WHERE MEMORIES WILL BE MADE, FRIENDSHIPS RENEWED, and BUILDINGS SWAPPED, BOUGHT, andAUCTIONED!
Items from the Bob Kneisel Collection will be for sale and auction, including highlights from his MICROCOSMS trove.
There is still time to register for SBCS 202ONE !
Health and Safety:
Many SBCS members have voiced health safety concerns about the upcoming convention. The SBCS Executive Committee has made the decision to go forward with the convention with some sensible health safety protocols in place. Hopefully these guidelines will give comfort to all attendees.
We expect ALL attendees to be fully vaccinated. We will ask for your proof of vaccination at check in. Make sure to bring it with you. No proof of vaccination – no entry to any convention events.
A Covid PCR test will be available on site if interested. Registrants can receive further information regarding this.
ALL attendees must wear masks during the Friday bus tour and at all inside events. At outside events and with indoor informal contacts – please social distance at least 3’ – use good judgment and wear or have masks available at all times.
Our hope is that these safety protocols will help us feel safe while enjoying each other’s company during the convention. We will continue to monitor the health situation and these guidelines are subject to modification if necessary.
Our hosts have planned a full schedule. Buildings, Buildings, Buildings will be the focus.
Thursday October 7:
5pm – 7pm Convention check in. Hotel lobby.
Friday October 8:
10am – 12pm Convention check in. Hotel lobby
1pm – 5pm bus tour of Downtown and guided tour of the Capitol building (Bus will leave from hotel)
6:30pm – 9pm Dinner and Show & Tell at our host’s home
Saturday October 9:
9am – 10am Business meeting in hotel
10:15am – 12pm Swap Meet in hotel
1pm – 3:30pm walking tour/museum tours
6pm – 10pm Dinner/Raffle/Auction at local restaurant near hotel
Ridgeland, MS is in Madison County, which has a higher vaccination rate than the rest of the State. We respectfully ask that all attendees be fully vaccinated. For everyone’s safety, we will encourage all to wear masks for indoor events. Here is a link to COVID safety at Hilton: Hilton.com/en/corporate/cleanstay/
Our hosts have planned a full schedule. Buildings, Buildings, Buildings will be the focus.
Thursday October 7th from 5-7pm Convention check in. Hotel lobby.
Friday October 8th from 10am -12pm Convention check in
1-5pm bus tour of Downtown and guided tour of the Capitol building.
Bus will leave from hotel
6:30-9pm Dinner and Show & Tell at our host’s home
Saturday October 9th from 9-10am Business meeting in hotel
10:15am – 12pm Swap Meet in hotel
1-3:30pm walking tour/museum tours
6-10pm Dinner/Raffle/Auction at local restaurant near hotel
We look forward to catching up with old friends and welcoming new ones. This will be a terrific opportunity to buy and sell little buildings. Hope to see you there.
Celebrate Valentine’s Day, Sunday, February 14, 2021. SBCS’s first Zoom meeting of the year features a very special guest, Paul Goldberger, Contributing Editor at Vanity Fair, former Architecture Critic for the New Yorker, recipient of the Pulitizer Prize for Distinguished Criticism, and souvenir building collector. Learn more about Paul here https://www.paulgoldberger.com/biography/
Congratulations to Mark Fine, SBCS Zoom Ringmaster, for starting the 2021 ZOOM Calendar with this distinguished guest. Mark’s stewardship of the Zoom gatherings that were established to bridge the loss of 2020 activities has morphed into a well-received benefit of membership in the Souvenir Building Collectors Society. The 2021 Zoom meetings are scheduled bimonthly on the 2nd Sunday at 2PM Eastern Time. The 2021 Calendar is below.
The first Zoom meetings in 2020 were based in our classic Show & Tell format from the annual meetings. Participants shared stories about their new finds and long held treasures. In October Mark interviewed Jon Merwine soon after his publication of Replica Buildings – A Visual History was published. Then in December Anton Tremblay, long-time member and founder of Microcosms was featured.
