Fantasy Symphonic Concert Season Challenge by Stereophile Magazine

Gentle Reader,

John Marks of Stereophile Magazine challenged the readers to send in their Fantasy Symphonic Concert Season for a competition. The challenge was to NOT use ANY of
BACH, BEETHOVEN, BRAHMS, HANDEL, HAYDN, MAHLER, MENDELSSOHN,
MOZART, SCHUBERT, STRAVINSKY, TCHAIKOVSKY OR WAGNER.

The concerts will be shown on the Stereophile web site in the future. Here's mine:

Prince William Symphony Orchestra

Conducted by Robert Scott MacFarlane

Presents:

A Season of Lesser Known Works

Concert 1

A Night of Leroy Anderson

Leroy Anderson Blue Tango, Bugler's Holiday, The First Day of Spring, Sandpaper Ballet, The Phantom Regiment, Lady in Waiting (from the musical Goldilocks), Saraband, Sleigh Ride, The Girl in Satin, The Typewriter, The Waltzing Cat, Plink, Plank, Plunk!, Pyramid Dance, The Syncopated Clock, Belle of The Ball, Forgotten Dreams, China Doll, Fiddle Faddle, and A Trumpeter's Lullaby.

Concert 2

Claude Debussy Images for Orchestra William Boyce Eight Symphonies: #1 in B Flat Major, #2 in A Major, #3 in C Major, #4 in F Major, #5 in D Major, #6 in F Major, #7 in B Flat, and #8 in D minor. Leos Janacek Operatic Orchestral Suites

Concert 3

Leonard Bernstein Symphonic Dances from West Side Story, Suite from On the Waterfront Lou Harrison Symphony On G Ralph Vaughan Williams Symphony Number 5 in D Major Anton Bruckner Symphony Number 9 in D minor

Concert 4

Samuel Barber Adagio for Strings, Medea's Meditation and Dance of Vengeance Frederick Delius Florida Suite Victor Herbert Pan Americana, American Fantasy Jan Sibelius Symphony Number 1 in E minor

Concert 5

Aaron Copland El Salon Mexico, Danzon Cubano, Latin American Sketches, Music for a Great City, Music for the Theater, Piano Concerto Manual De Falla Nights in the Gardens of Spain Darius Milhaud Suite Provencale, Saudes Do Brasil Dmitri Shostakovich Symphony Number 5 in D minor

Concert 6

Anton Webern Im Sommerwind, Eleven Orchestral Pieces Henryk Gorecki Symphony Number 3 Erich Wolfgang Korngold Symphony in F Sharp Richard Strauss Sinfonia Domestica

Concert 7

Bela Bartok Concerto for Orchestra Benjamin Britten Four Sea Interludes & Passacaglia from Peter Grimes Antonin Dvorak Legends, Symphonic Poems Sergei Rachmaninov Symphony Number 1 in D Minor

Concert 8

Max Bruch Scottish Fantasy, Opus 46, Symphony Number 3 in E Major Paul Hindemith Symphony: Mathis Der Maler Percy Grainger Faerae Island Manuel M. Ponce Concerto for Guitar & Orchestra

Concert 9

Frederick Chopin Piano Concerto Number 1 in E Minor George Gerswin Symphony for Blues, Concerto in F Major Edvard Grieg Piano Concerto in A Minor Aram Khackaturian Piano Concerto

Concert 10

Georges Bizet Symphony Number 1 in C Charles Ives Symphony Number 2 Carl Nielson Symphony Number 4

Concert 11

Richard Rodgers Waltzes, March of the Siamese Children, The Carousel Waltz, Slaughter in Tenth Avenue, Symphonic Suite from Oklahoma, Symphonic Suite from South Pacific Arnold Schoenberg Transfigured Night Dmitri Kabalevshy Colas Breugnon Suite, Opus 24

Concert 12

Muzio Clementi Four Symphonies #1 in C Major, #2 in D Major, #3 in G Major, and #4 in D Major Virgil Thomson Symphony Number 2, Symphony Number 3 Alexander Glazunov Symphony Number 5 Candelario Huizar Images

