally. Key words: Lionel Train, American Flyer, Steam Locomotive, vintage toy train, antique advertising.   ***Please read entire description and view all photos/videos carefully BEFORE bidding. Baranger Motion displays truly have to be seen to be believed! Please click on the links below to see this motion in action on YouTube! If links do not work, please copy and paste them into your address bar to go directly to the YouTube video. If you have problems getting to, or viewing the video, please e-mail for assistance? To return to this auction after viewing, just hit your "back" button.   YouTube link #1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iiaCQj8jwA   YouTube link #2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRpkOs7EaR0 Place a Bid!