Vendor Night - NARAM 50

[Eagle3]

Hey Carl, it looks like you're holding up one of your rocket motor shipping tubes at Vendor Night;
http://www.nerys.com/naramlive/naramlive/03sunday/night/IMG_1457.JPG

Did you make a major announcement? :D

[Royatl]

Hey Carl, it looks like you're holding up one of your rocket motor shipping tubes at Vendor Night;
http://www.nerys.com/naramlive/naramlive/03sunday/night/IMG_1457.JPG

Did you make a major announcement? :D

That's the "Red Scout" that was handed out to everyone at NARAM. A fully packaged Scout kit, in a clear tube (instead of a red tube) so you can see the contents, packed just as Vern and Gleda did it in 1960! The gold wrapper is a page and a half of info about how the Estes started their little operation, and how the Scout kit came to be, and it is signed by Vern, Gleda, and Betty (the girl in the picture on page 1 of the 65/66, 67, 68, and page 2 of the 69 and 70 catalogs -- not to mention the front panel of the Semroc Golden Scout instructions!).

[Ltvscout]

That's the "Red Scout" that was handed out to everyone at NARAM. A fully packaged Scout kit, in a clear tube (instead of a red tube)
So, is that clear tube CPT-10 in size? :D

[Eagle3]

Thanks Roy. I didn't think Carl was that far along with the motors. I'm sure we all wish it was that far along. ;)

[Royatl]

So, is that clear tube CPT-10 in size? :D

Actually, I think it is. My calipers are in my rangebox somewhere, so I can't make a measurement, and the only ST-10 I have access to is in a bag, but they seem to line up.

[foose4string]

Here are a couple close ups of the NARAM 50 Red Scout. Wrapped with a cool history sheet, hand signed by Vern, Gleda, and Betty Estes. The end caps feel like they are glued on, so I can't get the I.D. , but my cheap digital calipers read anywhere between 1.055 and 1.070 inches for the O.D, depending on how I turn the tube. I think it may be very slightly out of round from being stacked in a box on a hot day. ;)

The reverse side of the history sheet includes a letter by Vern, including a bunch of cool "factoids". Carl hand rolled the body tubes himself with some pointers given from Gleda. Carl also said he had to keep searching and bidding on ebay to get the authentic, old fashioned, drinking straws needed for the red and blue striped launch lugs! :)

[Royatl]

Here are a couple close ups of the NARAM 50 Red Scout. Wrapped with a cool history sheet, hand signed by Vern, Gleda, and Betty Estes. The end caps feel like they are glued on, so I can't get the I.D. , but my cheap digital calipers read anywhere between 1.055 and 1.070 inches for the O.D, depending on how I turn the tube. I think it may be very slightly out of round from being stacked in a box on a hot day. ;)

The reverse side of the history sheet includes a letter by Vern, including a bunch of cool "factoids". Carl hand rolled the body tubes himself with some pointers given from Gleda. Carl also said he had to keep searching and bidding on ebay to get the authentic, old fashioned, drinking straws needed for the red and blue striped launch lugs! :)


Hmm... I don't think the tube in my kit was hand rolled. Interesting. What sort of bribe did you make? :)

[foose4string]

Hmm... I don't think the tube in my kit was hand rolled. Interesting. What sort of bribe did you make? :)

Look again Roy. There is a single, vertical seam, running the length of the tube. When Carl called Gleda to ask for pointers, Vern was worried Carl was going to ask Gleda to do it ! Vern refused to put her on the phone until he promised not to ask her to roll tubes. :D Turns out, out she rolled a few anyway... for the auction. ;)

[chanstevens]

I didn't think she rolled tubes for these limited "red scout" kits, just whatever went for door prizes at NARCON and auctioned off at NARAM. I was a lucky recipient of one of the NARCON signed tubes, and was going to bid pretty high on one of the 4 auctioned off at NARAM. Missed out on a weird twist to the bidding--four total kits up for grabs, 2 each signed by Vern and 2 by Gleda. Since I already had a Gleda-signed tube, I figured I'd wait out the first one, which was hers. Tom Lyon won it for $125, but winner gets to buy as many as he wants at that price, and apparently the rest can for for that same price. He grabbed one of each, and someone else immediately offered $125 apiece for the last two. I don't think there was even an attempt to let anyone bid on those last two, and they surely would have kept going up from a $125 starting price as the last two available.

