Expo finds success in new season

It has been a year of firsts for the K-Town Collectables Expo: the first time running two one-day shows, the first shows at the Mohawk Super Bingo, and, after Sunday, the first time the Expo has been held this close to the holiday season.

Eric Ravenelle, one of the three organizers of K-Town with Mike Brathwaite and Will Rice, said that even with some of the potential difficulties they faced that they could not have planned for - the weather; the threat of a transit strike just a few days before the show, even if it did not materialize; and Grey Cup parties because of the Montreal Alouettes’ surprising run to the championship - it was still a great show.

“We still had a great attendance, just constant people coming in. This time, we didn’t have the long lineups, but it was just constant people coming in. All my vendors are happy. They all said they did well, so we can’t ask more than that,” said Ravenelle.

The Bingo was full of booths with all sorts of things to offer: yes, classic collectibles like retro toys, comic books, sports cards, and trading card games, but also Indigenous artists, local and otherwise, custom VHS tapes of classic television programming blocks, horror movie items, and much more.

“Because we had a couple of empty spots, we picked some different vendors than things that we usually had just to have that contrast,” said Ravenelle.

He has been touring shows and local game stores around Montreal for months to promote K-Town, and he said that doing that work has helped the show be as successful as it has been.

“That is where we get our attendance from, spreading that word,” said Ravenelle.

He said that it has also helped discover other vendors to add to the shows, as well as build relationships with other show organizers to work together to avoid scheduling conflicts and make sure everyone can get people through the door.

One of the usual vendors was Kahnawake’s own local game store, Astronomical Comics and Games, which has been a part of K-Town since the store opened in early 2024. Even before that, co-owner Wihse Delisle sold from his own collection at the show.

Delisle said that shows like K-Town are a great place to meet new people, not just as customers, but also because of a shared passion for collectibles.

“I just personally love it. I would do this seven days a week if I could,” said Delisle.

“I love these days. This is best atmosphere you can ask for, as a collector, and I can’t wait to see what’s coming in the near future.”

Delisle said having the show in mid-November was a good opportunity as a business, too, as people get their holiday shopping started.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for small businesses like myself to grow and make deals happen,” said Delisle.

It was also a good time for the people browsing the wares.

“It’s amazing. There’s lots of toys and goodies,” said Tosha Pyke, who has been coming to K-Town for a few years.

She said she always finds something cool  - and this time, it included a Deadpool figure, a retro Ghostbusters glass, an art print, and a mug that she said reminded her of her and her partner.

There was a lot more than just buying to do as well, with the bouncey castle and face painting for kids, as well as the Inter Species Wrestling show “Die Hard Is a Christmas Movie,” during the later part of the afternoon.

Ravenelle said that the two-show structure to K-Town’s year has paid off, and they will explore what dates will work for next year’s shows.

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