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Having just returned from the Toby show (and gone through the 260 e-mails
waiting for me) I would like to add a couple of cents worth on the
subject...........
Howard wrote:
>Just got back from Tobyhanna(?) "table sale" and I must admit it was not
>exactly I what I was expecting following all the hoopla re hotels and the
>like. This was my first US military vehicle gathering, so I guess being
used to
>Beltring and other large shows in the UK, I was bound to find it a little
>'quiet'.
>
>Was there supposed to be other things going on aside from the mulling around
>the numerous tables of jeep and dodge parts, military clothing and toy
guns.
>I can't believe people came long distances, from many other states for what
>was there.
>- Am I missing something????
YES ! The winter Toby show is a SWAP MEET. Beltring is a MILITARY
VEHICLE SHOW. Aberdeen is a MILITARY VEHICLE RALLY. These are
different kinds of shows. A swap meet is a place to buy parts and such.
A MV show or rally is where vehicles will be on display and usually there
is a swap meet also.
As for the Toby show..........
Yes the building is small, but do you know any other place in the dead
of winter where you can have as many parts vendors in one place? People
like Brent Mullens, Terry Spencer, Peter Debella, Front Line (Jeff), Star
Electric (Zero Davidson), Rick Larson, Adirondack Dodge, CAMO Inc.
(Gunther), Army Jeep Parts(George Baxter), Vintage Wiring, Portrayal Press
(Dennis Spence), MV Magazine (Dave), Brian Asbury, Daryl Bensinger and many
others. Yes, there were only a few outside vendors.....however could that
be because it was VERY cold, tons of snow, very cold, windy and did I
mention the cold? Jeeze....Poor Daryl was outside in the freezing cold
for TWO days, ALL day. Several other guys were too. (My hat's off to you
guys, I was inside where it was warm) Yeah, I know you're saying "they
did it to make lots of money" but remember this.........most of these guys
can stay at home and fill orders from their ads or catalogs in a nice warm
building. They come to this show not only to make a buck but to meet and
talk to many of their customers face to face. You, the consumer, benefit
by being able to see and touch the parts before buying them. I'm sure
these guys also answered many questions about vehicles and gave a lot of
good advice that you would never get from a catalog page.
As for the size of the show..... I can tell you that Scott Sebring does
a super job cramming in as many tables as possible in that small rec. hall
so the maximum number of vendors can get inside.
If you can't believe people drove long distances to buy stuff,
consider how far some of these vendors came just to just to bring stuff for
you to buy......
Brent Mullens came from TEXAS
Terry Spencer came from OKLAHOMA
Brian Asbury came from TORONTO, CANADA
Gunther from CAMO came from GERMANY
Heck, compared to those guys, the 500 miles (one way) I dragged 1,000
lbs of manuals from Detroit was just a short hop.....
Even the guys that were close had to brave the weather to get there.
Poor Dennis Spence (Portrayal) had to climb up the mountain to his storage
building in waist deep snow just to bring some of his excellent
reproduction manuals to the show.
Prices? Yeah, some stuff was priced so high that I thought someone
might be on drugs.....but there were lots of bargains too. And a lot of
rare items. Ever seen an ORIGINAL Ford GP top and side curtains? How
about original Willys MA and Bantam BRC side curtains? They were there
(my table) along with many other very rare items on other tables.
Bargains? you bet! Tom Price found a exc. condition Mule gas tank
($25.00), a GREEN M-38 steering wheel ($20.00) and other neat items. Elder
Santos had original vinyl M-37 and M-43 seat covers (NOS) for only $5.00
each, NOS M-211/135 distributors at $20.00 each and military senior oil
filters for $4.00 ea.
Rare and hard to get items were there also. Manny Rogers found
two original DUKW woven rope fenders, Bill Kish found an original GPW
headlamp bulb (seel-lite). Someone in Japan will be thrilled with the
original Willys MA manual I sold Shiro.
Brought a wad of money and only found a few items to buy? Hey, you're
lucky, you at least found something. I went looking for GP,
Saladen/Ferret/universal carrier stuff.......not often these items can be
found at any show in the US. No, I didn't find anything for these vehicles
but I was very happy with the manual I found for my military 16mm movie
projector for only $1.00. It only takes one good item found to make it a
good show.
The point I'm making here is that the Red Ball guys work very hard
to put a good show at a terrible time of the year. People come from near
and (very) far with the hopes of finding the items they need. Some people
find many things and some do not. But......if the Red Ball Club didn't
put on this show you wouldn't have a chance to find anything until spring!
I think Scott Sebring and the rest of the guys deserve an "atta
boy" for all the work they've done to give us something to do in the dead
of winter besides stare out the window at the snow.......
Jim Gilmore MVPA # 5843
Member Ist Michigan AOD Chapter MVPA
Great Lakes Chapter MVPA
Ohio Motor Pool Chapter MVPA
Red Ball Chapter MVPA
Ontario Military Vehicle Association
Midwest Military Vehicle Assocation
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