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Topic starter
12/09/2021 7:53 am
There’s been a lot of talk and several videos surrounding the formation of the NABCC. I want to take a moment and arrange all the information about the club and the inaugural event being held in Allentown, PA.in one easy-to-manage document. We’re all excited about the way things are going and hope you’ll be able to join the club and attend the event.
So, here are all the details:
The NABCC (North American Brooklin Collectors Club)
- We’re located in North America but have club members all around the world.
- Club dues are $20/year.
- To join, email Brian Vaill at bv@fairpoint.net
- You can send dues to Wood Foss at dwf1@cox.net. Wood accepts PayPal. Contact him before using PayPal.
- There will be a club magazine
- There is a club forum at https://o-gaugeforum.com/board/29/north-american-brooklin-collectors-board
- The club has a Facebook page listed under North American Brooklin Collectors Club (NABCC)
- Forum 43 has a large following of club members as well. You can find it at https://diecast.org/community/1_43/
- Club dues are $20/year.
- The club will have several club models each year, each a limited edition club exclusive.
- This year’s club model will be a ’56 Buick Century convertible in Dover White over Seminole Red with a top-up and top-down feature.
- If you purchase one model, the price will be $195. If you would like multiples, each additional model will be $165. Shipping will be $12/each in the USA, a little more in Canada. Contact Brian or Wood regarding shipping.
- Models going to members living in North America will be sent from Allentown. Shipping for those models will be paid to the club. For those living in the UK and Europe, your models will be shipped from Brooklin. You’ll pay Brooklin for shipping.
NABCC 1
- It will be held at the NB Center for American Automotive Heritage in Allentown, PA.
- Dates are Nov 19 & 20
- Preregistration will be $10 for club members, $20 for non-members. Preregistrations can be sent to Wood Foss. We’ve already heard from several members that are bringing their wives! All guests must be vaccinated according to NB Center policy.
- Doors will open on Friday, Nov 19 at noon.
- Tours of the facility will be conducted at 1:00, 2:30, & 4:00.
- We are arranging a group to go to the America on Wheels Museum and the Mack Truck Museum. Admission to those attractions will be extra.
- Doors to the NB Center close at 5:00
- We’ll arrange a group dinner at a local eatery
- Saturday morning, doors open at 9:00 AM
- There will be a food truck on the premises ready to serve breakfast and lunch. Meals will be extra.
- There will be a few vendors, including Brooklin with displays
- We’ll have an area set up for a swap meet. Bring your models and memorabilia!
- Self-guided tours of the facility and the amazing NB Center collection of vintage cars will be available throughout the day.
- 10:00 AM – rides around the inner course will begin and continue throughout the day. You’ll be riding in classic cars from the NB Center collection.
- 11:00 – Unveiling of the new NB Center line of models from Brooklin. These models will be highly detailed replicas of cars in the NB Center collection and promise to be some of the finest 1/43 white-metal models ever produced.
- The first production run will include six different models, each introduced in front of their 1:1 counterparts.
- A limited number of numbered first edition models will be available for purchase.
- There may be a very limited number of sets of the first six models available.
- 12:00 – We’ll raffle off our first drive! Winners will have the opportunity to drive one of the NB Center cars around the course. A new winner will be chosen every hour through 4:00 PM.
- We’ll have talks throughout the day from experts and well-known names in the hobby including, hopefully, several folks from Brooklin.
- We’re planning an auction of special Brooklin pieces with proceeds going to a local charity. Watch for more details on this.
- Door close at 5:00 PM
- We’ll coordinate casual dinner plans for those staying in town.
- The NB Center is very near the Lehigh Valley International Airport.
- There are several hotels near the airport with a variety of pricing.
- We can help you get to the Center from your hotel. Let us know.
- Some folks are staying at the Holiday Inn Dorneyville ((610) 437-9255)
There will be more details forthcoming. Let me know if you have any questions or comments. You can email me at kuvakas@gmail.com.
John Kuvakas
Warrenton, VA
12/09/2021 9:11 am
Thanks for putting this all in one place! Now we can all see the full picture!