I know a lot of memorabilia goes for insane prices, but in my opinion, $125 apiece for these is a pretty darned good bargain. There probably won't be a 100th anniversary commemorative kit signed by Vern or Gleda.

--Chan Stevens

[foose4string]

I didn't think she rolled tubes for these limited "red scout" kits, just whatever went for door prizes at NARCON and auctioned off at NARAM.
--Chan Stevens

Correct. Carl rolled the "red scout" tubes. I'm not a collector and didn't intend on bidding on the Gleda rolled, Estes signed Scout tubes. I knew they wouldn't go cheap, but for a collector these are truly "golden" and perhaps a steal @ $125?

[Royatl]

Look again Roy. There is a single, vertical seam, running the length of the tube. When Carl called Gleda to ask for pointers, Vern was worried Carl was going to ask Gleda to do it ! Vern refused to put her on the phone until he promised not to ask her to roll tubes. :D Turns out, out she rolled a few anyway... for the auction. ;)

You're right. I guess I just assumed since it was white instead of manilla (the way BT-30s were made in the late 60's) that it was one of Carl's regular tubes, but I coulda sworn I saw a spiral on there the other day!

[foose4string]

You're right. I guess I just assumed since it was white instead of manilla (the way BT-30s were made in the late 60's) that it was one of Carl's regular tubes, but I coulda sworn I saw a spiral on there the other day!

Don't feel bad, I assumed the same thing until Carl told me the story at the ORR Saturday night. I had to double check, too. He did a super job rolling them. So good, in fact, they look machine made and fooled the both of us! While they might not hold the same value as a tube turned by Gleda, these "red" kits took a lot of thought and time to make, and are valuable in their own right. I generally subscribe to the thought that kits ought to be built and flown (and not hoarded), but this one will remain sealed. ;) :)

[Royatl]

Don't feel bad, I assumed the same thing until Carl told me the story at the ORR Saturday night. I had to double check, too. He did a super job rolling them. So good, in fact, they look machine made and fooled the both of us! While they might not hold the same value as a tube turned by Gleda, these "red" kits took a lot of thought and time to make, and are valuable in their own right. I generally subscribe to the thought that kits ought to be built and flown (and not hoarded), but this one will remain sealed. ;) :)

I can't think of any way to get into it that wouldn't screw it up, though I am just a little surprised he went to plastic caps instead of figuring out how to do paper ones ;)

I was hoping that the story about the straws would be something like "...and Gleda needed some straws for a party one day and brought a box home from work. 48 years later she finds the box and uses them for the Red Scouts!" heh.

[foose4string]

I can't think of any way to get into it that wouldn't screw it up, though I am just a little surprised he went to plastic caps instead of figuring out how to do paper ones ;)

I was hoping that the story about the straws would be something like "...and Gleda needed some straws for a party one day and brought a box home from work. 48 years later she finds the box and uses them for the Red Scouts!" heh.


White vs manilla, plastic vs paper, vintage ebay straws vs straws found in Gleda's basement....Man, tough crowd. :D :D

[Royatl]

White vs manilla, plastic vs paper, vintage ebay straws vs straws found in Gleda's basement....Man, tough crowd. :D :D


Trivia is the spice of life! :p

[Doug Sams]

Trivia is the spice of life! :pYeah, but I'd still rather be wanted for my sex appeal than for my skill at board games :eek:

Alas, pass me another piece of pie.


Doug

.

[Royatl]

Yeah, but I'd still rather be wanted for my sex appeal than for my skill at board games :eek:

Alas, pass me another piece of pie.


Doug

.


Board games? feh! Give me a real trivia game at a bar with beer, nachos, and playing for $50 bar cash! I'll take a piece of pie, too, though.

[foose4string]

I'll leave the trivia to you Roy. But I'll take you up on the beer and nachos. We must have tripped over each other a dozen times at NARAM, but I still don't recall seeing you(not sure I would even recognize if I did), didn't see your name tag, and forgot to ask around. I'm sorry we didn't get a chance to formally meet. Ah well, maybe next time. ;)

[Royatl]

I'll leave the trivia to you Roy. But I'll take you up on the beer and nachos. We must have tripped over each other a dozen times at NARAM, but I still don't recall seeing you(not sure I would even recognize if I did), didn't see your name tag, and forgot to ask around. I'm sorry we didn't get a chance to formally meet. Ah well, maybe next time. ;)


I definitely saw you a few times, but didn't put together the name and handle until I read the message JRThro just posted up on TRF.