Announcement: Ohio Gun Collectors Association to host engravers

[BrianPowley]

Initial talks are started with The Ohio Gun Collectors Association to set up 20-25 tables for engravers/gunmakers at the July 21 & 22, 2012 meeting in Wilmington, Ohio (Between Dayton & Cincinnati)
I'm hearing tables might be as low as $35.00 for the weekend.
The Ohio Gun Collectors Association (OGCA) is probably the largest private gun association in the country with over 15,000 members.
Their shows usually have 800 to 1000 tables and are always well attended.
Anybody interested?

 

[Ray Cover]

You know Brian if the tables are that cheap I may attend to promote the engraving school here. Heck I may put out a few items and pics for display as well.

I'm interested. I can't do the Blade Show again this year because of a scheduling conflict and Ohio isn't' that far away from me. Let me consider it for a few days.

Ray

 

[JJ Roberts]

Brian,I may be inerested,need more information.J.J.

 

[BrianPowley]

I'll spoon out the info as it becomes available.
I do realize there's a really nice show about to start in Reno and a bunch won't get this until next week, so I'll keep it up to date.
OGCA has shows (meetings) 6 times a year---every other month.
Since OGCA is a membership only association, their meetings are not open to the public. But trust me...it is very well attended.
Roger Bleile, Joe Rundell, Sandy Brady can vouch for that.
Stay tuned.............

 

[pilkguns]

I confirmed my name for the one of the tables last week.

It is a very VERY V E R Y nice show if you are interested in collectable firearms. One of the best in the country. It is in my opinion,the kind of show that FEGA should be satelliting with to promote engraving to those collectors who already appreciate that engraving enhances the value of the firearms.

 

[BrianPowley]

Good to hear that Scott! Thanks!
One of my favorite and true stories I love to tell is from the very first time I had a table at OGCA.
A man I never met before came up to me, placed two Colt Woodsman .22 pistols on my table, handed me $600.00 in cash and his business card and said ,"Call me when you run out of my money."

 

[BrianPowley]

....and as a further enticement: The numbers are out for the OGCA October 2011 Show that Tira Mitchell, Sandy Brady and myself attended:
Over 1900 people came through the doors that weekend!

 

[JJ Roberts]

Brian,Who do I send the check to for a table ? J.J.

 

[BrianPowley]

JJ...Right now, I really don't know, but I'll keep you all posted on the details as they unfold, ok?

 

[Roger Bleile]

Joe Rundell has been coordinating the show with OGCA leadership. When he gets all of the details settled he will pass on the correspondence to me and I will post it. When we did the show last year the tables were free and they made arraingements for the non-member engravers to get in and set up.

My experience with the show is similar to Brian's. Carl and I started working the OGCA in 1976 when we were both full time engravers. We got enough work to keep us busy despite the fact that several other engravers were also working the show. Besides Carl and I there was Tony Tuscano, J.R. French, Sam Kinamuchi, Jim Bick, Jeff Flannery, Ray Viramontez, and Earl Bertrand. Because of a change of Columbus city ordnances the show moved to Brook Park near Cleveland causing the membership to decline. After they moved to Wilmington the membership boomed again but Brian is the only engraver doing the show with any regularity. Nevertheless, Jeff, Carl, Jim Demunck, and I often visit the show without a table just to network.

Let me emphasize that this is not a show full of AK47s, AR15s, 870s, and survival gear. Many of the top collectors and dealers are at every show and a walk through is like going to a gun museum. A couple of shows back a Michigan police agency presented a display and seminar of two Thompson sub-machineguns that are documented to the St. Valentine's day massacre.

Last year our engravers display was held in conjunction with the OGCA's annual display show. This year it will be connected to the organization's 75th anniversary show. Last year's show was attended by Joe Rundell, David Riccardo, Arron Pursely, Scott Pilkington, Mike Dubber, Carl Bleile, and myself as well as a few engravers who didn't set up a display.

I have sold quite a few copies of American Engravers to collectors at the OGCA which indicates to me the interest in what we do.

More to follow.

Roger

 

[BrianPowley]

Roger, I couldn't have said it better.
BTW...When we were in Cleveland last October, Tony Tuscano stopped by. It was nice to meet him.

 

[D.Riccardo]

Sounds like fun, count me in.
Dave

 

[BrianPowley]

Talked to Joe Rundell last night and he has all but nailed down our invitation to Ohio Gun Collectors.
Joe said he will talk to Roger Bleile about all of the particulars.
To avoid confusion, I will let Roger make the announcement about the details, etc.,etc.
Looks like there's at least 15 engravers committed to the show.