Little Rhody 2017 Bit Hit even with the Weather

The 2017 Little Rhody Bottle Show was a hit even though they had almost blizzard conditions the day before.

by Jim Bender

16 January 2017

I was able to make the trip to Taunton, Massachusetts on January 8th for the Little Rhody Bottle Show even though there was almost a blizzard the day before. I had been watching the weather all day Saturday and the East coast was getting pounded by high winds and heavy snows in the Cape Cod region.

I knew this would mean trouble for the people who were planning on attending the Little Rhody 46th annual show.

I had been planning for weeks on going but was getting a bit worried about the storm. It takes a lot to stop me from getting to a show. I had asked good friend Jim Healy to ride shot gun with me and knew Jim would trust my decision on to go or not. So late Saturday night it looked like the storm had moved out to sea and I was good to go. I picked Jim up early and we hit the road not really knowing what we would find once we arrived. The ride to show was clear sailing other than road spray which covered the windshield every few miles. Good thing I filled the washer fluid!

Once we arrived I could see the bottle show sign sitting atop a snow bank as you entered the Holiday Inn parking lot just off of Myles Standish Boulevard. You have to love the what people in our hobby do to keep it going. The parking lots were plowed and all was well.

Once inside I ran into Bill Rose the show chairman who told me he was getting calls all night asking if the show was going on. As Bill told me, “once you pay for everything there is no turning back.” Bill and his wife do a great job with this show and there is always a great turn-out. That is why we are very lucky to have Bill handling the local promotions for the FOHBC 2017 Springfield National Convention. Bill knows how to get the local people in the door.

The showroom was crowed and just about all the 50-plus dealers made the trip. I few did not because of the weather. That was something anyone could understand. Truthfully I was surprised how many people were there knowing they had 10″ of snow and high winds the night before.

The crowd seemed steady all day and I got to visit with many friends and collectors mostly about the Springfield National which is selling at a record pace and should be a killer time for all.

Complete contracts were printed in the last issue of Bottles and Extras. Although it does appear we will be making one change. Due to the large interest in the Battle of Springfield bottle competition, it appears we may have out-grown our room at the hotel and will be moving that event down to the MassMutual Center where all other events are being held. Keep watch for more details.

Jim Healy and I both found things for our collections at the show. I love the Little Rhody Show and the people of that club. If you would like to join the Little Rhody Bottle Club (LBRC) check out their web site at littlerhodybottleclub.org.

Next year, weather permitting, plan on attending the little Rhody Show.

Super photo. Sitting down, left to right is David Thatcher and David Curenton. Standing left to right is Mark Thatcher (David’s brother) and Bill Rose club President, Treasurer, Secretary and Show Chairman.