Kanter consolidating!

[gary griffin]

KANTER closing warehouses and consolidating and scrapping  a large part of their inventory.   They claim it will make them more efficient and be able to serve us better.

Not much use for tons of certain parts? My brother is restoring a 1940 Packard and could be affected for example/

[Bobby B]

Gary,
  They're 20 minutes from my house. I've been going there for years. Fred has let me rummage through the warehouse looking for small items. They're great people. I wonder what happened?
                                                     Bobby

[cadillacmike68]

It appears that they sold one of the buildings.

https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2017/12/13/kanter-auto-products-on-the-move/

[Bobby B]

It appears that they sold one of the buildings.

https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2017/12/13/kanter-auto-products-on-the-move/

The Monroe St. Building is the office where Fred and Dan hang out along with the office workers. When you place an order, you pay for it there, then drive over a few miles to the warehouse, which is the building pictured in the article. There is a lot of junk in the office building annex that could probably be tossed....
                        Bobby

[BJM]

Yes, I wonder how long some of our industry stalwarts can hang on and I am sure the Kanters are up there in age. Also, on a similar note, a Buick friend who is restoring a 1940 Roadmaster convertible says that Egge is not going to make any more 320 straight 8 pistons due to lack of demand. 

Obviously, there are a few more manufacturers of pistons and old car parts out there but is that a snapshot of what is happening now in the hobby? Such low numbers restoring cars in garages that companies are scaling back?

[64\/54Cadillacking]

This is worrisome. The lack of demand is definitely the main issue here, nobody can stay in business if the demand isn’t there and unfortunately our hobby is slowly becoming extinct and more expensive to continue for everyone young n old.

[TJ Hopland]

I'm not a business accountant but apparently at least on paper its pretty expensive to just have parts sitting on the shelf for years and years.  Writing them off is what usually happens.  Apparently if you don't 'get rid' of them and get an audit you have big problems.   Same thing if you sell parts you have written off.   That is why not many businesses keep stock that doesn't move.   Its not just a matter of shelf space which can also add up.  The paperwork is also complicated to sell something for less than you paid for it so even having a sale can be complicated when it comes to the accounting. 

[gary griffin]

I recently started reading "The Cadillac that followed me home" by club member Christopher Cummings, and his recollection of finding and restoring old cars and the junk in the yards that were crushed as nobody need those parts any longer is similar to my memory of that era.

When I moved to my current home 30 years ago there was a log cabin on the acreage next door. The old guy then living there told me of his desire to buy  a new Buick and they would only give him $200 trade in and he wanted to get $250 so he kept the car. I do not recall the model and it was a car I had never heard of.  Many years after that he got a letter asking if he would sell the car for parts and he agreed to sell it for $250. When the buyer arrived they cut away the bushes that covered the car but it was too rusted for the buyer so he left it there.  The Log cabin was replaced with a modern house a few years ago.  I was discussing this with the new owner and he says he can see an engine and wood spoke wheels through the bushes.  Hopefully we can clear the bushes next summer and try to find out what the car was.

[Maynard Krebs]

The big reason is probably... time.

There used to be an outfit, owned by a couple of brothers... around Northern New Jersey, that specialized in suspension and steering parts for old.. and really old .. cars.    I think that they moved to Arizona, later.   Even later, they seemed to have disappeared.   I can't recall their last name.   Anyway, I have to wonder about their huge inventory of valuable parts.....

[Bobby B]

The big reason is probably... time.

There used to be an outfit, owned by a couple of brothers... around Northern New Jersey, that specialized in suspension and steering parts for old.. and really old .. cars.    I think that they moved to Arizona, later.   Even later, they seemed to have disappeared.   I can't recall their last name.   Anyway, I have to wonder about their huge inventory of valuable parts.....

Are you referring to Fred and Dan Kanter? If so, that's what this whole article is about. I've been in NJ my whole life, and I can't think of who you're referring to.
               Bobby

[David Greenburg]

A number of years ago, like 1990 or so, there was Edwards Brothers in Fountain Hills, AZ that specialized in brake and front end parts.  I bought stuff from them when I was a punk doing my ‘59.   Not sure whether they were originally from somewhere else.

[fishnjim]

Normal evolution.   Markets shift - re:who moved the cheese? 
The next gen has little or no recollection of the pre and post war cars, except what they see in pictures/TV and museums.   When they get to collect, they'll want what they had or wanted in their youth -> perhaps a rice rocket not necessarily grampa's Caddy?  So pass it down, give a kid(s) a ride(s) in yours.   And let them help you work on it.
I think the Cadillac brand has better collector staying power because of it's worldwide recognition/classic styling.   

[Lexi]

Agreed. Clay/Lexi

[fishnjim]

Don't want to give the wrong impression, but Fred said on another forum his business is actually up substantially.

[Maynard Krebs]

To Bobby B. and David G.:  David remembered the name:  Edwards Brothers, Fountain Hills, Arizona.   I guess that I'm showing my age because I believe that they were originally from New Jersey... oh, 25 or 30 years ago.

The reason why I made it a point then to try to remember them... is that there are some parts for which there is no substitute, such as front-end/steering parts, and headlight & ignition switches. 

[e.mason]

Is this a precursor to the beginning of the end of the "old car hobby" as we once knew it?

[David Greenburg]

Gerald- I hate to make you feel even older, but 25-30 years ago is when I was dealing w/ Edwards Bros, and they were already in Fountain Hills ( I was a youngster in my late 20’s at the time). So NJ must have been 30+ years ago!