|
Denver" 2000" Mike Duff ALPCA #1628 - TnS # 293 Another year gone by; they just fly along. This year we "flew along" to Denver for the second international meet in the Mile High City, our 10th meet together (Kevin, Rod, Dave & I). This year we added a new member, my son Michael Joseph, age 12, who fit right into our exclusive little club of efliuviums, perhaps too well, as he will need serious counseling and debriefing before he can eventually rejoin polite society! His mom, a big booster of plate collecting to begin with, is just thrilled wih his metamorphosis!! It's enlightening how many ways a 12 year old is more mature than four 50 year olds. Sightseeing was a major part of our trip, and we saw much of this beautiful state. The highlight was the Durango-Silverton rail trip. This 95-mile narrow gauge steam train ride through the Rockies along the beautiful Animas River is something to behold! We were very fortunate to get in our Monday trip to Mesa Verde. As I write this, Mesa Verde NP is evacuated and afire! We had way too little time to fully enjoy Mesa Verde before we were off to the "Four Corners" monument where one can stand in 4 states simultaneously. This attraction is a real enigma to me! In the first place one has to go miles out of their way to get there. Then when you do get here, there is nothing there except desert and flea marketers selling turquoise jewelry. I was struck with the irony of being on an Indian reservation. looking at a state/Federal monument knowing how differently Native Americans viewed land ownership. Speaking of Indian reservations 4 Corners is another piece of prime desert we benevolently granted to the Native Americans. The mistake we made this time is that the site actually does have some value as you have to pay a $2 admission to the monument. Being somewhat of a History buff I researched the treaty by which this great piece of real estate became Indian Land. General Mide L. O'Nowhere brokered the treaty and, a hundred years or so later. when the Feds found out the Native Americans could turn a buck here they tried him in absentia for high treason. Ok. Ok. Knuff politics for this article! At 4 Corners I added Utah to my states visited list by sticking my size 10 !/2 over the line. I later added Wyoming, bringing my total to a paltry 35. Mike J. added six states for an even 20 for him. Our trip to Cheyenne Friday was noteworthy in that I drove most of the trip up with the parking brake on. From that point on we braked our rental van by towing a group of 20's NJ tin rusties behind us. This is my 16th convention all told. My first was Salem Illinois in 1977. Those were the days of the high school gym, no air conditioning, and the famous Crisler incident. My how hings have changed in the last ¼ century! Salem was a trip with Corb Moister in his 8 hand aluminum delivery truck, a one seater! We brought a lawn chair for the passenger but between the vibration and aluminum floor, the chair, with passenger, quickly slid to the rear of the truck so we mostly just stood up. I remember Duane Rolling looking in the cab and asking, "Did you stand up all the way from Vermont?" "No." Says I- "Only halfway. You will have to talk with Corb about the other half" My memories of he Salem "International" remain vivid, the months of anticipation. the weeklong adrenaline rush, leaving home with a couple hundred bucks and returning with ten or twenty good plates. Our room at Salem was $32 for 4 nights total! I do remember however that there was no trap in the sink so the sewer gas came up to visit until we stuffed rags in the drain. (I'd like to stuff some rags in my present traveling companions from time to time to accomplish a similar result). Another vivid recollection is the constant sustained level of activity in the earlier meets. At Salem the hall opened at 7AM and each day there would be a waiting line at the door. People never went out for lunch or dinner. It was always sent out for. At 11pm Art Curie would be frantically trying to "wrap it up" and would almost have to physically shove us out the door each night. What a difference today. While the hours of operation are similar, now, at 9:30AM, the hall is about half filled. Almost everyone shuts down trading around 5 o'clock and the hall is mostly empty thereafter. It's the same phenomenon at Brimfield and Hershey too. Why is that? The Denver meet itself got going as early as Monday afternoon, I'm told, and was in full swing when we rolled in mid day Tuesday. There seems to be no diminishing of the new supply of graphics or in continued fever to acquire them at very high prices. I still think that they are not a worthwhile investment. It seems that if collectors show a little restraint they can get these same plates a year or two "down the road" at a fraction of today's prices. I remember when the new Challenger plates were a hot item at $150! Now they go begging for a tenth of that price. Hmm! Joel Finn had some great items from a wonderful find he made this spring - 2(!!) Quebec porcelains a N.C. pre state porcelain, Hawaii Terr. issues etc. Also Don Merrill had some fabulous early Mexico plates available and some quality Wyoming and Colorado issues. Sales for those (like Roger) with good stuff were brisk, as there was a general lack of quality items. I guess the best way to sum up our group 5 experience this year was "a substantial cost savings"! For the first time ever. none of us got a plate for our collections (other than trinkets). By Friday frustration was setting in on me. That's when Tom Allen made available a unique item in a silent auction format. It was a 1915 Iowa porcelain I decided on a "bold bid" of $656. Well guess what. I was way out of my league! My daring bid wouldn't have bought the "I" of Iowa! Living on the fruits of my writing just isn't working I guess. Roger I need a raise (or to get my novel, What Do You Say to a Naked ALPCAN, published). But I digress. The donation auction again shattered all records. There were many, many wonderful donations flom the various DMV's thanks to heroic and under appreciated work by Rich Dragon. It is just great to see Don Merrill back "at the helm", most ably assisted by George Sammeth and Mike Naughten. They all were just excellent and fun but Mike should learn to come out of his shell just a bit. Mike. no need to be so timid - we don't bite. Obviously, I jest. Mike's ebullience amazes me and it's contagious. When Mike is on stage nobody drifts off, not even the "rough" element in the rear rows. Great job guy's!! Among the many wonderlful displays my favorite was Duane Johnson's Colorado run with his pre-state leather #R87. This is a generic type pre-state that was recently offered on E-Bay. It intrigued me enough to follow its E-Bay progress but did I have the brains to check on its provenance with the seller? Well, Duane must have, because he bought it along with enough provenance to trace it back to the Mayflower just about! As you might guess, I sometimes consider myself a bit of a wit. When it comes to effectively using E-Bay, I am a bit of a nitwit! But I digress. Duane's run is spectacular and his display was spiced up with the great toppers pictured herein. I want to give my thanks to Dick Yourga, Don Merrill and countless others for giving us another great week. It's sad to see Dick step down after two terms as "el presidente", but I know Barney Schukraft will continue the era of effective leadership for ALPCA. Sadly, two old time collector friends passed away recently. Of course we all know of Roy Carson's passing. Another great friend, Ben Rolfe (ALPCA #75) died in December. Ben was the last of a cadre of pioneer New Hampshire collectors from the 1950's and before! Heck, I wasn't even born till 1963! He was a gentle man but a great collector. I miss Ben and Roy. Well, time to gear up for Hershey. I'll surely have stories about the big imbroglio as the Green Field vendors get moved to parts yet unknown. Should be a long tale or two to be told. |