I want to start out by saying that it has been proven time and time again that anyone but me should be doing the newsletter! My memory is bad and I have no friends! Just kidding! I have lots of good friends in this crazy club! Are you too old, or too young, to remember the TV show Romper Room? Where is my Magic Mirror?
Oh here it is! "Romper, bomper, stomper boo. Tell me, tell me, tell me, do. Magic Mirror, tell me today, I need to know, did all my friends have fun at the bottle show?"
A look into the Magic Mirror to see who was at the last meeting and I see little Chucky Parker, and Dee Cole, Scotty Hendrichsen, Mary Hamilton, Kevin Seigfried, Eddie Nickerson, Billy Drake and that cute little Allan Holden!
Also, we had two guests. Did you know that we have averaged at least one guest each month for the last few months? They must figure one time is enough, because it is the last you ever hear of them! Lately, I have been meeting people on the elevator on the way to the bottle club meeting. This month it was a very talkative 95 year old gentleman who wanted to check out the club.
Just like the fellow a month earlier, he wanted to know what I had in my case. Don't you think it would be a little unnerving to have a perfect stranger ask you what is in the case you are carrying? I was kind of shocked both times. Just for fun I think I will tell the next person, that I have a quarter million dollars in small unmarked bills! When I told this man that I was on the way to the bottle club meeting, he asked me if he could come along, and I told him "NO!" I guess my laugh gave me away!
At the meeting he told us a couple stories and a couple old jokes Chuck has already helped us memorize, then said, "Good-bye!" I didn't get his name, but we did hear something that sounded like, "Hi-Ho Silver, Away!" Perhaps it was a comment on the precious metals market?
I have to tell you that leading up to the show I was a little uneasy, to say the least. When John was unable to make it to the March meeting . . .well, that was worrisome. Then, when we learned that Chuck didn't have the different sign up sheets, that really got me worried. Then, to top it off, we learned that Dan Louis was not going to be available to pick up the meat and cheese, as well as drinks. . . wow! I was concerned! It seems like every time the club has something going on, Bronson Hospital has my wife scheduled to work. But thankfully this was her Friday night off . . that took a load off!
I talked to Chuck early on and it sounded like he was going to try to pick up all the slack himself! A few days before the Hospitality Suite, I called Chuck and told him that I was on my way to Gordon's Food Service to pick up some cheese and meat trays. I just wanted to find out whatever else we might have needed. I was prepared to load up on stuff. Then in the background of the phone call with Chuck I could hear his wife Connie say, "I already have that, I already have that, I already have that!"
As it turned out, the only thing that was still needed was meat for sandwiches! I had written down that I would bring potato salad and chips. My wife Deb loaded up on deli cold cuts, chips and snacks and when it was time we showed up one hour early! We waited in our vehicle until we started seeing other club members arrive. When we finally got everything carried in to the hotel the only thing that we didn't have was Chuck and Connie!
It all worked out great!
When the Parker's Catering
Service van showed up we had
plenty of help-on-hand to carry
everything up to the banquet
room. Connie thought of
everything! You could tell she
had been down this path before! The whole event turned out
great! All my worry was not
necessary. The club owes a
great deal of thanks to Connie
and my wife Deb for their hard
work. But that is not all, many
of you pitched in to make it a
success! I know that Dee was
busy with setting things up and
Kevin and Eddie stayed around
to pick things up after everyone
had left. I'm sorry I know I am
forgetting to mention someone,
but thanks to each of you for
your hard work! Oh, by the
way, if you have never tried
Kevin Seigfried's homemade
horseradish on a fresh roast
beef and cheese sandwich . . .
you still have something to live
for! It will cure what ails you!
This
is just one area, and it does not show all the goodies at the
hospitality suite. Thanks to all who brought in goodies! I see the
homemade cookies, seafood salad, homemade salsa, pasta salad . . .lots
of good eats!
As for the Bottle Show itself, I think it was a GREAT time! Chuck didn't have any numbers to give me for the newsletter so I can only guess at the results based on what I saw. The first three hours of the show seemed really busy with a good crowd moving through. It really was a very enjoyable atmosphere and the selection of great bottles and other collectibles was awesome! By 2- o'clock, it slowed up a little more than I recall in the past.
