Rolling to Altoona

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The 2007 B.F. Avery & Associates Winter/Spring Tractor Show that was held April 13 & 14, 2007 at Altoona, Iowa is in the books. Charlene and Wendell Shellabarger did a fine job of hosting the meeting. For those of you who couldn't make it, you missed a great get together of BF Avery Collectors and Associates.

The meeting facilities were very nice and everyone enjoyed visiting in and around Altoona. Our headquarters hotel was very nice and the folks there worked hard to accommodate our needs. The indoor pool and hot tub was enjoyed by a few of us. The fresh baked cookies in the evenings were also a hit amongst the Avery folks. I think we about ate them out of business in the mornings at the complimentary breakfast, we kept the young lady busy putting out more food. There was a rumor afloat that more than one feller wearing a blue & white Avery cap was spotted with a big plate of biscuits and gravy.

For the Friday afternoon tour, Wendell had arranged for us to tour the Firestone Tire plant located not far from the meeting site. There were 17 of us that went on the tour which lasted about 1-1/2 hours. I think there were several of us that was shocked that the tire manufacturing is still a labor intensive process. Due to company policy we were unable to take any pictures inside the plant. I'm just glad that we toured it in cool weather since we were told that it gets up to 120 degrees in the summer in some areas.  (click on the "Read More" below)

The business meeting on Saturday morning went well. We here at BFAvery.com are proud to announce that we have been selected to be the official website of the B.F. Avery Collectors & Associates National Club. Because of this you will be seeing lots of additional information on the website.

We had an auction of items donated to the club and items brought by attendees. All of the items that sold brought top dollar and everyone was happy. The spotlight item of the day was a Collectible Doll Lamp that brought $100.00. However, there was a investigation by the auctioneer which uncovered that Bill Williams of Baldwyn, MS had rigged the bid. No one could believe that Bill would take part in such an act (Yeah Right!!).

The banquet on Saturday night was a great success. The meal was prepared and served by the Eastern Star Ladies' Group. We had Roast Beef or Chicken along with a fresh garden salad, creamed potatoes, steamed mix vegetables, deviled eggs, and rolls. Dessert was Angel Food cake with fruit toppings. The meal was greatly enjoyed by all.

Our next show is in Ashland, Oh, more information will be posted in another section on the website.