at Collector’s Show

After a three-year hiatus due to a global pandemic, the Border City Collectors were back at the Lloyd Ex for the return of their highlyanticipated show.

Held at the Ex on March 11 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., the day started off on the right foot with a lineup out the door before the event even began.

“How’s it going today? You look around and you just think, ‘this is awesome,’” said one of the event’s organizers Don Whiting.

The event was originally scheduled to take place in the WLS Stockade Convention Centre, but a small fire and flooding due to the building’s sprinkler system not shutting off forced the club to change plans at the last minute.

“We’re out in the concourse, down the west hallways, as well as in the Prairie rooms,” said Whiting.

“The feedback’s been good so far. People are still coming through the doors later in the day here, which is great to see. There’s lots of people here today.”

This year’s event featured a total of 120 tables split between roughly 50 vendors, including new vendors such as Mykel Lewsaw, a first-timer from Edmonton who owns the Rocky Mountain Antique Mall.

“We came out for the first time this year and brought a bunch of oil and gas advertising, things like that,” said Lewsaw. “I deal a lot in ‘petroliana,’ so I figured

I’d come and bring a sample of what I’ve got to offer.”

As a first-time vendor at the Lloyd show, Lewsaw said he’d be back after this year’s success.

“People are looking at a bit of everything,” he said. “We’ve done pretty well with the oil cans, but out here you also get a lot of interest in tractors and farming. There’s always a good market for stuff like that.”

As in years past, Whiting pointed out that funds raised through the show’s ticket sales will support a local historical society.

“Funds raised through the cost of admission is usually donated to one the museum-related groups in the area in Lloyd, but we’re not exactly sure where funds are going from this year’s show,” he said.

Colby Ryall and his dad, Kevin, have been coming to the collectors show together for quite some time and brought their model trucks, tanks, and naval warships.

“We first started out with the semis, but after a while, we branched out,” said Colby. “My dad went to the Second World War armoured division and he did the Battle of the Bulge. I went to the Second World War navy, and here today we have ships such as the German battleship Bismarck. We’ve been coming here a while, and some of the reactions we get from people are amazing.”