Concert 13

Camille Saint-Seans Symphony Number 3 “Organ” Joseph Jongen Symphonic Concertante for Organ & Orchestra Edward Elgar Symphony Number 1 in A Flat Major Opus 55 Manuel M. Ponce Concerto for Guitar & Orchestra

Concert 14

Serge Prokofiev Symphony Number 5 Rossini-Respighi La Boutique Fantasique Jose Pablo Moncayo Huapango Erik Satie Parade, Socrate Anton Rubinstein Symphony Number 5 in C Minor

No pictures this time.

Thanks for reading!

Scott

Decorative sound absorbtion and new music. Plus the one that got away.

Gentle reader,

I made my usual Wednesday-after-work stop at the Woodbridge Salvation Army. No exciting electronics. There was a nicely homemade pair of tower speakers. However, I didn't try them out. The maker did a nice job and put a lot of effort into making them
look as nice as he/she could. But they wanted $40 for them and the components didn't look that impressive. If they are still there next week, I may give them a listen.

I came away with thirteen LPs and seven CDs. However, on the way out, I spied the display of area rugs they have hanging in the front corner of the store. I Looked through them quickly and decided one in particular would fit and look great in the
den. Wednesdays are 25% off, and I did have the Ranger P/U, but it was pouring rain.

I told Nancy about it later and since she would be off the next day, we agreed to meet there after I got off work.

Unbeknownst to me, she'd beaten me there by a couple of minutes but veered into Mom's Antiques next door. She'd texted me that she was "Here" but I didn't see it
until about half an hour later when I pulled out the phone to call her. I did so and asked, "Where's 'here'?" She told me and said she'd be there soon.

In the intervening time, I'd looked through the LPs again, meeting a young fella'
who had a couple Beatles LPS in his hand and asked my opinion as to their value.
One was Revolver and it being a mono version and in good shape, I told him it was easily worth at least ten or fifteen dollars. He wanted to get it for a friend with, "7000 albums" but couldn't get him on the phone. I told him it was 99 cents, so what could
he lose. He kept asking me if I wanted it, being he found it first, I told him no.
The other Beatles album was LOVE SONGS one neither of us had heard of. It was from 1977, so after their break-up. Nice shape with leather-embossed cover, two LPs and the book with lyrics, etc. still there and also in great shape.

He took off happily with Revolver and I started looking. I had LOVE SONGS as one to buy and then found HELP! also in mono and great shape. "Cool." I found some other keepers and proceeded up front to look through the CDs. Someone had donated a number of Jazz CDs which I snatched up. I also found two Edie Brickell CDS; Picture Perfect Morning from 1994 and Volcano from 2005. I have the LP of her with the New Bohemians, on which she sings What I Am, but that is all I ever heard from her. One
is pop/rock and good, the other leans toward country, but still quite listenable.

The Jazz CDs are all multi-disc sets: From 1989 classicjazz (sic) Jazz Legends. It has two CDs in the normal-sized jewel case. A total of 30 cuts from the '30's to the '70's.
I liked most of them. Next, and I want to research these as they seem to be from a course in Jazz: JaZZ (sic) Eighth Edition Tanner Megill Gerow. 39 cuts and "Demonstrations 40-48". Which are snippets of classic Jazz trumpet music. No
book in the double sized jewel case. Thus the desire to know more.....

Last from Pulse Records is THE WHITE BOX of JAZZ. Four CDs each in a jewel case with eleven cuts on each. I am more than halfway through and have YET to find a cut that I don't like.

The reason I emphasized "don't" above is because try as I do, I find it hard to "get" what I call traditional Jazz. Oh, I have a number of LPs and CDs of the classics, Miles Davis, Lioneel Hampton, John Coletrain, many more. I listen, really listen, but sometimes I just shake my head. And it's not 'cuz I'm white, there are a lot of non-blacks that love Jazz. I DO like "Smooth Jazz" very much and have hundreds of titles and artists works. Great music, all.

