The next morning, June 10th, Scott and I were heading down the road by 7:25 AM. I know according to Scott we got a late start because he wanted to be on the road by 7, but actually if you consider it by Mississippi time we were on the road by 6:25. So I think I did pretty darn good considering I rose at 5 AM and I had to gather all my clothes and essentials together, so Scott could pack them. Not to mention I’m not a morning person.
Since I had no milk for breakfast, we stopped at Chick-Fil-A around 8:40 AM in Midland, GA, where I had a Chicken Biscuit Combo in which Scott nibbled on since he had a pop tart for breakfast before leaving home.
On our journey I tried my best to stay awake. It was a lot easier when there was something to look at. However, I did doze off a few times, and would usually wake myself up by my snoring. We stopped at the General Store, which had a few western items that we didn’t purchase. Our truck was already full to its capacity, so there wouldn’t be any where to put anything else. They had some nice barrels that I thought were reasonable priced for $99.00. I can’t wait till I have room in my western room for my barrel that is still in the storage shed. We walked next door to an antique mall, but as before, we didn’t purchase anything. It was just good to get out of the truck for a while to stretch our legs.
As we drove through Southaven, our bellies began to grumble. We were tired and hungry, so Scott told me to choose a place to eat. As we rolled through Horn Lake, I noticed a Ryans, and since we don’t have any in our vicinity any more, I chose to eat there. The food nor the service weren’t exceptionally good, but we did fill our bellies.
Next stop was Sam’s Town. Scott checked in and then we toted our luggage, snacks, drinks and any other necessities to our room.
We checked the dealers’ room to see if anyone was setting up yet. There were a few, but Scott and I were too tuckered to begin fixing up our vendor tables. It would wait until tomorrow.
Before heading up to our room for the night, we went into the casino and played a few games. We didn’t win. But if you don’t play, you definitely can’t win. I had an amoretti sour and sex on the beach drinks, but they weren’t that great. They were watered down. That night when my head hit the pillow, I was out until morning. What’s that expression? I slept like a log? Well, that was me, and I think it was Scott, too.
On June 11th, Scott was up before me as usual. I hate crawling out of bed until at least around 10, but he wanted to be up and down in the dealers’ room as soon as we could, which was 9 AM, because that was the time we were allowed in. We didn’t eat any breakfast because I wanted to eat somewhere in town, and also get my ice cream at DQ for my birthday.
We drove the truck around to the back of the hotel. I stayed with the truck to keep an eye on our items while Scott took everything in and sat it by our tables. Afterward, Scott told me to start setting things up while he went and parked the truck back around front. However, I wasn’t sure how he had in mind to showcase the DVDs, so I waited until he got back. We had brought too much to display, so we made the tables look as attractive as we could, and some of inventory had to remain in totes, under our table on a western blanket or on tops of our totes behind our tables for display.
Both Scott and I were starving, and I get grumpy when I’m hungry, and it seemed like it was taking forever to get the tables finished, especially when people would start talking to Scott, and I was doing it by myself. Finally, around 1 PM, it was done, and we took off for Horn Lake to go thrifting and eating.
Our first stop was the Salvation Army Family Store. They had some great specials going on. Buy 1 Book Get 1 Free & Buy 1 Purse Get 1 Free. Scott purchased some books, and I found two purses. Their bric a brac was on sale for 50% off, too, and I found some items to put in my garden. Scott was grumbling about me picking up too much stuff and that it wouldn’t all fit in the truck, but I told him it would, and it did. The stuff made it home with us.
The other thrift stores that we found and checked out weren’t that remarkable, and I only bought one other thing, which was a horse welcome sign that actually matches the one that I have at home.
Around 3 PM, we decided to eat at Zaxbys since we hadn’t eaten anything all day. Then right next door was the Dairy Queen, where I got a medium blizzard and a free small blizzard with my birthday coupon. We couldn’t eat it all, especially since Scott doesn’t eat much ice cream anyways.
Around 7 PM, we arrived back at the casino, where I got me another casino card since I didn’t bring mine from last year. I got to play the kiosk and for my birthday, I won a Sam’s Town t-shirt.
Back in the dealers room was Clint Walker, so Scott and I went over to his table. I couldn’t get a picture with Cheyenne, but I purchased an autograph picture, bought a CD, which Clint and the singer, Kelly Wayne, signed. The CD is a tribute to Clint Walker, and has the song on it “The Man They Call Cheyenne”, and they had it playing while we purchased our autographs. I also had him sign my Cheyenne game. Unfortunately, for me, he heard my name wrong and made them out to Della. Bummer!!
We drove to the Resorts & Hollywood casinos, but we didn’t win anything. Back in the casino at Sam’s Town, I had a couple of drinks: Something Fruity (pretty good), Fuzzy Navel (yuck), and Liquor Marijuana (alright).
