This has been a strange year for many reasons, but the lockdown because of COVID-19 came at a time for me that was going to be the busiest of my life. While at the Las Vegas Antique Arms Show February 28 – March 1, in the background in conversation or watching the news I had heard little bits and pieces about the virus, but had no clue that the world would change not long after I got back.
By March 13 most everything had closed or shutdown. I could not visit museums, archives, and nobody wanted to have you in their home for house calls. But Antique Arms shows were a month or so away. Certainly, this would be resolved by then!
Fast forward seven months…..SEVEN MONTHS! No shows, no seeing friends and colleagues, only an occasional Zoom or text. The term “going stir crazy” was an understatement and I hoped that something would come up we could safely do. A few weeks ago friends contacted me about the York Antique Arms Show to be held at the York, Pennsylvania Expo Center. I looked it up and it seemed like the place was large enough to social distance, and masks were required. Although a little leery, I registered to get a table.
On the trip down I was excited to see the dealers and collectors I had really missed, but would this turn out to be a good show? Once I arrived, I walked into the hall, got my temperature taken, and received my badges and show packet. After I was setup, I walked around the to see everyone and damn it was good to be out again! The layout of the hall was perfect as it was huge and there was nobody close to each other and all the dealers I saw were masked and doing the right thing. My level of comfort as well as my excitement to be “back in the game” could be seen through the masked smile. It was so good to see my friends after the seven months of lockdown.
When the show opened to the public there were a decent number of folks but not the normal crowd that lined up at the door waiting for the 9:00 am opening. To me this was good as there were not throngs of people crowded around tables, but I saw a comfortable flow wandering around the hall. Normal sales were obviously down but there seemed to be a sense of universal joy that at least something was happening.
When the show closed, I packed up my stuff and loaded the car for the six-and-a-half-hour drive home. All the way back I thought about the conversations had with friends, things learned, and was really glad I had taken the trip down. I know it is going to take a while for there to be some sense of normalcy again, but for me this little taste of it was medicinal.
