I have the book by Floyd Rainey, and Gerstells book. What other books, or other sources of information is out there specific to Triumph traps? Also, who would be considered to be a present day authority or go to guy on Triumph traps, collecting and history?

I think you've got probably the 2 best references on Triupmh traps available.

There is a small booklet (not sure of the name) that illustrates a lot of the different Triumph and Gibbs traps. It is a useful reference for pictures. It has been reprinted several times and should be easy to find. Don't overpay for it. Some of the ones being sold on eBay are overpriced because seller/buyer don't realize they are newer reprints.

Tom,

Write to:

Ron Frodelius
P.O. Box 125
Fayetteville, NY 13066

He reprinted the circa 1925 Triumph Trap Catalog and trapper's guide booklet several years ago. It's 74 pages and is worth having as a reference guide. If you are a member of NATCA you can find his reader ad in the bi-monthly newsletter. At present he is selling THREE DIFFERENT Reprint catalogs/guides for $20.00 postage paid. The items include: Oneida Community 1893 catalog -- Gibbs and Triumph 1920s catalog -- and the mid 1920s Triumph catalog.
If you contact him, be sure to WRITE, as he doesn't take phone calls. Ron is A-OK! I have done business with him in the past, and have known him since the early 1970s. Tell him Dave Drake says hi!!

Hope this helps a bit.

Dave

p.s. If you are not a member of NATCA, contact Tom Parr, P.O. Box 94, Galloway, Ohio 43119. He will send you an application form, etc. It's a worthwhile organization for all trap, book, paper collectors!

Thanks a lot. I will take advantage of that information.

this is the booklet you need.
full of pictures and info....thanks again Traphound of N.Y.

Fred Stine of Tennesee NATCA member was a big Triumph collector.He has boxes of info from the president of Triumph Trap Co.

Brad Cords from mankato mn. is without question the triumph guru.He has learned from all the best plus having the most complete collection in the world doesn't hurt.He is the go to man for triumph information.

Perhaps Mr. Cords would be the man to publish a Triumph book. It would be nice to have an informative book with professional grade photos.

Don't know Brad Chords, but according to Fred Stine and Pete Ellerman
both Triumph collectors there are over 700 different traps to complete
a collection. That would not be a shirt pocket book.

pick65

Would make a heck of a coffee table book! I think Floyd Rainey only listed about 240. If the 700 number is correct, it Really shows the need for a new and comprehensive Triumph book.

700 different models of triumph!?!?!...might have to change plans back to full collection of HN and NH.

Spent 10 days with Pete Ellerman and his wife, so I got to see
the whole collection and one of the original Floyd Rainey's sketch
books showing the different variations of the Triumph traps.

Pete told me that Richard Gerstell said to him "you could not have picked a harder trap to collect" due to all the different variations.

pick65

It would be great to see the top Triumph men collaborate on a book project.

agreed

You know I could not agree more.

There is so much information out there that needs to be
compiled and photographed that it is a tough job ahead of
anyone who takes it on. We are loosing knowledge about trapping
and the equipment that we use or used on a daily basis, when
one of our own passes away. Be it the dumping of what is considered
user traps to paper as junk by our survivors who are not knowledgeable
about what we have and what it is worth or the importance to our history.

One of the many problems is to know when to "go" and when to
"stop".

What do I mean by that statement? Is do you want to photograph
each and every variation of a certain trap or will a description
do?

If you photograph each and every condition the resulting book
would not only be extensive, but also out of the price range
of the average collector, therefore not saleable.

If the above sounds like I have been there before in this life,
it is true. I have worked on a book the publisher was out of NE
and the book became that extensive that it is in numerous
volumes and ring bound. To give you an idea the 1st volume has over
5,000 items.

pick65

Aren't many of the 700 models actually just variations of pan size, shape and stamping? If that is the case, all pans could have pictures in a size that could be read. In a coffee table size book maybe 9 pans or so could be shown per page. Pictures of whole traps could be shown at about 4 per page with a few extraordinary traps shown full page or two per page.[ I'm just thinking out loud here.]

I think someone got their numbers mixed up a little. Brad cords told me he has between 325 and 350 different ones. He still finds traps occasionally that he did not have.He added three this summer to his triumph collection.He has talked with floyd rainey, bob gerstell, fred stine and others. He is very humble about his collection.

Looks like I may have stated the 700 number as the total numbers of traps, but the intent was to say that the number is 700 with the many different variants. I stand corrected.

pick65

roztocki, pick65 - Maybe you are the ones to kick start this project!

Gee Tom: Thanks for all the kind words, but from previous PM's to
you I thinks that I have "bigger fish to fry"!

I have been spending a min of 10 hours weekly working on a grant
to build something in PA and this book would be a drop in the
bucket. Not that it would not be worth while, just that my sites
are set a little higher.

pick65

roztocki must be the one. All in favor?

who ever has Brad Chord's phone # please have him call
Pete Ellerman in reference to a #2 triumph for Brad's collection!!

pick65

Can someone give me a price range for these