CRETORS NO. 2 SIDEWALK POPCORN WAGON

This is a hard decision, I have owned CORNELIA since 2001, but have wanted a popcorn wagon since I saw my first one in 1963 in Great Barrington, MA. I popped away the end of June 2022 at our town’s Old Home Days – popcorn is free, but I ask for donations for the local food shelves – this year over $300 in donations in two hours. But it is a long time before I will share her again, and maybe others should have fun with my girl, CORNELIA.

In January of 2001, a replica Cretors No. 2 Popcorn Wagon appeared on eBay. It was in Indiana, and of course my late-bride encouraged me to get what I had always wanted. The auction ended, I had won, and she said, “alright how do you get it home.” We lived in Connecticut. I immediately called the friend of our neighbor whose husband had his own small trucking firm. “You want him to get what and where,” she asked. “I just talked to him, and he is about 50 miles east of there now, let me catch him and turn him around.” And, my popcorn wagon was “home” two days later before my check even got to Indiana. The image here is CORNELIA as she appeared in the 1970s catalogues. She dates from that period.

When I purchased her, my reproduction Cretors No. 2 Popcorn Wagon was missing some appropriate pieces, but I knew who made the reproduction carts, and I got in touch with Bob Pearson, Pearson & Co. in Gardner, Kansas. About $1400 later Bob shipped me a new Roastie Toastie Clown, a perfect reproduction Cyrstalline sign for the side, new canopy and brass support poles, and new brass cast name plates for the top of the popper case

The plan was to have it ready for the small 4th of July parade in our little village of New Preston, Connecticut — but that did not happen, nor the next year, 2002, because we had begun our transition to New Hampshire. The popcorn wagon was one of the first things moved to NH, but relegated to storage in the garage surrounded by boxes, and boxes of books. Time got away from me., but in May, 2014, it was now or never, and the plan to get CORNELIA ready for Walpole’s Old Home Days. I pulled everything apart, cleaned, sanded, painted where necessary and then installed new parts I had purchased.

and, finally I had her ready for POPPING

Her introduction, and subsequent performances were a success, and enjoyed by all who watched CORNELIA in action and listened to the calliope music I played.

following are images I took 8 July 2022 to provide a potential buyer all angles of this eye-catching Cretors Sidewalk Popcorn Wagon. I believe they are self-explanatory, but do ask if any questions.

below is the “working” side. You can see the electrical panel on the left, then a door that opens for a storage drawer, and a sliding pan above to pull out kernels and small pieces from the popping area. You can then see the heavy duty power cord and an open area for storage of supplies. There is an outlet for plugging in the Roastie Toastie Clown to do his work cranking away to stimulate trade.

and a few closer shots

I use this “tow bar” to pull CORNELIA around my little village (even once into the Library for a party there). When popping away or in the garage I hold it up out of the way with a bungee cord. The little white sign I have on the lower right simply tells people CORNELIA’s name and details.