History of NBSSCA

    1979 – Bill Bonser had a small gathering of traders and collectors at the Larimer County Fairgrounds in Loveland, CO

    June, 1980 – Bill Bonser, along with Roy Frank, Freckles Bustos, Skeeter Mincic and John Gilmore put on a show of 20 tables in Loveland, CO. Collectors at this show voted to form an association of collectors. It was at this meeting that the name, The National Bit, Spur and Saddle Collectors Association, was voted on as the formal name. Bill Bonser was elected President at this same meeting, with Roy Frank voted as Secretary/Treasurer.

    June, 1981 – The group met again in June in Loveland, CO with thirty-two charter members and collectors that came from eleven states.

    The Charter Members were:

    • Bill Adamson
    • Roger Allgeier
    • Bill Bonser
    • J R Bonser
    • Garnet Brooks
    • Freckles Bustos
    • Pat Crowley
    • Roy Frank
    • Marvin Gardner
    • B E Gelvins
    • John Gilmore

    • Paul Glause
    • Herman Harbison
    • Andy Hysong
    • Lee Jacobs
    • Gale Kennedy
    • Jim Laird
    • Wendell Madsen
    • Don Miller
    • Skeeter Mincic
    • Bill Nelson
    • Harold Perrin

    • Hi Pew
    • W D Raftery
    • Tanky Robbins
    • Steve Rudy
    • Don Ruth
    • Jack Salsbury
    • Charles Schreiner III
    • Frank Troxel
    • Bill Willey
    • John Williams

    June, 1982 – The group met again and interest had grown so that Bill Bonser, show promoter, was able to field 120 tables.

    June, 1983 – Bill Bonser resigns as President of the NBSSCA and Roy Frank, CO is elected President. Nine regional Directors were elected to represent different areas of the country.

    June, 1984 – The group met once again for another successful show in Loveland, CO.

    October, 1984 – The first organizational meeting of the Board of Directors was held in Loveland, CO on October 19, 1984 at 4:30pm. Roy Frank and Bill Bonser were present. Roy Frank was chosen as temporary Chairman and Bill Bonser was appointed temporary Secretary. The temporary Chairman presented the Certificate of Incorporation which was affixed to the duplicate original of the Articles of Incorporation that had been received from the Secretary of State of the State of Colorado on October 5, 1984.

    After nominations were duly made, the election results were that Bill Bonser would serve as Chairman and that Roy Frank would serve as President. For the remainder of the meeting, Roy Frank acted as Chairman and Bill Bonser filled the role of Secretary. The Secretary presented a form of by-laws for the regulation of affairs of the corporation which was read section by section and adopted by the group.

    The first group of Directors who signed the meeting minutes for the Incorporation meeting were: Roger Wilmot, Martin F. Zimmerman, Paul Nafziger, Allan Harris, Roy Frank and Ernest Hoodenpyle.

    The shows and meetings have continued and grown to what the NBSSCA is today: a community of 1,400 members who share a commitment to preserving the items and life of the Old West through collecting and trading.