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Old 01-07-15, 02:58
rob love rob love is offline
carrier mech
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Shilo MB, the armpit of Canada
Posts: 7,517
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Derk Derin, Myself, and another friend drove down for the Thursday morning opening, and stayed until Saturday afternoon. I have to say I was a little disappointed in the convention. Many of the major dealers were not there. Wallce Wade was not there, so no tires, tubes and flaps. TNW Murray was not there, so no M151A2 parts. Beachwood Canvas was not there, so no canvas items. I am pretty sure there were at least 50 tables still empty, and that was after some dealers spread their stuff out to try and use up the real estate.

Even the barn out back had minimal vendors in it. But they are truly the gem of these shows. Some of the guys just brought in boxloads of stuff and did not want to take it home again. I got a NOS Ford carrier distributor (no coil or caps, but with points and rotor) for $40, and one of the WW2 US spotlights, NOS, for only $40. Also got a decent WW2 Cdn/Brit stretcher for $40.

Other highlights were John Bizal (Midwest Military) who brought me some pre-ordered items, RAPCO, from whom I bought the usual pallet of paint, and Rod Shaver for the Bren carrier track pins. Brian Asbury was there of course, so it was good talking to him and neat to see some of the treasures he still has for the CMPs and M-series.

Just like a gun show, some dealers started out with outrageous prices, and by the end of the show were willing to deal. I got one of the European repro Ramsey winches for my M38A1 for around half the initial asking price by dealing at the last minute. I didn't hardball the fellow, and told him I would have no hard feelings if he turned down my offer, but with the exchange rates we Canadians have to pay for US dollars, the offer was as much as I was going to pay.

I may miss out on next years California show as it is too far a drive, and I think someone told me they were going to have the 2017 show in Kentucky, so that one may be out as well. Hopefully it ends up in the midwest again for 2018.....I'll be running out of paint by then.
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