Texas Toy Soldier Show After Action Review AAR (1 Viewer)

PanzerAce1944

Colonel
Joined
Feb 27, 2011
Messages
8,632
Ok Gents,

Last thread on this topic from me but it really was a FUN time and deserves some added input since I have corresponded to the forum about this show since KingsX took over 2 years ago for the 2012 event. The Texas Show this year easily was our best one yet ! The shows promoters clearly try to improve things from year to year. Some compare the Texas show
to maybe 6 years ago when it was held at a different location in town. For those folks who haven't been here within the last 3 years, this is a way different venue.

Kicking things off Friday evening was a very festive pre-show party at 5:00 PM which lasted until around 7:15 or so. Ice Cold bottled German Beer and RED, White Wine a plenty
filled the halls. My girl had 3 glasses of the red and was feeling good ! :wink2: 3 Ladies dressed as some Bavarian hostesses served the drinks and went about the crowd
assisting party attendees. Top Marks given here ! Nothing beats walking next door into the shop with a nice Cold German beer and mingling with fellow hobbyists in my
favorite place in town.....KingsX. Afterwards myself and Elva, MikeMiller1955 aka Mike and his very pretty girl along with Nick from Crown and his assistant jumped on one
of the Red Trolly's to head to the "Market Area" for some good eating. Mike if you read this and can add the name of that Restaurant it is well worth mentioning. I
will see them again next time I am in town. From there me and Elva went back to our room to enjoy some A/C and plain simple T.V. and Rest........Yeah Right ^&grin

Saturday started with an early wake up at 5:00 AM........woke up early like a kid on Christmas Day. After a trip down to get myself and the lady some cups of coffee down stairs
in front of the Menger Restaurant, we showered and headed back down to the Restaurant for a top notch buffet breakfast. Omolettes made to order any way you like with
the full buffet bar with real food, not some generic offering. I opted for the baked biscuits with the traditional biscuit gravy over them with bacon and grilled potatoes.
The waitresses kept the coffee and Orange Juice flowing ! After that fresh Berries, mango, you name it was there for fruit. Made me realize how I should eat these more often.
Breakfast over it was off to the Menger Ballroom for the show to get ready for the 10:00 start. As you walked in the show, a Bavarian band was playing Music and Re-enactors abound !
Once the collectors starting coming in between the hours of 10:00 am and 1:00PM it felt like shoppers in a shopping mall the day before Christmas. One older Gentleman came up to my tables and looked things over. He Left and came back 10 minutes later after studying my WWII German Medics Diorama and stated.........................
" I want to buy your Diorama and everything on it" I guess like the old saying goes.......presentation is everything ! Left out of the show about 5:15 feeling very pleased and happy. Went up stairs so Elva could take.......another shower. I snuck out for 30 minutes back to KingsX.
Got to meet the real Hotel3Alpha. We realized who each other were after just 5 minutes of shooting the breeze. O'le Mike Miller showed up and we traded lies until Whamo........
It was time to get going to the Saturday evening Dinner. Go up to get Elva and she wasted 10 minutes looking for her perfume..................Really {sm3}
Made it to the Minuet room of the Menger 5 minutes before 7:00PM. Nearly all but 5 seats were taken. **** perfume ! Anyway once the dinner started and everyone got
their food, Andy did the old spoon on the glass call to arms to start the formalities. As Hotel3Alpha stated the John Wayne Impersonator is a reincarnation of the Duke himself.
How he remembers everything during his routine is truly amazing ! Another added entertainment event of the show. After the dinner myself and Elva went on the Horse and Carriage ride located between the Menger and the Alamo.....30 Meters away ! Finished the ride and went inside the Menger Bar and met up with more Treefrogger's, including meeting from the
forum "Panzer" , Jason , and Steven who is from San Antonio, Paul from Chicago. Paul comes to the Texas Show for the last 3 years now. I forgot to get you a drink.
Next year for sure ! Last but not least Duke aka WWII Buff was there both at the show Saturday and the Dinner Saturday Night. Great seeing you again Duke !!!
Mr. Murphy from Hobby Bunker was there enjoying something cold and refreshing as well ! Headed upstairs around midnight as my accomplice insisted I stop drinking Dos XX beer.
We did have an 8 drive the next day as Sunday was approaching fast.
Sunday morning, woke up a bit later as the show started at 11:00 am. Got to the ballroom of the show, Removed the plastic covers from my tables, made a few additions to my displays and 5 minutes later 2 tanks were sold. Bingo again !!!! 3:00 PM rolled around and we packed up quickly, said goodbye to all, and by 4:00 PM exactly we had our vehicle packed up
and were starting our drive West on I-10. In closing I think the Texas Toy Soldier Show is the Fun and Entertainment attraction event of the Hobby. Very well organized, everything
went off without a hitch. Enuff said....................... Will be back next year again in May. Hope some of you will join us next year around ! :salute:: :salute:: :salute::
 
