So I did get in the door!
We had lucky parking and only had to cross a street on the Convention Centers own grounds to get in.
We entered the 12 noon line, and did one of those Disney-Lines...that's where you are within the ropes and keep doubling back. There was about 2 hours of that and then triage. That is where they look at what you have and give you a ticket for the booth that corresponds to the item you brought.
I brought no item- I was with 2 friends who had tickets, each entry ticket allows you an appraisal of 2 items... and only one of them brought items- so she had 4 items, basically.
By the ime we got thru triage a person decided to lead us to the area to wait in- and we crossed thru lines inside the appraisal area and I was being very careful not to run the wheelchair footrests up the back of anyone's Achilles tendon (which is excrutiating, btw). I wasn't exactly paying attention to my surroundings at that time, because maneuvering was very hard. Finally, as I'm chattering at my friend, I had to stop because a gap closed and I found that we were standing not 12 feet behind someone whose appraisal was being filmed! Not just filmed, but filmed with what seemed a million cameras! I had been standing there right behind this in sightline line of the cameras!
Jeesh! I froze because I didn't know what to do!
But no one said "Shush" and no said "Move it!" so finally after standing there a gap opened and I forged ahead pushing the chair.
But that was when I finally knew I was there! Yay!
We were led to "Collectables" and got the cool "Toy Guy." He was in an Hawaiin shirt and greeted us with "Aloha!"
He looked at 3 out of 4 of my friends items and needless to say she was disppointed to find the maximum worth, in today's market, of anything she brought was about $250 for a Daisey butter churner. Apparently it was worth more 6 or 7 years ago and for some reason I couldn't hear- the price had actually decreased.
The guy Gary Sohmers was great- and allowed me to take his photo. All the signs say "No" but he said "Yes."
The other recognizeable personality was right next to him. I don't know his name, sorry. You see him in the picture.
Then we headed to the 2nd category area- my friend had a collection of boxes- and the appraiser was a young cute British guy who was unimpressed with aything my friend had brought- but very courteous. While she was unwrapping items to show him, I noticed a man passed between me and the person behind me saying" excuse me" and it was a KENO BROTHER! Wow! I took his picture without asking and then we were on the way out.
All done - waiting was about 2 hours and the appraisal area took about 20 minutes.
It was a blast!
My friend was a bit bummed, but I was thrilled!
I have 7 or 8 pictures so I need some time to load them here if you'all don't mind waiting. Thanks!











