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July 17, 2012
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No, unfortunately, I can’t make the KC show this year but I will certainly be there next year!
Please give everyone my best regards, especially Steve and Scott.
Best Regards,
WACA Life Member #6284 - Specializing in Pre-64 Winchester .22 Rimfire
August 14, 2021
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JWA said
James W said
I would love to have gone, but it is just too far away for me. But I am glad everyone had a great time. I will be at the Wellington, Ohio show in a few months, though. I hope to meet some people there. Good luck.
I will be at the Wellington Show also, no table, I will just be the quiet shark going up and down the aisles.
I am looking forward to seeing you there James! I will be the old, grey-haired, retired white guy in jeans and a T-shirt, should be easy to spot in the crowd.
Best Regards,
SO———I see you mentioned retired??? Is it so?
July 17, 2012
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Hi Steve,
It is so!
Or, I should say semi-retired / quasi-retired since I promised I would help out next spring when the team got busy again. Also, they are still using some of my professional licensees so I am still in the work loop but there are no jobs on my horizon until next February!
I am already planning to attend the following shows;
OGCA Wellington 2026
Las Vegas (2027)
Tulsa (April) 2027
Greely (2027)
OGCA (several 2027)
Denton, TX (2027)
Big Reno (2027)
Cody (2027)
KC Show (2027)
Louisville (2027)
Wow, now that I look at it written down, that is a lot of travelling! I only have 203,000 on my Dodge Cummins though, it will give me an opportunity to catch up to Bert’s 400,000+ on his.
Best Regards,
WACA Life Member #6284 - Specializing in Pre-64 Winchester .22 Rimfire
December 9, 2002
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Jeff,
Congrats, Hopefully I’ll run in to you at the OGCA show or one of them next year. It’s an ever changing schedule, as the pencils eraser comes in handy.
There’s a few pretty astute .22 collectors that are regulars that I know you will enjoy, as I’m sure Bill Hanzel, who does an excellent job with the organization, has informed you.
Tony
November 7, 2015
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JWA said
Hi Steve,
It is so!
Or, I should say semi-retired / quasi-retired since I promised I would help out next spring when the team got busy again. Also, they are still using some of my professional licensees so I am still in the work loop but there are no jobs on my horizon until next February!
I am already planning to attend the following shows;
OGCA Wellington 2026
Las Vegas (2027)
Tulsa (April) 2027
Greely (2027)
OGCA (several 2027)
Denton, TX (2027)
Big Reno (2027)
Cody (2027)
KC Show (2027)
Louisville (2027)
Wow, now that I look at it written down, that is a lot of travelling! I only have 203,000 on my Dodge Cummins though, it will give me an opportunity to catch up to Bert’s 400,000+ on his.
Best Regards,
Welcome to the ORF (Old Retired Fart) club, Jeff! Which Denton show(s) are on your calendar? TGCA has one in April and one in October.
Mike
July 3, 2020
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I have to admit that the “social” aspect of the Cody show has become my favorite part! Hearing Elliot tell “Tall Texas” yarns while Jeff & Doug take it all in…. I could just hang out with these people all the time…. Even that old Seadog Bert can spin some fun tails… I learned that he enjoys going by the name of “Mom” with his grandkids… and they learned new uses for Velcro too! What a fun group!
April 15, 2005
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JWA said
Hi Steve,
It is so!
Or, I should say semi-retired / quasi-retired since I promised I would help out next spring when the team got busy again. Also, they are still using some of my professional licensees so I am still in the work loop but there are no jobs on my horizon until next February!
I am already planning to attend the following shows;
OGCA Wellington 2026
Las Vegas (2027)
Tulsa (April) 2027
Greely (2027)
OGCA (several 2027)
Denton, TX (2027)
Big Reno (2027)
Cody (2027)
KC Show (2027)
Louisville (2027)
Wow, now that I look at it written down, that is a lot of travelling! I only have 203,000 on my Dodge Cummins though, it will give me an opportunity to catch up to Bert’s 400,000+ on his.
Best Regards,
That is indeed a busy schedule…
On my trip to Astoria OR a few days ago, the water pump in my old Dodge decided to crap out on me… I just spent the last several hours at Doug’s shop in Kelso having him replace the pump, all of the hoses, the serpentine belt, tensioner, and a flush of the coolant system… I am now ready for the next few hundred thousand miles!
Yes, some of my grandkids all me “MOM” (short for Mean Old Man), especially when I make them don a Velcro suit so I can stick them to the wall when they get too wild.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
July 17, 2012
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TXGunNut said
Welcome to the ORF (Old Retired Fart) club, Jeff! Which Denton show(s) are on your calendar? TGCA has one in April and one in October.
Mike
Mike, it will likely be the October show since my retired calendar is almost full for April already.
Hope to see you there!
Jeff
WACA Life Member #6284 - Specializing in Pre-64 Winchester .22 Rimfire
September 22, 2011
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JWA said
Hi Steve,
It is so!
