Jar-tastic Jars-uary Jar Show -- Winter Muncie Fruit Jar Show Report

The January Muncie Fruit Jar Show was another fabulously good time! After days of room-hop-shopping, we all got up early, enjoyed the last complimentary breakfast at the hotel and jumped in our cold cars and headed for the Horizon Convention Center for the final day of treaure hunting and fun.

Carl and Marilyn Miller chat with Jeff Klingler at the last breakfast.

Here's new collector Mark Williams with Jeff K. (eating his breakfast on the way in to the show) -- you can see it was a sunny morning. We definitely had better weather than we have had for some other January Muncie shows!

Everyone who stayed at the hotel had nothing but great things to say! The MAFJBC did it right. Everyone loved the addition of the complimentary lunch on Saturday, before the meeting, so we could stay in the hotel and not miss any of the day's excitement.

The Signature Inn has always been good to us, and we all missed Cathy Hewson. But the new manager, Jeff Bryan was super! He made sure we had everything we needed, and cheerfully worked with the club and all the attendees. He even made promotional signs for the lobby, which was a nice touch. Jeff was also there when we checked out Sunday morning, to make sure we all remembered to book our rooms for the summer event -- hope you booked yours! The Signature Inn of Muncie has the hardest working crew and staff, and the friendliest. Thanks to everyone -- we really appreciate your making all us jar-nuts feel at home.

We had the entire first floor, all 50 rooms, plus several rooms upstairs too, and with the locals who live close enough by to drive over each day, we had around 120 collectors roaming the halls searching for jars, and friends to share stories with -- and finding them!

A couple shots of the huge well-lighted show room.

There are always some great collector displays at the show.

Tom Sproat won the prize for MOST EDUCATIONAL for his display of early hand blown jars (click to enlarge and read his poster).

Donovan Wilson won the People's Choice award for his amusing display "I'm NOT a Ball Jar Collector, I'm a Fruit Jar Collector". (His wife wanted to know why he was playing with her dolls.)

Joe Coulson's display was titled "Ball Jar Dream Christmas: Santa's Gift Ideas for Really Good Girls & Boys" -- you can read the text here: Muncie display text

John O'Connor brought some awesome color jars -- look at that cobalt he is holding! But the rarest treasures he brought with him were his 4 adorable daughters!

Here's Richard and Carla Franks from Flint MI -- their club's bottle show is coming up in March. 

_______________________________________

If anyone out there has some pix they want to share, please let me know. I'd love to add them here!

Jean Harbron took lots of pix for the MAFJBC club's website, so be sure to go there, and click on the January 2011 Show Pix link -- http://www.fruitjar.org/

*** But for tons more pix, and some great jar stories, you should definitely read the Ball Jar Collectors website's Muncie chatter. They have some really SUPER post-show reports (with lots of color pix of purchases), from Jeff Harper, Mark Williams, Bruce Schank, Jeff Klingler, Jon Raver, Joe Coulson.  ***

_____________________________________

Seen at the show: I love this Crystal Jar filled with now-antique Valentine Cookies & Candies -- left in there for decades, saved, treasured once for it's sweet memories, now treasured again by the new owner. May all your jars hold wonderful memories, too.

Feel the need to read even more about the JAR-TASTIC Muncie Fruit Jar Show?

Read all of my "Live-Blog" posts that I sent in during the DAZE of room hopping --

• http://finbotclub.blogspot.com/2011/01/biggest-fruit-jar-you-ever-saw.html
• http://finbotclub.blogspot.com/2011/01/don-burkett-had-stuff.html
• http://finbotclub.blogspot.com/2011/01/more-muncie-room-hopping.html
• http://finbotclub.blogspot.com/2011/01/more-muncie-madness-and-fruit-jar-fun.html
• http://finbotclub.blogspot.com/2011/01/fruit-jar-collectors-having-blast-in.html
• http://finbotclub.blogspot.com/2011/01/muncie-club-meeting-well-attended.html
• http://finbotclub.blogspot.com/2011/01/theres-lots-more-than-just-jars-here.html
• http://finbotclub.blogspot.com/2011/01/auction-time.html

Go further back in time to the pre-show excitement -- Winter muncie -- be there!  

And even farther back in time to previous Winter Muncie posts: 

______________________________________

See you all for the SUMMER MUNCIE FRUIT JAR GET TOGETHER in July 2011!

________________________________________

The FinBotClub Blog is published by the Findlay Antique Bottle Club of Ohio