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GI Joe Con AAR

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  • GI Joe Con AAR

    2018 GIJoe Collector's Club Final Convention and AAR

    Anyone who has followed the Trenches or my family for any amount of time know that I will always write a review of a show or event we attended in the hobby. This one will be bittersweet as it marks the end of Brian Savage's Official GI Joe Collectors Club Conventions. Setting the stage, my family and I went to our first convention in 1998 in San Antonio. Afterwards, we only missed 5 or so. His shows were always well planned and well executed with some hick ups along the way which I will not elaborate.

    Chattanooga? Why versus why not. Chattanooga was a wonderful setting for the show with a bevy of excellent restaurants within walking distance of the show. The event center had a food service set up in the lobby and there was no reason to go hungry. But why Chattanooga? To my knowledge there is no tie in to the city within Joe Lore (Springfield as an example) but I don't think I folks were complaining. Especially the scenic drive thru the mountains. A head scratching choice, but a pleasant surprise none the less. The logical choice for his last show in my opinion would have been Texas, since that is where Fun Publications is from, but gladly took a mountain view over tumbleweeds any day. We did not get the chance to stay in any of the three Convention hotels. We delayed getting our reservations and settled for a Holiday Inn Express walking distance from the show. (For half the price of the Marriott might I add) I cannot vouch for the rooms at the Marriott, but the Holiday Inn rocked!

    The night we got in town, Char and I went to grab a quick dinner and were accosted by a little boy about 12 years old who out of the blue shared a story of the parachute drop saying "middle aged adults were shoving little kids out of their way". This was always a problem in my opinion, but at least he got one. He pulled it from his pocket and showed it to us, so proud of his conquest. Good for him, and shame on adult collectors who through their actions left the wrong impression on what could have been a young collector.

    The Show itself was well attended and packed with a lot of product. Naturally it was geared more for the RAH collector but at the end of the day, there was plenty to find and great deals to be had. We only spent a small amount of time on the sales floor. As a result I only picked up a few items, but they were good quality items. I picked up three talking AT Commanders. One talks okay, one needs some tweaking and one does not work at all. I figure I would go ahead and use the one as a basis to try to teach myself how to fix these. It just interests me. . .not starting a business by any stretch of the imagination. Also picked up a talking Muscle Body Commander uniform variation I did not have and a white astro jumpsuit that was so dirty it looked like a faded pilot jump suit. I also picked up a PH Marine. Got him home and discovered he was wearing a japan tagged shirt and carded pants. Lastly, I got the "As seen on TV" Marine, Pilot and Sailor. Didn't get the show set, or anything from the make a deal bins, but did see some great deals come from there.

    Went to several of the seminars, Barry Kay had another fantastic AT inspired discussion, Also his fellow Pod Cast mates Dave and Tod also had a seminar. It would be interesting to know that after all these years, I NEVER knew that Dave and Tod got nods on the Meijers Joes. The highlight was Derryl's seminar with the one off Hasbro prototypes. It was amazing to see the mink Deep Freeze as well as the Denim cowboy (Hasbro Japan tagged items BTW). My favorite was the prototype KAR 98 for the German storm trooper. Kurt Groen and Larry Selman's seminar was awesome with concepts sketches and stories. Talked with Kurt Groen in length about our memories of him. Kurt as you may be aware did the first para drop with a Golden Knight. I was with him when he took it off the sales floor way back when. Was tickled to see him with it during his seminar. I don't think anyone had more fun than Kurt this weekend.

    It was interesting to see the people we have watched grow up at the show bringing in their new families. We saw folks we recall as children, with their children who had the same wide eyed stares we remembered the older versions had oh so many years ago. We hung with our pals mostly. Laughed and cried, and shared stories. I won't name names of who all we ran into but want to say there were notable absences as well. (But our paths will cross soon enough) I am sad that this was the last Hasbro sponsored GI Joe convention of its kind. Brian gave us some cool toys and cooler friends. I cherish every memory of his shows and have a long list of friends to show for it. Had you told me in 1964 that at aged 60 I would be laughing with the lead guy of Hasbro about GI Joe I would have told you that you were nuts. We did that and more. We rubbed elbows of Hasbro staff past and present and can honestly say, through Brian, I have met and shook hands with the entire brain trust of my favorite toy. That nobody can take from me.

    Charlotte and I were fortunate enough to be interviewed by the Regular Joes and on my drive home my mind raced thinking I should have said this, I should have said that. 20 years of memories are hard to condense. What I forgot to touch on was the old dinners where folks won centerpieces that were factory VSP's. Or Casino night the time in KC where I owned the black jack table and bought almost everything from the auction, just to give it to kids. Or mostly, the mosh pits!

    Through these shows I have met, Buzz Aldrin, Rowdy Roddy Piper, Sgt Slaughter, Jim Wallwork and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje to name a few. My family has seen Washington DC, The Alamo, WWII Museum, and have strolled the decks of a US Battleship. Once while on staff I climbed into Joe Nemechek's GI Joe race car and had my finger on the start switch before the handler changed his mind about me moving it. It took me a minute to get out of that car, my adrenaline was so spiked. I could go on. . . We have celebrated births and mourned deaths of friends. It was more than a show to us, it was a family reunion. These shows will be missed by our house hold.

    Fortunately, when one door closes another seems to open. Joe Lanta (Toy Lanta) continues to grow and has become the annual pilgrimage. Also, Steve Stovall's Kentuckiana show is just getting traction and in my opinion is a must attend show. I guess what I am saying is, just because the club is no longer having their event, does not mean that it is death to the hobby. The two shows I mentioned are perfect examples of events that can easily fill the void. I salute Brian and the Fun Publications staff. I wish them all well in wherever the wind takes them. Maybe we will see them post more on-line,since they have this time on their hands now.

    It was a fun ride
    - Scott
    PH and Proud
    Bulletmann - Hyatta
    See photos of my collection on my Pinterest Page https://www.pinterest.com/scottbeckmann/gi-joe/
  • #2

    Very well done, Scott! Thanks for the introspective AAR!

    Comment

    • #3

      A fascinating insight, nice Joe pickups!
      Fall in A, fall in B, fall in all the company!

      Comment

      • #4

        Got two of the Joes completed, both talking commanders, The one in the orange jumpsuit is all original pictured here nude. The one in the Smoke Jumper outfit was wearing a orange SCUBA that had fused to his body I had to chip off. He is pictured wearing a traditional commanders uniform. The nude figure in the group shot is actually a talking MOA that someone did a head swap on. He needs a bit more TLC before I will get him back together.
        - Scott
        PH and Proud
        Bulletmann - Hyatta
        See photos of my collection on my Pinterest Page https://www.pinterest.com/scottbeckmann/gi-joe/

        Comment

        • #5

          They both look great Scott!

          Comment

          • #6

            Good work, as usual, Scott! Huzzah!

            Comment

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