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Hi all, I appreciate your support as in the past. I can hardly believe this is our 13th annual event. We have a full agenda once again and look forward to seeing collectors from around the world joining us. The event models are beautiful and both licensed models of course. With Nick's approval, I am happy to offer one of each casting to a lucky board member here. I will let Nick decide how to offer these models. I know all cannot join us so I will do a little part to bring the event to you.

If you are planning to join us, there is still time. Email me @ matchb0x1@aol.com for a registration form or details. You can also visit our Facebook page Matchbox Collecting Gathering for the form and agenda.

I am asking for donations for the charity auction as well. 100% of proceeds from this event go to Rachel's Courtyard, a local children's hospital and a charity very close to my heart. If you have auction donations or other door prize giveaways, please send them to:

Matchbox Auction
PO Box 15414
Rio Rancho, NM 87174

Thanks again and I look forward to seeing all in July

Thank you for your generous offer of the models Jim, that is very good of you to think of us less fortunate collectors and certainly a good way of helping us get involved. I suggest Nick has some sort of little competition for those models and as one of the members here who mostly looks onto the World of model gatherings and conventions through the computer screen, I will certainly enter and hope to win a model.

Best regards Jim, hope all goes well with the event and I look forward to some pictures.

GHOSTHUNTER.

My pledge to you Ghosty,is that I will provide some Gathering photo updates here within the Lounge. Perhaps Kay and Durango Bill Burgess can and will help me add to the photo tour. Between Jim's offer of models and the photos we'll do our best to bring the show alive for you here.
Please know that none of us (except for Jim and the Mattel team) know what the Gathering models are to be until they are unveiled at the Saturday night dinner at the Gathering. I'll try to post photos of the models here as I'm able to help whet your collective appetites.
I am part of the team that helps Jim pull together the auction so please do look into your toy closets and your hearts to see what might be useful in raising funds for the children at Rachel's Courtyard.

Thanks Greg,

Greg is a huge part of the Gathering and always has done a wonderful job with the auction. It would not happen without those who volunteer their time and talents. The event is all about friendships and will always be.

Thanks Greg!!!

Thanks to Jim for the kind offer of a/some Gathering models, I am at a loss as to how we will distribute these to a worthy winner, Suggestions please!!!.

Perhaps some sort of lottery.

Each member has a number already assigned to them. Click on the members profile, right click on the members name in large print directly behind "Viewing Profile" and then click on properties ... the last number in the string is the number assigned to that member.

Or we could just start a thread and members interested in receiving the models could post and the number of their post could be their lottery number.

The winning number can be "drawn" using the old fashioned method of pulling slips out of a hat or by use of freely available web sites with such programs.

The numbering suggestions I like. I can have the drawing at the Gathering and have Michael Heralda draw 2 random numbers. 1 for the dinner (2nd) model and the other for the dealer model. Will someone take the lead in getting numbers to me well before the event? Maybe 1, July? That way I can get the correct number of slips for Michael to draw from. I will ship at my cost. Always happy to include all on this event as it truly is about the collector.

Joe, I can't figure out how you got the number, But there are a whole lot of numbers that have not been used simply because of the large amount of spammers trying to join the board. Each of the spammers also have a number, so the next member to join will be number 9763 unless a spammer gets it first..

Perhaps then a thread where members who desire the models post their names and we can then assign numbers to those names and then give Jim a set of numbers from 1 up to ?.

I think that's a good idea Joe, limited to one post each on the thread and the order of the posts would determine your number
That way everyone who is interested would have a fair chance, better than picking a random member from the members list as not all would be interested in these or as Nick said not all numbers are allocated to actual members