I grew up surrounded by music. Both Mom and Dad loved it and it was almost always playing. Mom played the trumpet as a child and I tried it as a kid, her trumpet. But, I had no desire to practice. Dad played the guitar and sang, both well. Jim, my brother, inherited musical talent for instruments and Judy, my sister, is a great singer. I can whistle like a pro, and I suppose I can carry a tune singing. But that's it.

However, in my recent desire to LEARN more, I have taken up CD college courses as produced by The Teaching Company The Great Courses

I started with How to Listen to and Understand Great Music, 3rd Edition wonderfully taught by Professor Robert Greenberg. He knows music and is very funny. It's 48 45 minute courses. After a while, I became overwhelmed and stopped.

Taking a break by listening to Science and Religion by Professor Lawrence M. Principe.

Then I started Understanding the Fundamentals of Music also by Professor Robert Greenberg. Again, I find myself overwhelmed. He anticipates that and tells the student that to fully grasp a lot of what he's trying to teach may require re-listening a couple of more times.

Other courses I have are: Elements of Jazz: From Cakewalks to Fusion by Professor Bill Messenger. Ahead await: The Apostle Paul by Professor Luke Timothy Johnson, and:
A History of Hitler's Empire, 2nd Edition by Professor Thomas Childers.

If you have a desire to learn and have a 30 to 45 minute commute, these courses are a fantastic way to learn. They are very reasonably priced as well. Also most are available as DVDs usually for the same price. Some, naturally are only on DVD because it's hard to "hear" a painting or a planet or what have you.

BACK to music buys. I also found a bunch of mint LPs from Hindsight Records. From the late '70's. There are almost 300 of them, it turns out. Here is a list on line:
Big Band Library: "Collectors' Checklist: Hindsight Records LPs"

They are called "The Uncollected". All are "Previously Unreleased Material" from "The Original For Radio Only Recordings" I only have eleven of them, but it seems to me a great way to collect a LOT of big band music of famous and lesser known bands and singers. As soon as these Jazz CDs are over, I'll start listening to these LPs.

So, BACK to rugs. Nancy and I started looking through them, and I showed her the one I wanted. She knows things like this and professed that the one I'd chosen was extremely well made and must have cost well over $1000 when new. We then picked out one for the living room and one for the family room. Bekka stated we, "are now officially grandparents, because you are putting rugs over rugs." I pointed out we were putting rugs over carpeting. Each was well less than $100.

So, here is the one in the den:
Here's another view:
Isn't that gorgeous? The one in the family room is also Eastern. One can't call them "Oriental" because that is politically incorrect. Most of that genre of rug came from what is now called Iran. Where this one came from, I have no clue. No label or marking of any kind on the bottom. The one in the living room is more modern and matches the furniture and fits the space perfectly.

Here's the cover of HELP!
According to "the book", this album is "worth" $150. Revolver is "worth" $200. Howyever, (a Nancy word, I love it!) a check on eBay shows plenty of mono Beatles LPs of all the titles for less than $10. The UK version was on the Parlaphone label and
HELP! was in plain black text with no dramatic letters as above. So, perhaps a mint copy of that might be worth a lot more.

So, that's it for now. Today was laundry day. Nancy's working ten hours, so won't be home until after eight. Now, to photograph next week's eBay stuff...............

Thanks for looking,

Scott

Found some photos of my early stereos

Gentle reader,

Yes, I JUST published another post a few minutes ago, but I've been having fun looking at pictures today. So, I wanted to post these.

