A successful Bond Collectors’ Weekend was held August 28-30, 1998 in Gainesville, Florida by excited fans. More than a half-dozen Bond films have been lensed in Florida, and our hotel was just a few miles from the Silver Springs waterways where countless boat chases, Emilio Largo and “Little Nellie” call home, and from the train Bond and Solitaire hop a ride on in Ian Fleming’s Diamonds Are Forever.
We could not have asked for a better James Bond weekend or group of Bondiana collectors to share it with us! We were pleased to have our event picked up in the media by local NY Times and ABC/TV affiliates in Florida. They spoke highly of the collectors’ collectors in attendance that gathered to remember the legacy of Ian Fleming and share their incredible memorabilia with one another and the general public.
Friday evening was our gathering at our accommodations. Those in from out of town early got into one of the hotel swimming pools to cool off for relaxing conversation. In the evening, spinach pasta Alfredo, homemade lasagna and shrimp scampi were served to our guests. Our Bond Bar opened in our hospitality room to provide shaken martinis, and “official” Heineken beer and Smirnoff vodka, besides other theme beverages and soft drinks. We played a “Bond Auction Giveaway” with everyone receiving gifts ranging from Micro Machines to collectible books, dolls and even bullet casings fired on the set of GoldenEye!
After, fan videos we watched together were a hoot and included rare out takes, footage of the recent German prop exhibition, Roger Moore interviews and collectors’ gatherings overseas. Our revelers watched videos and talked and shared Bond photo albums late into the night! Everyone enjoyed getting numerous Bond goodies Friday night as Collectors’ Weekend giveaways. Some of the items those in attendance received in their packets as gifts (we worked hard to provide unusual items of interest):
Ibis Standee Envelope & Gun from Tomorrow Never Dies
A valuable German Exhibition Mini-Poster of all five James Bond actors
European James Bond Notepad with choice of Pierce Brosnan or Timothy Dalton cover artwork
Invitation to gala O.H.M.S.S. wedding of Commander James Bond and Countess Teresa di Vicenzo
007 Swedish Trading cards
Cross-promotion materials including “Bond in Action” ads and advertisements/contest flyers from Knorr, TDK and Samsonite
Heineken TND Coaster
Display ads from Multiple Products’ 60s toys
An Ian Fleming Foundation Tomorrow Never Dies locations T-shirt
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The room and collectibles looked beautiful on Saturday afternoon, our “swap meet” day. Our meeting room took up the top floors of a downtown building, a large rotunda featuring two-story cathedral ceilings with wood and stained glass casting colored light across the room. Photos taken of this building inside and out are eerily reminiscent of the look of Ernst Blofeld’s “Piz Gloria” headquarters in Switzerland!
A mix of Fleming literary fans and movie memorabilia specialists was in attendance for the weekend. Collectibles shared ranged from ultra-rare 60s toys up through modern cross-promotion items for GoldenEye and Tomorrow Never Dies, rare paperbacks and first editions, and a GIANT roomful of posters and ads, models and displays, and full-sized standees. Among the many unique items displayed were “The 007 Underwater Battle from Thunderball” game, a Thunderball snow globe and an ultra-rare Bond windup underwater diver.
New TND collectibles not yet seen in the US were on display. German watercolor paints and pencils, many Samsonite, Knorr and TDK displays and standees, and a “James Bond Island” puzzle from The Man With the Golden Gun were part of the fun. A framed letter penned by Ian Fleming was on display, and so were numerous Jonathan Cape editions and other gorgeous books with pristine dust jackets. Everyone enjoyed trading and selling collectibles and the general public was treated to two televisions running behind-the-scenes videos all day. Bond fans stopped by to peruse the collections and take photos throughout our afternoon.
We watched On Her Majesty’s Secret Service on the big screen at a private showing on Sunday. This was a movie showing we will long remember for the inside tips pointed out to us by our resident O.H.M.S.S. super-expert, Craig Marciniak. Craig pointed out the “incredible self-wearing” pajamas that manage to fold and unfold in Bond’s hotel room and numerous other trivia bits picked up from the film. The best part of watching O.H.M.S.S. was the “chit-chat” and jokes shared over the movie screening. Yes, a few tears were shed after the abrupt ending to the joyful wedding of “Mr. and Mrs. James Bond.”
Following the film, locations were toured of Sean Connery’s “Just Cause” and other Hollywood films whose exteriors were shot in the Gainesville area.
The third annual Bond Weekend is now being planned for New Orleans, Louisiana.
Keep 007Forever at Cinescape bookmarked for the next year, plus send an eMail to BCW Productions to get on our Bond Weekend mailing list for regular email updates on Bond events and memorabilia, worldwide or call (USA) 352.372.5094 today for more information or to register.
–Matt Sherman is one host of the annual Bond Collectors’ Weekends, which means his long-distance phone bills to the other hosts have now exceeded the working budget for “Dr. No.”