Chicago Show - Part 2

Picking up from my last post, we all headed out to Aurelio's Pizza for dinner on Saturday night. While herding cats would have been easier than getting 20+ hungry (maybe even hangry) car guys to agree on a plan, Tom got the group focused and we were off. Soon, there was more than enough pizza to go around while everyone talked about their day's purchases. Thanks for coordinating all of that, Tom (and for taking the picture, too).

Day 2 started at the semi-annual collectors show across the street at the union hall. Doors opened at 10 but I didn't get through the entrance until 10:20 because of the long line (a good sign for the hobby) and the very busy show floor.

Just inside the door was the Forum hospitality table with the venerable John and Kelly Kuvakas. It cannot be underestimated how important it's been for our hobby that John stepped up in the way he has. Much of the credit for the resurgence experienced this weekend has been due to his hard work. He's connected with the major makers. He and Kelly are producing video reviews to bring awareness to new releases. And he's making sure we all have a great time pursuing this hobby. Thank you, John and Kelly.

John was also instrumental in inviting the very popular Sergio Goldvarg to the show. Sergio was up front with his tempting table full of prototypes. He's still making some small adjustments to them (his eye is waaaaay more discerning than mine) but most of these should be hitting the market in the next 60-90 days.

These Crosleys are on the top of my list. And they generated a lot of interest from passersby.

One of the great things that was really confirmed this weekend is what a genuine person Sergio is. I think we've all kinda known it, or even had an positive experience where he stepped in to make something right when a model arrived broken or (on the very rare occasion) missing a part. But spending time around him on Saturday and Sunday proved he's a collector for collectors. His enthusiasm for making models we want was on full display the whole time. He considers every comment, every wish list model someone wants him to make, and sets a very high bar with the three factories that produce his line of models. And this stuff that's coming will knock your socks off. The color choices, the level of detail... it's what we dream of... at least I do. He's got a lot more models in the works so stay tuned!

But Sergio wasn't the only maker represented at the show today. We were blessed to have everybody's favorite white metal guy there (Buz Kirkel) with a selection of WMCE and Conquest models of his making. Nothing was debuted at this show but he promises there are some new models in the pipeline.

Greg Gunn was there (with his three Dodge wagons from his new resin line). Greg had some great deals on stuff I simply couldn't walk away from. I picked up an Automodello Duesenberg, a Pete Kenna Hereford woody, and an audacious Minimarque Duesenberg in colors so vibrant you would have thought John Kuvakas might have painted it.

Greg is here with the woody. The guy on the right was looking at it and said, "I'll think about it" and stepped to the side. I couldn't get my money in Greg's hands fast enough.

Then there's Jim Cowen at Automodello. His approach is a bit broader with some exacting models in a variety of scales. His newest stuff was larger than 1:43... He was showing off a couple prototypes and taking pre-orders on these larger Buick beauties. A third color option is in the works.

No trip to the show would be complete without a stop to drool at the jewels presented by Mikhail Bashmasknikov. This guy (pictured left) was really eyeing Mikhail's Duesenberg 20 Grand.

Tom and Dale were there with some great stuff, including previews of those special GLMs that are now ready for pre-order.

Of course, there was Jeff Lane (our 1/43 host from yesterday) with his newly assembled Ford wagons as well as some other high end models that he's decided to part with...

You'll notice Frank was there, too (above photo, far left). He said he was thinning his collection but I'm not sure how much he really wanted to part with some of best pieces. And Harvey had some models out. One in particular really stopped my heart - that red woody wagon. I have it in black already, but boy did it sing in red. But after yesterday's tire incident on the 80/90 toll road (and this morning's tire replacement at Goodyear) I wasn't in a spending mood. I know I'll regret it later.

Rex was back with some outstanding Ilario and Top Marques models. I got the Rolls Aerocar from him last fall (a holy grail of mine).

But the absolutely coolest thing had to be what I saw as I was preparing to leave. At the Forum table, there was a spot dedicated to Vlad Sorokolat, the Ukrainian maker of EMC models. His 1961 Cadillac Jacqueline Coupe was offered at a special price with the Kuvakases ensuring that every dollar gets to Vlad quickly while he's trying to stabilize from the Russian invasion of his country. What you see here is a show attendee named Bohdan, a fellow Ukrainian, who stopped to buy a model to support Vlad. I don't think he was there for 1:43 stuff, but he wanted to help someone out. Kelly shared that the company Bohdan worked for has been actively raising money for Ukrainian relief (as has the Kuvakases' church). 

A lot of great stories were shared, laughs were had, and bonds were strengthened. But that moment of seeing how our hobby comes together to help someone else out in a time of need really made an impact. 

I hope everyone had a great time and makes it home safely!