Hi All, While my view of the show was a short one-I drove in from Mesa Az. with my wife to pick up a machine that I had bought from CL in Portland that Jerry was kind enough to go look at and haul to the show-and turned around in an hour or so and drove back-I think it is just a reflection of what is taking place in the economy. While I do art restoration I do own a retail picture frame and art shop and I can tell you business stinks!. It has for 3 years and I think it will for at least 3 more. The "retail" side of this show is just Sunday and while some machines may change hands before and there may have been a lot of good ones at the show that is not a true indication of what has taken place. Sunday is. That is when someone who may have a casual interest in just getting a machine, or who has just gotten into the hobby is going to show up and "shop". I know that the dealers and hobbyists that I talked to at around 1:30 or so said that they had sold some small stuff and that makes sense it fits what is taking place on the street. Here in Az. CL has exploded with common machines that people have listed because they need to sell stuff to get some money or they are leaving to get work and they don't want to haul stuff that they do not use or need. I had some money to spend- that I had saved during the year but I was already tired and when we got the credenza loaded into my wife's Jeep Liberty there was no room anyway. There was a really nice-God Forbid Me-Zenith radio that I would have bought but I had no room. But what took place at the show is what is taking place at my shop. There are no "causal" buyers coming in anymore-but there are still "purpose" buyers out there and you just have to hope that one comes your way. Next year I will come again-maybe get a table but the show was a good one and we just have to keep at it. I really liked the fact that there were some good machines there and a fair number of them as well. But as I said before collectors and dealers selling to each other does not tell the story-the show is spot on to our economy. Abe Feder
On Wed, Aug 18, 2010 at 11:01 AM, harvey kravitz <harveykrav...@yahoo.com>wrote: > I have been going to CAPS since 2002, and always had a blast there. I > didn't > attend CAPS this year. My friend had too many obligations. Yes, the > economy is > bad for sellers because people are unsure about their finances. I did > poorly at > the Salem show, and the recent show in Seattle. I did buy some great things > there. As I see it, I'm not in this hobby for the money. I just enjoy > working on > phonographs and listening to records. I sell at fair prices, and I am not > going > to give them away. I'll wait until the economy gets better and try again. > Like > so many others mentioned before, I go to these shows for the fellowship, > gaining > knowledge, and passing knowledge. If I sell something, fine. If not, oh > well. At > least I had a good time being among old friends and making new ones. > > Harvey Kravitz > > > > > ________________________________ > From: Daniel Melvin <d...@old-phonographs.com> > To: Antique Phonograph List <phono-l@oldcrank.org> > Sent: Wed, August 18, 2010 9:15:57 AM > Subject: Re: [Phono-L] CAPS > > I did not attend CAPS (even thought I did originaly plan to), but > after reading the comments it appears to me that the expierience very > much follows what was seen at the Union show in June. Tons of great > stuff, some of it for terrific prices, but very little actually sold. > It was a very slow show as far as selling went for many dealers. I > really believe we are seeing the effects of the economy and fear of > spending. I don't think it really had much at all to do with CAPS > itself. I think it's just the way things are going right now and that > it will turn around. So, it's been a slow year. That's all it is. It > isn't an issue of the hobby or the shows that is keeping folks from > buying. It's just fear of the unknown. > > My 2 cents... > > Dan > > On Wed, Aug 18, 2010 at 7:52 AM, DeeDee Blais <deedeebl...@yahoo.com> > wrote: > > I'm glad to have an open discussion about the sale and I think it's > healthy. > > The club did a great job. There were plenty of sellers providing a > variety of > > items at very good prices. It was simply a buyers market and buyers did > not > > open their billfolds very often. I thought attendance was OK and I'm > glad to > > read that it was a bit higher than last year. I noticed new faces late > into > the > > sale. I did close a couple of sales but it was difficult and probably > not > >worth > > the effort. The sale of my Edison Standard B (2 min only) was a good > example. > > I > > paid $175 for the machine, refinished the case (decal & materials about > $20 > >plus > > several hours effort), repaired the belt tensioner (another hour), > disassembled > > the top works to clean & oil (another hour), and provided a reproduction > 14" > > horn ($20). My out of pocket cost was $215 with at least five hours of > labor. > > I > > sold it for $280 very late in the sale. I attempted to sell a Vic I for a > >friend > > and it was priced at $725. It had a nice original finish, the parts were > all > > original right down to the slotted crank and little brass bell horn. The > nickel > > finish on the old elbow and tone arm were not great but at $725, the > machine > > should have flown out of the sale. The price was prominently displayed > but > > buyers did not even make an offer. You can't close a sale if there's no > sale. > > Is there anyone on this list with a nice Vic 1 that they'd sell for that > > amount? The buyers were just not buying. I'll be back next year and hope > things > > are better. Thanks to CAPS for a great effort and thanks to the vendors > for a > > good selection. Thanks to the buyers... well,thanks for nearly nothing! > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > 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
