rbackus@ogdenpubs.com
Hard to believe, but suddenly, it’s show time! Sure, there
are a handful of shows in January and February, and things start
picking up a little in March, but April really marks the launch of
the season. And it’s all uphill from here until late October,
when things suddenly start quieting down. The chronological listing
of shows featured in the index of the 2004 Farm Collector Show
Directory bears this out, with only nine shows listed for January
and 76 for April. Start planning your show itinerary now, because
plenty of good events are taking place this year across the
country. If you haven’t ordered your 2004 directory yet,
don’t wait too long, because they’re flying off the
shelves.
The jump into the season is also a good time to discuss the show
reports many of you so kindly send in, sharing with the rest of the
old-iron crowd the sense of discovery and community that define so
many of our gatherings.
One thing I think we’d all like to see more in show reports
is specific detail about engines and tractors on display. The
little things add up, and it’s a plus to learn the year, serial
number and horsepower of that IHC M at show X and who owns the rare
Rock Island tractor at show Y. I like to think of Gas Engine
Magazine as a magazine of record, a place where we document
surviving machinery for everyone in the old-iron community. And the
more details we have, the closer we come to fulfilling that
goal.
Additionally, we still have problems with some of the images
readers send in, particularly digital files. Basically, if
you’re taking digital pictures on anything less than a
2-megapixel camera the likelihood of your images making it to print
is slim. They may look great on the screen of your computer at
home, but by the time they make the transition to print they’re
the size of a postage stamp. That said, if you have the latest
generation 5- or 6-megapixel camera, and you take shots at the
camera’s intermediate or ‘fine’ setting, your photos
will probably be great. With the older digitals, if you know
you’re going to try and submit a shot, try and take the photo
at your camera’s highest setting. That will help put your
photos in the running, and will increase the chance we’ll all
get to share in your show memories.