John Kuvakas and John Kuvakas reacted
12/09/2021 12:18 pm
John, you and the other NABCC folks doing the planning for the Allentown event are doing a great job. it should be a very interesting two days. I have still not decided about attending. Thanks for all the updates. Having all the information in the above post is quite helpful.
Ed Davis
Inverness, Illinois, USA
12/09/2021 12:33 pm
@ed-davis You really should go - the opportunity to see the huge NB collection of American cars never before open to the public is only one of the reasons. To see the new Brooklins lined up against their full size prototypes is another; the comradery is a third! I will be driving over from Indy for sure!
12/09/2021 4:07 pm
Wonderful compilation of all of the details, John - many thanks for your effort on this!
John Kuvakas and John Kuvakas reacted
13/09/2021 12:18 pm
Love it, John. Excellent presentation.
13/09/2021 4:43 pm
I am definitely going just to see this collection. I've looked up some info and discovered it's mainly American road cars, mostly 30s -60s with quite a few Buicks. NB is Nicola Bulgari of Bulgari Jewelry who has been collecting and restoring cars for years both here and in Italy and just made the Allentown collection open to the public which is why I never heard of it. I've been looking for car museums in PA/NJ/NY area for years.
Some restorations are done somewhere on-site---it was mentioned that a wood frame for a 30s body was recreated there--but it's not clear if this area can be viewed. Signore NB apparently loves precision machinery, devices, and miniatures, which is what attracted him to Brooklin and SMTS, and the skills of the people there. Implied but not stated, there may be some new high-water marks about to be set in our hobby.
Perhaps some Forum members might arrange to meet at the collection in addition to dinners being planned.
13/09/2021 4:53 pm
@mark-lampariello Thanks for the details. I think the collection is not really 'open to the public'. It will be open to the NABCC (and friends) on these 2 dates. I would assume that it will not be open to the public after that on any regular basis. So better get there while you can! 😉
It will be great fun to meet you and other Forum43-ers there - see ya soon!
Topic starter
14/09/2021 10:21 am
@karl. correct. The collection will never become a museum. However, it will become an event center with precious few events each year. They have had a very limited number of events in the past but have never been open to the general public. Ours will be the first since the lockdowns. We, as a club, will have an ongoing relationship with them as we go forward. To say the least, until now, very few have had the opportunity to see the collection.
We'll have access to the world-class fabrication/repair/restoration shops on Friday. There's a machinery shop, a body shop, an interior/upholstery shop, and a service facility. Those who attend early will get to see them in operation. There will be an opportunity to see the empty shops on Saturday. We'll see most of the collection but not all. The displays in the building are constantly rotated with about half the cars on display at any given time. All are ready to drive at a moment's notice.
It really is quite an amazing place. With the synergy being developed between the NB Center, Brooklin, and the NABCC, we'll have somewhat exclusive access to a very special collection of historic cars. Mr. Bulgari has a passion for classic cars but really loves cars that would have been seen everywhere in their time, not just the high-end classics. He wants to preserve their history and keep them running.
The new collection from Brooklin aims to set a new standard for white-metal models. In a uniquely Brooklin manner, they will do the same thing the NB Center does, preserve the history and heritage of the cars in the collection by providing a highly detailed hand-crafted miniature of that car.
John Kuvakas
Warrenton, VA
14/09/2021 1:47 pm
I'm attempting two name tags for Lynn and me with the Forum43 logo, but it won't be in color.
John Kuvakas and John Kuvakas reacted
02/10/2021 6:28 pm
A friend who makes logo-labels at work showed how easily these are made right in Microsoft Word. Who knew? It stores scores of label templates, including of many of Avery Label's blank stock sizes; she uses #8350 for her conferences, 2 1/3" x 3 3/8".
The logo size below should allow plenty of room for a name, even mine, but I think it can be made a bit smaller, not sure. 'Forum 43' size and font is easily changed. Cost is just 26 bucks for a 160 labels, 20 sheets of 8. Such a deal.
If folks like it I'll have them printed out. To view the logo pages below, first right click on it, then left click on Open Link In New Tab, and it will open as a Word document.
Page with one image:
Page with all 8 images:
David Green and David Green reacted
02/10/2021 10:41 pm
Those look fantastic! I'd wear one!