These interactive Zoom meetings are only open to current members of the Souvenir Building Collectors Society. All current members are sent an email a few days before the event. Registration is by reply to the email. The emails contain instructions for registration and for accessing Zoom. Memberships are now due for 2021.
The newly published REPLICA BUILDINGS, A VISUAL HISTORY will be the focus as Jon Merwine is interviewed by Mark Fine, ZOOM Master.
You will have an opportunity to ask your own questions of Jon.
Sunday, October 11, 2020 at 2 PM EDT, 1 PM CDT, 12 Noon MDT, and 11 AM PDT.
This opportunity is open to current members of SBCS. Check your October 7 emails for your invitation and directions on how to respond to confirm your attendance.
Jon has graciously provided printable downloads of the KEY and INDEX pages of REPLICA BUILDINGS, A VISUAL HISTORY. These are available in the MEMBERS ONLY section of this website.
The last box was loaded onto the U-Haul rental. All items fit snugly in the 10’ Box truck. The Bob Kneisel Collection was ready to travel 2600 miles across country from Los Angeles to Oldwick, New Jersey.The trip was planned and executed to complete the planned dispersal of the Collection four years after it was bequeathed to SBCS by Bob Kneisel.
The destination was RSL Auctioneers in Oldwick, where Leon Weiss and his Associates, Julian and Andrea will take over and prepare the items for a “cyber” auction later this year.
The travel plan included a drive-by stop at Steven and Ethan Chevalier’s home in Ridgewood outside of Jackson MS. There, eight of the boxes were unloaded to await the 2021 SBCS Convention in Jackson.
The route was simple but a jumble of interstate routes.First it was I-10 to I-20 straight into Jackson.Then, back on I-20 to Birmingham, northeast on I-59. East on I-40, northeast again on I-81 and then due east on I-78 to New Jersey.The road trip included several picturesque parts of the country, including the Mississippi and Alabama forests, The New Mexico and Arizona Sonoran Desert, and the Shenandoah Valley.
All this done in 5 days.And yes, we were employing best social-distancing practices in accordance with our current National situation.
At the New Jersey location, Joe Kopitz met me, and we unloaded the truck along with Leon Weiss, his son Julian, and Andrea Abernethy. But, as a surprise to Joe and me, it included unloading and moving those 144 boxes up a flight of stairs.Yes, RSL Auctions is on the second floor of a commercial building with no elevator. Even though fitness centers are starting to reopen nationally, no StairMasters were needed that day.
After the delivery, Joe started his meandering way back to Brooklyn, intending to stop at several New Jersey thrift shops that he had not visited in the past.
Me?I chose to relax until my flight from Newark to Los Angeles the next day. Up to that point the trip was extremely satisfying. However, commercial flying today is challenging… but that it another story.
RSL intends to issue the Kneisel Collection as an exclusive two-day cyber-sale, meaning that is will be on-line only for two days and only include items from Bob’s Collection.Look for announcements regarding the sale on the SBCS and RSL websites and by email blasts from SBCS.
Update from Chris Spry. The Kneisel Collection Committee Mediator, Moderator, Maintainer of Decorum, Boxes, Documents, and Long-Haul Deliverer! Thank you!
Bring a full cup and join with SBCS members on ZOOM in a virtual “MEET & GREET” at 2PM Eastern on Sunday, June 14th.
Not wishing the Society’s camaraderie to languish during the 2020 Pandemic, cancellation of Convention 2020 and the long wait for Convention 2021, the Executive Team is working to establish a series of virtual programs to bring members together.
The platform is ZOOM.The moderator is Mark Fine.The length of time is 45 to 60 minutes.The loose plan for the initial meeting includes:
EMAIL INVITATION: An invitation to all paid-up members will be sent via EMAIL on Wednesday, June 10th.Members wishing to participate will need to REPLY to this EMAILand indicate their interest in attending the virtual “MEET & GREET.” This email will explain how to sign up for free ZOOM (if not already a user), and the steps you will need to take when you sign into the meeting.