On June 12th, Scott brought up breakfast from Smokey Joes to our room, which was a ham biscuit and a danish. As soon as we went into the dealers’ room, I checked out the silent auction, and found that someone had outbid me for Tombstone Territory. They had bid $25.00, so I upped the bid to $30.00.
By the first 15 minutes, at our vendor table, we had made $50.00. We were on our way, and I had a feeling that we would do pretty good. And of course I was right, we made around $400.00 our first day, also our first time as a vendor.
Neither one of us attended the first panel discussion, which was suppose to have Jon Walmsley, Dennis Devine and Michael McGreevey. I would have only been interested in it for Jon who played Jason on the Waltons, but fortunately, for me, he didn’t show up for the panel discussion, so I would get to see him on the last panel discussion, Saturday afternoon.
Scott didn’t want both of us to be gone from our tables, so he went and brought us back some chicken tenders from Smokey Joes for lunch, but before he got back, Deborah Dyess, A.K.A. Victoria rolled on up to our table in her wheelchair. She was supposed to have arrived earlier, but her plane had been delayed.
I attended the 2 PM panel discussion with Clu Gulager, Robert Fuller, Ruta Lee & Buck Taylor. It was a pretty funny discussion.
I had to choose a picture of Clu as Billy The Kid because they were all out of Sheriff Ryker ones. Lucky for me, my friend, Lynn, had sent me an autographed picture of Clu last year, and it was a Sheriff Ryker pose.
I like Clu as Sheriff Ryker best. My favorite episode of his on the "Virginian" is "The Masquerade".
I also got my picture taken with Clu while he signed my picture. Clu is pretty good as Billy The Kid on the "Tall Man" series.
Mose, Marshal Sip and Victoria being big supporters of us purchased some items from our booth.
We ate at Sam’s Town Buffet around 7 that night.
We played slot machines and retired earlier than last night. We were both tuckered out.
As I was waiting patiently for Buck to get to me, her husband was asking about the prints that Buck was selling, copies of drawings that Buck had drawn himself, and if you bought one for $50.00, you would get another one for free.
After Buck signed my picture, the lady was very sweet, and took a couple of pictures of me with Buck.
He is best known for his role as gunsmith-turned-deputy Newly O'Brien on TV's "Gunsmoke".
I enjoyed both of these shows that he was on.
I got my autograph picture of him as Maverick, and someone using my camera took a picture of him and me together. He is very sweet, nice and kind.
I asked the lady behind me and she didn’t know why either. So I gentle poked the fella in front of me and asked him. He told me that Jon was the voice of Christopher Robin, so now it made sense to me. I told the lady behind me, you learn something new every day, and she agreed. I purchased an autograph picture of him as Jason Walton and then the lady behind me took our picture for me. In hindsight, I wished I had got a Winnie-The-Pooh picture, too, because I do love the movies. Oh well, if I get lucky enough to meet Jon again, then I will get one.
Returning back to our vendor table, there was a pretty lady there who was picking out lots of items from our tables. I added everything up and Scott told her the total. She said she would be back later with the money and for us to keep the items on hold for her.
No One or Nolen came around, and he purchased the Cowboy Winnie-the-Pooh and Cowboy Eeyore. He said he would surprise his mother with them. He and his brother, Nick, came around later, and they purchased the John Wayne Straight Shooter Gun Wall Hanging.
I met up with Victoria at a dealer’s table, and she bought three mugs with some cowboy stars on them. I wanted a horse flag and flagpole, but resisted.
Scott printed out the picture of Buck and I together, and as I stood in Buck Taylor’s line again to get it signed because he’s one of the nicer actors who doesn’t charge for a signature every time, I noticed his wife was the same person who we were holding items for. As I headed for our vendor table, I asked Buck’s wife her name, and she said Goldilocks. I told Scott about my latest discovery, and he sent me back over to give her a receipt to let her know how much she owed. But before I could get there, she was heading over to our table. She paid a little over half, and told us that she would give us the rest tomorrow morning. Goldilocks and Buck were two of the nicest people that I had met at the MFF this year. Goldie told us that Buck never kept anything from his Gunsmoke days, so she was excited to show him the things that she had found from our table. She purchased all three packs of the Gunsmoke Collectors Cards. I wish I had kept one now and had Buck sign it.
The next panel discussion with Robert Conrad was at 7 PM, so both Scott and I would get to attend that one. Before leaving the dealers room, I checked out the silent auction and found that someone had outbid me for Tombstone Territory again. They had bid $40.00.
