NDGA 2010 Convention Information

July 10-11, 2010

The 2010 Convention Chairman is Linda Bredengerd, and the sponsoring organization is the Wichita Glass Gazers. The Convention will be held at the Century II Exhibition Hall, located on Highway 54 in downtown Wichita, Kansas. For your convenience, here are two maps: overall map to the Convention and detailed map of downtown Wichita.

Message from Convention Chair Linda Bredengerd

Have you made your plans, made your reservations, and decided just what treasures you'll be looking for at the 36^th Annual NDGA Convention, Glass Show and Sale? Well, July 10^th and 11^th 2010 will be here before you know it, so start planning and thinking because its going to be oz-some!

The Wichita Glass Gazers are busy planning and getting ready to welcome you to Wichita and the beautiful Century II Exhibition Hall for our "Glass is Oz-some' event. Besides being treated to good old "middle of the country" hospitality, we plan to bedazzle you with LOTS of displays (50 or so is a pretty good number to throw out) and a great assortment of seminar speakers.

There will be an "Early Bird" preview on Saturday morning, July 10^th beginning at 8:00 AM for those who want to get a shot at those treasures before the show opens to the general public at 10:00 AM. As with any preview, the admission is a little higher, but if you make sure your NDGA membership is current, you will pay only $15.00 for the privilege of early shopping. ($20.00 is the early bird admission for non-members.) This will be the last time that our convention will have a preview so be sure you get to take part in it.

Melissa Leslie and her crew are busy accumulating lots of treasures for you to bid on in the Silent Auction. This event during the show on Saturday July 10^th has continued to grow each year and the proceeds benefit either the National Collection or the Museum Building Fund. Melissa is accepting donations and will do so up until the Convention opens.

Our oz-some seminar speakers are set and promise to educate and inform us about their topics. I know that our "Grand Lady of Imperial," Myrna Garrison is looking forward to telling you about Imperial's Private Mold Customers on Saturday and maybe enlightening us with some stories about her years of collecting and writing books and promoting shows. I visited with Myrna in Grapevine, Texas, last weekend and she is looking forward to coming to Wichita.

I also visited with Leora Leasure who will be presenting her seminar on Old Morgantown Glass. She and Jim will also be bringing a display of beautifiil Morgantown Glass for us to drool over, and Leora will fascinate us with her knowledge of the beautiful American made glass produced in West Virginia.

Larry Baker is a well known collector and has presented various seminars in the past but says he thinks he will have a lot of fun with you while discussing Candy Jar/Boxes - Look-a-likes and Confusables. We will all benefit from his research and knowledge on the topic.

Speaking of research and knowledge, Philip Hopper is prominent in this area - especially when it comes to Hocking Glass. Philip and his wife Barb even have their Museum of Anchor Hocking Glass in San Antonio, Texas. He is the author of several books on Hocking glass and will be enlightening us about Hocking Lamps in his seminar. Philip and Barb will also be bringing a display for us to enjoy.

The Children's Seminar which Jennifer Smith - collector, dealer and glass enthusiast - will be presenting is a first time event for a National Convention and one for which we have great anticipation. This seminar is designed to be educational and fun for youngsters with the hopes of turning them into future collectors! The young participants will be given a brief explanation of what "Depression Era Glass" is and will do pattern tracings. After tracing a pattern, they will be asked to go to the floor with their parents or grandparents to find that pattern. The "find" will be certified by the dealer and the child will return to Jennifer for a "Certificate of Completion", and a piece of glass in that pattern! We are hopeful of creating excitement for the children and starting them on the road to collecting.

Tying into this theme, we will have a number of young collectors displaying their treasures in our display area. Munchkin Land promises to be appealing to both young and old collectors of children's items. (Did I mention how oz-some that is going to be?) I think one display has even been titled "Dorothy got blown away - now you can get blown away by Indiana Glass" and will feature Indiana Glass center handle servers. What fun!

