Highlights: Chicago, May 2026

There was excitement in the air as members gathered together April 30 through May 4 for our annual convention. This was no ordinary gathering as we came to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Society. Many things have changed over these years, but the friendships, camaraderie and common bonds that are the foundation of our solidarity have not changed. This was proven time and again throughout the weekend.

The inclement weather that greeted us as we started off on our Thursday night adventure didn’t dampen the Scalie spirit in the least. We headed for Vito’s Vault. It was a great time with dinner and a Roaring ‘20s theme show. The singing and dancing were entertaining, but the highlight of the evening was the interactive comical skits featuring audience members. Who knew we had such talent among our ranks!

Friday morning started off earlier than most of us would have liked. But, we had a lot to pack into the day. First stop was the home of Bill and Jan B. to see their extensive collection. Even those of us who have seen it before discovered new scales. After Bill and Jan moved a few years ago, some items were still packed away in boxes. The convention spurred them on to get everything unpacked and put into their new glass display cases. The result made it very enjoyable and easy to see such a large and varied collection.

Next stop was a delicious pizza lunch served family style at the famed Barone’s Italian Restaurant. Moving on, we headed for Stacy’s Tavern Museum where we took a guided tour of this restored 1840s wayside stagecoach inn. An unexpected added benefit was the museum was having a charity antique sale and a few of those antiques found their way back on the bus with us.

Last stop of the day was the home of Don and Donna S. to see their scale and other collections. Other collections barely describes the experience. Everywhere you looked there was a different collection including old oil-burning lamps, cooking implements of all types, ice cream scoops, plumb bobs, candle wick trimmer scissors, just to mention a few, and that was before you got to the scales and weights collection. At the end of this fun day we had all seen something new to us.

We made it back to the hotel in time for dinner and member get-together. We were very pleased to welcome seven first-time convention goers, some who are new members. Their enthusiastic contributions to the convention elevated the energy level of the entire weekend.

In recognition of celebrating our half century in existence, the first program on Saturday morning was Utz S. who, as a founding member, gave a historical overview of the early days of ISASC. Fred R. followed with his presentation entitled Wood Moisture Testing showing three scales that were used to determine the moisture content of wood. He shared some of his personal experiences in this area from his many years as a lumber salesman.

New member Eric W. shared his knowledge and experience to give us a history of legal-for-trade weighing in the US. He explained that when weighing and measurement equipment is used for legal-for-trade transactions, it must meet specific minimum legal regulations and be independently verified before it can be used to ensure equity between buyer and seller. His presentation described the many steps involved to make this happen.

Next up was Philip K. His passion is scales found in grain elevator facilities. Most of his collection is comprised of this type of scale. He showed many photos of scales he found in grain elevators across the Midwest as well as photos of the grain elevators themselves.

As always, Saturday afternoon was reserved for the Silent Auction and Let’s Make a Deal. This year there was a large selection of items to choose from. Many were duplicates from the ISASC museum, but there were also items being offered from sellers who are downsizing their collection. Members set about identifying their “must haves” and placing what they hoped would be the winning bid. When the final results were in, many scales, along with weights and other related items, were carted off to go to new homes.

The day concluded with the gala banquet. This year we had special guests attend. Our graphic designer and EQM layout person Ruth and her husband Sacha were invited to join us. From the look of things, they enjoyed themselves and Ruth said it was nice to finally put faces with names. Allan R. said a few words to commemorate our 50th anniversary and thank those who helped make this weekend a success.

Sunday morning Show and Tell started with Phil K. getting help rolling in a table holding the heavy beams from four of his large grain scales. By displaying these scales, he was following up on his Saturday morning program. These beams drew quite a bit of interest and discussion. Greg P. explained that his main interest is early Colonial US coin scales. He showed a rare gold standard balance stamped on the beam: “B. Dearborn.” “ Boston. 1816.” He described it in detail, and we were amazed at the number of parts that comprised this scale.

Don L. showed us an odd-looking apparatus that he picked up in England without knowing what it was. After doing some extensive research he found that it is a branding iron for use on wood implements. He explained how by using the registry marks on it he was able to determine its location and date.

Eric W. shared a scale he bought in Zurich around 2009 for the equilvant of about $12. It is a steelyard with a hanging pan that is all handmade, dating back to the 1700s.

Next up was the dynamic duo of Greg M. and Fred R. Their schtick was “gadget canes.” They showed four of them. The first one had a hanging scale concealed inside the cane. The second one had a horse height measuring device that measured in both centimeters and hands. The third was a bit of a mystery. Greg gave his reasons why he thought the device inside the cane was to weigh pearls. Not everyone agreed with his conclusion. The fourth cane had a sovereign rocker in its interior.

Last up was Steve B., who brought what looked to be a beautiful old wooden box but turned out to be a Napier coin rejector to sort out underweight sovereign and half-sovereign coins. These were normally used by banks and were able to sort the coins very rapidly.

Monday we hit the road again, going to the home of Allan R. to see his scale collection. Today’s schedule was a bit more laid-back, so after folks viewed the numerous scales displayed throughout the house, they joined smaller groups sitting around talking and enjoying each other’s company. After the event-filled convention, it was a nice way to relax and spend more time together, knowing that the weekend was coming to a close.

On our way back to the hotel, we stopped for lunch at Max & Benny’s where we enjoyed a tasty buffet of deli-type food. It was our last chance to say our good-byes and make promises to see everyone next year.

The camaraderie prevalent at any convention is something that only increases the pleasure of collecting. The 2027 ISASC Convention will be held in Riverside, California. We invite you to join us. Both first-timers and long-time convention goers are always welcomed. So make plans to find your way to California next May to join your fellow Scalies. See ya there!