Or, I should say semi-retired / quasi-retired since I promised I would help out next spring when the team got busy again. Also, they are still using some of my professional licensees so I am still in the work loop but there are no jobs on my horizon until next February!
I am already planning to attend the following shows;
OGCA Wellington 2026
Las Vegas (2027)
Tulsa (April) 2027
Greely (2027)
OGCA (several 2027)
Denton, TX (2027)
Big Reno (2027)
Cody (2027)
KC Show (2027)
Louisville (2027)
Wow, now that I look at it written down, that is a lot of travelling! I only have 203,000 on my Dodge Cummins though, it will give me an opportunity to catch up to Bert’s 400,000+ on his.
Best Regards,
Question:
How does cash flow work when retired? I’m not retired yet but am getting there.
I have very little time to attend these shows. When I’m retired, I’ll have much more TIME, but attending shows a great distance away means it’s costly (hotels & transportation) to just “window shop”. Conversely, if one purchases something nice at these shows, it really cuts into one’s finite retirement funds. Please elaborate…
April 30, 2023
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JWA said
Mike, it will likely be the October show since my retired calendar is almost full for April already.
Hope to see you there!
Jeff
Glad to hear you’ll make it down here! Hopefully you can make it out to one of our houses for a cold one….weather should be more tolerable!
July 17, 2012
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mrcvs said
Question:
How does cash flow work when retired? I’m not retired yet but am getting there.
I have very little time to attend these shows. When I’m retired, I’ll have much more TIME, but attending shows a great distance away means it’s costly (hotels & transportation) to just “window shop”. Conversely, if one purchases something nice at these shows, it really cuts into one’s finite retirement funds. Please elaborate…
Everyone has their own retirement plan. In my case, I have been required to travel almost every week for work somewhere in the world for the last 44 years. I have amassed a huge amount of frequent flier air miles and hotel points to fly Delta and stay for free at Marriott for at least the next 10-15 years. So, the travel is not a financial issue. The logistics of getting firearms to/from shows is only slightly harder, as a lifetime Delta Diamond I am allowed 3 free bags of 70lbs each plus 2 carry-ons. I use the 210 lb checked bag limit to transport firearms and the carry-ons to contain my clothes. That is one of the reasons you see me in black T-shirts, they do not take up much space in a carry-on suitcase.
Again, my case is unique so I can’t offer you much other financial advice. I have been saving my travel points for years, knowing that I would use them in retirement. It is one of the few things that made all that travelling around the world for work worth it.
Best Regards,
WACA Life Member #6284 - Specializing in Pre-64 Winchester .22 Rimfire
November 5, 2014
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Hi Ian-
I’m a(n impoverished) retiree for sure!!!
I went to the Cody Show for the second time this year… Travel/lodging costs for me (from VA) were north of $4K in part b/c I wanted to “experience” staying at the Irma and b/c I stayed an extra couple days to talk to folks at CFM and McCracken Library about my writing “project”… Could have been much cheaper.
I had no thought that I’d find a gun to buy, let alone a “bargain”… I didn’t… But I was able to pay for a neat little gun Win61 had that my Son (a WACA Member from Utah) bought…
I don’t think of it in a transactional way… It was my “annual vacation”… IMHO it beat the Heck out of a week of “free” Daiquiris in Fiji… If I were planning to hit multiple gun shows a year with the intent of turning a profit I’d have to rethink my equation. My reason for going was/is meeting the interesting (and sometimes odd) people who make up the Heart of this organization.
Not naming names, Bert, Mike, et al…. 
Lou
WACA 9519; Studying Pre-64 Model 70 Winchesters
April 15, 2005
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Lou,
I too treat the annual Cody show as a “vacation” trip, and yes, there are a lot of “odd’ characters that show up each year… but they are all welcomed equally!
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
August 25, 2009
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Ben said
I have to admit that the “social” aspect of the Cody show has become my favorite part! Hearing Elliot tell “Tall Texas” yarns while Jeff & Doug take it all in…. I could just hang out with these people all the time…. Even that old Seadog Bert can spin some fun tails… I learned that he enjoys going by the name of “Mom” with his grandkids… and they learned new uses for Velcro too! What a fun group!
Ben
That has to be the all time best picture of Bert. I will steal that and put it on my phone when he calls and needs assistance with the old Dodge. He kind of made that look today when I told him I was going to need to recalibrate the Dialithium crystals in the muffler bearings after I pieced the old truck back together with some left over Yugo parts I had lying around.
Doug
July 17, 2012
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DEEREHART said
He kind of made that look today when I told him I was going to need to recalibrate the Dialithium crystals in the muffler bearings after I pieced the old truck back together with some left over Yugo parts I had lying around.
