I agree with Brad--the crowd seemed to be just a little thinner than last year.
I got there around 10:30. I saw Julie and Tom at the TF table, and I think I saw Brad but didn't get to catch up to him. I spent most of my time pressing the flesh with the vendors for our 2017 show.
I managed to get some Staddens for my gray army, though:
From left to right: Three Hessian fusilier NCOs, carrying the halberd-like spontoon the Hessians used; a Prussian musketeer; a Prussian cuirassier; and another Prussian musketeer.
Here, five more Staddens, all painted but in need of refinishing. From left to right: A casting painted as a Prussian cuirassier officer in the Galarock or dress coat (this may be an infantry officer casting, though, despite the boots. Field officers were mounted and wore boots); Prussian artilleryman with the ramrod-cum-sponge; two Prussian artillerymen with the bars used to help move the field piece; and a Prussian artilleryman with the linstock used to touch off the powder charge and fire the field piece.
There were many pretty things on the tables. Imrie-Risley was absent, I think, but otherwise, most of the regulars are still with us.
I had a nice talk with a representative of the New Jersey branch of the Washington's Crossing preservation group (I didn't realize it, but there are PA and NJ branches of the group). Among the other things on his table, he had a nice selection of 54mm Hessians, which I spotted right away as Prins August castings. The society apparently had British and Continental figures for sale, but they couldn't find any Hessian figures. They ended up using the Prins August castings, and theirs were pretty crisp, and the quality of the paint job wasn't bad.
It seemed to me, too, that there was a lot more plastic represented on the tables, than ever before.
There were some sellers offering a selection of books, too, some for very reasonable prices (eg, $5 for some Civil War books, some hardcover, others paperback). But I had pretty much shot my load on those Staddens. Tonio Marti/Alymer was there, too, with some very nice band sets painted by Cem, and with Army House castings/kits, but since I was done, I couldn't help lighten his load for the flight back to Spain.
But all in all, it was a good show. Bill Lango stages a good show, and if you've never been to it, you really should visit it at least once.
Prost!
Brad