Berger Emblems and Plate Frames

MotownMadman · #1 06-17-2003, 09:47 PM

Ok Guys, Which one of ya was it, somebody fess up! I went today to one of the backwoods salvage yards that has all the old stuff, about 20 Miles outside Grand Rapids, I was looking for Berger Emblems and Plate Frames, after walking the whole yard and finding many cars that had the outline of where an emblem was, I went and talked with the owner who is a friend of mine, he informed me that a guy came in last week, flew in from somewhere east and was going to salvage yards in the area. My friend sold him "about a dozen emblems, and about eight frames", not get this, $60 for all. I didnt have the heart to tell my friend Mark that he sent about $6000 worth of stuff out the door for $60, but I got a lock on any more that come in. So, who was it? I am sure there are many people other then those here on the board who know what time it is with this stuff, I just got a funny feeling someone here is the one quicker to the draw then me as I was talking about this several weeks back. I expect it wont be long before these parts turn up on Ebay, my friend did tell me that they will need rechroming to be perfect, so it may be a little while. Chuck? Marlin? Joe? Come on, Fess up! [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]
Motown, always a day late and $5940 short! [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]

**Mr70** · #2 06-18-2003, 12:08 AM

He actually believed I flew in,and was from the East?

JChlupsa · #3 06-18-2003, 01:28 AM

!!! if someone told me they flew in from the east just to pick up Berger items that would have told me $$$$ and the sale price just went x4

JoeG · #4 06-18-2003, 01:38 AM

I heard on the news they caught a couple of guys trying to smuggle Berger lic. plate frames over the Canadian Border???

MotownMadman · #5 06-18-2003, 02:25 AM

You guys are all just a panic! [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]
Motown [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif[/img]

Denis · #6 06-18-2003, 02:43 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Poster: HawaiianCamaro
!!! if someone told me they flew in from the east just to pick up Berger items that would have told me $$$$ and the sale price just went x4

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, the guy probably would've taken $15 for the lot if mystery buyer hadn't admitted to flying in...

**Steve Shauger** · #7 06-18-2003, 11:31 PM

Are you a story teller or what???

MotownMadman · #8 06-19-2003, 12:28 AM

If you take the price the plate frame just went for on Ebay and multiply it, then take the going rate of the emblems and multiply it, the figure comes out an easy $6000. I would have to guess that whoever bought all these made a circle around Grand Rapids to all the salvage yards and did quite well. Considering Berger has been selling cars in this area since the sixties and maybe earlier, I dont find it odd that the yards that dont scrap all the old stuff would have an abundance of these items. I wish I had gone hunting when I planned to do so right after the plate frame sold on Ebay, then I would have had the pick of the 400 acres of cars in that one particular yard I went to, which I happened to be going to for other parts and thought I would check while I was there. I notice you are from the east, so was it you that made this excursion? I am sure that if the person who did make the trip was reading this they wouldnt like it much that I disclosed the price they paid considering the return it will bring. The stuff is bound to turn up on Ebay soon. We will all just have to wait and see who the seller is. Somebody beat me to it, so what, I'll live. I am sure this type of thing has been done in other areas sooner, like in PA around the area Yenko was?
Motown [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

**Steve Shauger** · #9 06-19-2003, 12:42 AM

The only time I've been to MI was to purchase a JL8 two years ago. I bet Charley is behind the missing emblems and frames. Charley are you behind this mystery??? [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif[/img]

**Charley Lillard** · #10 06-19-2003, 01:56 AM

Berger Frames are very hard to come by. Dennis Barker had never even seen one so I doubt if many are in the Junk Yards. The Berger Family has been selling Chevys for over 75 Years I think. Scott Settlemire listed the Bergers as one of only about 19 Dealers in the Nation that the Family has been doing it that long.
As for the Value... The Ebay Frames sold for 600.00 because I was high Bidder at 200.00 but was out of town so I put in a 600.00 Bid figuring that somebody might think they were safe at the last Minute and Bid maybe 300.00. Joe Barr did the same thing at the last Minute and put in a Bigger Bid to insure he Won. He told me he never expected to have to pay that much. It just backfired on him. As of Carlisle he still hadn't heard from the Seller. I don't really think the Market is 600.00. I'm probably willing to pay the most as I have what is probably the most significant Camaro that Berger has ever sold. I was willing to go that high to do what I thought was Complete the car. I doubt if anybody else will and not sure I will anymore either. I will just tape a pic of Joe Barr on the Bumper. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggthumpup.gif[/img]

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