MAX SHOW  2015 REVIEW

Well, I know you’d all be clamoring to hear what I had to say but I never thought I’d get nearly 200 phone calls and emails since we returned on Sunday the 4^th. Some who attended and many who did not, were all anxious to hear how the show went. Let me say this about the show. It should be called the NEW MAX. That’s right, after 30 years under the leadership of MAX Promotions, Inc, the new owners have breathed a new energy and enthusiasm into this annual event. Under the sound management of the Ohio Valley Military Society (OVMS), I am confident that the future is very bright regarding the success of this show. They are a non-profit organization and so they have an entirely different philosophy. Tables were less expensive, entry costs were less and all MAX show members automatically became OVMS members and vice-versa. It’s a win-win situation not only for the public, but also for the members and dealers.

Read on …. I’m sure you’ll agree with me!

This is the seventh year in the new Monroeville Convention Center and the show will return here again in early October 2016. I believe everyone will agree with me that this is BY FAR the best venue, especially if you were in the front hall, of any location we have ever been. The lighting is very good, the aisles spacious. The concrete floors are hard on your feet so you need to wear appropriate footwear. The location is easy to find, the parking is ample but one needs to be very careful to park in designated areas or risk being towed. There are numerous hotels and restaurants within short driving distance. The Doubletree Hotel is right next door, and it was convenient and not overly expensive. There are numerous other less expensive hotels in the area, and the airport in Pittsburgh is not that far but still a costly taxi ride.

The OVMS staff is exploring potential new locations after their contract with the Monroeville Convention Center is up in 2016. They hope to move the show closer to the east coast where there is a higher population and collector base. I am all in favor of that as it might be a shorter ride for us. However, no matter where it’s held, the Ruptured Duck team will be in attendance.

The entire OVMS Staff was very familiar with the ins and outs of the MAX show because many of them are long term attendees. They reconfigured the hall in order to fit more tables. This meant a lot of dealers were moved from their previous location. The majority of dealers liked the new set up better. There were some who disliked it because they felt the change made it more difficult for their customers to find them. I recommended these dealers talk with the management and voice their concerns.

The entire staff, from the management to the security guards, was friendly and cooperative and deserves a big pat on the back for a job well done! I felt from start to the finish that they were in our court and went out of their way to make this a good experience, not only for the dealers who filled the tables at the Convention Center to full capacity, but also for the public who did attend. We had an 11 hour drive down from Massachusetts due to rain, traffic and construction. We made it back in a little over 10 hours so overall our journey was without event.

I have never missed a MAX Show in the 31 years since it started and have every intention of continuing to support this show, as it is still a vital part of the hobby. I totally encourage those of you who have stopped going to the MAX for one reason or another or who have never attended a MAX show to plan on attending next year. If you need additional encouragement or have a question, call us!

Speaking of Attendance, it was light, but I am sure it was better than last year.  Friday was the busier of the two days, however Saturday was steady.  The OVMS mandates that dealers continue to do business until 4 PM and are not allowed to begin packing. I am totally in favor of this because we need to be fair to attendees who, in many cases, drive or fly long distances to attend this show. It takes a long time to walk around the entire show and it is not fair to collectors to see a mass exodus taking place right before their very eyes. OVMS will enforce this so as an attendee you can count on the halls being filled with dealers right until 4 PM on Saturday.

Once again, I know the people who did come were pleased by the variety, quality and quantity of the items being offered. I had a number of collectors show me items they bought at this MAX Show that really were bargains! Many times they said they were able to pick up an item for their collection.

I was pleased that I had the opportunity to spend a little extra time with collectors, so it turned out to be beneficial from that standpoint.

Sales were brisk and on a par with the last few years! Once again, thanks to the beauty of the internet, several of my customers asked me to bring items to the show. This certainly helped.  It was great to see a number of my customers, and meet a few new ones. Because of the unfavorable exchange rate, there were fewer Europeans, Russians and Asians than in past years. This is understandable and who knows what the future holds in this regard.

Purchases were also decent. Once again, even though I honestly did not have the time to wander the aisles at all, I did manage to get myself in trouble on a few occasions. I was selective in what I bought but there is plenty that you will see with upcoming updates on the site, so stay tuned!

My Staff consisted of the always present Dave MacKinnon, as well as my son Patrick, now a seasoned veteran of his seventh MAX Show. Also along to his 4^th MAX show was my staff photographer, Jeff Demers. If you are looking for a professional photographer to shoot one piece or your entire collection for a very reasonable rate, please contact Jeff. He brings new meaning to “Have camera, will travel!”. Just take a look at the photos on my website to see what I mean. A young and very enthusiastic collector, Ethan Lascelles, was on hand for his first tour of duty for a MAX Show. He will be part of our team for the foreseeable future. My dear friend, Mike Vanuga LTC USMC (ret.) returned to the scene for the first time since 2009 and was very helpful. My good pal and other adopted son, Kevin Bourgeois, rounded out the Ruptured Duck team.

Be sure to scope out the variety of pictures we snapped during our weekend!

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Until next year....