The thirteenth annual Show of Shows (a.k.a. SOS) was held at the Kentucky Fair & Exposition Center in Louisville, Kentucky on Thursday, February 24<SUP>th</SUP> through Sunday, February 27<SUP>th</SUP>, 2005. The show, which was sponsored by The Ohio Valley Military Society, Inc., had roughly 600 dealers (549 dealers were listed in the Show of Shows program) and 1500 tables and was well attended by collectors from all over the world.
There was a good selection of Japanese militaria (e.g., swords, headgear, field gear, etc.) at the show, and although I didn’t hear of anything spectacular coming out of the show, I did see a really nice leather single loop Model 30 bayonet frog; a nice, hard-to-find, first class, enameled Navy proficiency badge, and a rare felt-type Army enlisted man’s field cap that were purchased at the show. I also heard of a seldom encountered, last ditch, emergency use Model 99 rifle that came out of the show as well.
I ended up picking up a nice issued Navy summer petty officer’s cap with/rare two-piece insignia; several uniforms including a modified Model 45 Army enlisted man’s winter service tunic, an un-issued Model 90 Army enlisted man’s summer service tunic, and a used Model 90 Army officer’s private purchase summer service tunic; an Army enlisted man’s tropical helmet with bevo insignia; two (2) Army photo albums; three (3) second pattern Army Model 90 helmet covers; a private purchase flak vest; a boxed aerial photograph stereoscope; an Army enlisted man’s Model 99 tropical backpack with blanket; two (2) Model 30 enlisted mans' rubberized canvas ammunition belts; a brass oiler for a cavalry pouch; and three (3) Army paratrooper commemorative/unit history books that were printed in 1983.
All in all, the thirteenth annual SOS was a great success and it was nice meeting up with the folks that I typically get to see only once or twice a year. It was also nice be able to meet a number of Wehrmacht-Award forum members at the show and to put a face behind a name.
Although the thirteenth annual SOS is now history, I find myself already thinking about next year’s show which will be held on Thursday, February 23<SUP>rd</SUP> through Sunday, February 26<SUP>th</SUP>, 2006 at the Kentucky Fair & Exposition Center in Louisville, Kentucky. For those of you that haven’t been to the SOS before, I suggest you mark your calendars accordingly as I’m sure next year’s show will be a show that you will not want to miss.
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