LA Lit and Toy Show 2018

April 3, 2018 Tim Havermans 911R, Gmund SL, LA Lit Show

Porsche literature heaven

As a collector of Porsche literature, Porsche memorabilia or Porsche toys, there is no way around. You have to be at the LA Lit and Toy Show that takes place every year at the LAX Hilton. In 2018 it was the 35th time yet that collectors from all over the world gather to find another jewel for their collection or visit one of the numerous side-events that take place the same weekend. The LA Lit and Toy Show has grown over the years into an event, that’s not only about the show on Saturday morning in the LAX Hilton ballroom self. The whole weekend, Porsche enthusiasts cruise the larger Los Angeles area to visit open houses like the California Porsche Restorations Open House, John Willhoit Restorations, Callas Rennsport, Porsche Southbay and so on. Art lovers had no other choice than to visit the Nicolas Hunziker Open house, and of course many took the opportunity to bring a visit to the Porsche Effect exhibition at the Petersen Automotive Museum.

Early Saturday morning of the LA Lit and Toy show, the lobby of the LAX Hilton is a crowded place. Not only the vendors are present to set up their tables in the 2 giant ballrooms, but many early birds also get in together with the vendors to be sure to find the gems before another collector does. And there are numerous gems to be found for Porsche literature and memorabilia collectors.

LA Lit and Toy Show 2018 — Rüdiger Mayer (r) presents the Jürgen Barth Porsche cookbook ‘Racing & Recipes’

There are always some usual suspects whom you know off they have real jewels on their table. Prescot Kelly always brings great literature, and we were able to buy some real early Porsche Xmas cars from him. When you are more into posters, the 2 main vendors are Tony Singer and Frank Barret. The walls behind their tables are decorated with some of the nicest examples of Porsche posters ever made: be aware, you might have to dig deep in your wallet.

Probably the rarest piece of literature you could find this year was a Porsche Gmünd SL brochure, which definitely not belongs to the most beautiful brochures ever produced by Porsche. But despite that, a piece every collector would want to have, if only he could afford it. There were some rare manuals too, for Porsche race cars like the Porsche 550 Spyder, the Porsche 906 and above all the 1967 Porsche 911R. Hundreds of people filled the 2 adjacents ballrooms, many of them looking for that unique find, others just chatting with other Porsche fans and enthusiast. Nothing but smiling faces, from early in the morning till noon, when most visitors started thinking of heading south to the European Collectibles Open House, later that day.