Columbus Pipe Show - Second Report

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kcghost

Lifer
May 6, 2011
13,140
21,409
77
Olathe, Kansas
Before I do my big report on the whole show I wanted to do another post on an exhibitor at the show. I am doing it separately so that this report doesn't get lost in the glare of the big report.
About 3-and-a-half years ago I got an email from a lady (Shelley Hando) that was addressed to my KC pipe club email address. She said her father was a soldier in WWII and was a survivor of the Bataan Death March. While a Japanese POW for 3-and-a-half years he figured out how he could carve pipes with his pen knife. He made numerous pipes for his fellow prisoners. She wanted to know if I would be willing to write an article on him. Needless to say, I agreed readily. We emailed back and forth for a number of months before we got everything organized and written. I gave her my final version with my permission to alter anything she wanted. Fortunately she liked my version as written.
Next was to find a place to publish. I did offer it to some other sources but neither of them wanted it for whatever reason (probably that my writing sucks). So I decided to put it in the KC Pipe Club monthly newsletter that has a modest 450 person circulation. I also put it on a couple of other websites for people to see. Anyway it was published and I got a number of of very positive responses to the article.
Fast forward to this year and a couple months ago she asked me if it would make sense for her to go to a Pipe Show to display her memorabilia. The timing couldn't have been better. I had just decided to go to the NASPC Pipe Show in Columbus. Shelley only lives three hours from Columbus. The problem was the show was sold out. I told her to call Jeff Knoll (Show Honcho) and see what he could do. I added that she could always have a couple feet of the KC table. She called Jeff and he told her that the show was sold out but he could give her two feet of the table next to ours. That table was for CoRPS who had indicated to Jeff they might not be coming. CoRPS was unable to attend so Shelley ended up with a table of her own.
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The next issue was would people actually stop at her table and look at her memorabilia. Our tables were outside the main exhibit hall and around and to the left. I was scared to death no one would even think to come to our area to check out anybody's stuff. I can tell you everyone in that area was sweating bullets. Turned out our traffic was wonderful. We had a constant stream of people and most of the people stopped at Shelley's table to visit with her and inspect her memorabilia. She had a grand time though there were some times when she teared up.
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The memorabilia was not extensive but it was quite good. She had several Pipes that he carved after the war. She had hand signed letters from Bing Crosby and Arthur Godfrey thanking him for sending them a pipe. She had a number of newspaper articles on her father's appearance in various magazines in the 1950's as well as his involvement in the Bataan - Corregidor Survivors Association.
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kcghost

Lifer
May 6, 2011
13,140
21,409
77
Olathe, Kansas
I guess it should be noted that Shelley is a non-smoker (but not a nicotine Nazi) as you would expect a surgical nurse to be. Funny that she won two tins of tobacco in the NASPC raffles. She gave me one and kept one as a memento of her trip. I should have mentioned she enjoyed herself and the people she met immensely. She just raved about Jeff Knoll about how helpful and kind he was.

 

docwatson

Lifer
Jul 2, 2009
1,149
9
New England
Thanks for the informative report. Wish I could've been there to view the memorabilia and talk with Shelley. Kudos to Jeff for making her visit a welcome one.

 
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