Buildings, Monuments, News, Upcoming event

Souvenir Building Collection for Sale!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Above are just a few of the souvenir buildings included John Beasley’s collection.  Check out the collection being offered as a whole by John Beasley in the Sales/Classifieds by clicking here.

This SBCSociety website is a forum for selling or exchanging whole collections or individual buildings among collectors of miniature buildings. It is a good way to upgrade your collection or give others the opportunity to build their collections.

Upcoming event

Say “Goodbye” to a Miniature Buildings Exhibit

Joe Kopitz has issued an invitation to all those interested in miniature buildings and monuments, “Please try to join me at the closing reception for this wonderful exhibit this Sunday, September 13th from 3 – 6 PM at the City Reliquary Museum, 370 Metropolitan, Brooklyn, NY.”

A small portion of the miniature buildings to be see.
A small portion of the miniature buildings to be see.

If you cannot make it this Sunday for the reception – the exhibit will still be on display for the next 2 weeks (till the end of September). The museum is open Thursday – Sunday, 12 – 6 PM.

This closing reception is shared with the opening reception for: Ascenzi Square, The Sons of Williamsburg, A Photographic History.

Photo of Reception Flyer
Reception Sunday, Sept. 13, 2015, at City Reliquary Museum, Brooklyn, NY
Buildings, Events, Monuments, News, People, Upcoming event

EXPAND YOUR COLLECTION: Sept 25 & 26 Auction

Here’s your chance! That one special building or many sought-after pieces from noted SBCS member Howie Gelbtuch’s collection and other consignors! All you have to do is have a winning bid!

The bricks-and-mortar auction will be held in Arlington Heights, Illinois. Click here for the four-page flyer (pdf) from BP Auctions.

Catalogued items can be viewed now by clicking on these links for LiveAuctioneers: September 25September 26.

BP Auction, Sept. 25-26, 2015
Page 1 of four page flyer for BP Auction of Banks and Souvenir Buildings
Buildings, People, RECENT FINDS, Upcoming event

JOIN THE SEARCH! Los Angeles Souvenir Buildings

Photo of ARCO Center
ARCO Center, Los Angeles, Grey Metal on Marble, circa 1980

The first contribution toward building a checklist of souvenir buildings / monuments / statues located in Los Angeles or Orange Counties has arrived.  Chris S.  sent in this photo of the ARCO Center, ARCO Products Company Headquarters.  He wrote, “This Arco Tower was a spec building built in the late 1980s prior to the office building bust in the 1990s.  This was the ‘lesser’ ARCO building, not the more famous ARCO Tower that housed the oil company headquarters.  This building housed the ARCO Products Division, the AM/PM Mini Marts.  ARCO has ended their lease and taken the signage off of the building.”  He speculates that this miniature was made as a souvenir for the initial occupancy or as a sales reward.  Chris found it at the Mart Collective in Venice, CA in the fall of 2014.

 

Buildings, Events, Monuments, News, People, Upcoming event

2015 Convention Finds and Membership Alerts

Membership Alerts:

NOW AVAILABLE under the MEMBERS ONLY tab:

  1. Volumes 1 to 5 of the JOURNAL OF THE SOUVENIR BUILDING COLLECTOR SOCIETY are now available for download in the Membership section of the website.  Members Only / SBCS Newsletters / Listing of Back Issues.   Go to the bottom of the page.
  2. Jay M, Michael E, and Joe K have contributed photos from the 2015 Convention that can be viewed at Members Only / Convention Photos / 2015.  Roll over caption to get full captions. If you have pictures to share, please forward them.  Also, check out the public tab, 2015 Convention Redux.  We’ll keep it up for a while and could use some photos.
  3. We could use some more pictures of buildings and monuments acquired during the convention to post and increase the number of buildings that will come up in a internet search.
  4. Lance Oldham’s definitive work Banthrico Buildings, Then and Now. Check it out and download it for your research files.

    Front Cover of Bantrico Buildings, Then & Now
    Front Cover of Banthrico Buildings, Then and Now by Lance G. Oldham

WANTED:

Photos and descriptions of your souvenir buildings / monuments / statues with a Los Angeles City, Los Angeles County, or Orange County location. We will start posting some of these photos as a run-up to the June 10 – 12, 2016 SBCS Convention in Los Angeles. A further intent is to create a locale (LA and Orange Counties) specific checklist for members. Email your photos to bookendcollector@bookendcollector.com.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION:

Head over to the Souvenir Building Collectors Facebook page and keep the conversation lively.

2015 Convention Fun and Finds:

Elizabeth L. and Joe K.  took advantage of the “First to Fly” promotion for the Orlando EYE and got the birds-eye view of the Orlando countryside.  Joe took 2 flights and received 2 commemorative “First to Fly” pins.  Joe said, “While there is not that much to see while up in the sky (after all, it is in central Florida – not on the edge of the Thames), there are several worthwhile sites to discover and see from a different perspective”.

Katherine and Jerry tickled Frank Lloyd Wrights’ fancy.

Frank Lloyd Wright Statue
Frank Lloyd Wright Statue, Florida Southern College, Lakeland, FL

Donna S. picked up 2 keys to the 1933 Century of Progress, Chicago’s World Fair, at an antique mall in the city of Winter Park.  Of course, the keys had buildings depicted on them.

Keys to the 1933 Chicago World's Fair
Keys to the 1933 Century of Progress, Chicago World’s Fair. Gray Metal, 8 1/2″ and 10″ in length.

On his way out-of-town, Joe K. found a $1 treasure at the Belville Corner Old Time Market in Bushnell, FL.

The Swap and Shop tables, the after dinner raffle, and the auction yielded more treasures for the 2015 convention attendees.

