Bruce, I help put on a local antique show and it is an enormous effort. I agree that* job one* is to fill the hall so to speak. Whatever a show is or may be, growing attendance is your job and selling is the dealers. I hope all have faith however. Buyers are very reserve right now but the fact that so many came is a good sign. Today's tire kicker is many times tomorrows collector.
An interesting note about shows. The NAWCC (clock guys) have successively argued in a sales tax state (we have no sales tax where I live) back east that their shows are for members only. They call them regionals and have national shows.That status they argue exempts them from sales tax. Boy could you have fun with early admission. Don't hold your breath. I mention it as a curiosity. oldcranky Mike Stitt On Tue, Aug 17, 2010 at 9:57 PM, Bruce <br...@accoladeeng.com> wrote: > As president of CAPS and the individual organizing the show I always > welcome > comments that will lead to improvement in what we do. I would, however, > like > to enlighten those reading this thread. > > 1. Attendance > > This year our attendance was up 10% over 2009. On Saturday for setup when > the strongest buyers arrive, we had record attendance which was 14% higher > than 2009. We had more people come in before 9 and had a line outside > waiting for the 9am lower cost entry. We had George Paul write a feature > length article for the West Coast Peddler in July which had his article > highlighted on the front page with a plug for the show at the end of the > article along with a quarter page ad. We advertised in nearly every hobby > specific publication. We sent out about 500 direct mail postcards to > previous attendees that provided their address. We distributed thousands of > flyers. I even called K-Earth radio, who put me on the air plugging the > show > and offering free attendance to anyone who mentioned they heard about the > show on the radio > > 2. Catering > > We left Po Folks years ago and used Francis Marie. The food from Po Folks > was low quality heart attack food served on paper plates with plastic forks > and spoons for which we were paying far too much. With Francis Marie, we > improved the quality of the banquet presentation as well at the menu for > nearly the same price. Francis Marie retired this year so we needed another > caterer. Joey Bell came highly recommended and has catered events for some > of the club members. With Francis Marie, we had opportunity for improvement > and we exercised them over the first few years. An can do the same with > Joey. As far as the price, the banquet, including the food, beverages, room > and speaker compensation cost us nearly $50/person. The red and white wine > was put in the refrigerator at 1:00 in the afternoon and was not removed > until 4:00. > > 3. Buying and Selling > > I heard from many dealers that they had poor sales. My job is to bring in > people interested in seeing your product and it is your job to close the > sale on your product. If you didn't sell your product it may be because you > had the wrong product, the price of the product was too high or your buyers > were not prepared to let go of their money in this poor economy. > > > Bruce Peterson, CAPS President > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: phono-l-boun...@oldcrank.org [mailto:phono-l-boun...@oldcrank.org] > On > Behalf Of john robles > Sent: Tuesday, August 17, 2010 8:32 PM > To: Antique Phonograph List > Subject: Re: [Phono-L] What Did You Think Of CAPS? > > A tempting invitation to share our thoughts...I agree with you, Jerry, the > treasures were plentiful but the buyers were sparse. I had people with > several machines on boths sides of me and one erson sold one machine and > the > other sold none at all, and he had some truly great machines. Having > attended for over 20 years, beginning when it was held at Griswolds Hotel > (remember what a sweatbox that place became by the afternoon?),I've had > good > experience of the show. I thought the attendance of buyers this year was > lower than last year, and there was no swell of business at 9 am Sunday > when > the doors were opened to those who didn't buy early bird tickets. Many came > to my table and admired items, but for the most part they were window > shoppers. A lot of people seemed to be price tagging machines they had at > home "Oh I have my grandma's Victrola and it's just like this one. I even > have some of those rare one-sided records!". > I did find some good things, and there were a decent