Ferrari Museum At Swap Shop?

I go by the Swap Shop everyday now and one of these days I've got to stop in.

Wouldnt be surprising given that Preston has been known to keep his Ferraris in his home living room!

BHW

 

I heard something on the radio today about the Swap Shop but it did not mention a museum.

 

From Sun Sentinel Online 8/12/05:

"Acrobats, elephants and clowns disappeared from the Fort Lauderdale Swap Shop, as the flea market on Thursday evicted the circus that had performed there since 1989.

Swap Shop owner Preston Henn kicked out the Hanneford Family Circus, a performing company that had delighted children and angered animal-rights activists for years

Henn plans to transform the circus ring into a Ferrari museum. By late afternoon Thursday, his employees were moving silver and black sports cars into the ring."

 

Apparently - no more elephants or acrobats, but in my experience plenty of Clowns (in front of and behind the booths!)

Scottie
www.TheCarcierge.com

 

Wow -- neat idea! Will have to check it out next time we're in the area.

BTW, thought I heard that Preston was in some sort of trouble with the law...altercation with a vendor or something? Guess things worked out fine in the end?

 

Preston has to face fellony charges. Bull if you ask me. He has every right to throw someone out of his own property and also have to have the right to tell a cop to go and piss off on his property. Where the hell are the good old fashioned laws of "don't dare to set foot on my land"-laws.
Next thing you know a carthief will get a reward from stealing a car while the owner gets hammered in court for buying a nice looking car and making the poor thief commit a fellony.

If anybody has Prestons number I would love to talk to him about bringing some of my cars over to him for display. Not that he needs them His collection is superb.

Hope he gets the charges against him "taken care of". That is what I would do. He strikes me as on the same page there.

 

Funny that the NEW TOY STORE on Sunrise is moving and selling their land for Condos (they have a huge chunck of land there). I think many tourist to Fort Laud thought of it as a exotic museum

Odd how Sunrise Blvd lost one showroom and now gets a real museum.

 

Mark the difference now is, in a real museum you get in and pay a few bucks and see the "real" thing and do not have to deal with snooty salesman that don't give you the time of day and best, don't know **** about what they are selling. In a real museum you can expect to find educated people answering questions. Sorry but I can not find tears in that.

Besides wasn't Ed Waterman (Motorcar Gallery) the one selling his land and moving to another building he owns down the street? The Toy Store did that too? I thought they were leasing there. No?

 

The 'New Toy Store" had the worst sales-guys they didn't know anything about the cars.

I be suprised if they didn't re-open after the move. But they said they will! ( old Volvo dealership is there new home ) I don't know where that was?

I don't know anything about (Ed or Motorcar Gallery) isn't that on the other side of the street from Toy Store?


The guy I talked to, showed me a drawing of the new Condo complex. I was in their main show-room of the Toy-store, and I asked them why the second show-room was empty? He also said that they owned the Jaguar dealership next door.... and the repair and rental building at the end of the street in the other direction. So by that count, It's 4 buildings in a row on Sunrise.
http://maps.google.com/maps?

q=Toy+Store+Sunrise+blvd,+Fort+Lauderdale-,+FL&ll=26.136984,-80.127047&spn=0.004044,0.007186&t=k&num=10&start=0&hl=en

 

Writing from Motorcar Gallery...

Ed has sold the property where the Motorcar Gallery is currently along with adjacent properties. The same thing has happened at the Auto Toy Store
as I hear the area north of downtown Ft. Lauderdale along Federal Highway is in for a major facelift (condos, offices, etc.).

If you're in the area, you may see clearly what the plans are as some of the streets and connecting areas are already being cordoned off for construction
so we may only imagine property owners in the area have held out for top dollar.

Ed is currently looking for new showroom space as he has to be out of here by October.

BHW

 

It may be that Preston has the same sort of deal happening out on Sunrise
as property adjacent to Swap Shop is being prepaired for some construction
so the recent actions there may well have to do with the recent moves which under the Constitution is his perfect right.

At least it was until this "conservative" Supreme Court threw out private property laws in favor of eminent domain.

BHW

 

Must be tough for Ed to find something that has so many holes in the roof I am sure I can get a bulk price to buy his old buckets, since he won't be needing them anymore. Buy one get 99 free? I would take all 400
There were times when I was wondering if he was in the car biz or the bucket biz. "oh look hunny, they sell all kinds of plastic buckets. And what nice cars they have for decoration"

 

Youre just jealous because we've got more buckets than you!

Then again, our friendly neo-conservative "leaders" could come in, slap an ordinance on the door saying, "You've got too many buckets" and the whole thing comes apart.

BHW

 

And, I heard late yesterday that the Auto Toy Store deal fell through.

So, as far as we know, its remaining in its current location.

BHW

 

Just saw on the news that Swap Shop tenants are being asked to leave or are leaving in protest over the circus debacle.

I'd say Preston has bigger plans for the property than the Swap Shop quite likely attached to what is going on next door with major construction equipment contouring the landscape a bit.

BHW

 

Martin -
Tim (Stanford) services his cars and has his number. Either he can give it to you or relay a message to Preston to call you....

 

Thanks will give Tim a call tomorrow. Have to thank him for a referral anyhow.

I disagree with Preston having bigger plans though. That would very much surprise me. He has not sold his property all this time when the big boom was going west, why now? Unless he is pis$ed off with Ft. Lauderdale City and wants to hurt them. After all the Swap Shop is an institution. Certainly would hurt the City if he closes shop.

Would be cool to see him do something there in terms of car museum. We are lacking one. If you guys remember I was thinking about it last year this time and actually ended up buying that property but the plans for the new warehouses were just too good not to pass up and financing was in place immediately so I am building them. Still have that museum idea in my head though. I guess I should really talk to Preston about that.

 

Martin - you're up early...

I agree with you. The tax base generated by the swap shop is something the city would not want to lose.

Yes I remember you idea and I think it's a good one. If memory serves me correctly, there was some concern with the location.

A museum would need an ancillary use to supplement the revenue, in your case car sales would fit right in...but I think you still would want to add additional revenue sources... Like the museum in PB that's a 50's style rest and banquet facility. I would suggest a musuem with a nuddy bar and 4am license.

 

QUOTE=Cavallino Motors]
What would be the definition of harrassed and where do I buy an AK47? [/QUOTE]

Martin:

All you had to do was ask - www.RDTS.com Tell Ralph that Scottie sent you.

His real specialty is H&K and I would suggest moving into a H&K 93 before a AK47 - besides I always have prefered .308 to .227.

Scottie
www.TheCarcierge.com

 

Does anyone know Preston's "status?" He was in the hospital room next to Stacie's father for a week or so and was still under armed guard. I thought it odd that he had not been released on bond.

Scottie
www.TheCarcierge.com