![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stadsstuff.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/mf14.jpg\" "\\"mf14\\"")
<\/a>The MFCA Show is the oldest toy soldier show in the United States. The show started in 1941 and this year was the\u00a0 71st show.\u00a0 The show has been at various locations over those years. The last few years the show had been\u00a0located at the Valley Forge Convention Center after a stint in Delaware. The move back to the Valley Forge Convention Center lead to dealers\u00a0 dropping the show due to the high cost of\u00a0 a table. One table at the show is $95.00 with each additional table at the same price. Add to that expense, a vendor has to pay a $40.00 peddlar’s license required by the township.\u00a0 Another bone of contention for people attending the show\u00a0has been\u00a0the high admission fee. The show charges $15.00 for two day admission. The problem is most people only go for one day and the promoters will not do one day admissions.\u00a0 Because of the high price of attending the show many collectors pass on the show.<\/strong><\/p>\nI have been going to the show off and on since the early 70’s.\u00a0 I had missed a few dates as it had conflicted with the Plastic Warrior Show. Last year I went to the show with a friend and was shocked\u00a0 how the show was the shadow of itself former self. This year I wanted to go back and see how\u00a0the show\u00a0was effected by the casino that had been added on to the convention center.. In the last few years Pennsylvania had\u00a0 legalized gambling and giving a limited number of gambling licenses out. The Valley Forge Convention Center and\u00a0Hotel had been one of the last casinos to open. I was curious how the casino was going to effect the show.<\/strong><\/p>\n I went down to the\u00a0 show on Friday. (MFCA is held on Friday and Saturday.) Iwent to the show by myself as Laurie had to work and I wanted to take my time going over the tables.\u00a0I arrived at the show a half hour after it opened.\u00a0\u00a0After paying\u00a0the\u00a0admission price\u00a0I started looking at the tables.\u00a0 I had decided to go over each table carefully to see if I could find any plastic for the collection or resale.\u00a0 Most of the dealers would be metal figure dealers, but if you\u00a0looked carefully amongst the metal figures you could find plastic\u00a0 figure treasures.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n The first row I went up I found some Starlux figures in the indiviual boxes, which I picked up. I went up the row and ran into an old friend Rus Salberg. I had met Rus and his daughter years ago when he in the army and attended a Plastic Warrior Show. Rus deals in metal figures at shows. His daughter\u00a0is now married and expecting her second child. I went down the next row ran into my very good friend Mark Hegeman. Mark told me he had been\u00a0at the show\u00a0since it had open and had only found some 4omm Elastolin Vikings. <\/strong><\/p>\n We walked together and stop at Alan Ford’s Table. Alan had some\u00a0 playsets and a nice load of loose figures.\u00a0 I got from him two Jescan Turkish soldier reissues. The figures were originally done\u00a0as part of a \u00a0Lawrence of Arabia\u00a0 set. I have some of the original figures but, I was missing the officer.\u00a0 As I was talking to Alan I glanced at the table next door and spoted some Remco WWI British figures painted.\u00a0 I quickly purchased them for resale and added some Britains soldiers with a Conte Collectible GI. Alan remarked that the sales were slow.\u00a0 I headed down the aisles and went looking for more figures.\u00a0 At George Guerrio’s table I picked up the new\u00a0CTS Germans. CTS had done some medical figures I wanted for my collection.<\/strong><\/p>\n I continued to go up the aisles looking over each table carefully. I passed on the party who was selling the Cafe Storme and Mokarex figures. This party had been selling these figures for the last five years and many seem to be the ones I had seen with him before.\u00a0 I did find two Britains Deetail WWII British items\u00a0I could use for Ebay. The best find was a Herald Lines pamphlet.\u00a0 This two page double sided pamphlet advertised the Herald line before Britains bought it.\u00a0 On the back side it state contact Britains for import. this was a very welcome\u00a0 surprise.<\/strong><\/p>\n I went to the last row and came to the other major dealer in plastic at the show. Rick Eber.\u00a0 Rick had for sale the rare original Marx Ranch kids. Rick had a wide variety of\u00a0 plastic figures. Rick is the one to go to if you are looking for rare character figures like Tales of Welles Fargo Jim Hardy. Rick had playsets and indiviual figures for sale.\u00a0 Rick is know for having the Marx covered wagons for sale in the various colors the Marx did. Most people think Rick has just rare items that is not the case, Rick has many bins with great buys. I was able to pick up from him the 60mm Mar pirates done in Holland, Rel trees and nice group of Marx accessories for resale. On his table he had Chinese Terracotta Warrior in plastic which I bought for $1.00. That figure went into the collection. <\/strong><\/p>\n While I was at Rick Eber’s stand, a collector from my area Mike Curry showed up. Mike lived around where I grew up, but we did not meet until I started my list. Mike had a dark time where he had to sell some of his collection and now that time is over, he is acquired some the items he had to sale. Mike Bought a Marx Battleground in euroipe from Rick. It was fun just standing there and talking about some of the items we have found and about the hobby.<\/strong><\/p>\n One interesting thing I try was to film the Ideal Battle Action piece that Rick had. It was one of the Sniper post and is quite an interesting piece. I have not check video yet and will let you know in a future posting how it went.<\/strong><\/p>\n I left Rick and Mike and headed to the the Figure Exhibit. This is the highlight of the show to se the excellent work that people do from around the world. I have taken some pictures of the exhibits. If you go on some of the forums you will find other pictures of these fine exhibits. Leaving the exhibit I ran into Mark Hegeman and found he had not found anything more. I stopped back at Alan Ford’s table talked some more to him and his wife Betty.\u00a0 I stopped back at Rick’s stand and said my goodbyes. I the ran into Art Echols one of the promoters of the show\u00a0and try to show him the Russian Revolution figures on\u00a0my camera but it was not cooperating. I made one more purchase and headed home.<\/strong><\/p>\n Here are more pictures of Alan’s and Rick’s\u00a0 tables to enjoy<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Alan Table<\/p>\n Here is one of Alan’s $2.00 Bin loaded with Marx figures<\/strong><\/p>\n Alan’s $1.00 Bin of Figures to select from<\/strong><\/p>\n Alan had a bin of Jescan and Reamsa reissues along with Dulcop mixed in for $.50 each. <\/strong><\/p>\n Rick’s Tables<\/strong><\/p>\n The hard to find Ranch Kidsalong with Indians in cream.<\/strong><\/p>\n The Marx Covered Wagons in several different colors<\/strong><\/p>\n Every where you looked in Rick’s Booth He had something. Here are the blister cards for the Ideal Castle and\u00a0 the\u00a0Captain Gallant bag. <\/strong><\/p>\n More from Rick’s table <\/strong><\/p>\n Aclose up of some of the Marx Boy scouts and Bullet<\/strong><\/p>\n A shot of some of the Marx 45mm Pioneers<\/strong><\/p>\n Some of the Marx Character figures<\/strong><\/p>\n Some of the bins that Rick had with great buys <\/strong><\/p>\n A Front view of the Ideal sniper’s nest<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u00a0 The MFCA Show is the oldest toy soldier show in the United States. The show started in 1941 and this year was the\u00a0 71st show.\u00a0 The show has been at various locations over those years. The last few years … Continue reading <\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/a>Notice the German Tank is a chocolate color\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n