EMAIL REGISTRATION:A 2nd EMAIL will be generated by ZOOM and sent to only those members who responded to the 1st email.This 2nd email will contain the PASSWORD for the meeting.On the day of the meeting sign in at 2PM or a few minutes earlier.Refer to the instructions in your first email.
MEETING: The MEET of this initial meeting includes self-introduction (Name, locale, collection specialty) – in other words – short and sweet!
SHARE:Several short pre-selected building presentations by members.
THERE ARE PLANS FOR FUTHER MEETINGS.We have some ideas, but let us know your recommendations for topics.The suggested recurring date andtime is the 2nd Sunday of the Month at 2PM Eastern.Be sure to stay tuned.
The 2020 Annual SBCS Convention scheduled for October 23-25 in Jackson, MS has been postponed until October 2021, exact dates TBD (to be determined).
Stay tuned for further information regarding the Convention and what plans are brewing to keep SBCS Members engaged with each other. Fun events using new technology are in the works.
In the meantime there are the FaceBook Follies over on the SBCS Facebook page to keep us entertained. They started with the ABCs and before the group got to Z(ed) the National Building Museum followed suit with an A-Z Tour of the David Weingarten Collection of 20th Century Buildings. When it seemed the ABCs were exhausted new categories for sharing sprung up: Real buildings that look funny, Multiples, Masked Statues (Right On!), Postcards paired with their miniature buildings.
Take a trip over to Facebook and feast your jealous eyes on those “look but don’t touch” gems.
This slideshow consists of photos taken at Bob Kneisel’s home during the 2009 SBCS Convention in Pasadena and of photos taken in 2016 of the emptied cases. Some of the buildings depicted could be in your FLASH SALE Box.
If you missed out on the Bob’s Better Buildings sale last year – here is your chance to score! And for those who did score – a second opportunity to add more wonderful buildings to your collections.
The up-coming Kneisel Collection Flash Sale #6 is Monday, March 16th. This Flash Sale will consist of more of Bob’s Better Buildings and be limited to 30 boxes (with an average of 4 items per box). The cost will be $60 by check or $65 by PayPal ($60 plus $5 processing fee) per box.
As a reminder, each SBCS Member in good standing (membership paid through 2020) can order only ONE box. If you are part of a Family Membership and wish to purchase TWO boxes (one box for each Member), please include BOTH names and pay double the box price.
Keep an eye out for the official FLASH SALE Notice on March 16th and remember to follow the instructions.
It has been three years since the SBCS was willed the Bob Kneisel Collection.As in every other aspect of Life, Time marches on.The Kneisel Committee, an ad-hoc group designated by the SBCS Leadership in 2016, was organized.The Committee started a series of meetings to determine how to best use Bob’s Legacy for the benefit of both the SBCS and the Souvenir Building Community.
Kneisel Bequest 2016
Initially, the goal was to donate the entire Collection to an Organization that would curate, and display all or part of the Collection in a public setting.This would allow both SBCS Members and the public at large access to the comprehensive Collection and provide a fitting Memorial to Bob.
There were several interested candidate Organizations.Most were non-profit and required that SBCS include an ongoing endowment for curating and managing the Collection, something SBCS is not in a financial position to support.Other interested Organizations wanted to market the items as a fundraising plan for their own organization thus splitting up the Collection.
School Children at the Architecture Museum in Lahore, Pakistan
One Institution that did receive the benefit of a donation of buildings from the Kneisel Collection was the Cultural Foundation of Pakistan, Museum of Architecture.The Museum used the souvenir buildings as part of a larger display of world architecture aimed toward school age children.This was a rewarding donation for SBCS, but was not a venue available to the North American public or SBCS Members.