Photo of Auction/Raffle Items
Checking out the Auction and Raffle Items
Photo of miniature General Motors Building
Even a bashed up General Motors, Detroit, MI miniature building is all good if you don’t have one in your collection. Grey metal, 3 1/2″ in height.

 

 

Buildings, Events, Monuments, News, Upcoming event, WHERE IS IT?

2015 SBCS Convention is IN THE BAG!

The Souvenir Building Collectors Society 2015 Convention in Orlando, Florida is in the bag. The next gathering will be June 10-11-12, 2016 in Los Angeles.

As SBCS members trickled out of Orlando, they carried bags of memories and packed suitcases of small buildings.

SBCS 2015 Commemorative, Orlando City Hall, pewter, Height 2 1/4
SBCS 2015 Commemorative, Orlando City Hall, pewter, Height 2 1/4″, Width 3″, Mfg. Infocus Tech.

Early arrivals were treated to a walking tour of historical downtown Orlando, which included the SBCS & SBCCA Exhibit of miniature buildings in the Orlando City Hall Rotunda. This exhibit runs until May 9th.

SBCS Attendees caught up with each other at our hosts’ Meet & Greet soiree. Many shared stories of their newest or their special souvenir building finds.

Meet_Mingle1

More memories were added to the bag with the fantastic tour of one of the largest collections of buildings by the architect Frank Lloyd Wright at the Florida Southern College campus in Lakeland, FL.

Annie Pfeiffer Chapel, Florida Southern College, Frank Lloyd Wright architect
Annie Pfeiffer Chapel, Florida Southern College, Frank Lloyd Wright architect
Just in case you get lost!
Just in case you get lost!

 

One member found a photo of a cast metal model of the the Annie Pfeiffer Chapel that was sold to raise money for building the chapel.  Have you seen one?

Cast Metal Model of the Annie Pfeiffer Chapel
Cast Metal Model of the Annie Pfeiffer Chapel

The Swap Meet on Saturday gave everyone a chance to trade, sell, or buy souvenir buildings. More treasures were added to the suitcases with the annual auction and raffle. It was hard not to go home with more real estate!

Buildings, Events, Monuments, News, Upcoming event

SBCS 2015 Convention Reminders

Tie the proverbial string around your finger! Or just make a list or a note to yourself!

  • Don’t forget to bring your Show-and-Tell buildings.
  • Bring your Bidding Strategy and Dinero (Cash) for the Saturday Night Auction Action.
  • Remember to pack some goodies to donate for the raffle.
  • Be prepared to Swap and Shop at the annual SWAP Meet on Saturday morning.
SBCS 2014 SWAP Meet
SBCS 2014 SWAP Meet

Schedule:

FRIDAY, MAY 1

Hospitality Room (in hotel): Where you can pick up Registration Packets and drop off Raffle Items.  Wed. 3 – 5 PM, Thurs & Fri. 10 AM – 12 Noon, and in afternoon.

City of Orlando Walking Tour: Conducted by members of the City of Orlando Historical Society. Will end at City Hall for SBCS Exhibit of Souvenir Buildings. 8:30 AM Friday – Meet in hotel lobby.

A quick tour will be offered to late arrivals in the afternoon and end at the City Hall SBCS Exhibit.

Meet & Greet: Light Dinner and Dessert with Hosts Marty and Jakob. Venue for Show-and-Tell with a theme of “recent finds or super favorite finds.” Sign-up in Hospitality Room for Shuttle or Car Pool. Walkable Distance. Early Evening Friday.

SATURDAY, MAY 2

  • Annual Business Meeting
  • SBCS Swap Meet
  • Bus Tour to Lakeland, FL and historic Southern College
  • Cocktails, Dinner, Auction and Raffle

SUNDAY, MAY 3

Oh so many choices. Meet for breakfast then onto personal interests – Cape Canaveral to Hogwarts, Antiques to Disney World.

Events, News, Upcoming event

“First to Fly” the ORLANDO EYE

What an Opportunity!  Be one of the first to ride the Orlando Eye!  The 2015 Souvenir Building Collectors Society Convention from May 1 – 3 in Orlando is on the same weekend that tickets first become available for the Orlando Eye.  Tickets can be purchased for the “First to Fly” promotion by clicking on this link to the ORLANDO EYE.  Act NOW!  Tickets are going fast!

Orlando 2015

Buildings, News, Upcoming event

SBCS Convention Commemoratives

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The Souvenir Building Collectors Society meeting is in Orlando, FL on May 1, 2 & 3, 2015.  Click here to be taken to the website page about the 2015 Convention.

Click here to visit THE BUILDING COLLECTOR’s website and post on the SBCS Conventions’ Commemorative miniature buildings.

Click here to see the listing of the SBCS Convention locales and activities.

Buildings, Events, Monuments, News, People, Upcoming event

SBCS 2015 CONVENTION COUNT-DOWN

Space Shuttle on crawler transporter. Kennedy Space Center, FL.
Space Shuttle on Crawler Transporter, Kennedy Space Center, FL. 7 1/2 ” in height. Gray Metal.

The Count-down has begun.

Seven (7) more days to register and receive a discount to the 2105 SBCS Convention in Orlando, Florida.

Twenty-two (22) days to the opening of the SBCS Exhibit of Souvenir Buildings at the Orlando City Hall.

Twenty-seven (27) days before Souvenir Building Collectors begin arriving at the Embassy Suites – Downtown Orlando.

Twenty-eight (28) days before a meet-greet-eat soiree at Marty & Jakob’s.

Twenty-nine (29) days before the Business Meeting, SBCS Swap Meet, Bus Tour to Lakeland, SBCS Dinner, Auction, and Raffle.

Thirty (30) days before some SBCS members head to Cape Canaveral for a peek at the Kennedy Space Center.

Click here for Convention Information and Links.