amount of spare horns, > parts, etc. Todd Boermas had some great machines, horns and parts at good > prices. I got a very unusual Tizit for $45 and stamped "MADE BY J.W. > KREILING, CHICAGO" on it. I got a very nicely made and finished reamer for > $25, and a very nice large Victor brass belled horn for my Monarch, in very > nice condition, for $250. > The banquet program was great, Charley was very entertaining. I could > listen > to him tell stories all night! > The food was not so great. When Po Folks catered the banquet the food was > good. This time it was catered by an independent caterer, and while his > staff was eager to please, as was he, the prime rib was fatty and gristly, > the green beans were undercooked though they had the olive drab look of > overcooked green beans, and the rice pilaf was so-so. Bread was served in > baskets on the tables, but there were no bread plates. Ice water was not > left on the table as in past years; you had to flag down a server. The wine > was two-buck Chuck from Trader Joe's, and the white was not chilled. The > deserts were fine. After the event I happened to be questioned on my > thoughts on the food from committee members. I was honest, and they agreed > it wasn't that great. My opinion was that for $35.00 I would rather have a > good meat loaf meal than a bad prime rib. > There you have it, one collector's opinion. I've seen better shows. But it > was clearly the economy that drove it and kept people's money in their > pockets. > I will post pictures later this evening. > John Robles > > --- On Tue, 8/17/10, DeeDee Blais <deedeebl...@yahoo.com> wrote: > > From: DeeDee Blais <deedeebl...@yahoo.com> > Subject: [Phono-L] What Did You Think Of CAPS? > To: phono-l@oldcrank.org > Date: Tuesday, August 17, 2010, 4:57 PM > > I attended CAPS last weekend and wondered what others thought of the show > and > banquet. Here's my thoughts... I thought the sale was well attended by > sellers > which provided a very nice selection of machines ranging from entry level > to > > something for the advanced collector. I saw Berliners, Vic VI, Vic C, > Rigid > Arm > MS, lesser Victors, Victor School Models, Edison Opera, Edison Concert, > Edison > Triumphs, several Homes, Standards, Firesides & Gems, Columbia BII, Grand > Piano > Graphonola (incomplete), and many other brands and models. There was a > large > rear mount mahogany Zonophone with a matching mahogany Music Master horn > priced > at $2200 and I don't think anyone seriously considered it. Buyers, > including > the dealers, simply did not pull the trigger on many purchases. I saw a > Victor > School machine with a "sold" sign and believe a Vic III with oak horn sold > but > very few high end machines sold. I wasn't everywhere at once and I'm sure I > missed things but very little left the building. In my immediate area, I > know > of a Standard and an Amberola 50 which were sold by dealers around me. I > sold a > 2-min Standard B with a reproduction 14" horn for $280 (1970's prices!) and > a > very clean oak Victrola IX (with new springs and rebuild reproducer) for > $300. I > had an all original Vic 1 priced at $725 for the last half of the sale with > no > serious lookers. > > On the plus side, the banquet was great. Charlie Hummel, assisted by Mike > Khanchalian, talked about the discovery of the only known Multiplex Grand > cylinder and partial mechanism. The cylinder was inside its metal tube but > broken into several hundred pieces and mixed with broken pieces of other > concert > cylinders. Mike, the "Record Doctor", has been working on the cylinder for > months. We were able to listen to a recording of the first few inches of > the > giant cylinder and it was nothing less than thrilling. Charlie talked > about > > collecting in general and he is always full of... well, Charlie is simply > full > of it and the great stories of a long time collector. He even wore a tie! > > Also on the plus side are the friendly people at CAPS. The club has made a > great > effort to welcome visiting dealers and buyers. > > What did you think?????? Jerry Blais > > > > _______________________________________________ > Phono-L mailing list > http://phono-l.oldcrank.org > _______________________________________________ > Phono-L mailing list > http://phono-l.oldcrank.org > > > _______________________________________________ > Phono-L mailing list > http://phono-l.oldcrank.org > _______________________________________________ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.oldcrank.org