The picture at the top of the page is later in time than this one below:
This image shows one of the Dynaco A-25 speakers I'd had since 1976. The stereo above has the Dynaco PAT-5 pre-amp that I built from a kit in 1976. It's on the left-bottom. On top is the matching FM-5 tuner. Above that is a turntable, but heck if I can remember which make/model. To the right is two cassette decks on top of a large Japanese integrated amp that I was using as a power amp.
Here is a closer look. Still can't tell who made the amp or cassette decks. I think the top one is a SHARP and it was "Computer Controlled". Ooooh! Yes, it is a SHARP.
Above is from a small Polaroid photo showing Leah-the-cat coming out from behind an AKAI reel-to-reel deck I had at one point. I bought and sold a number of r2r decks. I can't recall what that little unit is she's squeezing over. Nor, do I know what make/model are the units above the r2r deck.
Above is the same photo as the top of the page. Note, the PAT-5 pre-amp is gone. One channel stopped working. I was now using the integrated amp wholly. Note a new CD player below the tuner. My first one! This was all prior to marrying Nancy.
Several years later, note another PAT-5 pre-amp. I had a total of three plus an "Audio-by-Van Alstine" model PAT-5 that I should have kept! JVC turntable on top. I can't tell what the black units are, but at least one is a CD-player. Below them is a cassette deck. Below that is an equalizer and at the bottom is a Dynaco Stereo 120 modified to a Dual-mono status. Double everything! Talk about a heavy beast!

I sold that rack to a woman that was making a recording studio in her house.

Thanks for looking!

Scott

Gathering things for January when I go back on eBay

Gentle reader,

It's been a while since I posted. I've been finding bargains and gathering them for eBay.
As you can see, it's quite a bit of stuff! Some you've seen in previous posts. Speakers on top are the Canadian-made Paradigms that I replaced the tweeters in.

Below them are the UK-made Spendor version of the BBC's LS3/5A speakers. While they sound phenomenal, when I saw what they are fetching on eBay, $ signs came to my eyes.

To the left of the Spendors is what was called a "Midi" stereo. A set of Mistubishi components: Tuner: DA-F41P, integrated amp: DA-U41P, and cassette deck: DT-41P. Not listed in my Orion guide. But mid-'80's. Quality stuff.

Below them is the JVC cassette deck I bought to use after sending my Denon 3-head off to a new home.

I found a TEAC V-95RX at The Village thrift store for $15. Made in 1981-82 and sold new for $625! Yikes! Very advanced for it's day. Soft-touch solenoid controls. Walnut case. Pretty cool.

I will feature the TEAC and the Sony SACD (DVP-S9000ES) player I found for $14.99 (plus a Panasonic Blu-Ray player for $19.99) at Salvation Army in a future post. BTW, that price for the Sony is 1000th of the original price!

The Panasonic replaces the Sony DVD-SACD (DVP-NS775V) player in the living room, and an OPPO DVD player was added to the living room TV set-up as well.

The Sony DVP-S9000ES retailed for $1,500 when it came out ten years ago. It was the latest Audiophile SACD player from Sony, their first model sold for $5,000, the next for $,3,500 to this one, they added DVD playback and a lower price.

Below that is the DENON DVD-2910 that the Sony DVP-S9000ES replaces. The DENON has served me well, but the Sony just outshines it.

Below the JVC is another Pioneer SX-750 receiver. Great shape and works fine. Second one I've found at thrift stores.

At the bottom of the stack on the left is that great Sansui AU-717 integrated amp.

Next on the right, top of the stack, and I may not sell it, is the Insignia HD-Radio tuner. It really requires the roof antenna to pull in the stations and frank-quitely,
I can listen to any station right here on the computer.

Below that is the damaged-in-transit Sansui Tuner and integrated amp.
I will try and fix the latter if I can.

At the bottom on the right is a neat Yamaha R-700 receiver from the early 1980's. Great shape and puts out 50 watts-per-channel. Sounds great.
Above, you can see the new KLH-24 speakers sitting atop the Electro-Voice models. They are also not listed in Orion. Nor were the model 20's I bought a while back. Similar to the larger and very popular model 17s. These have a cone tweeter and 8" woofer. "Acoustic-suspension" speakers as most KLH models were then. Fantastic sound!
Real walnut veneer as most speakers were back in the day. No cheap foam surrounds for the woofers either. They were made to last and based on the condition, well cared for. They and the Pioneer were a set at Salvation Army for $34.99 less the 25% Wednesday discount.

