Collectibles show finds niche

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This article was published 26/11/2021 (480 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Conventions, shows, and swap meets are back on the menu for Manitobans, and there’s something for everyone’s tastes.

Roughly 600 visitors attended the first annual Winnipeg Collectibles Show at the Holiday Inn (1740 Ellice Ave.) on Nov. 14. Guests lined up around the building in anticipation of the 10 a.m. opening.

Inside, visitors floated between 45 vendor tables of comic books, art, vinyl, jewelry, toys, and a menagerie of memorabilia. But not before workers checked vaccine cards and IDs.

The turnout was a welcome sight for organizers Wally Dorvault and Shelley Ostrove.

“It’s been non-stop all morning,” Dorvault told The Metro. “Our staff has been phenomenal. All of our guests have been phenomenal.”

The show’s proximity to the holidays helped, too.

“A lot of people we have coming in here are buying Christmas gifts for the family,” Ostrove said.
Dorvault has headed the Winnipeg Comic Show at the Holiday Inn for many years and welcomed a slate of comic book sellers to this new show.

“We have a huge amount of comics in this city,” Dorvault said. “There’s collections always being found here — people don’t realize that.”

The most recent Winnipeg Comic Show was planned for March 29, 2020 — barely two weeks after pandemic lockdowns swept the city. With those comic fans in mind, the 52-year-old joined forces with Ostrove to create a show that would interest a broader audience.

“We’re happy with the show; it’s really been successful,” Ostrove said. “It’s a family affair.”

Ostrove’s favorite item on sale that day was American football legend Joe Montana’s rookie card. The seller was looking to part with her late husband’s collection, Ostrove said, so Dorvault put her in touch with a buyer who could give a fair price.

Ostrove, a marketer by trade, is active in Winnipeg’s entertainment scene. The septuagenarian has helped organize the Winnipeg Tattoo Show, Central Canada Comic Con, Cottage Country’s Lake and Cabin Show, and the World of Wheels — the latter makes its return on Fri., March 25, 2022 at the RBC Convention Centre.

Adam Hannibal and Norman Brinks were among the vendors in attendence at the Winnipeg Collectibles Show. The pair had on display nearly 1000 records packed in milk crates and boxes.

“This is my first opportunity to do an in-person sale since pretty much the pandemic,” Brinks said. “It’s good to see people face-to-face and interact again.”

Brinks sells records through Instagram @skip_the_records.

Hannibal was out for the day helping Brinks sell his music, including some rare Van Halen and Led Zeppelin presses. Hannibal is known, in part, for Quadrafunk, CKUW 95.9 FM’s longest running radio DJ mix, which airs on Fridays from 9 to 10:30 p.m. He also runs Balanced Records, a collective of producers and DJs based in Winnipeg.

After the success of the inaugural Winnipeg Collectibles Show, Dorvault and Ostrove hope to host another one next fall.