All of the dealers who I spoke with, seemed really happy with their sales totals. It was just so neat to be there! I had a good friend, Mike Walker help me with my display. Mike is the President of our treasure hunting club and just a great guy to be around! As many of you know, I started setting up at the Kalamazoo Antique Bottle Show at the suggestion and encouragement of my buddies and club founders, Jack Short and Ernie Lawson. Jack and Ernie looked forward to helping me each year.
Jack, as most of you
know, has passed on to be with
the Lord and I sure miss him.
But one of the bright spots of
the whole show was the time
Mike and I got to visit with
Ernie! What an uplifting spirit
he has!
I'm
very sorry about not having display room pictures, I am not a good one
at remembering to take pictures. If you have bottle show pictures
e-mail them or bring copies to the meeting that I can scan.
Another thing that I personally enjoy each year is setting up by Kevin and Eddie! Those guys really have an eye for good stuff and they have a popular display!
Speaking of displays, our very own Scott Hendrickson found himself in the winner's circle again with the Peoples Choice Award! Dennis Smith had an awesome display which won the Most Educational Award, and Jeff Sharnoski was also awarded! Dennis had a display of green milk bottles that was like I have never seen! Congratulations to each of you, and thanks for contributing to the success of the show!
OK here is something that I find amazing! The winner of the drawing for the metal detector raffle was Kevin Seigfried! The winner of the second place prize was Alex Bata from Niles! I believe that he is the son or grandson of Paul Bata, our fellow club member! And another surprise, Eddie Nickerson was our $25.00 winner!
OK here is another item from this year's show that will blow-you-over! Each year we encourage everyone to buy those raffle tickets. I don't have raffle ticket sales results to share with you but I can tell you that they drew Kevin Seigfried's name for the grand prize, as I already said. They reached in again to draw for the second place prize, and they drew Kevin's name again! I wonder who sold him the tickets? So far we know that he purchased at least two of them! Kevin and Eddie have their table next to mine, back by the stage, where the big drawing was held. Kevin graciously passed on the second place prize and insisted they draw again. That is when they drew Alex Bata's ticket! Then, almost like keeping it in the family, Eddie won the third place drawing.
Another amazing thing . . .
I was on the sales floor for the
entire 32nd annual Kalamazoo
Antique Bottle Show and I did not
hear even one bottle break!
Perhaps the most amazing story
that unfolds at each show is
related to the show offer of a free
bottle appraisal. I think the most
amazing to me was the year a lady
showed up with a Best Bitters in
America bottle that she picked up
at a yard sale! This year was just
as amazing! This time the bottle
was a open-pontiled historic flask
from 1840. The flask is the
Washington - Taylor variety that
says, under Washington's bust,
"The Father of our Country." On
the Taylor side it says, "Taylor
Never Surrenders." The feature
that put this flask over-the-top was
the pinkish "Puce" color. This
bottle was estimated to be worth
between $10,000 and $20,000! I
wish I had seen it! I wonder if
anyone took some pictures?
This is a random photo of a
Washington - Taylor Flask that I found online. I'm glad we have experts
to check these bottles out, and that it is not up to me! Just looking
around for a picture I have learned this was a highly reproduced flask
with at copies coming in from at least two countries!
I think this bottle may
have been part of somebody's
collection. I understand it will be
consigned to the American Glass
Gallery Auction. John Pastor was
told that if this bottle does well at
auction, the owner has some
bitters bottles where it came from!
I can't wait to cast my bid!
American Glass Gallery has their
next auction coming up on June
15th and there are some beautiful
bottles featured! The American
Glass Gallery web site is:
www.americanglassgallery.com
John's email address is:
jpastor@americanglassgallery.com
I
know it is not a bottle but it is something that I picked up from Eddie
Nickerson at the show. It is a punch board gambling device from the
1940's or 50's that you would have found in a store or bar until they
were outlawed. I just liked the looks of it. I do not endorse gambling
and remain a Baptist in good standing . . . I think!
