By Jeff Peek / Originally Published June 17, 2015 / Hagerty / Sally Kosmatka tried to find the words, but she had to pause mid-sentence. “When I…{"id":7150,"date":"2015-07-18T14:01:02","date_gmt":"2015-07-18T21:01:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/?p=7150"},"modified":"2015-08-19T10:46:10","modified_gmt":"2015-08-19T17:46:10","slug":"sale-of-texas-barn-find-collection-filled-with-memories-tears-and-a-sense-of-relief","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/2015\/07\/18\/sale-of-texas-barn-find-collection-filled-with-memories-tears-and-a-sense-of-relief\/","title":{"rendered":"Sale of Texas Barn Find Collection filled with memories, tears and a sense of relief"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Jeff Peek\u00a0\/ Originally Published June 17, 2015\u00a0\/ Hagerty \/<\/h5>\n
Sally Kosmatka tried to find the words, but she had to pause mid-sentence.<\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I think about it for too long \u2026,\u201d she said as tears welled in her eyes. \u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
Her husband, Jack, reached over and patted her leg. Without saying a word, his gesture said everything. Jack knew Sally\u2019s pain as well as anyone could. This would be a tough day for the Kosmatkas. They were about to see the most precious members of their classic car family go to new homes.<\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cIt hurts,\u201d Jack said, \u201cbut you gotta do it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
[<\/span>To read the original story click here.<\/a>]<\/span><\/p>\n
<\/iframe><\/p>\nSo on June 12, at<\/span> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.motostalgia.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Motostalgia\u2019s Brickyard Auction<\/a><\/strong> at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Texas couple said goodbye to what has become known as the Texas Barn Find Collection \u2013 five well-preserved pre-WWII automobiles and a travel trailer that were stored in a warehouse behind their home near Austin. Untouched for 40 years, the collection included a 1932 Cadillac 370B V-12 Victoria Convertible, a 1933 Cadillac Model 370C V-12 Town Coupe, a 1938 Cadillac Series 90 V-16 Fleetwood Limousine, a 1923 Milburn Electric Model 27L, a 1908 REO Model G Boattail Roadster\/Sedan Tonneau and a twice-used 1937 Kozy Coach Travel Trailer.<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cI have feelings about them,\u201d Sally said, stating what was already obvious. \u201cI\u2019m sad to see them go.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nJohn \u201cJack\u201d and Sally Kosmatka met in Milwaukee in the late 1950s. They both enjoyed ballroom dancing, and it was at a dance that Jack spotted his future bride across the room.<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cShe was the right height for hugging and kissing,\u201d 86-year-old Jack joked, eliciting laughter from his wife. \u201cThen when we got married (in 1960), she took off her high heels and shrunk four inches.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cHe didn\u2019t know I was such a short person,\u201d Sally said.<\/span><\/p>\nJack was certain, however, that he\u2019d found a partner who supported his love for cars. \u201cBest thing I ever did was marry this lady,\u201d he said. But Sally was admittedly \u201clukewarm\u201d about her husband\u2019s hobby until 1968, when Jack bought her a classic of her own, an all-original 1915 Anderson Detroit Electric that she still enjoys driving. \u201cShe got a kick out of it because it was unique. As soon as we got it home she was out there cleaning it. It meant more because it was her car.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nJack\u2019s collection grew substantially during the 1960s and early \u201870s. He\u2019d earned extra cash as a teenager by fixing up wrecked cars and selling them, but his attention quickly turned to antiques. One led to another, and another \u2026<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cMy first car was a \u201928 Buick; my dad had one so I bought one,\u201d he said. \u201cIt was kind of a blah car \u2013 no power, no pep. A friend of mine had a \u201933 Cadillac with a V-12. That impressed me. And we traded. But that car was in need of a lot of parts.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nSo Jack started looking. Before he could find a parts car, however, he stumbled upon a gem that he just couldn\u2019t resist \u2013 a 1932 Cadillac 370B V-12 Victoria Convertible. He knew Cadillacs well, but he was confused by this one. So he called a friend who worked for Cadillac and suddenly realized the Victoria was body No. 1, a prototype for the 1932 V-16 model. He had to have it. \u201cI paid more than I ever had for a car, but I knew it was special.\u201d Jack mortgaged his house to get the deal done, and he and Sally towed it from Pasco, Wash., back to Milwaukee behind a 1972 Lincoln Continental.<\/span><\/p>\nAs for the other cars in the auction, Jack bought the 1908 REO and 1923 Milburn from an attorney who had received them as payment from a client. He bought the \u201938 Cadillac Limousine \u2013 \u201cthe best car I\u2019ve ever driven, by far\u201d \u2013 in Detroit. The Kozy Coach came from a Wisconsin farmer who purchased it new and used it once.<\/span><\/p>\nIn 1973, after Jack became ill and was forced to relocate to a drier climate, the Kosmatkas moved to Cedar Park, Texas. Transporting the cars took several trips, but they all made it safely, and Jack meticulously stored each one in the warehouse at his new home. \u201cTruth be told, we didn\u2019t like the house we bought,\u201d he said. \u201cBut we really needed that warehouse for the cars.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nJack planned to drive them all again, but even after his health was restored, the cars remained in the barn, collecting dust for the next 40 years. \u201cLife doesn\u2019t always go the way you plan,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nThe decision to part with the cars was an easy one, Jack said. \u201cI\u2019m 86 years old. I\u2019m running out of time, so you have to think ahead. I don\u2019t want to burden my wife with all this stuff to take care of. I love her very much, so I\u2019m going to leave her well off. That\u2019s what we decided \u2013 to part with all the cars \u2013 and that\u2019s what we\u2019re doing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nAntonio Brunet, chairman of Motostalgia Auctions in nearby Austin, was aware of the cars and reached out to the Kosmatkas a couple of times. Weeks and months passed. Then he got the call.<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cThe moment those doors opened and I saw that V-16 badge \u2026 that V-12 badge \u2026 I knew that we had something very special,\u201d Brunet said.