I have not posted on the boys lately as I did not have any good pictures of them. Laurie and I took them last week to the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade in town. The parade use to go downtown, but a number of years ago the direction was changed and it now goes through the west end of Allentown. Since the parade was only a few blocks away from our house, we decided to walk over. When we got to the parade we found that there was a crowd, so we could not get near the parade. Percy is not very sociable with people and dogs so we had to stay back as you can see. We stayed a few minutes before we went back home. Next we will try again.
SHORT REPORT FROM INDY 2012.
But first, glad to see the dogs are getting out for a little fresh air and sunshine. The Marriot East Indianapolis (new location of the Indy Show) does allow pets (for a one-time $70.00 non-refundable charge), and one collector and his wife (up from Texas) brought his little mixed-breed Pommeranian with him, taking him from room to room during the room trading portion of the show. He was quite a friendly dog, and everyone was enjoying petting him.
Ron Barzso unveiled the prototype British and American Militia Soldiers from his upcoming Lexington Green Playset. Ron appears to have dispensed with the obsessive secrecy which used to shroud his annual playset release, and announced that after the release of Lexington Green Playset this September, he planned on The Siege of Yorktown Playset the following year. He also stated he is working with the Battleboards designer (the gentleman’s name escapes me at the moment — is it “Cross”, “Crossman”?) on a Concord Bridge as well.
The British figures Ron had at the show came in a dark crimson red, while the Colonial Militia were in a light Marx blue and a medium tan. He had 8 different figures of British and 8 different figures of Colonial Militia. Ron said these were the final colors in which they were going to be released (red for British; light blue and tan for the Colonials). Some character figures and Lexington Town buildings are going to be added to the final playset.
The figures were a perfect compatibility with Accurate Revolutionary War figures, and Ron had his samples set up next to Accurate Revolutionary War figures to show how they were perfectly in scale to each other. Both the Barzso British and the Barzso British were beautifully designed. The British included kneeling firing, kneeling at the ready, standing firing, standing at the ready, charging with bayonet leveled, marching, and casualty (getting hit, moment of impact). Can’t quite remember the 8th pose.
I also had the pleasure of meeting one of your other posters — Ed Burris, who had a huge collection of all the early Marx 60mm frontiersmen in all poses for sale by the individual figure. I acquired a few myself.
Rick Eber was there, as was John Stangle (The Marxman). John mentioned to me (which I had not been aware of) that he was the promoter of the Gettysburg show every April. He said the Gettysburg Show is totally filled to capacity with dealers, and he now has a waiting list of dealers who want tables at the show. The Indy Show this year had 60 different dealers. I myself had a table right next to playset dealer Larry Lovely. Francis Turner from the Marx Museum was the next aisle over.
Well, I suspect Ed Burris will shortly appear here and fill in a few other details. All in all the experience lived up to my expectations. I managed to sell the two items I wanted to sell: my Conte Viking Ship, and my complete PFPC set. Other than that, it was buy, buy, buy, including the Marx red-brown 45 mm Indians I was looking for, which I got from Francis Turner, who brought along a box of 400 – 500 of them, along with an equivilent amount of the same figures in yellow.
Don
Thank you for the report, I am sure everyone enjoyed your’s and Ed’s reports on the Indy show. On the Gettysburg show, the location where the show is held is too small for it. This one show that should be looking for a bigger spot. I know it is nice to be downtown in the center of Gettysburg, but I do not relax when I am in the room and it is not due to the ghost that inhabits the walk in safe that is part of the room. I feel squished in the room.