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Post by hummingbirdstones on Aug 9, 2021 12:18:12 GMT -5
We held our annual club show this weekend (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) and it turned out great!
Started set-up at 8:00 a.m. on Thursday. 4 hours of intense work setting up all the booths, the display cases, ticket and raffle areas, etc. in time to let vendors in at noon to set up their individual booths.
We had fewer vendors than we normally do because a lot of them just couldn't afford the booth fee due to being locked down for the last year. I feel really bad for those folks who do this for a living and are now wiped out because of it. Diamond Pacific did not make it this year, but they will be back next year.
We were really busy the whole show with the exception of Sunday morning. Sunday mornings are always slow but it picks up after 11:00 a.m. and that didn't change. People were just happy campers to be able to get out and be there. So many folks told us how they missed being able to come to the show last year. They were raring to go with money in their pockets. Every vendor I talked to said they were having the best show that they'd ever had.
It was great fun to see Lee Rockoonz and Elizabeth again, Rick gemfeller and Karen, and Brian beefjello again. Thank you all for coming out and visiting with us!
Here are a few pictures that Vince was able to take before the show opened.
Our booth (yeah, that's me connecting to the Center's wi-fi to get my Square ready). Unfortunately, it's a butt shot.
Fluorescent tent, gold panning area and kid face painting area:
Geode cracking:
Cabbing demonstration area:
Random photos of vendor booths:
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Post by jasoninsd on Aug 9, 2021 21:54:08 GMT -5
Way to go Robin! It sounds like it was both a fun and fruitful show! It really is too bad the fees couldn't have been adjusted to try and accommodate more venders...but I'm sure that helped out those who were able to show. THanks for posting the pics. It makes me feel badly that I didn't take more pictures at the Fairburn Rock Swap... Next time I go to out hounding, I'm going to have to take some nicely scenic shots of my dairy-air and post them! LOL
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Aug 9, 2021 22:14:43 GMT -5
jasoninsd Unfortunately, those folks who couldn't afford to do the show would most likely still not have been able to afford a discounted space. A lot of our vendors are from other states and with gas prices what they are and paying for hotels if they don't have an RV, probably not doable. It also wouldn't have been fair to the rest of the vendors who paid the full price. It's really sad, but reality. The good news is that their spaces will be waiting for them next year should they decide to do the show.
I really do wish there was some way they could have done it this year. Despite the attendance being a bit lower than usual, everyone (including us) had the best show they've ever had. They would have actually made some decent money.
It never fails when Vince is taking pictures, he always manages to get me in the most unflattering poses.
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hummingbirdstones2
fully equipped rock polisher
Vince A., 1958-2023
Member since August 2018
Posts: 1,461
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Post by hummingbirdstones2 on Aug 9, 2021 22:44:26 GMT -5
There are no unflattering poses.
I thought the booth looked good, too... .
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Post by Rockoonz on Aug 9, 2021 22:53:52 GMT -5
It was great to see you and Vince, and we scored a slab or ten and a decent slabbable chunk of some poppy jasper that will be on an ID thread soon. Everybody is friendly, you have a great club there.
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Aug 9, 2021 22:54:38 GMT -5
There are no unflattering poses.
I thought the booth looked good, too... .
Love is blind ....
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Aug 10, 2021 8:49:41 GMT -5
It was great to see you and Vince, and we scored a slab or ten and a decent slabbable chunk of some poppy jasper that will be on an ID thread soon. Everybody is friendly, you have a great club there. Thanks, Lee! They all try real hard.
Can't wait to see the poppy jasper. I didn't get a chance to walk around and look at the other vendors stuff until Sunday morning.
Next year, get one of those assistance dog vests for Taco and bring him with. I saw an awful lot of them at the show and nobody checks whether they're legit or not.
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Post by MsAli on Aug 10, 2021 20:14:12 GMT -5
Its surprising about the vendors.. Nate and I have been to a couple of shows and they have packed. There have been people from NM, AZ, TX and of course the nearby states. We have another show next month so I'll be curious if it's the same. You guys have a great booth Men always take what we think are unflattering pictures but from what I can see it was a pretty darn good shot. Next time he has to yell out POSE!
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Aug 10, 2021 21:08:39 GMT -5
MsAli - We had one vendor who cancelled the day before the show. Husband and wife and had had Covid and just weren't strong enough to do the show. Totally understandble. Shows are grueling and I don't know how these folks do it for a whole season. Vince and I were dead meat by the time we got home Sunday after tearing down. We didn't even unload our stuff out of our cars until Monday. I thoroughly enjoy doing our show every year, but it does take a toll on an aging body. The show this year especially was so busy that I don't think I sat down at all for the whole time except to wolf down some lunch in record time. Advil was my friend for sure.
Thanks for the compliment on our booth! We've been perfecting it for years now. We finally have it down to where we can get everything set up in a very short time.
BTW, that picture of me is probably way better than any other angle!
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Post by Rockindad on Aug 11, 2021 12:45:12 GMT -5
There are no unflattering poses.
I thought the booth looked good, too... .
Veeerrry smooooth Vince. Great report Robin hummingbirdstones!
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Post by nowyo on Aug 12, 2021 11:22:58 GMT -5
Great report and looks like a great show.
Russ
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gemfeller
Cave Dweller
Member since June 2011
Posts: 3,773
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Post by gemfeller on Aug 12, 2021 13:52:57 GMT -5
It was a great show and I'm glad I had a chance to see your great booth and visit with you two. Sorry I missed meeting the other RTHers who attended. Due to personal health issues I really didn't have a chance to do the buying I'd planned to do. I was having a lot of foot pain and standing around looking at rough & slabs just wasn't on the program. Maybe next year... I'm glad you had a profitable show and hope it was just a prelude to coming events. I was impressed with the quality and variety of the vendors who were there.
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Post by Rockoonz on Aug 12, 2021 20:10:22 GMT -5
gemfeller sorry I missed you. I'm sure we will eventually meet.
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Post by rockjunquie on Aug 13, 2021 10:01:51 GMT -5
Looks like a great show. You have a really big booth and right on the corner, too. Awesome!
We have a big one here called Treasures of the Earth. I haven't been in a few years. But, it's a respectable size and always has a good crowd.
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hummingbirdstones2
fully equipped rock polisher
Vince A., 1958-2023
Member since August 2018
Posts: 1,461
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Post by hummingbirdstones2 on Aug 13, 2021 21:28:23 GMT -5
Yeah, rockjunquie , we were lucky to get a corner booth - right in the central aisle intersection - a few years ago.
Our normal booth (10' x 12' / three 6' tables) ends at the anklet display on the left. We were able to get more space this year due to a cancellation.
We think our neighbor in the booth to the right of ours will move to that other corner next year. A double corner is too much to watch. We had help this year, but I still didn't like having that much frontage to watch over.
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