At 5 PM, we closed up and hurried over to Smokey Joes to eat a Turkey Club Combo, so that we could get a good seat for the panel discussion. By the time we got back, a line had already starting forming at the second door. We were about the 5th or 6th in line, not that far back, but around 7, we realized why we were at the second door. They let other people in the first door, and when we were all settled in our seats, Boyd told us why. People had started gathering outside the door at 3 PM, so they gave them numbers, so they wouldn’t have to stay there for 4 hours waiting. I thought that was nice of them to do that.
Robert Conrad was a hoot! He kept trying to get the moderator, Ray Nielsen, to leave. He didn’t need him there to keep the commentary going. He did it all himself.
After spending an hour and a half with Robert Conrad, we stayed for the Gunsmoke reenactment.
The Cast included Robert Fuller (Matt Dillon), Ruta Lee (Miss Kitty), John Buttram, Buck Taylor (Doc Adams), Clu Gulager (The Outlaw), Michael McGreevey, Robert Colbert, Dennis Devine & Boyd Magers.
On June 14th, our last day as a vendor, I thought for our first time as a vendor we did very well. We made more than I thought we would even though it doesn’t look like we sold much. We made a little over $800.00, and of course I spent $300.00 on pictures and autographs, plus the Lancer DVDs along with the Legend Of Custer. I got hooked on Lancer several years ago at my first Memphis Film Festival while watching the show in one of the screen rooms due to one of my friends, Lori, from the Fans Of The West group that I’m a member of.
We had a big breakfast at the Sam’s Town Buffet, so that we wouldn’t get hungry during the day, and we’d be ready to eat at the banquet that night.
My first stop was waiting in line for Clint Walker to sign my Cheyenne t-shirt. I was like third in line, but it seemed like it was taking forever. Even the guy behind me asked if the ladies in front of me were waiting in line to get an autograph picture. I think one of the ladies was head of the Cheyenne fan club and she was recruiting the other lady. Oh well, I waited patiently, and finally, got my shirt signed. I decided just to have him sign his name this time, so that he wouldn’t mess up my name by writing Della again. However, I did see Clint Walker and ladies getting their picture taken together, so I don’t understand why I couldn’t have got one made with him.
I also wrote a check for $150.00 this morning. I bought 6 panel discussions DVDs from last year and 5 panel discussions plus the Gunsmoke reenactment DVDs from this year.
After the discussion, they started to draw the names for the winners who would get to sit at the stars table at the banquet. I left the room deciding not to stay because I knew I wouldn’t win, but then changed my mind and went back in to sit down to listen for the heck of it.
They drew the last name for Clu’s table, and Boyd Magers called it out. I was stunned because he actually called out my name. I had only bought 3 tickets and I had chose Clu’s table on all 3 tickets, and here I had won. I quickly raised and moved my hand back and forth for Boyd to see.
I went back to our vendor table and immediately told Scott that I had won. At first he didn’t believe me, but then he did. I didn’t know if we were supposed to do anything or what, so I went back to the panel discussion room, and I asked. The winners’ names would be posted, and as you entered the banquet hall then you just took your seat at the appropriate stars’ table. That table being number 3 for me.
Bonnie said we might have to make a husband table for those of the ladies who had won, and I think all ladies won.
Betty and I introduced ourselves and then after leaving the room, she introduced me to her husband.
While I had been at the panel discussion, Scott had packed everything up except the printer. Marshal Sip showed me his Gunsmoke reenactment DVD with signatures on it from the cast, so I decided to get mine signed. Meanwhile Scott was taking our inventory out to the truck, and I couldn’t find my Gunsmoke DVD to give to Marshal Sip to have him get it signed for me, and he was heading over to Buck Taylors’ table to get his own DVD signed.
Finally, Scott returned, and he told me where it was, so I took it and had Buck sign it. I then had Robert Colbert sign the DVD for me, and I told him that I had won, so that I get to sit at his table at the banquet. He was happy for me.
I was standing in line trying to decide what picture to buy when a man came over and asked me if I was the wife of a man at one of the vendor booths. He said that my husband was going to take a picture of him and Buck if I went back and watched the booth. I told him that I was, but it was almost time for me to get Buck’s signature, and I didn’t want to get out of line. He understood and waited patiently until I went back to the booth and sent Scott over.
My bright idea for the convention came to me last year when a friend of mine got home and she had no pictures on her camera. I thought it would be great to take a printer to the MFF, so that people could print out their pictures with the stars right there and then in case they wanted to get the star to sign them, too. We didn’t sell whole a lot of them, but that could have been because of poor advertising on our part, but we did sell some, so it’s a feasible idea.
I bought a $25.00 print of Matt Dillon from Buck, and while I was waiting for him to sign it, Robert Colbert came over and I told Buck that I get to be Maverick’s date tonight at the banquet.