I look forward to the post-Christmas donations rolling in!

Thanks for looking!

Scott

Vintags Garrard changer & Electro-Voice speakers join the family

Gentle reader,

Thanks to eBay, I finally have what I sought way back when I bought that album set of Brahms' 1st Symphony. Remember? I bought that vintage and HEAVY Fisher console from a local eBay seller for $10.

Well, being where it is, in the family room, and until recently, Nancy worked mid-night shift, when could I play 78's down there?

I bid on and won an excellent condition Garrard three-speed changer complete with African wood base, dust cover and all the accessories. Even, and thankfully, the manual!

Using that, I was able to set it up and adjust everything. It doesn't work in automatic, but being over forty years old, this did not surprise me. I transferred the Shure 78 cartridge to it and put an old Shure LP cartridge on the Miracord changer in the Fisher console. To my surprise, it still works.
As you can see, I brought all the 78s up to the den and there they are. I really wish the changer worked on automatic, because listening to a whole album would be less of an ACTIVE activity. Even 12" 78s only play for a few minutes.

At first I had it hooked to the big Sansui AU-717 integrated amp. I detected some odd sounds coming from the Sansui (they are known to have some of the capacitors weaken
which degrades the sound).

So, I unpacked the Pioneer set that I did not sell to the crazy man, and hooked the Garrard to it. Much better sound. The Pioneer lacks all the many controls that the Sansui has, but nonetheless, it sounds good. Surprising fidelity to 78s through good equipment, provided they aren't too worn.

SO, come January, I'm going to sell the console. I've made several upgrades to it which improve the sound, and I just don't need it and it takes up a lot of room.

Now, for the Electro-Voice speakers. I found them Wednesday during my weekly trip tp Salvation Army. $24.99 minus 25% made them $18.74. They are model: Interface 1 series II and were made from 1977 to 1986 and sold for $250 a pair. That's $934 today.

There are some that feel stereo equipment peaked in the 1970's and has gotten no better since. Well, that's silly of course. Yet, these E-V's do sound amazing. And very efficient. Here's PDF page of the brochure:
Interface 1,2,3 EDS.pdf (application/pdf Object)

Hmmm, quite interesting, that is. Seems there is quite a following of these speakers. I sure do love when folks donate perfectly good stuff!

Thanks for looking!

Scott

Amazing finds! $1300 Spendor LS3/5A speakers for $10 !

Gentle reader,

It has been a while since I've posted. I've had some headaches with insane buyers on eBay. I sold the Sansui Classique integrated amp and matching tuner to a guy in Illinois. Well, someone with FedEx must have dropped it. The amp was dinged and something inside is broken. While communicating back and forth with the buyer, something inside him snapped and he filed a complaint with eBay which caused PayPal to freeze those dollars in my account.

I could not reason with the guy, he finally announced he was shipping them to eBay's president! So, I called eBay and they read our messages and agreed the buyer was nuts. They threatened him, so he shipped them back to me finally. Here they are before the damage:The other buyer was buying the Pioneer integrated amp and matching tuner. He wanted to pick them up, I said, "Fine, but please pay me through PayPal less the shipping." I sent him a new invoice to that effect and waited for him to pay me. Something in HIM snapped and he somehow assumed that I'm an idiot that doesn't speak or read English and filed a complaint telling eBay that and that he hadn't received the item! So, I filed a complaint that he hadn't paid me yet! eBay ruled in my favor. He continued to message me with insane messages demanding I sell him the units. I told him in no uncertain terms that he would NEVER get my items and asked eBay to ban him.
Here's the Pioneers:WHEW!

