posted 05-26-2003 12:42 PM               

What a trip it was! The lines were tough on Saturday, but all else was great. All of the astronauts were kind and treated us well. It was great to hang out with fellows like Larry McGlynn, Tracy Kornfield, Bill & Vickie O’Donnell, Gary, Russ, Rob Pearlman, Dave D’Angelo, John P., Tom E., Steve Z., Bill O., Big Wave Dave, Noah, Gerhardt, Zachary, my roommate Gilbert Huey, and everybody else…please forgive the names I’m leaving off…

We collectors snuck away Friday night for a dinner in the hotel restaurant that lasted hours…lots of great group and individual conversations. All weekend, collectors helped each other out where we could and shared stories and advice.

Each astronaut was perfectly kind and seemed willing to add inscriptions (some for a fee), etc.

Nolen and Steve made it work and took good care of people. And, despite a much too small room on Friday for the private signing, the signings worked very well overall.

Also, Robert and Collectspace took really good care of things with Scott Carpenter, fetching pens and helping with inscriptions. He’s a genuine person, and I’m glad he brought Carpenter to the show.

I had no problems whatsoever with General Stafford or his representative (AVD). It was the only instance in the entire show where the actual price for additional inscriptions (mission designations) turned out cheaper than previously advertised (10. rather than 15 each).

Some signature prices were slightly higher than advertised, but I believe that was due to the astronauts’ choices after they arrived, and not the organizers’ fault.

Anybody who stuck around at the bar Saturday night after dinner knows how cool it was to hang out with Guenther Wendt. He was in graet spirits and entertained a small group of us with remarkable stories for over an hour as he sipped his Manhattan cocktail. Dave, Gilbert, Larry, and the rest of us loved hearing his tales.

Downer: “Wheelchair Guy” (the now well-known fraud) showed up and stalked the astronauts in the lobby all day Friday. Happy to report he wasted his day and had no successes, but it’s a shame guys like that give the rest of us a bad name.

I got 15 of my 16 x 20s signed, and enjoyed the conversation with the astronauts as they signed them. Wally and Walt had some really classic and hysterical exchanges and seemed to love joking and barbing with each other. Scott Carpenter was extremely alert and accommodating, and were General Duke, Dick Gordon, and the rest.

All in all, it was a really special event and I walked away with nicely signed items and some really good memories.

Best to all-

Rob

posted 05-26-2003 01:05 PM               

It was a wonderful experience as you said. I really enjoyed meeting the other collectors as much as seeing the astronauts.

It took on an historical nature. To see Bill Dana stand up at the dinner and exchange bits with each guest in the room was really amazing. To sit until midnight with a small group guys listening to Guenter regale us with stories was fantastic.

Most of all it was just fun. My hat is off to Nolan and Steve.

Larry McGlynn

PS: Oh ya. I made off with a few goodies too.