On January 27, Laurie and I did our third toy show of the year, the Winter Fever Toy Show. Over the last few years, the show has been held South of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at various locations. Last year the show was done at a hotel at the same time as Bridal show. This year the show was held at a college outside of Mount Holly, New Jersey. To get to new location I checked out Mapquest then adapt it to the roads I know as Mapquest pulls you out of the way on some of their suggestions. Some of the roads we used I remember first using when I learned to drive to get to various flea markets that I would take my parents to. When I first used these roads the areas were mostly farmland now are full of developments and strip malls. The easiest way to get to the show was over the Pensylvania Turnpike then to the New Jersey Turnpike. We got off exit five of the New Jersey Turnpike and headed into new territory. We nearly missed one road but we arrived at the show just as it was opening for the general audience. We paid our admissions and walked in.
The show had dealers in two rooms and around the circular hallway. We did the first room and found Will a young dealer, who are very good friend Gerry had introduce to us last year. Will had a nice selection of plastic figures and cereal premiums for sale. some of his prices were priced for resale while other items were price for collectors. We came back to him several times to buy items including something I have not bought since I do not know when MPC fish or sea creatures. I bought a large load of the MPC Sea Creatures in orange and green about twenty-five years ago. Over the years I have gotten requests for the other colors, so I thought I would get some other colors. Will also had some of the RL premiums from Mexico. RL was originally from Australia but when the company was sold, it was moved to Mexico were the figures were produced and sold. One web site has stated the company is out business.
We checked the other tables and we only found some Timpo Swoppet Indians and MPC College Band on the card but the card back is missing. Still I am sure some one will be interested in it. We went into the hall and headed to the other room. Outside the other room was Steve Savino of Toy Hunter with a friend. Steve’s friend had a Superior Space Set out of the box which he had a price of $200.00 on it. Steve’s friend also had some bag lots of figures, but nothing I could used. Steve told me he had not given my letter to Jordan Hembrough yet as Jordan was on the west coast filming.
We entered the room and came right into the tables of our very good friend Gerry. Gerry had a mix of items mostly toy soldiers, he also had toys and action figures. Gerry was pleased with last week at the Maryland Toy Show. He sold several items that he gotten the day before. We went around the row and talked to our other very good friend Chris. Chris ten told us about his very good buy the previous week of Star War figures. In the bottom of box was an unpunched Darth Vader card. Chris was keeping it as he did not have it.
We did not find anything in the room so we went out and finished the circle. We found a couple who had a nice mix of figures for sale and I bought some of their items for resale. Starting over we found our friend Dean. I asked Dean if he had some items that he mention to me in Delware. He kidded why I did not remind him (I did not have his number and I forgot to get it again.) Dean told us that he had been on Oddities and Market Warriors. He enjoyed doing the first one, but not the second one. We went back to Will and bought a few more items then we headed back the room where Gerry was and bought a few items before leaving.
We stopped at an Indian restaurant for their buffet. Laurie likes Indian food and I have come to enjoy the food. While we were there a tall black college student came in to buy food. Laurie and I were not sure if he was tall as our German friend Peter Bergner. Peter is six feet seven inches. I walked over to the gentleman apologizes but I asked his height. He said he was six feet seven inches same as my friend. The gentleman then told me his little brother is taller, his brother is six feet eleven inches!
After we finish our meal we headed home.
Thanks for another show report. Unfortunately, the Michigan Toy Soldier/Militaria Show last weekend was somewhat of a bust compared to previous shows, with only approx. 12 toy soldier dealers, some of whom (like Hobby Bunker, Mich. Toy Soldier Co., and Joseph Saine) did have multiple tables. This compared poorly to past shows, which often had approx. 40 different dealers. Joseph Saine from Toledo, Ohio will run the July show from a different location (which will be the original show location in a suburban Holiday Inn just west of Detroit). Hopefully, the July show will be back to its normal complement of numerous national, regional and local dealer/collectors.
I went to this show looking for Atlantic Greeks, but there were none to be found. I did obtain from Glenn Smith one Atlantic box of WWII Medic. personnel. From other dealers I obtained MPC WWII Japanese, Germans, and U.S. Marines (same as the MPC U.S. Army figures, but in a different shade of blue). Hobby Bunker had some original Lido French Foreign Legion and Revolutionary War figures, which I got for a dollar per figure. From a local collector I bought several Cherilea WWII British and Afrika Corps figures. I got a few original Marx figures from Fred Bauer. And that was about it. I had more money to spend, but just couldn’t find anything else I wanted or didn’t already have.
My next show will be Indianapolis in March, which is usually quite a good, well-attended show. Marxman John Stangel and Rick Eber are always there, along with Ron Barzso and Allan Ford. Rusty Kern often puts in an appearance. Until then, all it will be is my weekly visit with my wife to the Royal Oak Flea Market each Sunday morning, and my twice a month visit to Rick Berry’s 5000 square foot Michigan Toy Soldier Company, where I pick up the new Expeditionary Force 54mm Civil War plastic, and misc. older stuff which Rick often has for sale. I’ve noticed that the Marx Civil War cavalry riders fit perfectly on the Expeditionary Force Civil War horses — even better than they fit on the original Marx galloping horse.
Don’t forget Ed Borris, he is always there too. You’re looking for Atlantic Greeks? Myabe I can lay my hands on some.
Don
Sorry to hear your show was a disappointment. Sometimes a small show can be better than the big show. I am sure you will have a good time at Indianapolis show. We will get there some time but right now for this year we are hoping to get to the Plastic Warrior Show in the UK. The show is lots of fun plus we will see many of our old friends and hopefully some new ones from France. I will see that Laurie gets her Indian food fix and see a toy show in Birmingham.
Yes, I didn’t mean to leave Ed Borris out of my short list of prominent dealers at Indianapolis. Whether at OTSN or Indy, Ed always has a room full of interesting stuff.
Yeah and at OTSN, beer. I’m not prominent even in my illusions of grandeur, but I usually have something interesting, that part is true.