Winkie Convention Countdown: 23 Days to Go

One of the highlights of the Winkie Convention every year is the auction. This is one of the few parts of the convention that's actually put on by the International Wizard of Oz Club, and is used to raise money for Club activities (primarily publishing their excellent journal, The Baum Bugle). Many has been the year (especially recently) that I wish I had money to spend, as there are often some unusual or rare items, and they often sell at very reasonable prices. (One year, my mother almost jumped in, because even she understood just how low some of the prices were.) But there were a few times in the '80s when I actually had money and managed to get a few items. The one that I recall for sure getting was also one of my first, and perhaps the biggest surprise. It was a very nice early (but not first) edition of The Emerald City of Oz, with color plates. It was hard to get color plate copies back then (this was before Books of Wonder started publishing their near-facsimiles of the first editions), so I decided to jump in. Much to my surprise, I won that auction, and at only twenty-five dollars. I was beaming for some time, I think. I still have that copy, alongside my first edition (given to me by a friend, badly water damaged and possibly missing a few plates, but at least I have an idea how gorgeous that first edition of The Emerald City of Oz is) and my Books of Wonder reprint. I also remember winning the very first item one year, but for the life of me I can't recall what year or what it was!