FOHBC Show, Reno - NV, 2012

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The FOHBC alternates the location of its annual expositions between sites on the East coast, Midwest, and West coast. Since writing my last full show report from Pomona, CA in 2009, the expo has visited Wilmington, OH (2010 - I think Wilmington counts as "East coast", although I don't remember seeing the Atlantic on that trip. Maybe the FOHBC organizers thought that there's only one Wilmington - the one in DE), Memphis, TN (2011), and this year it was back out west with a return visit to Reno, NV.

I hadn't made it to any shows in 2011 because of other commitments, but I'd already been Baltimore show this year (I didn't have time to write up a report back in March, but the Baltimore show proved to be one of the best shot-fests I've ever attended) and I was determined to make it to Reno in July to reconnect with old friends.

The Federation has been embroiled in internal wrangling and power struggles this past few years, which has been reflected in both the quality of its monthly magazine (Bottles and Extras) and its organizational efforts. Ralph Van Brocklin (thegenuineflask on eBay) had rejuvenated the dismal little magazine during his tenure as FOHBC president and turned it into a high-quality, highly-informative, glossy publication that attracted readers from many different collecting fields. Sadly, it's now declining back into a self-congratulatory comic-book that USPS seems to delight in mangling before it dropping it into my P.O. Box.

The Reno show similarly seemed to be organizationally-challenged and was notable mainly for the number of thefts that occurred during its three-day run. And that was the other thing - FOHBC shows usually start on a Saturday with an early-buyer session, and they close on a Sunday after a day of general admission.

The Reno show began with an early bird session on Friday July 27, meaning that many working collectors could not attend. A three-day event also seemed interminably long. Despite this, it was a very large and well-attended show and I spent many hours chatting with sellers and several eBay competitors, and returned home with a satisfyingly full case of shot glasses. I also got to visit with Bob Mraz and Steve Abbott, both of whom live within a couple of hours of Reno, and whose collections will be featured in the pages that follow!

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