June 30, 2017

NEACA Members and Exhibitors,

Our NEACA Rutland, Vermont Gun Show this past weekend worked out well and we will be putting that show on our permanent schedule; lots of very interesting possibilities abound at that location. The public was a bit light but most of us, including yours truly, managed to have a good show. It was also a good advertise-ment for our next Vermont show about 30 miles south in Manchester Center.

We are running quarter page ads in Vermont and in the monthly New Hampshire “outdoors paper” called Hawkeye for our upcoming NEACA shows. Enclosed we have our flier for Manchester Center on July 15 & 16 and we have a room rate of about $135.00 at the Chalet Inn, the lowest you may find for a good room; call 1-802-362-1622 and ask for “Gun Show Rate.” Lots of interest in our shows there at Riley Rink! But we need to hear from those of you who want tables.

We also have enclosed our flier for Watertown Arms Fair on July 29 & 30 at the Fairgrounds where we are just beginning our ads but have had friendly forces bringing fliers and posters up to and posting them on the Military base at Fort Drum. We advertise FREE Admission for all Military Personnel with Current ID. We have room for lots of tables but tables themselves are hard to come by and I have to order what I need very soon. If you want to participate in this show I need a completed application with a deposit … like now. Go to our site at NEACA.com/gun-shows and check out our new Gun Show format.

Old Forge is the following weekend, August 5 & 6, again at Hiltebrant Rec Center next to Waterslide World. This is always a fun show; camp out back with the deer if you wish. Motels at either Watertown or Old Forge have to be found on your own … we have not been able to secure any deals because of them being tourist locales. Again, if you are coming to this show I need to know now so I can confirm a table order.

And then we have Saratoga Springs City Center back on the calendar for Labor Day weekend, September 2 & 3; this will be another GREAT show! And there are a lot more fine shows to come. We are constantly working on new locations and tweaking others. See our enclosed updated show list.

Today, June 30th, is our wedding anniversary … Cathy and I have been married 55 years at just about now; 1PM. There have only been a few days in all of that time I would not like to live over; several in-volve death and one great experience involves a tornado. Looking back, even those sad days simply brought us closer together. But today is still a working day and Cathy told me I can do whatever I want … I want to reach out to all of you and wish you a great upcoming Fourth of July celebration … it can’t get any better than being an American … free, and able to do whatever I want knowing I am next to my best friend. In these days of troubled times just the realization that someone out there is truly your friend … and in my case, partner for over 55 years … is my celebration.

Cathy and I have been promoting Gun Shows for nearly forty years and we see others come and go. We have worked very hard to build what we have with NEACA, New Eastcoast Arms Collectors Associates, and its member group, and we have paid our dues many times over. We lost count of the many dealers we have helped over those years … as we should, generally we wanted or expected nothing in return but perhaps some loyalty … and, for the most part we have earned friendships, or at least some respect, from most of our associates. However, there now seems to be some discourse with a few … even from those who we have helped a lot … and quite frankly, neither of us like it … at all!

Over the past several months we have even stated that we would like to begin our retirement … but on our own terms, not someone else’s … and would have welcomed a legitimate person to work with on our shows and had discussed this with several people. Without going into detail here, because I know word gets around pretty fast in our small group, we do have a special show date coming up where you folks have a choice to make; do you stay with a proven business and continue with us, hopefully as a NEACA Member, or jump to another flash in the pan; the current “whistling willy” believes he has a grudge and we think he is wrong. Telling a little old man what his gun should be worth is hardly a major crime. If that fellow was your father I would deserve praise from you; but really low-balling is something entirely unacceptable to me.

Those of you who believe this new flash could do a better job at one of my current locations can jump in the pot with him. Those who think things thru for the long term will hopefully stay with Cathy and I and be with us for future shows … the others can try to keep their own little pot warm. There are those who gave me bad checks, heard my displeasure at being a “no show” without proper payment and some who I just did not accept as proper for my shows … so, I guess, there will be an immediate following for anyone who wants them. You make your own decision on who you want to go forward with and live with it.

That all said, we sincerely hope to see YOU ALL at our next shows … especially in Old Forge, a spe-cial show date for us … where our continuing group of exhibitors can congratulate Cathy on being able to survive with me for so long a time! We hope you enjoy the holiday; perhaps we will see you in Allentown. Bring us your applications??? Thanks, Cathy & Dave.