dwasson
11-26-2005, 08:36 PM
From: http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/send_story/printstory.asp?HTMLpath=/newssun/city/w25volosa.htm
Ready to buy — Some weird stuff
By Jim Newton
STAFF WRITER
With the holiday shopping season officially under way, the discerning shopper is seeking the unique. Grateful Dead tour bus anyone? Captured Iraqi amphibious missile launcher? Perhaps a real electric chair from the New York prison system?
All that and more is available through Christmas in a special sale at the Volo Auto Museum.
"You always hear the cliche, 'for the guy who has everything.' Well we're serious," museum Director Joe Lopez said Tuesday during a tour of the items available for sale.
Museum President Greg Grams said the sale is being held because his showrooms are packed and he has to make room for new exhibits. He expressed reluctance about peddling some of the items, especially authentic movie vehicles such as a police car from the 2005 movie The Dukes of Hazzard (yours for $17,998) and the original 1957 Plymouth Fury used in the film version of Stephen King's Christine (on sale for $125,000).
"For me it's hard to give up some of these things. They're my toys," Grams said.
For a seasonal purchase, consider the Grinch Sleigh from Universal Studios' 2001 How the Grinch Stole Christmas starring Jim Carrey. Built on a 440 snowmobile chassis, it includes an inflatable bag of presents that stands 14 feet tall, sure to provide the one-up needed to win the neighborhood yard decorating contest. Asking price — $39,998.
Travel to grandma's house in style aboard a working 1965 Gillig bus, used as one of the Grateful Dead's tour buses from 1967 to 1985.
The red, six-speed manual transmission dinosaur features an interior lined with concert posters from those who joined Jerry and the boys at tour time, including Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin. The asking price is $200,000, and the museum is selling the bus on behalf of current owner Butch Patrick, a/k/a Eddie Munster.
Breaking from the holiday theme, also available is an electric chair that Lopez assures was actually used in New York. The solid oak chair with copper fittings goes for $15,000 (and no, it won't work with a standard household outlet).
Those tired of seeing Hummers hog the road might consider a drivable Soviet-made amphibious missile launching vehicle, captured from the Iraqis during the first Gulf War. Although it is demilitarized, this baby still runs on the road and in the water, and its armor-coated body and faux missiles will intimidate anything else driven on civilian streets. The asking price is $55,000.
So where did the museum get this eclectic line of merchandise?
"We get a lot of calls from across the country," Lopez said. "People know we buy strange stuff."
The Volo Auto Museum is located at 27582 W. Volo Village Road near routes 120 and 12 in Volo. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week. General admission is $7.95. A full list of items for sale is available at the museum's Web site, www.volocars.com .
Ready to buy — Some weird stuff
By Jim Newton
STAFF WRITER
With the holiday shopping season officially under way, the discerning shopper is seeking the unique. Grateful Dead tour bus anyone? Captured Iraqi amphibious missile launcher? Perhaps a real electric chair from the New York prison system?
All that and more is available through Christmas in a special sale at the Volo Auto Museum.
"You always hear the cliche, 'for the guy who has everything.' Well we're serious," museum Director Joe Lopez said Tuesday during a tour of the items available for sale.
Museum President Greg Grams said the sale is being held because his showrooms are packed and he has to make room for new exhibits. He expressed reluctance about peddling some of the items, especially authentic movie vehicles such as a police car from the 2005 movie The Dukes of Hazzard (yours for $17,998) and the original 1957 Plymouth Fury used in the film version of Stephen King's Christine (on sale for $125,000).
"For me it's hard to give up some of these things. They're my toys," Grams said.
For a seasonal purchase, consider the Grinch Sleigh from Universal Studios' 2001 How the Grinch Stole Christmas starring Jim Carrey. Built on a 440 snowmobile chassis, it includes an inflatable bag of presents that stands 14 feet tall, sure to provide the one-up needed to win the neighborhood yard decorating contest. Asking price — $39,998.
Travel to grandma's house in style aboard a working 1965 Gillig bus, used as one of the Grateful Dead's tour buses from 1967 to 1985.
The red, six-speed manual transmission dinosaur features an interior lined with concert posters from those who joined Jerry and the boys at tour time, including Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin. The asking price is $200,000, and the museum is selling the bus on behalf of current owner Butch Patrick, a/k/a Eddie Munster.
Breaking from the holiday theme, also available is an electric chair that Lopez assures was actually used in New York. The solid oak chair with copper fittings goes for $15,000 (and no, it won't work with a standard household outlet).
Those tired of seeing Hummers hog the road might consider a drivable Soviet-made amphibious missile launching vehicle, captured from the Iraqis during the first Gulf War. Although it is demilitarized, this baby still runs on the road and in the water, and its armor-coated body and faux missiles will intimidate anything else driven on civilian streets. The asking price is $55,000.
So where did the museum get this eclectic line of merchandise?
"We get a lot of calls from across the country," Lopez said. "People know we buy strange stuff."
The Volo Auto Museum is located at 27582 W. Volo Village Road near routes 120 and 12 in Volo. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week. General admission is $7.95. A full list of items for sale is available at the museum's Web site, www.volocars.com .