As always, as you arrive, you are greeted by friendly volunteers.

Merrimack Show hits its 42nd Year

10 September 2016

Last Sept. 4, Linda and I attended the Merrimack Valley Antique Bottle Club’s 42nd annual show and sale (Visit MVABC.org). This was the third year for the club to hold its show at the Westford (Mass.) Regency Inn and Conference Center located at 219 Littleton Road.

This is a very nice location and as clean and well kept as it gets. Spotless is the best word for this place. The show contacts this year were Gary Koltookian, Cliff Hoyt and Maureen Crawford. Maureen was one of the co-chairs of the great FOHBC 2013 Manchester National Antique Bottle Show. Clearly, Manchester has set the stage for the 2017 Springfield National Antique Bottle Convention and Expo.

You ever hear people say they need more signs? No problem here!

Sign welcoming you to the show.

The Merrimack Valley show had just over 60 sales tables and was heavily supported by club members. I am not sure how many came through the door but was told it was over 200. It is always nice to run into the same people from the Northeast always doing their part to support the hobby. My hats off to you guys and you are what makes the hobby strong.

I have to mention something that has been bugging me and I had it happen again a few times at this show. As I walked around handing out promo cards and contracts to dealers asking them to join us at Springfield, I had a few dealers tell me their bottles were not good enough for an FOHBC National Show. I have to stop right there and say that a FOHBC National Convention and Expo is for everyone. We want bottles from fifty cents to fifty thousand dollars. These shows are not just for bottles that cost a lot of money. These shows are events for friends to get together and enjoy the hobby.

Many times, people off the street come in and check out the bottles. Many buy a bottle for a dollar or five dollars just because it is interesting. That is what builds the hobby. I once had the hobby described to me as a pyramid. The high dollar collectors are the point of the pyramid and are very few. The mid range collectors are in the middle and the base collectors are at the bottom and are the strength of the hobby. If you look at it that way, there are a lot more at the base of the hobby than at the point. So the next time you think your bottles are not good enough, remember you are the base of the hobby and you are what the hobby is built on.

Enjoy the photos of the Merrimack Show and we will see you All in Springfield.

Jim Bender,
FOHBC Historian and co-chair, 2017 Springfield National Show.

SPRINGFIELD INFO & DEALER PACKET HERE

A comfortable room full of nice antique bottle.

Another view of the bottle room.

Like a lot of shows do now, there are free bottles for the younger collectors just getting started.

Greg Bair busy visiting with a fellow collector.

Jack Pelletier (right), the “Bininger Man” and Lex Lim enjoying the show together.

Mark Dumond always supporting a show in the New England area.

As always, Mike George had some beautiful bottles for sale.

Robert French had some great bottles for sale.

Matt King, a friendly face always seen at New England shows.

I collected Union flasks for years and never ran into one of these later ceramic flasks.

When I saw this great Warner’s Map for sale by Cliff Hoyt my mind went back to the killer display in California this year put up by Mike and Kathie Craig.

Paul Tutko of Danver, Massachusetts watching over his table. I ran into Paul a few weeks ago in Sacramento at the National. Paul gets around, great job supporting the hobby.