By Jim Misunas
jmisunas@gbtribune.com

LARNED -- Antique dealer William Padron said his longtime fascination with antiques started in Cub Scouts.
“I needed a merit badge for stamps, but you had to get one type of stamp from a lot of different categories,” he said. “I got help finding them from a lot of friends.”
The U.S. and foreign postage stamps included postal cards, airmail, postage-due stamps and other categories. Soon, Padron was branching out to stamps of other types — tax stamps, duck stamps and boat stamps along with an assortment of postcards and other related items.
Padron has many of those items priced to sell at the 42nd Annual Antique and Collectibles Show and Sale Sunday at the Larned Community Center. The Larned Chamber of Commerce sponsors the event.
“A lot of the items I sell is related to toys,” he said. “That’s what I enjoy the most.”
Once he married, Padron was lucky enough to be the father of three daughters, who found other interests. Padron expanded his hobby to acquiring toy cars and miniatures. His favorite brand of collectible toy cars are made by “Johnny Lightning.” Many of the toy cars are priced at $1. 
The “Padron’s Memories,” name was created by his daughter Jenny Sharrai. Each of his daughters has started to collect items along their own interest. One daughter likes jewelry. Another likes coins.
“What I enjoy is when people see an item that brings back childhood memories, fond memories,” he said. “When people get a good feeling about a time in their life, they will associate something they used to play with as a child.”
Padron started with stamp shows and realized he could sell many of his toy cars at the right show. He also never imagined he’d get attracted to trains.
“I never owned a train in my life,” he said. “But I went to a train show and realized how much fun they were. To me, trains are a fun and relaxing hobby.”
Now, Padron displays a variety of trains in all variety of sizes. He also sells many of the tiny characters that would fit a certain size of train.
He also enjoys giving back to charity through Relay For Life fundraisers. He donates proceeds through pink-colored toys to Relay For Life since his daughter Jenny is a cancer survivor.
The antique show runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Bill Starr will provide his expertise as an antique appraiser from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday at the Larned Community Center. Each person can present two items for a verbal appraisal. Starr does not provide appraisals for guns or gold items.
Here are the antique dealers.
Amir’s Persian Imports, Kaveh Adib Yazdi, Tulsa, Okla.; Richard Basham, Emporia; Creative Connections, Laura Biles, Russell;  Necessities, Maria Blickhahn, Hutchinson; Antiques & Artifacts, Kristin Keith, Dody Burkey; Hands of Time, Joel Cox, Fort Collins, Colo.; Hirsch’s Corner, Mary Jo Cunningham, Ellinwood; Miscellany Antiques, Lana Fisk, Russell; A Day in the Past, Ronald Hedgecock, Pretty Prairie; Libal’s Antiques, Lloyd and Elia Libal, Luray; Heavenly Treasures, Robert Lowe, Great Bend; Padron’s Memories, William Padron, Larned; Traditions by J&M, San Sagle, Marla Milhon, Wichita; Neal Stanley, Dighton; Bill Starr Antiques, Ellinwood.