Last edited:
Nice write up Wayne…sooooooo…

what happened to your Karaoke plans after dinner?

The restaurant was La Margarita…it’s in the Mercado…about a 5 minute trolley ride for $1.20...

Afterwards…we walked next door to their “sister” restaurant…Mi Tierra…and went to their panaderia (bakery) because somebody had to have pralines for dessert…

One more thing I want to add…the River Center mall shares a common wall with the Menger Hotel…the entrance to this monstrous 3 level mall is only 100 feet from the show entrance…really nice for the ladies…or men…

And they have a Starbucks in it for coffee drinkers…

I think “John Wayne’s” name is Jack Edmundson…he is a regular at the shows…I think I have seen him at the last 6...and he really does a fantastic impersonation of him and dressed in his cavalry uniform…he really does look like him…
 
Hey Wayne!!! Yo, thanks for the invite to La Margaritas and Market Square. I guess I am not cool enough yet.

John from Texas
 
Hey Wayne!!! Yo, thanks for the invite to La Margaritas and Market Square. I guess I am not cool enough yet.

John from Texas

Hey John, We went Friday night after the Pre-show Party. People were starting to disperse around 7:20 or so. BUT........
I am Officially inviting you now for next year ! For those of you of never met John aka Hotel3Alpha he is a great guy !

It was all Mike's fault as he pushed me out the back door and told me to be quiet !!!
 
Hey John, We went Friday night after the Pre-show Party. People were starting to disperse around 7:20 or so. BUT........
I am Officially inviting you now for next year ! For those of you of never met John aka Hotel3Alpha he is a great guy !

It was all Mike's fault as he pushed me out the back door and told me to be quiet !!!

awwwww man....I'm getting my attorney on the phone right now...
 
Nest year for the TX show, if an alternative and/or additional impersonation personality is desired, I have a suggestion. A college era friend of mine makes his living travelling around the country as Teddy Roosevelt. He looks just like TR, and has the attire as well. He does his "thing" literally all over America. He is well versed in TR's history and gives talks on the subject. Schools frequently request his presence to, I supect, "bring history to life".

His name is Joe Wiegand. He and his wife recently relocated from Sewanee TN to San Diego Ca. I am happy to provide contact info details for anyone interested. A google search would probaly work as well.

Rutledge
 
Nest year for the TX show, if an alternative and/or additional impersonation personality is desired, I have a suggestion. A college era friend of mine makes his living travelling around the country as Teddy Roosevelt. He looks just like TR, and has the attire as well. He does his "thing" literally all over America. He is well versed in TR's history and gives talks on the subject. Schools frequently request his presence to, I supect, "bring history to life".

His name is Joe Wiegand. He and his wife recently relocated from Sewanee TN to San Diego Ca. I am happy to provide contact info details for anyone interested. A google search would probaly work as well.

Rutledge

Hi, If you would send me his contact information through PM and I will make sure it gets in the right hands ! Thanks Much for the suggestion !!!

Wayne
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top