Initially I thought there were less, of the no-stamp, light gold, fiberglass battery strap cars with Goodyear tires, etc... that we call "early edinger RC10's out there. But after mulling over the info that Curtis provided, coupled with information I had from Kim Davis while working for him, the owner of Composite Craft who before he created CC, he organized and held many big race events in the state of Florida that Gene quotes about in some of his videos... Also, with my experience in having worked in the RC car industry and how things work and the why's... I now truly believe that there were at the very least just over 5000 early edinger RC10 identical kits sold by Associated. RC10's that were identical down to the last part because they most likely felt that for the most part there car would not sell that quickly and it would give them good market feedback on how many kits to continue to produce yearly based upon the 1st 5000 batch of sales and the turn-around time to their purchase.
Things like the chassis color and such, is easily reproducible consistantly batch after batch, using the same company to anodize it, same recipe quantity (dye) and same time in the dye. If you use the same ano place they will basically have your setup sheet for your product line and can repeat it over and over again. You can then continue to have made batch after batch of light gold anodized parts since this color tone is dictated by the recipe they used at that moment in time. This probably would not change for years, until they either changed the anodize place (maybe they closed or raised their prices) or the recipe at the same ano place was changed due to the procedures for what would produce a better end product (ano hold up longer for example) was at that time currently better for anodizing, changed.
I had thought about your last statement sometime back, and remembered that in my own club we had some early edinger cars as I stated somewhere earlier in this forum. Some were owned by close friends of mine, and here is what they did. Back then, if you had an early edinger it was thought to have been inferior to the later dark gold anodized kits sold (Cadillacs for example) due to the richer gold that held up better against wear (like from the springs on the shock bodies), newer softer tires that gripped the dirt better and nearly everyone I know would change the parts out for newer ones, like replacing the shock bodies, tires, replacing the chassis due to scratches and wear, and replacing the fiberglass battery straps for the nylon ones. This latter was done because the fiberglass was more abrasive and would cut or wear excessively into the battery heat shrink ruining the look of your new battery pack quickly. When the nylon battery straps came out everyone I knew of just bought them to replace their fiberglass ones. Even the old tranny parts like that clip were changed as it would break, or allow the gear to move about, changed out for the nut and post because it was better, with the old parts thrown out. Just like anything that evolves, the older light gold cars that people owned were not cherished as much as the latest and greatest improved upon kits (much like our current feelings on most anything current like the apple iphone vs iphone 3, 3G, 3GS, 4...), and therefore the parts were used for racing around the street and yards, used on racetracks, bent or worn-out, replaced with newer parts, and eventually the old parts were either thrown out or left in a box that got thrown out, donated to some kid to put on his hotshot or frog (yes this actually happened) or lost.
I myself at age 18, found an early Associated 1/12 scale car (I think a 12E) with Futaba Radio (square beige one with wheel and side trigger switch) and the very ancient Futaba radio gear that was tan (before they went black), along with an old Jerobee 1/12 scale car and Kraft radio in the trash when a family down a street were moving approximately 23 years ago, and I only had to replace the batteries, new tires and gave them to my brother (he still to this day owns that radio, servos and receiver) and has them mounted in his old Tamiya Pajero he bought 21-22 yrs ago, sitting in his closet. Don't ask me where the Jerobee or the 12E are, as they were thrown out many years ago in the trash. So these too are in a landfill somewhere.
I think the ones we find like yours & mine, are the lucky ones as they were put into a closet or storage area, forgotten about and left untouched for 20+ years. Then something happens, like a death in the family and things are opened to sell, giveaway or just to throw out the clutter and up pops another Early Edinger RC10 for sale somewhere. Unfortunately I do think the vast majority of them sit in landfills (or at least their parts), as the thing to do when moving from place to place is to throw out the clutter to move less items...especially unused items even if they are in good condition. I myself am guilty of throwing out many early RC10 chassis, noseplates, shock towers, etc.. from just wear and tear.
I do honestly believe that there were over 5000 kits made and sold that we call early edinger style RC10's; but I don't think many have survived still put together or at all. I think the rarity in these kits is not in how many were made as there were over 5000 kits, but in how many have survived the test of time intact with all of their original parts, electronics, wiring, wing and body.
, or ( just to ruffle feathers ) that was tongue in cheek to keep the momentum up, and complaints down 
With a race car, your constantly changing worn out or broken parts, updating performance, improving the look. Makes perfect sense what you say!
