Need opinion on value of 57-58 Eldorado Brougham Accessories recently purchased at auction

[Andrew]

Yesterday I attended the auction of the former location of Columbus Motor Car, which was the primary Cadillac agency in Columbus, OH since there was a Cadillac agency. The dealership had been sold and  recently moved.  From 1921 until 2004, the dealership was owned by the Cole family, and Don Cole, Jr. was a huge vintage car collector and I believe a founding member of the CLC, since among the items I purchased was documentation  which included the preliminary founding documents of the CLC, and Volume I, issue 3 of the newsletter.  Mr. Cole died in the early 1990s, and the dealership began a slow decline after his passing.  Many of his collected car items were apparently set aside and forgotten, only to resurface at this sale.  

Two of the most rare items are the following:

The Dealer color and upholstery selector book for the 1957-58 Eldorado Brougham. (I checked the database and all the available colors shown in the registry section are in this book)

A 57-58 Eldorado Brougham Owners Manual.

This sort of item is not my usual area of expertise, and I know these are valuable.  I am sorting out a wide array of items at my office, most of which have little intrinsic value but are invaluable for illustrating the history of my city and a great dealership.

Any guesses as to value and the best method of sale?

[David King 22014]

Hello Andrew
This forum would be best for the Eldorado Brougham owners out there.  I for one would love to have them, but it depends on what you want to   If extracting every last nickel out of the stuff, then eBay is it.  If you want to offer it to some people who like to have it without taking out a 3rd mortgage, then maybe here is it.  That interior guide would be very nice to have.
Bye the way, there is a slight difference in the 57 & 58 owner’s manual. There is a page 2/3’s the way through it that tells about the engine serial number.  The 57 number starts with 57-70 and the 58 starts with 58P and this is one of the things that will identify which year it is for.
David King
EB 615

[Roger A. Zimmermann #21015]

Well andrew, you know what you paid for the dealer color and upholstery book and the minimum profit you intend to do...As an owner of a 57 brougham, Im very interested by this book. I paid years ago maybe $ 500.00 for a 56 dealer album; I may imagine this one has more value. If no one else is interested (I doubt it) make me an offer...at
cadillac_parts@bluewin.ch I have already an owner manual; somebody else will certainly be interested by it.

[Andrew]

Thanks for the information.  Turns out the owners manual is for a 1958.  Interior is perfect, cover shows wear with a crease at the "B" and some abrasion, like its been in a glove box!

Im not sure if or when I will be selling this items, but please feel free to email me directly if you are interested, in addition to whatever you wish to post here.  Unfortunately, I dont check the MB very often.

[wm link]

Really a great find! Ebay is going to be your best bet...in both getting the best price and seeking a value...the value I suspect, will be through the roof. I own car 539 and certainly would like to have these items as well.

[Harry Carlson #16432]

Andrew,
Did you read what Yanns database says about the color selection book?

Heres the link:
http://www.car-nection.com/yann/Dbas_txt/brg12.htm

Quote:

"For 1957 and 1958

- the rarest and most desirable item of Eldorado Brougham merchandising literature is The Eldorado Brougham Color and Upholstery Selections book, a dealer showroom item measuring 19 x 8¼ inches. This book is about as rare (...and equally as valuable!) as the Arpège perfume atomizer.  If you consider that a "regular" Cadillac color and upholstery book of the fifties may fetch $400-500 today, you may easily imagine what this one is worth!  I know of only two such books:  one belongs to BOA member Charles D. Barnette, who has Brougham #590 and he actually saw the other one at the 1986 CLC Grand National in Fort Worth, TX.  I wonder who has it today?"

So you have a 3rd book!!  Cool!

Id be interested to verify what trim #1111 was for my Brougham.

[Andrew]

I think I have to go lie down. . .

I knew it was rare, but"atomizer" rare, that is incredible.

Yann noted that a copy of the owners manual sold for $1024 on Ebay in 2004 further up the page.

Maybe this is the 2nd one from Ft. Worth

[David King]

Hi Andrew
Lets exchange email addresses.  They do not show up on the site.
Mine is dking92747@aol.com.  I have a coppy of the 58 owners manual.  The interior guide would be very nice to have as a resource to confirm correct fabrics and colors.
David

[Yann Saunders, CLC #12588]

Id be interested to verify what trim #1111 was for my Brougham [Unquote]

Trim code #1111 was light gray Mojave cloth combined with light gray leather and black Karakul wool carpets.  Twelve cars were so trimmed in 1957, eleven in 1958.

[Yann Saunders, CLC #12588]

"Atomizer rare"  This merchandising tool is much rarer than any "Arpege" atomizer;  the latter seem to be coming out of grannys attics all over the country !

[Harry Carlson #16432]

Thanks Yann,

From trim 1111, were the doors all one color of gray leather?  What part of the seats was cloth?  What is Mojave cloth I wonder?

[Jeff Hansen, #4225]

To get someones email address when viewing their post, run your mouse over their name in the column to the left of the post.  The name is a clickable link that will open your email program when clicked.  The email address will be prepopulated.  Also, when you run your mouse over the name in the left column, the address will appear in the bottom left hand corner of your browser in the format of "mailto:xxx@yyy.com".  Try it right now as you read this.

Jeff

[Yann Saunders, CLC #12588]

The seating area and seat backs were cloth; the rest was leather. 1958 Brougham #402 has that same trim. I am in touch with both the former and new owner. Perhaps I could get you a couple of interior shots of that car, if needed.

[wm link]

Since this album will be out of reach for most of us... would you be willing to do a color scan of each page, cover to cover for say $100. If you have a Kinkos copy center in Ohio that would be a good place to get it done self serve. You can email me at: azblink@yahoo.com

[Harry Carlson #16432]

Yann,

David King sent me some interior photos of #402, the interior is absolutely gorgeous.  

Its kind of a moot point now, Ive agreed to sell #406.  Ill send the photos off to the new owner.

[Harry Carlson #16432]

Just a thought:  
Getting the Eldorado Brougham color selection book copied into the Cadillac Database would be an immensely valuable service to present and future Brougham owners.