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Meeting Number 5
Batavia (Chicago suburb), IL March, 2007
"Search for the 2007 Chicago G.I.Joe Toy Show"
HITTIN' THE ROAD
Meeting #5 saw members of the Central Illinois GIJoe Collectors Club "adventuring" down the open road to attend the first annual Chicago GIJoe Toy Show in Batavia, IL (a suburb west of Chicago). Getting there in a timely fashion (3+ hours) required leaving very early from central IL, so, we were all on the road by 6 AM (Don and his daughter by an unbelievable 4AM!!)
Wide open farm roads greeted us on this frosty and early Sunday morning, fueling our manic desire for Joes even more. "Gotta get some Joes! GOTTA get some Joes!" To get a feel for what the frenzied rush to GIJoe glory was like that morning, watch an actual film clip from our trip by clicking HERE NOW.
THE ARRIVAL
The drive went by quickly (did you watch the clip?) and visitors had little trouble finding such a large facility. Held in the Batavia Illinois Overseas Post #1197 on South River street, parking was extremely ample AND required as it turned out (the lot was almost full!). As you drove in, a tough little howitzer points right at your car. So...DUCK!
THE CHICAGO JOE CLUB HOSTS
All guests were warmly greeted by Beth, the extremely cordial wife of the
Chicago Joe club's president, Ron
Biallas (shown below). Together, these two made quite a formidable
team. There son (also shown below) was there too, enjoying all the fuss
and ruckus being made over the world's greatest toy---GIJOE!
RON BIALLAS' DIORAMAS
Ron kindly showed off some of his latest tabletop diorama creations and made introductions all around to the other members of his club. All were extremely pleasant and fun to talk to. You guys are great!
ALRIGHT, LET'S BUY SOME JOES!
The sale room (see below) was large, square shaped, and pack to the gills with new and vintage GIJoes, Dragon, BBi, Cy Girls, celebrity figures, diorama parts and supplies, comic books (hey, SCOTT!) and much more.
Browsing this kind of show takes quite a long time. I soon found myself sitting on the floor and patiently working my way through tub after tub of Joes, bagged parts, and loose gear. But, like a treasure hunt, it was definitely worth it.
Moving from one vendor to the next was interesting too. Each person has their own stories to tell and unique perspectives on the hobby. Some were too highly priced, and when told so, quickly agreed to lower prices or listen to offers. Others weren't interested in bargaining at all and suffered many lost sales as a result. Clearly, this event was a BUYER'S market and you had to be flexible in your pricing to succeed.
As always, the best deals involved no money exchange whatsoever. We witnessed many such trades going on. "Would you take this footlocker for this handfull of uniforms and gear?" etc. Shown below, Chicago club member Kevin Bolger spent over 15 minutes with this woman, just swapping and talking. Let's listen in on their riveting conversation...
Take a look at the photo below and you'll begin to grasp what we were up against. There was box upon box of Joe gear for sale. Tub upon tub full to buy! We were literally swamped by GIJoes. In the boxes below, I counted 4 mummies, 2 idols 3 white tigers in cages, 2 Pygmy gorillas, and on and on...
CIGCC's DON HANKE
Don "the Big Man" Hanke decided to sell much of his collection at this particular event. With the help of his daughter, he manned his tables all day like a champ. Due to his current insanity, some great deals were available, and many collectors enjoyed simply speaking to the big guy. Funny thing was, Don didn't know where he got that great shirt of his! Man, is that a cool shirt! How many would YOU buy if you could find them? Ohhhh yeah!
WHAT A DAY!
Our thanks to everyone in the Chicago GIJoe Club for hosting this great event. We all had a great time and eagerly look forward to seeing you all again soon. Possibly for a co-club trading extravaganza or other such excitement. Until then...Go JOE!