Post by sleeptodream on Sept 8, 2023 17:22:30 GMT
Recently, I've begun collecting pins to liven up my backpack (I'm in college 
), and in my search for Garfield pins, I located this one in particular:
www.ebay.com/itm/234942189923
While I did purchase the pin from a different listing, I was curious as to the pin's origins and what exactly was Garfest and why it had taken place in a small Pennsylvanian borough (Denver, PA, as stated on the pin)
After some quick research, all I could find online of Garfest '99 was additional listings for this particular pin
And after even more digging, I located this: www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/50-garfield-festival-collectible-hat-1837010838
The original Garfest '99 pin, listed alongside pins from 2000 to 2007
, all from various locations around PA and additional states. After researching all these pins, I found no documentation of any of the 8 Garfest's besides listings for the pins themselves 
HOWEVER!, through even further research I found the Facebook page belonging to the people behind Garfest (rebranded as "Garfield Gathering" in 2008, seen in the pin at the bottom in the WorthPoint listing) which I've come to learn is a yearly gathering of collectors and Garfield fanatics, run by the holders of the world's largest Garfield memorabilia collection, Robert and Cathy Kothe. Facebook page linked here
While this does seem to pose a mystery solved, my curiosity still stems from the fact that the Facebook page's first post only dates back to 2010, leaving Garfest's '99 to '07, as well as Garfield Gathering 2008 & 2009, fully undocumented online.
I don't know how much interest this could stir up, but I personally would like to find any documentation for these 10 lost Garfield conventions, and it would be great if I had any help from people more well versed in lost media finding!
Sidenote: through my research, along with the 2002 Garfest pin seen in the WorthPoint listing as being from Des Moines, Iowa, I also found a listing for another 2002 Garfest pin from Denver, PA, the same location of the original '99 Garfest. Does this pose the existence of multiple Garfests?
), and in my search for Garfield pins, I located this one in particular: www.ebay.com/itm/234942189923
While I did purchase the pin from a different listing, I was curious as to the pin's origins and what exactly was Garfest and why it had taken place in a small Pennsylvanian borough (Denver, PA, as stated on the pin)
After some quick research, all I could find online of Garfest '99 was additional listings for this particular pin
And after even more digging, I located this: www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/50-garfield-festival-collectible-hat-1837010838
The original Garfest '99 pin, listed alongside pins from 2000 to 2007
, all from various locations around PA and additional states. After researching all these pins, I found no documentation of any of the 8 Garfest's besides listings for the pins themselves 
HOWEVER!, through even further research I found the Facebook page belonging to the people behind Garfest (rebranded as "Garfield Gathering" in 2008, seen in the pin at the bottom in the WorthPoint listing) which I've come to learn is a yearly gathering of collectors and Garfield fanatics, run by the holders of the world's largest Garfield memorabilia collection, Robert and Cathy Kothe. Facebook page linked here
While this does seem to pose a mystery solved, my curiosity still stems from the fact that the Facebook page's first post only dates back to 2010, leaving Garfest's '99 to '07, as well as Garfield Gathering 2008 & 2009, fully undocumented online.
I don't know how much interest this could stir up, but I personally would like to find any documentation for these 10 lost Garfield conventions, and it would be great if I had any help from people more well versed in lost media finding!
Sidenote: through my research, along with the 2002 Garfest pin seen in the WorthPoint listing as being from Des Moines, Iowa, I also found a listing for another 2002 Garfest pin from Denver, PA, the same location of the original '99 Garfest. Does this pose the existence of multiple Garfests?