Robert Fuller starred as Cooper Smith on "Wagon Train" & Jess Harper on "Laramie."
I’m not sure when the silent auction bidding ended, but I never made it back over there to up my bid, so I didn’t win Tombstone Territory. That’s one thing I hope they do differently next time at the silent auction is to post a sign near the auction telling everybody what day and time the auction ends. It even mentions it in the brochure that you receive about the film festival, but it doesn’t say in there what time it ends either. Oh well, maybe I’ll win a bid next time.
Mose got in line and Scott told her we would be back down shortly to spell her. We freshened up in our room and then went back down. She told us she was fine, so we went back to our room. Around 5 we were back down and in line.
Ruta Lee is a Canadian Actress and dancer who starred as one of the brides in "Seven Brides For Seven Brothers".
I never knew who she was until I saw her here at the MFF this year. And since "Seven Brides For Seven Brothers" is one of my favorite shows because I like musicals, I will have to keep my eye out for her when I watch the movie next time.
I think Robert Fuller helped get her to attend the MFF this year.
Ruta Lee starred in Wagon Train episodes such as, "The Bleeker Story" and "The Kate Parker Story."
Around 6:30, Bonnie came down the line asking who had won seats to sit with the stars.
I held up my hand, so she sent me on in.
I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do when I entered, so I stopped Boyd and asked him.
He told me to see a certain lady which I did and she told me I could have a seat at table 3.
Clu was afraid that people were just going to come in and sit at any table, so he got up and put 4 napkins at the back of 4 chairs in order to save them for his son and friends. Then he got even a better idea and got up and tipped the 4 chairs so they were leaning up against the table for them to be saved.
I kept looking towards the door hoping that Robert Colbert would arrive, so he would sit down beside me.
After the stars’ awards, we got to eat. The stars’ tables got to form the food line first, and then the others.
Being ever so the gentleman, Mr. Colbert asked Betty and I if we wanted a drink, but we both declined. On hindsight, I should have said yes, just so I could have said that a star bought me a drink. Oh well, I’m always great of thinking of things after they’ve already happened.
Before Maverick left though, I got a couple of pictures taken with him, and he signed my picture of him and me.
I had Scott print out the picture up in our room before getting in line for the banquet. I hadn’t thought to have it done while we were in the vendor room earlier.
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| "JASON WALTON" ROCKS OUT AT MFF |
Around noon we ate at Jack’s in Adamsville, AL. First time we had ever eaten at that restaurant. It was pretty good. Too bad they don’t have any around near us.
Back home once again around 6:30 PM, we relaxed a little and told my brother, Jimmy, about our vacation, and then we went around 7:30 to pick up Minnie and Jacy. Jacy came out of the kennel and stood pretty still while I put her collar, leash and harness on her, but Minnie shot for the door like she was ready to go, so Scott had a little trouble getting her collar, leash and harness on her. They had given them baths, but they couldn’t get their nails cut and for some unknown reason today out of all the days they hadn’t wanted to eat anything which is very unusual for Minnie because she likes to eat all the time. Strange!!!!
After getting the dogs home, we started unloading the truck and while we were outside, Minnie tripped over my little bench in the kitchen that I’ve been painting. It’s been in that same spot for weeks, and she hadn’t had any problem, but tonight, she must had been so excited to be home that she didn’t see it there and tripped over it. Her paw was bleeding and making little bloody paw prints on the kitchen floor. Just as soon as Scott would wipe it up, she’d make more. She wasn’t hurt bad and it stopped shortly afterwards. Now I have a kitchen floor to scrub one day soon.
Now for my impression of being a vendor at the MFF instead of just a guest or whatever you call it. It was different. I enjoyed seeing people come to our tables and I liked it even more if they found something that they couldn’t leave without. I also talked to more people while there since Scott wasn’t always with me, and since he wasn’t around to take photos of me with the stars, I had to ask strangers to do it or they would volunteer to do it without me asking, so most of the people there that I met were very nice.
The drawback was that Scott wasn’t around to take pictures, he wasn’t at the panel discussions to take pictures for me, and he wasn’t around to just to talk to in order to get his opinion on something, so that really limited my buying because I like checking with him first to make sure I should purchase it. Although several times I did go back to our vendor tables and tell him about items, so I did get a few things. Although he stayed at the vendor tables more than I did, Scott didn’t mind. I think he enjoyed it more being a vendor than just being there because I’m the one who likes to meet the stars and get their autographs. I didn’t know he was such a good sales person until now.
Well, that’s my adventures of the Memphis Film Festival for 2014, I hope y’all enjoyed it!
You can check out, my husband, Scott's blog at http://barrysbookshop.blogspot.com/
Ella