Joanne and Earl Autenreith, our guest authors, spent about 20 years researching the Cooperative Flint Glass Company of Beaver Falls, PA, which was in business from 1879 to 1934. Their book of this title covers all kinds of glass including pressed pattern glass and elegant glass made after WWI. This wonderful couple, married 58 years, never thought of putting all their research material into a book. "With a lot of people nagging us, we realized that if we didn't do it, the research would never get out" Joanne stated. They self-published the book, with The Mecklam Bookbindery in Chicora, PA doing the actual printing and binding, their oldest son doing the layout and a neighbor who just happened to be a professional photographer taking the pictures. It's a real treat to hear this couple share their knowledge. They have generously donated the profits from their book sales to the West Virginia Museum of American Glass.

Lest we forget the whole purpose of these two spectacular days in July, there will be 32 wonderful dealers from coast to coast who will be offering their wares for sale! As is the tradition, the Wichita Glass Gazers will have a "club booth" offering items for sale by various club members as well. So get ready, get set, and come to Wichta to pursue those treasures or special items for which you have been searching! (Just think, the early bird preview will give you the chance to discover them before anyone else.) So come early, shop to your hearts content, enjoy a seminar or two and make a day out. There will be food concessions in the facility. If you must leave, there are wonderful restaurants in Wichita's Old Town area just a few blocks from Century II - then you can come back and join us for our open General Membership Meeting where you can find out more about our organization and its officers and board members, our plans and goals, and even win wonderful prizes!

Update on Publicity

Sarah Van Dalsem and Linda Bredengerd have been traveling around to many shows in the midwest, spending their own money to publicize the National Collection and the NDGA Convention in Wichita. The following article was submitted by Sarah detailing their travels. The NDGA wishes to thank these dedicated members for their efforts on behalf of all of us.

While waiting patiently for spring, I've had the good fortune of attending a number of glass shows here in my part of the country, and from what I've seen, the shows are alive and well. As Linda Bredengerd and I continue our efforts promoting the National Glass Collection, NDGA membership, and the Convention in Wichita this summer, it has been a thrill to add to our collections while attending these shows.

We began this year's trek with San Antonio, and were pleased to see that a change in ownership of the show had no ill effects. Pam and Fred Meyer have done a wonderful job transitioning from dealers to show promoters, and their efforts were rewarded with excellent dealers, and a good crowd of shoppers, no small feat in this economy. Buying appeared to be brisk and I know I emptied my pocketbook in exchange for some wonderful glass.

Among the new dealer faces for this show was Ed Sawiski, a New Jersey dealer who brought a fabulous display of treasures to the Texas buyers. I look forward to seeing Ed again. It was also a pleasure seeing Dave & Kay Tucker down in our neck of the woods with their awesome selection of DG patterns.

There was a beautiful array of displays which can be viewed at www.meyershows.com. Pam and Fred have insured that this show will go on, and will continue to provide collectors a wonderful shopping opportunity. The Meyers graciously continue their support of the National Glass Collection, providing NDGA with space for displaying, promoting, and accepting donations, a tradition established by the former show owner, Kent Washburn.

The Arkansas Glasshoppers Show in Little Rock was our next stop, and I was particularly pleased to be able to attend this beautiful show again after having missed it the last few years. As they have for the last several years, the Glasshoppers showed their support for NDGA by providing us space for a display from the National Glass Collection. This year's display was the Pitcher collection.

Collectors were treated to an excellent selection of tempting treasures, and dealers were treated to a great crowd of collectors. It was good to see Dorothy Fletcher again. Dorothy's service to NDGA over the years has been much appreciated. Another welcome face in the crowd was that of Jim Garrison, a past President of NDGA. Jim has once again joined NDGA, and assures us we'll be seeing him in Wichita. He is currently deciding what he will display for us.

Our next stop was the Metroplex Show in Grapevine, Texas. This is another show from Looking Glass Productions, and as in San Antonio, Pam and Fred Meyer made their mark on a long established show. Legendary former owner of the show, Myrna Garrison was in attendance, and was welcomed by the Meyers, as well as by many old friends who were dealers at the show. Myrna will be a seminar speaker at the convention in Wichita in July. Don't miss this rare opportunity to hear the "Grand Lady of Imperial" share her wealth of knowledge.

