Tom Mathazy, Pittsburg, Penn.
Review and Photos by R. Scudder Smith
ALLENTOWN, PENN. – Ask any devoted toy collector to rattle off his or her favorite days of the year and it is a safe bet that the first Saturday of November will be mentioned. That day has been for years the day of the Allentown Antique Toy Show & Sale, and on November 3 this event celebrated its 40th anniversary.
For years this show has been under the management of David Bausch, who not only makes sure things are running smoothly, but also enjoys the opportunity to do some shopping to add to his vast collection. When asked “do you really have room for more things?,” he replies, “I just move things closer together.”
This year 347 dealers were present, offering a wide variety of toys, including cast iron toys, lots of dolls, miniatures, die-cast toys, trains, comics, books, lead figures, still and mechanical banks, games and puzzles and a raft more.
The show was open from 9 am to 3 pm on Saturday for an admission fee of $5, and floor rights were available Friday during set-up from 10 am to 3 pm and on Saturday, early buying, from 7:30 to 9 am for $50 per head.
Just over 1,000 people attended the show, including one young couple hurrying through the crammed parking lot, and the lady was overheard saying “I heard that there were great things at this show.” Lots of people agree.
And just to mention, the next time you meet David Bausch, he just might hand you a pen. He is known for handing out pens at the show, and this year the supply of pens did not make it in time. He plans to spread them about well into 2019.
