New Jersey Toy Soldier Show — March 11, 2018 (2 Viewers)

[Warrior]

I was at the show, and completely agree with what Brad and George are saying about this show and shows in general. Sorry I missed you Brad. The show was the worst I ever attended. It is the only time I ever went to a show and walked out without a single purchase.

Shows in general are going downhill, and its such a shame. To me, they were a chance not only to buy toy soldiers, but to see fellow collectors and dealers from around the area and the country, and get to know fellow collectors. My 12 year old son was the only person under the age of 30 I saw at the show. The hobby needs to attract some new blood. When I was a kid, I built models and played with toy soldiers. Collecting toy soldiers for me is nostalgic. Todays generation plays video games. Do kids still build models? Do they even know about toy soldiers? I suspect a lot fewer of this generation will have any kind of a nostalgic feeling for this hobby.:redface2:

Shows are going downhill for three reasons; there are less collectors out there still actively buying, the ones we are losing to lack of interest or illness are not being replaced as Louis noted, there are less dealers attending these shows, so they are shrinking in footprint and product offering and last but not least, the collectors who are still in the game are shopping differently now than they were 5 or 10 years ago as the internet, websites, forums, Ebay, Amazon have become the places to shop and gather information on product.

Shows are all relative; I spoke to one dealer who said he did great, I also heard Thor was very busy, so there you go.

 

[jazzeum]

If it hadn’t been for Thor, I wouldn’t have gone. I spent with him the only money I spent that day. Yes, I could have purchased the items through his site but it’s nice to see the items in person and talk with him; he’s a fount of knowledge.

 

[theBaron]

...Shows are all relative; I spoke to one dealer who said he did great, I also heard Thor was very busy, so there you go...

That's an excellent observation, Brad, and one that has been true for a long time. Ever since I've been a member of the MFCA and involved with running the show (since 1993), I have heard those twin comments-"I had a terrible show, this show stinks!" and "I had a great show!" As one vendor says, one of our forum friends, if you sell what people want to buy, you'll do well.

The field of vendors is definitely thinned out from where it was ten years ago, twenty years ago, which is natural, as we all get older and eventually pass on. I see a development taking place, in which the "little guys" as we often refer to them, the vendors who take a table, and sell bits of their collection, and those who sell classic toy soldiers, are dwindling in numbers. But it doesn't always follow that the number of tables at a show is reduced. I see the larger vendors, who have more turnover, picking up those tables. At our show, anyway, that's been the case.

I'll still go to a show, as I mentioned above, to socialize in person with people I know in the hobby, and also, with those I don't already know. If we get to a time where there just aren't any shows, because it doesn't pay to stage one, I imagine we'll have something more like the meetups that I and my fellow modelers and painters have. Private events, or small events run by an organization, events like Louis' symposium. Not staged to host sales, but for hobbyists to share the hobby with others.

Prost!
Brad

 

[Warrior]

If we get to a time where there just aren't any shows, because it doesn't pay to stage one, I imagine we'll have something more like the meetups that I and my fellow modelers and painters have. Private events, or small events run by an organization, events like Louis' symposium. Not staged to host sales, but for hobbyists to share the hobby with others.

Great point, that may be the future, smaller get togethers with fellow collectors. As long as the hobby continues, that's all that matters in the end.

 

[Louis Badolato]

Great point, that may be the future, smaller get togethers with fellow collectors. As long as the hobby continues, that's all that matters in the end.

When Larry Lo, Hans Hedrich, Mark Hoffman and I organized the first New York Symposium, 14 years ago, it was to get collectors together, and encourage the hobby by bringing manufacturers, dealers, and collectors together. The first 3 Symposia had events at Classic Toys, a wonderful brick and mortar toy soldier shop in New York City, alas, long gone. Manufacturers, including Andy and Gordon Neilson from K&C, John Jenkins, Rick Wang and his father of Figarti, Richard Walker, and Ken and Erika Osen of Britains acted as guests of honor, and the events lasted from Friday to Sunday evening, with what was then a good sized Toy Soldier Show on Sunday morning, regularly drawing attendees from as far away as mainland China, Hong Kong, Australia and Great Britain. As hosts, we chauffeured people to and from the airports, provided all of the food and drink at no cost to attendees, arranged for hotels, and made ourselves available both before and after the Symposia to take attendees who wished to stay on tours of NYC and the surrounding points of interest. The tragic passing of Larry, and the busy schedules of Mark and Hans have left me trying to keep the Symposium going on my own.

I am trying to rekindle interest in the Symposium by moving the event to the same weekend as the MFCA, the biggest show on the East Coast. Jim Hillestad no longer holds an open house that weekend, leaving an opening for this kind of event. I wonder where the closest brick and mortar toy soldier shop is located? If there is one between my house and the show in Philly, maybe I can arrange to hold an event there. If my back permits it, I will be attending the OTSN Chicago Show in September. If any manufacturers, dealers or collectors are interested in helping resurrect what was once a wonderful event for collectors, maybe we can brainstorm in Chicago.