On a positive note, I have found some awesome bargains. First, I found another Pioneer SX550 for $14.99, a vintage mint-in-the-box Denon DP45F turntable also for $14.99. The former sold for $30, the latter for more than TEN TIMES that! Fierce bidding over the Denon. Here's the Pioneer receiver. (Actually, this is the 750, a little larger than the 550, but you get the idea):Here is the Denon from the top and on the box:
The next week, I found a Sansui AU-717 integrated amp for $60 and the best yet, a pair of Spendor LS3/5A speakers. I'd never heard of Spendor, and they were not priced, so the guy looked at them and said, "$10?" "Sounds fair to me." Here's the Sansui:I came home and looked them both up. The Sansui sold for $550 in 1977 which is over $2050 today! Even better and a SHOCKER to me, the little Spendors sold for $1295!
Here they are with the speaker covers off and the large A/D/S/ towers in the corner, the Paradigms on top of the BOSE 301s and those two sets hooked to the Sansui:And here just the three of them with the covers back on.
BBC states the grilles actually help the sound out. Research: BBC LS3/5A and Sansui AU-717 to learn more, if you wish.
They were designed by the BBC which had a need for small monitors for remote broadcast trucks and such. They needed to be highly accurate. This was in the 1970's. They licensed the design to three British high-end speaker makers.

Spendor made them from 1985 to 1995. I couldn't get over the price they sold for and especially what I got them for.

How do they sound? Amazing. The articles all caution that they are not meant to be played loud as they only handle 50 watts. I'm going to wire them through the sub-woofer which will cover the bass.

Being the "holiday season" is upon us, I am suspending further eBay activities until January. Hopefully, the insane people will NOT bid on my stuff!

Thanks for looking!

Scott

HO slot cars & small diecast cars

Gentle reader,

I usually don't do a new post so soon after the last, but the cool weather outside is keeping me inside until it's warmed enough to mow the lawn, hopefully for the last time this year.

Yesterday I photographed the cars located in the top of the custom book/display shelf I made having just found space for four new Hot Wheels cars.

Starting with the HO slot cars which occupy the rear most section of the shelf, from left to right:
These are vintage 1960's Aurora Thunderjet HO slot cars. Tan car is a Shelby Daytona Coupe. To my knowledge, there never was one in this color, all were American racing blue with white stripes. Next is a Porsche 904 coupe. Next is a Ferrari Dino coupe.
Coming next is a red Chaparral, again, they never came in red, pure white only. Then a Lola coupe which was the basis for Ford's GT-40. The white and orange one on the right.
Number 5 is a Ford GT-40 in the Gulf oil racing colors then the ill-fated Ford J-Car. It killed an expert race driver during testing. The J-Car preceded the US-built Mark 4 Ford GT that dominated Le Mans in 1967.
These three are all Lionel slot cars. A 1963 Corvette in turquoise then a Mercedes SLR followed by another Corvette, 64-67 in yellow.
Next the car that set the sports car world on fire when it came out the Jaguar E-Type. Next, bought for Nancy a Ford Falcon, her first real car. Then a Ford Galaxy.
A pretty Pontiac GTO, then an Oldsmobile Toronado, then a 1969 Chevy Camaro.
A Sunoco Camaro race car like driven by Mark Donohue in the Trans Am series. Next a rare tow truck. Then, again for Nancy, who's Dad restored some Ford Model A's the first AFX in the row: a black Ford Model A coupe.
Next we have from Autoworld, founded by: Oscar Koveleski is a track cleaner which has an abrasive stone under the front that polishes the metal strips that transfer the power to the cars.
In the middle, an AFX early Ford Escort Rally car. Then a BRE Datsun 240Z Trans Am race car.
Another Datsun 240Z or perhaps later model, then a Datsun pickup desert racing truck followed by another BRE Datsun race car, this one a 510. In reality it too was white, red and blue, not these colors.
An IMSA Chevy Monza Trans Am race car, a BMW 2002 Turbo racer and a Porsche 908, I think, Tyco made and powered.
A pair of Porshce 908s a little newer and more detailed, then a Tyco Porsche 917. My favorite race car of all time.
Same 917 with their main rivals: Ferrari 512. First is a Tyco, next is an AFX.
Another Ferrari 512 in blue, then the first of the odd-colored AFX Porsche 917s.
The second odd colored Porsche 917 and one in correct Gulf Racing colors. Note the pattern is different than the Tyco. There were three different designs that raced together. This so they could be told apart at a glance. The third simply had a center orange stripe.
Last of the odd colored 917s, then Oscar Koveleski's Chevy powered McLaren Can Am racer with the first Porsche 917 Can Am racers last.
Next, the later, 1100 horsepower Porsche 917 Can Am car that so ruled the Can Am series that it fell apart. The race series, not the car. Next a Shadow Can Am racer, then a Porsche 911 racer, this one an AFX.
The same 911 followed by another, this I think is a Tyco. Then, the wildest of all a Porsche 991s a 935 racer, a Tyco also.
The same 935 with a Lamborghini Countach and next to that a pretty Ferrari F-40.
Last we have a Dodge Viper ACR. Partially hidden behind the Mattel button is a "Lifelike" brand HO 1970 Mustang. Life like except in it's wheelbase. Last made from an AFX pursuit police Camaro, a representation of the 1996 Camaro Z28 I owned.

