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Sinclairs Auto Miniatures and Auto World, Scranton Pa.


noelsmith

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I can remember two organisations from way back in the 70's..

Sinclairs Auto Miniatures had a very good magazine that used to feature professional built car models and review high end kits such as Pocher.

Auto World of Scranton PA. used to issue a really good annual catalogue of all the kits they stocked, and it had build tips in it as well.

Any old timers know what happened to these organisations?

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  • 6 months later...

What no replies? Surely someone must know what has happened to both these organisations!

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  • 3 months later...

Thanks for the reply Terry. I recognise the AW logo as being the one used when there was an Auto World at Scranton Pa. all those years ago.

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  • 1 month later...

Living just outside of Scranton, I remember visiting AutoWorld when it was in existence. Firstly, AW supplied aftermarket performance parts for the motorist. They had all sorts of stuff for all sorts of cars, mostly smaller, European imports. The model portion came a few years later. There was a warehouse area in the back but the front of the store was all hobby. There was a six- or eight-lane 1/32 slot car track, another for HO, models all over the place. I have several of the catalogs and still use the AW hot knife (or whatever it is called) to open hatches, cut tiny parts from sprues, etc. It still works great.

 

The hobby portion continued on after the 1/1 scale closed down. The fellow who ran it took the remaining inventory and moved to another section of Scranton, finally closing it about 10 years ago. By the end, it was a shadow of its former glory, with a lot of NOS slot car items and not too many models. I was sad to see it go away. The guy who ran it at the end works at Lowes now - I see him every now and again.

 

The catalogs are great time capsules - I remember wanting just about one of everything in them.

 

 

Frank

Edited by Kranman
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  • 3 months later...

In the 60's and early 70's Oscar Kovaleski's Auto World was a one stop shop for the SCCA's sports car racing crowd. A driver himself, Oscar was one of the top independent competitors in the Can-Am series. If I remember correctly he drove a McClaren. At some point in the late 70's early 80's the business began to shift toward model cars and away from the 1/1 stuff. I was supprised a few weeks ago when I ran across their web site while looking for scale race car decals.

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  • 5 months later...

Thanks guys. That's Auto World put to bed so to speak. I was looking at the Scale Model Car Museum in Utah's site and see that they have obtained a number of collections (e.g. Bob Schuklis') that were displayed at Auto World at Scranton Pa. They have modellers actively restoring some of these well known models for the museum displays.

OK...... What about Sinclairs Auto Miniatures.....Any body know what has happened to them?

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  • 1 year later...

Noel-

 

I work as a crew member on a vintage race team. This past July we were on our way to a race in Mosport Canada when Oscar Kovaleski called my car owner and asked him to drop by. We did meet Oscar at his house in PA. I can tell you that an awful lot of cool old car model kits are in Oscar's basement. Maybe someday he'll sell them..

 

-Rick

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