The 2018 National Show!

June 22-24, 2018

Kansas City, MO

Quick Link to the Show

The 49th National insulator show was held in Kansas City at the KCI Expo Center. Darryl & Margaret Wagner were the hosts for the show. The hotel and show hall provided an excellent venue with an expansive show hall and adjoining meeting and banquet facalities. This show was very well planned out with activities available for those who arrived early. One highlight of the show as a picnic and fireworks display the Wagners hosted at their house. This event was well attended and the fireworks were spectacular. For those who attended the 2012 KC national, this show was even better! The Saturday awards banquet was buffet style with both chicken and pork and concluded with the display awards, several special awards and the presentation the NIA Lifetime Membership Award, the NIA Outstanding Service Award and two new inductions into the NIA Hall of Fame and six NIA President's awards. The show featured 15 excellent collector displays and two fantastic group displays (Seldom seen porcelain insulators and Hemingray Signals). Each displayer received a great wall plaque with the full color show logo. There was solid attendance both Friday and Saturday and feedback from dealers and collectors alike was positive!

Show hosts Margaret & Darryl Wagner

The Wagners hosted a fantastic picnic and fireworks display. The picnic was catered with hamburgers, brats and hotdogs with all the fixings! Fun was also had at the house feeding the catfish in their pond and generally enjoying time with other collectors. The fireworks were launched from the bottom of a hill on the property and were spectacular! Many commented that this was the best show they had ever seen given the close proximity and quality.

Awaiting dusk at the Wagners

Some pictures of the fireworks show

The Saturday night awards banquet was well attended and provided a great buffet style dinner with multiple main choices. Following the meal, each displayer at the show was presented a great plaque including the show logo. The NIA then presented display catagory awards, several special awards and the yearly scholarships. Many clubs also presented display and other awards (details to follow). Along with next years 50th National to be held in Orlando, Florida, two additional shows were announced. First is the 2019 Western Regional show to be held in Helena, Montana and next is the 2020 National to he held in Logan, Utah.

Solid attendance at the banquet which was held close to the show hall

Displayers at the show receive their awards

In addition to the numerous display awards there were several significant NIA awards given out:

Special Show Host Awards:

Cole King received the Lon C. Holy Memorial Award for Outstanding Enthusiasm & Support of the Hobby.

Additional Awards:

The LSIC presented the N.R. Woodward Literary award to John Barber for his Crown Jewels article "Iconic Hemingray 42"
The Len Linscott Pioneer Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Hobby was presented to Bob & Carolyn Berry.

NIA Hall of Fame was started in 2012 and we had two inductees this year:

Francis Terrill
Samuel Oakman

Two Outstanding Service Awards were given:

Linda Banks
Don Briel

Lifetime Membership (The NIA's highest award) presented:

Bob & Stacy Stahr (IN)

Six President's Awards were given:

Walt Baumgardt (Tonawanda, NY) - Service as NIA Secretary
Lou Hall (Fresno, CA) - Eight+ years of service to the NIA including two terms as President
Gene Hawkins (Warsaw, IN) - Over nine years as NIA awards coordinator
Shaun Kotlarsky (Auburn Hills, MI) - Eight years as Drip Points Editor, significantly improved the magazine
Jacqueline Linscott-Barns (Titusville, FL) - Many, Many years of service to the NIA
Christian Willis (Parker, CO) - NIA information director and current Drip Points editor

Two NIA Scholarships were also awarded:

Anthony Eiting (Salt Lake City, Utah) - Mechnical Engineering
Nathan Hardage (Bixby, Oklahoma) - High Voltage Lineman

Mike Tucker won the insulator art contest.

For more details on this great show, check out the links below.

Seldom Seen Group Displays

The National Show

The Displays

National shows are unlike anything else in the hobby. It is the one time of year when collectors from across the globe get together and meet. Note that Lee Brewer again made creative and beautiful "insulator currency" to be given to junior displayers to be spent at the show. These came in several denominations and were so popular few ever got turned in by the dealers. Two major drawings were made - first was an awesome quilt made for the show that has the NIA logo as the centerpiece with each insulator club logo as a square which was hand quilted, and also a beautiful vintage electric guitar.

There were also two group displays at the show. For the first time there was a seldom seen porcelain insulator display. This included both US and worldwide insulators - five full tables of scarce, rare and unusual insulators were displayed -- many have not been seen before by the general collecting community. There was also a display of colorful Hemingray signals (CD 162 & CD 164) using a great light box to bring out the colors and features.