This show was once again a collectors' paradise from which I was not able to leave empty handed, adding multiple tumble ups to my collection. One of those was from the booth of Jim & Leora Leasure. We are fortunate to have Jim & Leora as new dealers at the convention in July, and look forward to seeing the display they will provide. As if this wasn't enough, they will provide us the opportunity to attend their seminar on Old Morgantown glassware. Also in attendance was Philip Hopper who confirmed that he will be a seminar speaker in Wichita. Phil will delve into the subject of Lamps by Hocking. His research and knowledge have resulted in several books on which we rely today covering Hocking and Anchor Hocking.

Our final show was the Heart of America Glass Collectors club show in Independence, Missouri. This active club presents a show not once, but twice a year. The inclement weather wasn't enough to stop the collectors from braving the cold and snow on this first weekend of "spring". The HOAGC members' hospitality is warm and inviting, as is their show.

It was a pleasure visiting with Helen Allen as she recalled many NDGA conventions over the years. Helen & Gene are a rich part of our history, and often donate historical items to NDGA. We look forward to seeing them in Wichita this summer. Be sure to stop by their booth and thank them for their years of support.

We'll be taking a break in our show attendance in order to spend more time on the Collection, and the convention in July, but will manage to get in at least one more show as we plan to attend the show in Belleville, Illinois in June. Dave & Kay Tucker, show promoters, have offered us the opportunity to do a display from the National Glass Collection. We hope to see you there!

Schedule of Events

The show and sale will open with Early Bird admissions at 8:00am Saturday morning. Early Bird admission is at a premium, while General admission to the Convention, Show and Sale begins at 10:00am.

Featured Authors

Our guest authors will be Joanne and Earl Autenreith who will be introducing their new book: Cooperative Flint Glass Co. of Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania 1879-1934. This book has been eagerly awaited by dealers and collectors alike as it fills a definite void of information on this subject. The Autenreith's will also be presenting a seminar on this subject

Seminars and Speakers

Joanne and Earl Autenreith - Cooperative Flint Glass Co.
Jim and Leora Leasure - Old Morgantown Glass
Larry Baker - Candy Jars/Boxes -- Look-alikes and Confusables
Philip Hopper - Hocking Lamps
Myrna Garrison - Imperial's Private Mold Customers
Jennifer Smith - Children's Seminar

National Glass Organizations

The NDGA encourages all of the National Glass Organizations to participate in the NDGA Convention, and will provide space (conditions permitting) for any of the National Glass Organizations Door prize who wish to attend and staff a table to promote their group. If you are a member of one of these organizations, start planning to have someone run a booth to promote your organization.

NDGA Annual Meeting

The Annual General Membership Meeting will be held in conjunction with the Convention. It begins at 5:30pm on Saturday. The meeting should last about 1½ hours, and members are encouraged to attend and participate. The newly elected officers and Board members will be introduced at this time. A drawing will be held (you must be present to win) for the door prize shown at right -- another good reason to attend.

Silent Auction

There will be another Silent Auction to raise money for the National Glass Collection. Members contribute various pieces of glass or other items, to be sold in the silent auction, with the proceeds going to one of the several NDGA funds (the person donating the item chooses where the money is to go). Melissa Leslie will be running our Silent Auction and has accepted the challenge to raise more money than was raised in Danbury last year.

Glass Displays

Each year at the Convention, collectors share their personal collections of glass and pottery with the rest of us. It is often the only opportunity that we have to see some of the rare and unusual items that are in private collections. This year will be no exception. We will also exhibit the additions to the National Glass Collection acquired since the last Convention.

