Des Moines Convention Will Be Magnificent!!
By Brian Pitman, June 2009

Our Annual Convention plans are almost completed, and now all we need is for you to be there. Jim and Jan Seeck have announced our auction, and it is the combined collections of Marie McGee (known for her Millersburg book and her Millersburg glass) and Ruth Moore (who collected some really great pieces from the main manufacturers and is known throughout California as having collected some of the best color examples of many pieces.) When I saw the photos of the auction at HOACGA earlier this year, my jaw hit the floor. This is probably the best auction we have had at the convention for some time now (just because of the great variety of brilliant pieces!) If you are looking to buy some amazing examples of carnival, then you need to have your reservations set for Des Moines. You should be able to get the complete auction listing with pictures on the Seecks’ web site (www.seeckauction.com).

But more than the auction, we have a variety of other reasons to attend. Carl and Eunice Booker have been very busy for the past nine months putting together a brilliant, “Magnificent Marigold” room display for the convention that will possibly alter your perception of the color. Marigold is single-handedly the most common and recognized color in carnival glass. When you ask a non-collector about carnival glass, their answer will almost always be “you mean that orange stuff?” Well, this “orange stuff” is going to show you why it was such a popular color to begin with. A few years back, Martha Stewart Living magazine contacted some carnival collectors because the editors wanted to do a nice big feature on carnival. And of course, they wanted to feature marigold. Its popularity is undeniable, and now you will get to see the huge variances in how marigold appears (from pastel to pumpkin and more). Additionally, Gary Lickver will be giving a great seminar on the different aspects of marigold. This is a seminar and display room you won’t want to miss, and you can even be more involved if you wish! Call Carl and Eunice, (Their phone number and e-mail address are on the back cover of The Pump.) and let them know what fine examples of marigold you can bring. They will be very happy to have your pieces included. We are going to be photographing and filming this display room, so your pieces may even become the next star of YouTube!

Now speaking of the Bookers, they are going to be pulling double duty (gluttons for punishment, I say!) They will be giving a seminar of their own on Minor Manufacturers. Now these groups of manufacturers put out a variety of pieces (and many of us have at least a few examples of them in our collections), and their value and popularity can’t be denied. Hey, Frolicking Bears is one of the patterns ICGA owns, and you know how much a great example of the tumbler and pitcher go for! This seminar will show you other examples that are really shooting up in value these days (and those are pieces ALL of us want to have in our collections.)

Our banquet speaker this year is Roger Dunham, the vice-president of the club. Roger is probably the single biggest collector of mugs in carnival glass. He is positively fanatical about mugs, and if you know anything about mugs, you know that there are many rare and valuable mugs to be found in carnival glass. Of all the seminars I have heard people discussing this past year, the banquet seminar on mugs is the one that has everyone talking (because, well, people just love carnival mugs!) Roger’s collection and seminar will have you talking as well.

Okay, there are plenty of reasons to attend, and we haven’t even discussed the hotel. The host hotel is the Holiday Inn Des Moines Airport, which was renovated two years ago into the hip new style of modern Holiday Inn properties. The hotel offers several cool amenities for you and your family, including:

* Free High Speed Wireless Internet Access
* Free Airport Shuttle
* Free Breakfast Buffet every morning
* Interior Pool and Spa inside the atrium
* Poolside rooms (you must request these!)
* Pets Allowed!!
* Kids 12 and under eat free in the restaurant!
* Hotel Bar

Our room rate is $109, and it includes the free breakfast and all the cool amenities listed above. Furthermore, Ann McMorris is back from a health issue earlier this year to provide us with a topnotch Hospitality Room. So, are you going to be there? To make reservations, call (515) 287-2400 and ask for reservations. Mention either "ICGA" or "Carnival Glass" to get our special rate.

Remember to send in your convention registration/dues form to Lee Markley. This will register you for the convention and keep your dues’ payment current. This form was included with your March issue of The Pump.

I look forward to seeing you at the convention this year (July 15-18th), and together we will have a MAGNIFICENT time!!

Brian Pitman

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