Message from the President December 2019
Encouraging a Great Hobby
Collecting carnival glass is something that is usually awkward to explain to friends and family who don’t collect. First, you have to explain what it is to them (the deginition of carnival glass, its historical signigicance, the differences in color and iridescence, why it is called carnival glass, the values of it, what it means to you, how you got into carnival, etc.). In the world today, a whole bunch of people don’t collect anything, and Millennials as a rule don’t collect much, if anything. Sometimes it may seem like you are one of the very few who collect carnival (and indeed you are).
Something I have believed for the entirety of the time I have been a collector is that those who collect need to be recognized for stepping off the plank and collecting with the rest of us. Carnival glass is a community, and for new people to join this community is not only vital, it brings us new personalities, new tastes, and points of view which are so very important in the strength of this community. One thing I love about carnival glass col-lectors is that I can meet people who enjoy aspects of the glass I never considered, or whose aesthetic is completely different than my own (meeting someone who loves the Alaskan iridescence was a thrill for me, listening to them describe it in terms I never considered).
Over the years, of course, human nature has kicked in from time to time. O. Joe Olson’s newsletter was pretty infamous for its digs into some collectors, collections, conventions and more. Eventually, some people were miffed if they weren’t called out in the newsletter. Whispers at conventions, the occasional ugly con-frontation, and more would occur on occasion, leaving some collectors feeling less than welcome. And these days, the occasional ugly call out on Facebook still happens. To collectors (especially new ones), these things can be disconcerting and incredibly counter-productive.
The fact remains, though, that the vast majority of col-lectors feel absolute appreciation for the others who collect carnival. That fact needs to ring loudly across the land like a welcoming beacon to all. We recognize that collecting carnival glass isn’t the norm and there are people out there who don’t understand, but we do. And we want you to feel welcome in this hobby. You have found a place, a group of like-minded indi-viduals and we are incredibly happy to have you. Congrats on that collection and keep enjoying what you do! You are a very important part of our community and you should be proud of that collection.
One place you can be with happy people who enjoy spending time with you is our convention next year. Information on it can be found in this issue of the Pump, and we are going to have a great program. We have a huge auction, including another Thursday night “Party Auction Night” like earlier this year, where we get together, have a seminar, and then enjoy some dessert while bidding against each other giercely in an online auction where the person sitting next to you MAY be the one outbidding you. We have the massively beautiful collection of Fred Roque for our Saturday live auction. We have a Horse-themed display that you can take part in by sharing your horse-themed pieces and stories. And we have so much more planned!
But most importantly, you will be surrounded by several people who appreciate you, enjoy the pleasure of your company, have stories to share (and will gladly listen to yours), and who will make you feel welcome. This group begins with your ofgicers, of course. Mitchell, Kenda, Barb, Becky, and I are very friendly people who love our organization, its members, and our convention. Our Board members are very much the same, and this year we will be marking our name tags so that you know who we are and can look for our smiling faces throughout the convention. It’s going to be awesome!!
Have a wonderful Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year! 2020 is going to be the Year of the Carnival Glass Collector!
Brian
