2011 New York Toy Soldier Symposium (1 Viewer)

[Louis Badolato]

This years Sponsors, Lawrence Lo, Mark Hoffman and myself hereby announce the 2011 New York Toy Soldier Symposium:

Sorry for the late announcement this year, but putting this one together, in this tough financial environment, has been a bit more difficult. Yes, there will be a 7th Annual NY Toy Soldier Symposium on March 11th, 12th and 13th.

The Friday and Saturday night events are already booked up. The attendees of those events have been personally contacted by Larry Lo and myself.

The Saturday Afternoon and Sunday events are open to those wishing to attend (please post your intention on this thread, so Mark Hoffman and I can take into account the numbers attending when ordering food for the luncheons).

The manufacturer guests this year will be Richard Walker of William Britains and Ken and Erika Osen of Hudson and Allen Studios. There may also be a much more important author in the Toy Soldier field than I.

The events are (as usual) as follows:

Friday Evening, March 11th: Opening Dinner at my Club, Tiro A Segno (fully booked)

Saturday March 12th, 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. - 450 Bryant Avenue, Roslyn, NY - Luncheon and Tour of My collection with presentations/talks/demonstrations by Richard Walker and Ken Osen

Saturday Evening, March 12th - Dinner at Lawrence Lo's magnificent restaurant Tse Yang (fully booked)

Sunday March 13th, 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. - Hoffman Management
300 West 55th Street, Suite 2S, New York, New York - Luncheon and Tour of the Incredible Mark Hoffman Collection (easily twice as big as my collection, one of the most incredible collections of virtually all manufacturers, glossy and matt, in all eras and areas, with a focus on artillery (if a toy soldier company made a canon in the last 100 years, you can be pretty sure its on display)

Additionally, as some of the guests may be coming early and leaving late, there will be tours of other area collections and other ad hoc events.

For those not already booked, we hope to see you Saturday and Sunday for Lunch!

 

[Northgate Woods]

Louis, Lawrence and Mark,
I hope you three guys have a great Symposium. Only wish I could be there. Work will not permit me extending my trip to the West Coaster by another week. Absolutely enjoyed last years event. Your hospitality and mateship to an old country boy from the Land of OZ was outstanding.
To those Treefroggers who haven't been to a NY Symposium, then you don't know what TS collecting is all about until you see these collections and spend time talking to these three great blokes and their guests.
Have a good one cobbers,
Cheers Howard:salute::

PS Posted photos would be great.

 

[tdubel]

Louis, Larry Mark,

As always, I second Howards on target comments! Louis, good talking to you today and I am sorry that as of now, I will not make post time this year!! Had to take a one chance to try out the Westcoaster and the wife (boss) only allows one.
Funny thing is I got invited to the Big 12 Basketball tourney all expenses paid (weekend of the Symposium) and I turned it down!!!

IF i can go anywhere that weekend, it will be NYC!

TD

 

[Louis Badolato]

Howard, you know you will be missed, but hopefully we'll see you in Chicago, and maybe next year.

Tom, I hope you can talk your wife into it, as it wouldn't be the same without you.

I just got the bad news that poor Kevin (Panda1gen), who desperately wanted to join us, can't get clearance to come (those of you who know Kevin know about the health related issues he's been dealing with for the past couple of years).

But a bunch of great guys are coming, and we will raise a glass in your honor . . .:wink2:

 

[Louis Badolato]

Well, its only 4 days until the opening dinner! I already have a big box from Richard Walker at Britains full of goodies for him to show us at the Saturday luncheon. The reservations are all finalized, the food for the luncheons has been ordered, and after hitting the Secaucus Show Sunday, I am all amped up for a great Symposium!^&cool^&cool

 

[Louis Badolato]

Well, other than setting up the dining room for the buffet tomorrow, the preparations are done. The room is vacuumed and the cabinets were windexed and dusted. At around 2:30 p.m. I head to the airport to pick up Richard Walker and Doug Luna. Then the fun begins!^&grin

 

[tdubel]

Well, other than setting up the dining room for the buffet tomorrow, the preparations are done. The room is vacuumed and the cabinets were windexed and dusted. At around 2:30 p.m. I head to the airport to pick up Richard Walker and Doug Luna. Then the fun begins!^&grin

Louis,
Will be thinking of y'all this weekend, sorry again I can't make it!!!!!

Enjoy!
Tom

 

[The Lt.]