In 2018, the National Building Museum announced the pending acquisition of a Souvenir/Miniature Building Collection like Bob Kneisel’s Collection.This event changed the focus of the Kneisel Committee.With the other Collection becoming available in a National Museum at a national level, the Committee looked to other ways to utilize the Collection.
Discussion at both the 2017 Chicago and 2019 Kansas City SBCS Conventions revealed that many Members in attendance wanted a chance to obtain pieces from the Kneisel Collection.The Committee then looked for ways to honor this request.
Bob’s Collection had over 4000 pieces and was very eclectic.At each SBCS Convention since 2015 a selection of items was presented and distributed to SBCS Convention Members through auction, sale or raffle.For these events items selected from the Collection were themed toward the Convention location.
SBCS 2017 Convention in Chicago
These distributions only benefited the small percentage of SBCS Members who attend the SBCS Conventions.The Committee wanted other ways to start the distribution of the Collection to benefit as many SBCS Members as possible.
The Committee started offering Category and Flash Sales to all qualified Members.Initial offerings were specific categories in the Collection including certain levels of souvenir building quality and/or other types of Collectibles categories such as human and animal figurines, snow globes, charms, stadiums and crested porcelain.
Grouping of Stadiums
FLASH SALES! And Bob’s Better Buildings Sales
These sales allow for an expanded group of SBCS Members to participate, but do not meet the desire of the SBCS Organization to distribute the remaining Collection into the hands of more SBCS Members or the Collecting Community at large.
Moving Forward in 2020
As the Flash Sales end in Spring 2020, we will be moving to the next and final phases of distributing the Kneisel Collection.It will happen in two phases that will start concurrently.
Phase 1 will be the offering an expanded selection of items from the Collection at the October 2020 SBCS Convention in Jackson MS. This selection of items will be offered in the traditional way items have been offered at past Conventions including a Swap Meet,a silent or live Auction item or as raffle items.
Phase 2 will be the offering of the entire remaining Collection through an Auction House.The actual scheduling of this event is still in the planning stages, so it may or may not happen in conjunction with Phase 1. One Auction House under consideration utilizes Live Auctions allowing a greater number of souvenir building Collectors (and SBCS Members) to have access to the auctions without having to travel to the auction site.
Through these two Phases, SBCS Members will reap the benefits of the Kneisel Collection
SBCS Management and the Committee will be holding one part of the Collection as a legacy SBCS Collection.The SBCS Convention Souvenir Buildings from 1999 through the 2019 Kansas City Convention will be held by the Society for historical purposes.Bob Kneisel had collected all of the Commemoratives through 2015, and the Kneisel Committee has added each year’s Commemorative since.
All fees charged to date, and all future fees charged from remaining Flash Sales and the profits from the two final Phases are used to defray costs for distributing the Collection and support other SBCS activities.
If you need a pick-me-up following your Super Bowl slump, here is your chance!
Some of the Stadiums in FLASH SALE #4 of Kneisel Collection. They are not all in the best condition. It is box-luck/pot-luck!
The next Kneisel Collection Flash Sale is Monday, February 3rd. This Flash Sale will consist of STADIUMS and be limited to 10 boxes. The cost will be $25 by check or $30 by PayPal ($25 plus $5 processing fee) per box.
As a reminder, each SBCS Member in good standing (membership paid through 2020) can order only ONE box. If you are part of a Family Membership and wish to purchase TWO boxes (one box for each Member), please include BOTH names and pay double the per box price.
Keep an eye out for the official Flash Sale Notice email on that date and remember to follow the instructions.
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This is just one of the many valuable “perks” of being a Member of the SBCS. All proceeds go to defray the costs of this program and support the work of the SBCS. Thank you for your membership in the SBCS.
CHECK OUT AN ARTICLE ON STADIUMS FROM THE FALL 2005 NEWSLETTER.
Souvenir Building Collectors Society Journal Vol. 12 No. 3 (2005)
SBCS 