<\/span><\/p>\nHis first hurdle was to keep Sally from cleaning them up. \u201cI almost had to hire a security team\u2026 She had a motherly instinct to take care of them and make them presentable. I almost threw myself in front of her because I wanted absolutely every single cobweb and speck of dust on the cars when we presented them. They\u2019re all part of the story.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nAuction day arrived, and it was bittersweet for the Kosmatkas. Surrounded by relatives, they were bombarded with emotions \u2013 sadness, anticipation, worry, and also surprise. The two were simply dumfounded by the attention given to the cars and all of the interest in their story.<\/span><\/p>\nThey were photographed sitting in the cars. They were photographed standing next to the cars. They answered questions. They also paced, occasionally wandering past each car, sometimes reaching out and touching them. It was an emotional rollercoaster ride.<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cI would like to see someone get them who\u2019s going to love them and appreciate them as much as we have,\u201d Sally said.<\/span><\/p>\nTo which Jacke added, \u201cIf the person who buys them wants to talk to me about it, good. I love to talk about it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cYou love to talk about it all right,\u201d Sally said with laugh. \u201cYou\u2019ll chew their arm off.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nSally\u2019s jovial mood quickly turned gloomy. \u201cI walk out to the building where they were and there\u2019s this big empty space, and I think, \u2018This is where they used to be.\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cIt\u2019s strange how you become attached to something that you hunted down, protected and preserved all these years,\u201d Jack said.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nHours passed before the auction finally began, followed by a longer wait as other cars crossed the block. At one point, Sally got up from her front-row seat and sat in the Kozy Coach one last time. Jack joined her minutes later.<\/span><\/p>\nWhen the moment arrived, the Kosmatkas were introduced. They stood and waved. Jack grabbed Sally\u2019s hand.<\/span><\/p>\nThe 1908 REO was up first. The car is unique in that its three-person back seat can be removed and replaced with a wooden rear section, turning it from a five-person touring convertible into a two-person boattail. When the hammer came down, it had been sold for $104,500 (which includes a 10-percent buyer\u2019s premium).<\/span><\/p>\nThe \u201923 Milburn, one of only three in existence, went next. It was built during the company\u2019s final year, before General Motors bought their competition and dismantled the factory. Like the REO, the Milburn cruised past its pre-auction estimate, selling for $165,000.<\/span><\/p>\nThe three Cadillacs followed — $308,000 for the \u201932 Victoria; $55,000 for the \u201933 Town Coupe; and $46,750 for the \u201938 Limousine. The \u201937 Kozy Coach also found a new home for $66,000.<\/span><\/p>\nJack and Sally seemed relieved. It certainly helped that three of the six auction offerings \u2013 the REO, Milburn and Kozy Coach \u2013 were staying in Texas. Dr. Roberto Assael bought them to display in his Globo Rojo (Red Balloon) Auto Club Museum in El Paso.<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cThey\u2019re from Texas; I\u2019m from Texas; and they\u2019re going to stay in Texas \u2013 in a place where everyone can appreciate them,\u201d said Dr. Assael, who learned about the cars through a<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=m4P9ABrcT9M\" target=\"_blank\">YouTube video<\/a><\/strong> and saw his museum collection grow to 117 with the new additions. \u201cI\u2019m sure this was very difficult for (the Kosmatkas). I\u2019ve been collecting for 52 years, and I hope I never have to sell anything. I want to leave my cars to posterity.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nThe buyer of the limousine spoke with Jack and Sally afterward, and the three of them posed for a photo in front of the car. He also asked Jack to sign his auction catalog.<\/span><\/p>\nThe 1932 and \u201933 Cadillacs went to phone bidders.<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cIt was better than we expected, very much so,\u201d Jack said. \u201cWe\u2019re very happy the way it turned out.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cI\u2019m sad that the cars are going, but I\u2019m happy at the same time because they\u2019re going to new homes that will be really great for them,\u201d Sally said. \u201cThe museum isn\u2019t too far from us, so we can go see them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nBrunet called the experience \u201cone of the best journeys in my career.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cJack and Sally are absolutely the most wonderful people. They\u2019re car guys \u2013 and women \u2013 to the core. They dedicated themselves to these vehicles, and their hobby kind of took over their lives,\u201d he said. \u201cThis barn find was like a time machine, and they allowed me in. It\u2019s been extremely rewarding and an absolute honor.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nThis article has been reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder, Hagerty. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Click here for more<\/span>\u00a0<\/i><a title=\"Hagerty: Articles\" href=\"http:\/\/www.hagerty.com\/articles-videos\/magazine\" target=\"_blank\">classic car stories<\/i><\/a><\/strong>\u00a0from Hagerty.<\/i><\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":null,"protected":false},"author":98,"featured_media":7155,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"cos_headline_score":0,"cos_seo_score":0,"cos_headline_text":"","cos_headline_has_been_analyzed":false,"cos_last_analyzed_headline":[],"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[2884,2887,2883,2880,2881,2885,2882,2888,15,728,2890,1651,2889,812,885,2879,2876,1660,2886,2878,2874,2875,2877,2440],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Capture.jpg?fit=847%2C398&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9nnZN-1Rk","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7150"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/98"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7150"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7150\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7558,"href":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7150\/revisions\/7558"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7155"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7150"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7150"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7150"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}