When was the 2009 Convention?

We held our annual get-together (it's probably too strong a word to call it a convention this year) on Saturday August 29th, at 1:00 pm. This year, we only met for a luncheon at the the Village Kitchen Restaurant in East Aurora, NY. This is the same place we held our annual dinner in 2007 and 2008.

What Went On?

Many club members came to the luncheon - we had about 25 people this year. We ordered off the menu, and did what we always do - gab, chat, talk about our toys, and everything else! During the meal, we held the raffle and gave out the Caring and Sharing Award. Afterwards, those on the Board held a meeting to discuss the year. It was great to see everyone there.

What About the Show and Sale?

This year, due to many reasons, there was no sale or show. The primary reason is the loss of the venue Toyfest (the now-defunct weekend-long festival held in East Aurora celebrating toys). Toyfest used to draw thousands to East Aurora. But with no Toyfest, it's now very hard to draw the interest and necessary foot traffic to East Aurora for a toy show and sale.

No Visit to the Toytown Museum This Year

Many of us would stop by the ToyTown Museum on our visits to East Aurora, but not this year. Like Toyfest, the museum is gone too! They closed up and ceased operations around May 2009. Their website indicated that they intended to relocate and reopen, but it isn't going to happen (as of July 2010 - they are permanently closed).