SUNDAY - COUNTRYSIDE COLLECTORS CLASSIC SHOW
While the weather was gray and chilly, the temperature inside the Countryside Union Hall was warm and inviting as the sold out room saw lots of activity. Many of the dealers from the day before were there with expanded items, some in other scales, as well as lots of other automobilia sellers.
Tom Stoka, an avid orphan car collector and dealer, returned to Countryside with a hard-to-find Highway Travelers 1951 Frazier Manhattan in garden green metallic that I had to have to complete the family of colors of this model.
The always smiling Kelly Kuvakas welcomed folks to the 1/43 hospitality table with lots of Brooklin, GLM, and Stamp models to check out.
Charlie, Jim, and Howie were back with a few more items on their tables, including some 1/24 offerings.
Jeff and Buz tried to guess this scale and Buz had it to show at his booth.
Greg Gunn always has the rare and hard-to-find stuff. He was also gracious in helping me fix some spoiled chrome foiling on a Conquest wagon I have. He's a master!
I also picked up a couple cool pieces from Frank as he focuses on slimming down his collection.
It was a very full show with lots to see and buy!
At the end of the day, though, it's really about the friendships made and renewed over a period of several days. We all come from different walks of life and different experiences that shape our view, but we all find commonality in our chosen hobby. Once again, it was great sharing the weekend with you, swapping stories, and encouraging each other on our search for the next great models for our collections. Until next year!
Terrific coverage and photos!!
Randy, thanks for show pictures.
Ed Davis
Inverness, Illinois, USA
Thanks again Randy, nicely done! Looks like another great show and good times! 😀 😀
Thanks Randy. Nice to see friends having fun with little cars.
Great summaries, Randy. I know this was a lot of work. Thanks!
Clearly, we all had a great time proving to ourselves, once again, that the models are awesome, but the people we share the hobby with are even more amazing!
John Kuvakas
Warrenton, VA
Nice photo essay on the show. Always great to the people from the forum and all the ,models. I only wish I was closer than 2100 miles away.
I wish I was closer too. I'd have been there in a heartbeat.
Steve
Thanks Randy. Every year I eagerly look forward to your excellent photos and reports.
2,100 miles is quite a distance to travel within the USA. Just for fun I found out that Wainwright, Alaska to Chicago is just over a 1,000 more miles at 3,122 miles! Me being to the east of the pond in Nottingham, England I am 3,861 miles from Chicago!
Autominologist residing in the Robin Hood County
Nottinghamshire England UK
@randyrusk Hey Randy - many thanks for the report and photos. Looks like everyone had a fun time.
Autominologist residing in the Robin Hood County
Nottinghamshire England UK
Great summaries Randy! Here is My Take: https://www.maronline.org.uk/chicago-weekend-2025/
Not collecting Brooklins anymore, it is still nice to see they get displayed so nicely.
With us, there are practically gone .....or sold by the kilogramme.
I notice a shift towards the smaller-than-1:43-scales, which is not really to my liking.
Nice to see all the familiar faces! Maybe I will be able to come next year; should be easier when Illinois becomes a Province of Canada.