Lodging in/near Wichita, Kansas

The Cambridge Suites is the official Convention hotel, and they given us a marvelous rate and with kitchens in every suite, it makes it affordable for families to stay. Rates are:

$85 for a one bedroom spacious suite which includes the bedroom area plus a sleeper sofa.
$85 for a studio double which contains two double beds
$75 for executive suite - large suite with queen bed
$99 for penthouse suite - 2 level with 2 beds and sofa sleeper - sleeps 6

We have a block of rooms reserved and NDGA should be mentioned when making the reservation. The phone number for Cambridge Suites is 316-263-1061. Web site: www.cambridge-suites.com. The physical address is 711 S. Main, Wichita, KS 67213. It is very easily accessed off of Highway 54/400, Central Business Exit. If you are coming from the East, you will turn left under the flyover. If coming from the West, you will turn right immediately at the bottom of the exit.

Another hotel, the Comfort Inn, 9525 E Corporate Hills Dr, has a special rate of $65/night (plus tax) if you call them and ask for the NDGA rate.

Other hotel/motel accommodations in the downtown area include the Hyatt Regency hotel which abuts to Century II, The Broadview Hotel which is across the street from Century II, Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites, Hotel at Oldtown, and even a quaint Bed & Breakfast in the Museum district, The Castle Inn Riverside (in a castle!). Complete addresses are:

Comfort Inn 9525 E Corporate Hills Dr Wichita, KS 67207 316-686-2844 Rates $65-85 (ask for NDGA rate)	The Broadview Hotel 400 W Douglas Ave Wichita, KS 67202 316-262-5000 Rates $89 - $125	Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites 221 E Kellogg Dr Wichita, KS 67202 316-269-2090 Rates $84 - $96
Hotel at Oldtown 830 E 1st St North Wichita, KS 67202 316-267-4800 Rates $119 - $225	Castle Inn at Riverside 1155 N River Blvd Wichita, KS 67203 316-263-9300 Rates $125 - $225	Comfort Suites Airport 658 Westdale Dr Wichita, KS 67209 316-945-2600 Rates $50 - $100
Airport Hilton 2098 Airport Road Wichita, KS 67209 316-945-5272 Rates $79 - $169	Super 8 Motel 6245 W Kellogg Dr Wichita, KS 67209 316-945-5261 Rates $50 - $70	Super 8 Motel 527 S Webb Road Wichita, KS 67207 316-686-3888 Rates $50 - $70
The Hyatt Regency 400 W Waterman St Wichita, KS 67201 316-293-1234 Rates $89 - $199	Wichita Marriott 9100 Corporate Hills Dr Wichita, KS 67207 316-651-0333 Rates $99 - $189	Clubhouse Inn 515 S Webb Rd Wichita, KS 67207 316-684-1111 Rates $50 - $70

List of Participating Dealers

Here is the list of dealers who will be offering their finest glass for sale during the Convention in Wichita.

Linda & David Adams Las Vegas, NV	Helen & Gene Allen Overland Park, KS
Rick Bakkum Buffalo, MO	Dale & Betty Buersmeyer Pacific, MO
Jim & Joyce Coverston Front Royal, VA	Jim & Rose Curnett Western Springs, IL
D. Cornelius & D. Jones Port Washington, OH	Pat & Sharon Ervin Sycamore, IL
John & Dovie Fields Independence, MO	Eric & Jaye Fralick Overland Park, KS
Bob & Pam Franscella Gurnee, IL	Bruce Goldberg Greenwood Village, CO
Bob & Helen Jones Berkeley Springs, WV	Bert & Donna Kennedy Mesquite, TX
James & Leora Leasure Eighty Four, PA	Carol McEwen Wichita, KS
Ray & Paula Mahoney Wethersfield, CT	Max Miller Houston, TX
Esther Mitchell Little Rock, AR	Joyce Nicoletti Goodman, MO
Jack Peacock Winston-Salem, NC	Matt & Marissa Peacock Winston-Salem, NC
Fred D. Ray Wichita, KS	Penny Reed Des Moines, IA
Glen & Carolyn Robinson York, SC	John & Jane Schleinzer Aurora, IL
Stan & Diane Sewall Poughkeepsie, NY	Lee & Jean Spalding Wichita, KS
Kent Washburn San Antonio, TX	Len & Enid Waska Flatonia, TX
Janet Wasson Highland, IN	Michael & Leegh Wyse Albany, OR
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