After 40 Years, Show Organizers Tina and John Bruno of Flamingo Eventz Call It a Day
- by Michael Stillman
Tina and John Bruno lift a final toast to 40 years in “show business.”
One of the longest running shows in the book world is coming to a close. The book, antique and collectible shows of Tina and John Bruno's Flamingo Eventz has held its last events, culminating a 40-year run in the book and antique show business. In that time, they have held over 600 shows, the focus being on the northeastern states. But, nothing lasts forever, and the Brunos have decided it's time to retire. The show must go on, but the responsibility for hosting them will pass to others.
Among the most notable of the Brunos' fairs was the New York shadow fair. Timed to coincide with the annual ABAA fair, it enabled non-ABAA dealers or those with more limited budgets to display when collector traffic was at its peak in New York. Rather than being an audience-dividing competitor, it brought more collectors to New York to view the greater range of selections.
Their most recent fair was the popular Boxboro Paper Town in Boxboro (Boxborough), Massachusetts. Exhibitors displayed all sorts of unusual ephemeral material from the past. They also offered appraisals, John Bruno being an appraiser who many knew from his appearances on TV with Market Warriors.
In announcing their retirement, the Brunos said, “It’s been a wonderful, fun-filled run! We’ve met so many good people, made a lot of good friends, made a few enemies too. The Antique Show World has never been just work – it’s always been full of opportunities to learn, grow, travel, and enjoy the places and people we meet. It’s been so good that when we decided to get married, we chose to do it in the middle of an Antique Show!
“We would like to thank all the Exhibitors, Customers, Advertisers, and Service Providers we had the pleasure of sharing time, laughs, and treasures with – it’s these people who have made it such a great ride!”
In concluding their message, the Brunos noted they are not entirely withdrawing from the antique and collecting world. They added, “we’ll still be out there scouring the shows, kibitzing with the dealers, and hunting for treasures as civilians. If you see us on the road, please stop and say hello!”
![<b>Sotheby’s:</b> Ernest Hemingway. <i>Three Stories And Ten Poems,</i> [Paris], (1923). First edition of Hemingway’s first published book. $75,000.](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/acf970a0-a15d-4c79-aa24-5e8e414cb465.png "<b>Sotheby’s:</b> Ernest Hemingway. <i>Three Stories And Ten Poems,</i> [Paris], (1923). First edition of Hemingway’s first published book. $75,000.")