Doug
At least that is a better story than the fiction you made up last time the old Dodge was in your shop, “radiator cracked”, hah!…. 😉
WACA Life Member #6284 - Specializing in Pre-64 Winchester .22 Rimfire
September 22, 2011
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Louis Luttrell said
Hi Ian-
I’m a(n impoverished) retiree for sure!!!
I went to the Cody Show for the second time this year… Travel/lodging costs for me (from VA) were north of $4K in part b/c I wanted to “experience” staying at the Irma and b/c I stayed an extra couple days to talk to folks at CFM and McCracken Library about my writing “project”… Could have been much cheaper.
I had no thought that I’d find a gun to buy, let alone a “bargain”… I didn’t… But I was able to pay for a neat little gun Win61 had that my Son (a WACA Member from Utah) bought…
I don’t think of it in a transactional way… It was my “annual vacation”… IMHO it beat the Heck out of a week of “free” Daiquiris in Fiji… If I were planning to hit multiple gun shows a year with the intent of turning a profit I’d have to rethink my equation. My reason for going was/is meeting the interesting (and sometimes odd) people who make up the Heart of this organization.
Not naming names, Bert, Mike, et al….
Lou
It would be interesting to meet some of the folks on this forum, for sure!
$4,000, one would think, is an immense sum for a few day trip, except everything is so expensive now, it actually isn’t…
I negotiated a $3,000 allowance for Continuing Education that I attend in Nashville annually, thinking this was a lot. I blew through all of it and then some! And this was doing things modestly as was possible. Try finding an affordable hotel in Nashville! I even experienced the $6 recession special meal at Robert’s.😄.
But that sure beats “begging” hotels to accept the ridiculous government rate when I was employed by Uncle Sam. I’m sure you recall that. That was nothing short of embarrassing and degrading. Some would just laugh and hang up.
September 22, 2011
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JWA said
mrcvs said
Question:
How does cash flow work when retired? I’m not retired yet but am getting there.
I have very little time to attend these shows. When I’m retired, I’ll have much more TIME, but attending shows a great distance away means it’s costly (hotels & transportation) to just “window shop”. Conversely, if one purchases something nice at these shows, it really cuts into one’s finite retirement funds. Please elaborate…
Everyone has their own retirement plan. In my case, I have been required to travel almost every week for work somewhere in the world for the last 44 years. I have amassed a huge amount of frequent flier air miles and hotel points to fly Delta and stay for free at Marriott for at least the next 10-15 years. So, the travel is not a financial issue. The logistics of getting firearms to/from shows is only slightly harder, as a lifetime Delta Diamond I am allowed 3 free bags of 70lbs each plus 2 carry-ons. I use the 210 lb checked bag limit to transport firearms and the carry-ons to contain my clothes. That is one of the reasons you see me in black T-shirts, they do not take up much space in a carry-on suitcase.
Again, my case is unique so I can’t offer you much other financial advice. I have been saving my travel points for years, knowing that I would use them in retirement. It is one of the few things that made all that travelling around the world for work worth it.
Best Regards,
What was your job? That’s something I tried to do when I got out of college on that awful early 1990s recession.
That makes sense now. In my head, I reasoned that travel and expenses before purchasing any “souvenirs” could easily be $40-$50k for what you have planned. That’s a huge chunk of a fixed income.
February 17, 2026
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Jeremy P said
MidwestCrisis said
After all bar fights that happened over a barrels length, or the front sight being .76 from the muzzle, or the length of a fore end…. We won’t see anything from Cody until those involved want to speak of it publicly.
I believe Pauline Muerrle published a book on this. Shouldn’t be too much of an argument over this. 
April 15, 2005
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Ben said
I have to admit that the “social” aspect of the Cody show has become my favorite part! Hearing Elliot tell “Tall Texas” yarns while Jeff & Doug take it all in…. I could just hang out with these people all the time…. Even that old Seadog Bert can spin some fun tails… I learned that he enjoys going by the name of “Mom” with his grandkids… and they learned new uses for Velcro too! What a fun group!
Holy Cow Dung… who is that old Geezer in that picture? Do I really look that damn old ?? 
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
January 20, 2023
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Bert H. said
Ben said
I have to admit that the “social” aspect of the Cody show has become my favorite part! Hearing Elliot tell “Tall Texas” yarns while Jeff & Doug take it all in…. I could just hang out with these people all the time…. Even that old Seadog Bert can spin some fun tails… I learned that he enjoys going by the name of “Mom” with his grandkids… and they learned new uses for Velcro too! What a fun group!
Holy Cow Dung… who is that old Geezer in that picture? Do I really look that damn old ??
“The Ancient Mariner.” All that’s missing is a dead albatross tied around his neck.
- Bill
WACA # 65205; life member, NRA; member, TGCA; member, TSRA; amateur preservationist
"I have seen wicked men and fools, a great many of both, and I believe they both get paid in the end, but the fools first." -- David Balfour, narrator and protagonist of the novel, Kidnapped, by Robert Louis Stevenson.
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