Well, its only 4 days until the opening dinner! I already have a big box from Richard Walker at Britains full of goodies for him to show us at the Saturday luncheon. The reservations are all finalized, the food for the luncheons has been ordered, and after hitting the Secaucus Show Sunday, I am all amped up for a great Symposium!^&cool^&cool

Hope you'll have your camera on hand taking photos to share the goodies that Richard will be showing at the luncheon on Saturday along with other events that will be taking place. No excuses accepted for not doing so.:wink2::wink2:

 

[Leadmen]

Best wishes on your upcoming event. Everything is in place and the troops will wear their dress uniforms. Have a great time and like Joe said post some pics. John

 

[hoogri]

i wish you a wonderful Symposium.
make a nice weekend and we see the pictures though.
Greetings from the Netherlands.

richard
:salute::^&grin

 

[kogu]

I hope everyone will have an enjoyable weekend and am also looking forward to any news coming up from the various events.
Konrad

 

[Louis Badolato]

Good morning everyone! As requested, I am trying to act as the official Symposium reporter - with the assistance of Erika Osen, who did the photography. I just sent Brad 21 photographs of last nights opening festivities with a polite request that he post them on this thread so you can get a visual impression of the following report.

The Symposium unofficially started at 3:10 p.m., when I picked up Richard Walker of Britains at Laguardia Airport, and then hustled over to JFK Airport to pick up Doug Luna. As Hans was unable to make this years event, and Larry Lo would not be joining us until the Saturday events, I thought I would have a little reprieve from their "sense of humor" - I use that term loosely - but, unfortunately, Richard and Doug took over in the bad joke department.

The jokes (and curses) started flowing in earnest when we tried to take Doug to the Cornell Cub where he was staying, on 44th Street in midtown Manhattan. Thanks to heavy traffic and our ingenuous mayor's new traffic patterns, which basically ban all left turns and most right turns from Third Avenue across to Sixth Avenue until after 6:00 p.m., getting from the Midtown Tunnel to the Cornell Club on 44th between 5th and Madison, took longer then Richard's flight from Chicago to New York. Doug and Richard kept alternatively telling me to make the illegal turns - no thanks, I already spend enough money on this Symposium, no need to add the fine and increased insurance premium to the mix - or to shove Doug out and let him drag his luggage to the club. I refused, and after passing the streets in question at least 4 times because we weren't allowed to turn, we finally made it. Richard and I dropped Doug off to settle in, then took Richard to his hotel -we only had one "no turns" sign screw with us on the way.

At the Hotel where Richard, Ken and Erika were staying, we met Ken and Erika and had a much needed drink at the bar. Its amazing how 18 year old Glen Morangie will relieve stress. At 6:15 we picked up Doug, and headed down to my huntsman's club, Tiro A Segno, for drinks before dinner. There we were joined by co-sponsor Mark Hoffman, Charlie Zucker, Morgan Hoffman, Chuck Karen (Evilchuck), and Rich Schuster (NYtoysoldeirs). We had drinks in the Charles Rao Library at my club (by then I had moved from Scotch to my favorite Italian red wine, Bertani Ameroni).

Once we were seated for dinner, we raised our glasses and toasted Chuck Harris, whose failing health sadly prevented his joining us in person, as well as a collector friend of Doug Luna's from California who passed away recently. We also toasted those usual sponsors who couldn't make this evening's festivities, Hans Hedrich and Larry Lo.

Dinner consisted of cold antipasta, followed by hot antipasta (Shrimp Scampi and baked clams), pasta (everyone followed my recommendation and had homemade Porcini mushroom ravioli in a truffle cream sauce, and 6 guests also had seafood rissotto), the entree, a cheese course, a fruit course with Italian cookies, then desert and coffee.

Between the pasta course and the main course we went downstairs to the rifle range and all blazed away at various targets. The most popular choice was a photo of Osama Bin Laden. I am proud to say that I put three bullets through his right eye and two through the bridge of his nose. Morgan Hoffman was the best shot, followed by former Vietnam Veteran Marine Sniper Doug Luna, who had too much, or too little to drink before he shot, making one shot drift a couple of inches low (three of the other four went through connected holes right between Bin Laden's eyes, and the other was about a quarter inch from the connected holes).

We talked about the hobby, the great choice for collectors from all the excellent manufacturers, what we would like to see in future, and what we are excited about that has recently come out. A great time was had by all, and I am looking forward to the luncheon, tour of my collection, and Richard Walker and Ken Osen's presentations at my home, commencing in exactly two hours. More reports to follow.

 

[wwiibuff]

Louis,

Thanks for keeping us updated on the Symposium. It sounds like a great weekend. Looking forward to any pictures y'all might post.

 

[jazzeum]

Here are the photos.

 

[jazzeum]

More.

 

[jazzeum]

Next set.

 

[Louis Badolato]

Here are the photos.

Thanks Brad! :smile2: We missed you last night. It stinks that you had to miss both Chicago and the Symposium.

 

[jazzeum]

More.

 

[jazzeum]

Thanks Louis. It is a bummer, that's for sure. Give my best to everyone today.

 

[The Lt.]

Thanks Louis for bringing us up to date and Ericka for the photos taken of it an as usual Brad for providing us with the photos. Sure looks like it was fun for all an looking forward to your next report..........Joe