JC Penny warning lights, who knew?

Saw this on eBay, a teardrop beacon from JC Penny. Yeah, JC Penny, not JC Whitney, but JC Penny, the department store chain. Looks to be a rebranded SVP 1166 / Signal Stat 381.

www.ebay.com

Vintage JC Penney Rotating Teardrop Magnetic 12v Light Working Top Included;) | eBay

I've had this thing for a while. I had to find a way to secure this reflector on because the nut was missing. When I get a chance to go out the truck I'll plug it in and double check but everything else on it works!
www.ebay.com
 
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Oh yes, it was in the back of the catalog, all three R/B/A colors were displayed ... looked at it a thousand times. Parents had to order, since I was 8 or something, and they never would. Expensive, maybe $35 or so.

I would really like to find that catalog page someday. Maybe there is an "eJCP" site or whatnot.
 
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stansdds said:
Saw this on eBay, a teardrop beacon from JC Penny. Yeah, JC Penny, not JC Whitney, but JC Penny, the department store chain. Looks to be a rebranded SVP 1166 / Signal Stat 381.

www.ebay.com

Vintage JC Penney Rotating Teardrop Magnetic 12v Light Working Top Included;) | eBay

I've had this thing for a while. I had to find a way to secure this reflector on because the nut was missing. When I get a chance to go out the truck I'll plug it in and double check but everything else on it works!
www.ebay.com
Click to expand...
I cannot get the link to work.

That said I got when of these in 1981 as a Christmas gift (I was 9). Right out of the JCP catalog. When it arrived it was clearly a Yankee 1166 beacon.
 
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TDC said:
Oh yes, it was in the back of the catalog, all three R/B/A colors were displayed ... looked at it a thousand times. Parents had to order, since I was 8 or something, and they never would. Expensive, maybe $35 or so.

I would really like to find that catalog page someday. Maybe there is an "eJCP" site or whatnot.
Click to expand...

1981 JCPenney Spring Summer Catalog - Catalogs & Wishbooks

1981 JCPenney Spring Summer Catalog
christmas.musetechnical.com

677
 
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Wow! Thanks for the link to the 1981 catalog! I did not know because I was no where near a JC Penny in the early 80's, so I would not have even seen their catalog. They had a nice line up of Yankee warning lights and $35 for the Yankee 1166 was about half the cost of a Federal Fireball.
 
Also in the 80's H. L. Moore which was a medical supply catalog sold the SVP 1166 Kojak light in R/B/A, in the $35 range or so. You could buy your Percocet, 4x4's, O2 tubing and a flashie all in the same order. John probably remembers.
 
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WOW, holy cow, thank you.

This catalog listing impacted me and imprinted my subconscious so much that I guessed at the "$35" price. So there you go.

Looks like I need to roll back to 1981 to get some Yankee domes, too ... for the price I'll just buy the whole lightbar.
 
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Maxim2Eng said:
Boy, I would love to get my hands on a blue (or clear) mini bar dome! Let me fire up my DeLorean….
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Do you already have one of those mini-bars? I've seen one in-person once in my entire life. It was on a fire chief's station wagon in Troy, Michigan. Around 1982. Aside from catalogs I haven't seen one since. Not even in pictures.
 
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Actually, it is a “rescue” of a full size bar that was on a Jefferson Co. Police ambulance that had an unfortunate encounter with a tree branch (JCPD, now part of Metro Louisville PD, had just transitioned from 174s to the Dietz bar with two rotators and V mirror on each side). My brother (PD chief at another agency) saw it in the dumpster and was allowed to retrieve it. Ten minutes with a hacksaw and “et viola”! we had a mini bar.

IMG_0015.jpeg
 
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If you notice the price difference, I can tell you I had a Bank CD that paid 13% interest during that same time period. That ended pretty quick, along with the Hostages and PATCO.
 
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TDC said:
If you notice the price difference, I can tell you I had a Bank CD that paid 13% interest during that same time period. That ended pretty quick, along with the Hostages and PATCO.
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I was fresh out of college working as a retail management trainee for Citizens Fidelity Bank. We sold 6-month ($10k minimum) certificates of deposits with premium rates…I sold 3 @ 18% to one customer!
 
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Maxim2Eng said:
Actually, it is a “rescue” of a full size bar that was on a Jefferson Co. Police ambulance that had an unfortunate encounter with a tree branch (JCPD, now part of Metro Louisville PD, had just transitioned from 174s to the Dietz bar with two rotators and V mirror on each side). My brother (PD chief at another agency) saw it in the dumpster and was allowed to retrieve it. Ten minutes with a hacksaw and “et viola”! we had a mini bar.

View attachment 254814
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This is an awesome item!! Imagine the rarity of those double-sided domes.
 
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