NEXT is the MANY diecast cars. All called "HO" which is 1/87th scale, none are save the Kodak van at the very end in the last photo. Diecast cars which have been made in the BILLIONS vary in size/scale as you will see as you look at the images. Starting from the LEFT:
A row of Dodge NASCAR racers. In front a Dodge Daytona painted in modern colors. Then some Le Mans racers of the recent past.
The rest of the NASCAR Dodges with some sports racers. Some more racers below. First row is Ford GTs, the front the 2005, the others 1960's vintage. Plus more vintage racers.
Above is several Camaros, either vintage or the 2010 versions.
Below, the left row is the same as the right above. The middle row, below and right, show the differences in scale I wrote about above. The Bugatti Veyron is much larger than the Morgan that sits to it's rear in real life.
Some more Ford GTs as well as other exotics and racers.
Some cool ones, check out that Dragster! Worth some money if the front axle wasn't bent!
One of my favorite modern wagons is top-left, the Dodge Magnum. Behind it is the Audi Avus show car. Closer is the Audi R8 (street car) with a pair of Pretty Audi RS6 wagons. I'll take one each, please, in 1:1th scale.
Three versions of the Audi TT with five versions of the Dodge Viper Coupe.
Tricked out VW Karman Ghia hides behind an original (non-BMW) Mini. Original Batmobile is behind a V8 Vega. Monopoly Viper and Datsun 510 racer (#102).
A whole buncha' station wagons! I had a real version of the lower left one, a Dodge Aries. To it's right, one I'd LOVE to have a real one: 1965 Chevy 300. I'd prefer a '64 though. Red one in back is a Dodge Rampage. Built on the Omni coupe chassis, a small pickup like the VW Rabbit pickup. Yet another one I'd love in real life. Minus the yellow ATV!
Last row is a low-rider 1964 Chevy Impala. My first car, but it was normal, not silly like I think low-riders are. Behind that is a '61 Chevy factory drag car with a 409 engine. Behind that two Pontiac Fieros. Then a bunch of "Micro Machines". In the very rear corner is the ONLY true HO scale car in the lot: Kodak film English van.
Finally and still in the package, the Panoz LMP-01 EVO. An American Le Mans racer of 2002 vintage as it raced and won the inaugural and sadly ONLY Cadillac Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. ALMS race. I was there and snapped almost the identical photo as the winner came into the pits after beating Audi and all the rest at the RFK stadium parking lot race circuit. Unusual was the Panoz as the engine, while still mid-mounted, was in front of the driver rather than behind as is usually the case. In FIRST photo above of diecast cars in the middle are two coupe versions of the Panoz Le Mans Prototype racers. One white, the other silver.

Thanks for looking!

Scott