Bob Walbaum: This One is About Me (Part 1)
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This all began with my water-softener repairman.

I was in the U.S. Air Force at the time. My career field was procurement, in other words buying stuff. And the military buys a lot of stuff. I had been stationed at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio near my original home, working in the office that buys jet engines, when I was offered a contract-administration job in Anaheim, California. In addition to Disneyland, Anaheim was home to a huge Rockwell International plant that was making missile-guidance systems, satellite components, and other aerospace equipment. The Air Force was largely responsible for administering the government contracts with that plant because it had most of the business there. That’s why my services were required in Anaheim.

So I drove cross-country to the Golden State in the summer of 1982. I purchased a condo in Garden Grove, one with an upstairs window so I could watch the fireworks at Disneyland every night, got a Disneyland annual pass, and enjoyed Southern California (especially you-know-what) for four years.

When it came time to rotate to a new assignment, I was told the most logical move was back to Wright-Patterson. Since I had kept my house in that area and had been renting it out, I readily agreed. (I ended up renting my condo in Garden Grove for awhile, too, but my real estate adventures are a completely different story. Trust me, we don’t have the time.)

When I finally moved back into my Ohio home in the fall of 1986, one of the first details I noticed was staining on the plumbing fixtures. Thinking there might be something wrong with the water softener, I put in a service call. Fortunately the softener was still alive. But the technician couldn’t help noticing all the moving boxes with Disneyland souvenirs spilling out (especially since he’d had to climb over some of them). “Hey, I know someone who also collects this,�? he quickly volunteered. That “someone�? was Tom Tumbusch, president of Tomart Corporation and author of the acclaimed series of Tomart’s Illustrated Disneyana Catalogs and Price Guides.

Of course I wasted no time in contacting Tom. There happened to be a toy show in Dayton that upcoming weekend, so I dropped by to see his display of publications and the Disneyana he had for sale. We had a nice conversation, and I got a chance to meet some of the other collectors in the area. He even let me accompany him as he worked the show, wandering around to check prices and see what treasures had surfaced, with me trailing along like an eager puppy dog.

It was through Tom that I learned of the formation of the Mid-West Chapter of the NFFC, the club for Disneyana enthusiasts. At that time it was still the National Fantasy Fan Club, the original name which no one was ever satisfied with but was never really improved upon, hence the initials today. I can’t exactly recall when he’d told me or the exact date of that first meeting, but I vividly remember the meeting itself. It was on a very cold night around January 1987 – well below zero. My first clue as to how fanatical this group was going to be was when I called Tom’s home – the meeting site – to make sure this initial gathering hadn’t been postponed due to the bitter weather. “Of course it’s still on.�? Tom replied to my query in a tone that made me feel as if I’d just asked a very dumb question.

I have another vivid memory of this first meeting: how congenial this group was. The Bylaws were approved before they were even distributed, much to the irritation of the member who had written them. It went something like this:

“I went to a lot of trouble to put this together. You could at least wait until I’ve finished passing them out before you voted on them!�?

“No, we’re sure they’re okay. Let’s move on.�?

With such talent and enthusiasm behind it (and I don’t mean me; I had no role at this time other than “member�?), the Mid-West Chapter was bound to be a success. I dug out my September 1989 chapter membership list, and it recorded 160 members from 16 states and one foreign country (Switzerland). Ohio provided 44% of the members, but 12% came from Illinois, and Michigan and Indiana tied for third with 8% each.

The NFFC Mid-West Chapter lasted into 1995. By then, Disney Stores were in every major market and it was no longer necessary for people to travel for hours across states to get their “Disney fix.�? Other chapters began popping up throughout the Mid-West, and the Mid-West Chapter merged with one of these, the Greater Cincinnati Chapter. (My present “home�? chapter, the Dayton Plane Crazy Chapter, was an offshoot of Greater Cincinnati.)

By the way, this pattern has been repeated throughout the NFFC. From a half-dozen chapters when I joined, today the club’s website lists 30 chapters in 18 states and three foreign countries.

But now, as Kuzco would say, back to me -- why am I telling you this? Because meeting Tom Tumbusch and joining the NFFC led to my being hired by Tomart Corporation after I retired from the Air Force. And that led to the greatest professional thrill of my life – working with Disney legend Bill Justice on his autobiography Justice for Disney.

I’ll start that story next time.

Related Links

• NFFC Official Site

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