Message from the President June 2022
July Brings the Big Convention
Hello, dear member! I hope that this issue of The Carnival Pump finds you happy, healthy and ready to go out and take on the world (well, a few antique malls and a carnival glass convention or five, anyway). Things are looking up this year and more people are heading back to the conventions to enjoy fun with friends, family and that beautiful glass we all love. And of course, we have a fantastic opportunity for you at the ICGA convention July 13-16th at the Holiday Inn Airport West Earth City, in Earth City (site of so many carnival glass auctions through the years), Missouri.
Aptly titled “Electric!”, the convention is bound to bring a bunch of electricity for carnival lovers. We have what is looking to be an amazing and electrifying “Electric!” Display room (featuring some amazing glass, including yours if you would like to contact Carl and Eunice Booker with your list, see this issue for more information). The goal is to walk into the room and be taken by the beautiful quality of electric carnival glass.
We have two seminars on Thursday (Galen and Kathi Johnson will educate you in a fun way, and Mike Hendren is bringing the premier collection of Shriners to show and discuss), a Seeck auction on Thursday night, plus our pizza party and more.
On Friday, we get the Electric! Seminar, and the banquet will feature the newest amazing multimedia carnival glass show by Bill and Kenda Jeske. If you haven’t seen one of the Jeske masterpieces, be prepared to be truly dazzled as they are always so wonderful, fun (and funny!) and very enlightening!
On Saturday, the big show begins. The collection of Don Clark will be auctioned and there are SO MANY amazing pieces being sold, you will literally have a problem choosing all the ones you want to shower with bids. Luckily, Barb and Don Chamberlain went to visit the Seecks and snapped a proverbial ton of pictures of the many pieces being sold (a special preview for all of you before the official listing and pictures come out). Which one do you think will go the highest? Which one do you think will start the big bidding war?
It’s funny because Don was involved in so many bidding wars (especially against Carlton Tarkington) during his many years collecting carnival. He will definitely be missed and was such a large personality in carnival. I imagine during the auction I will hear some Don Clarkisms in my head as the bidding begins. And when I start laughing loudly in the middle of bidding, I am sure no one will think that’s weird, LOL!
Now these are the “official” events of the convention, but as you should well know, there are so many more things that happen. Room sales and room displays are always a draw. Chatting with friends and new friends during the convention is one of the biggest reasons that people have been attending conventions for more than fifty years. The people behind the hobby are the single unifying thing that has kept carnival glass as a tremendous collectible (and hobby) for so many people.
It’s amazing to think that when carnival glass collecting first took off, there were so few conventions, but many groups of people who would start out going from one collector’s home to the next each month, or even in the case of Marion Hartung and others, they would put together random weekend get togethers at a hotel and everyone would share their glass, people would buy or sell pieces, and a few dinners of fun with friends would occur. Ah, to go back to such a fun time.
But in the meantime, we will continue to throw our own get togethers, equally as fun, and now with the added excitement of a super auction included. I am looking forward to having a great time with you and bidding against you in July! Let the big convention begin!! Stay well!
Brian
