2011 Australian National Antique Bottle & Collectables Show / Bendigo Vic.

Every year the Australian Antique Bottle and Collectables collectors gather for their National Competitive Exhibition and swap and sell weekend.  This year's host club was BENDIGO, in Victoria, and collectors travelled from all over Australia (including a large group from W.A.), and another group from New Zealand to exhibit their collections.

The Competition is grouped into 'Categories' and my husband Vic and I always enter some of our Inkwells in that category.  This year I showed my Collection of 'Travel Inks', small wells produced in a variety of novelty shapes.

Vic decided this year to show some of our Stoneware Inkwells, dating from 1830 to 1910.
Part of the fun is making up a display (you are only allowed to show TEN ITEMS for judging), and adding a few interesting, but not too many, go-with items.  When you have over a hundred to choose from, picking just 10 is very difficult.

Vic's display was given a 1st prize, based on rarity, variety, condition, display and information.

We had a great weekend in Bendigo, met up with many friends we have made over the years, collectors from all over Australia, and I even managed to come home WITHOUT buying any more inkwells.

There are not many now we would be interested in acquiring, 20+ years of collecting them means we really have all we set out to collect.