Cleveland Police Collectors Show Makes Comeback
By Mike R. Bondarenko, Editor
CLEVELAND, O. – Cleveland is back! The city on the south shore of Lake Erie, which hosted the 2014 National Police Collectors Show, now has a true collectors’ show all its own once again, thanks to the dedication of Tony Gorsek, who also hosted the memorable National nine years ago.
“I’m from Cleveland. I retired from the Police Department. It really hurt me to see the show deteriorate to what it was a year ago,” Gorsek said. “I felt I had to step up and get it going again. We need a show here, so it was a matter of picking up the pieces.”
And pick up the pieces he did. In fact, he put the pieces back together!
Gorsek welcomed 122 visitors and 37 tableholders and assistants from as far away as Kentucky, New York, Tennessee and Wisconsin to the downtown Double Tree Downtown Lakeside Hotel, which has served as the show venue for many years, back to the days when it was the Holiday Inn Lakeside.
“I was really, really happy with how show went. I got a lot of nice comments from tableholders and walk-ins, who came from all over.” said Gorsek. “It met my expectations for this year, but I want this show to grow next year.”
The swap meet was among closing events of the annual week long Greater Cleveland Peace Officers Memorial Commemoration hosted by the Greater Cleveland Peace Officers Memorial Society (GCPOMS). The event honors the memories of fallen law enforcement officers.
The Double Tree serves as official headquarters for all GCPOMS events, including the reverent Candlelight Vigil, the solemn Memorial Service, the not to be missed Commemoration Parade and the Tattoo, a musical tribute to our fallen brothers and sisters featuring law enforcement pipes and drums comps from the United States and Canada.
Hundreds of people lined Lakeside Avenue for the Commemoration Parade as made its way toward the Greater Cleveland Peace Officers Memorial. The annual parade features law enforcement vehicles from all over the Cleveland area as well as marching officers and police survivors.
The pomp and pageantry of the Tattoo is unrivaled as law enforcement pipes and {drum corps paid tribute to our fallen it attracted hundreds of officers and civilians alike and is always a sellout. This year, there was also a bring down the house performance by the United States Marine Corps New Orleans Jazz Band.
“GCPOMS is a great group. They support the show 100 percent. The only reason the show went downhill the last few years was because they didn’t have anyone who is a collector to host it. It got as small as seven tables last year, mostly clothing vendors, 50 i lost its good reputation as a collectors’ show,” Gorsek said.
He said a last minute cancellation allowed him to accommodate all those who wanted tables. “It was fortunate because I would have had to put three tables in the hall outside the show. It worked out fine,” he explained.
Gorsek can expand the hall to accommodate as many as 60-plus tables next year if there is sufficient interest. He once hosted a 77 table regional show in Cleveland before the National, so he is no stranger to bigger shows.
