2016 Chicago show. (2 Viewers)

I don't remember seeing any comments about the crowds. How was the business for the dealers and what was the attendance like? More than last year? Thanks in advance.
 
Louis Badolato said:
Mike,

I'd love to see some photos of your new acquisitions on the "what else do you collect?" Thread. Wish I could have spent some time chatting at the show. Hopefully next year!
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Per your request Louis . . . . . photos of my new artifact acquisitions have been posted on the "what else do you collect?" thread . . . . .
:smile2: Mike
 
mrsc94 said:
Get well Sammy! Don't worry about missing the show. You have your own show at the house! :) Get well!
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Sorry we missed you! You came SO close to getting to come this year. Heal up and we'll see you in 2017!
 
Peter Reuss said:
Sorry we missed you! You came SO close to getting to come this year. Heal up and we'll see you in 2017!
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Thanks Pete, but at this rate I'm so disgusted with missing for the 5TH YEAR that I'm not even going to mention it at all in 2017, kind of like reverse psychology and use it on myself!!!!, but after hearing of the passing of John yesterday, if the worse thing that happened to me last week was a quick trip to the ER and missing a show???, need to thank my lucky stars...Sammy
 
Toy Soldier Brigade said:
I don't remember seeing any comments about the crowds. How was the business for the dealers and what was the attendance like? More than last year? Thanks in advance.
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I didn't stay for the show itself, but the room trading seemed to be very light. Only maybe a quarter of the rooms were open, and the collectors in the halls seemed rather sparse. Most disturbing was the fact that there were absolutely no young people at all.
 
Louis Badolato said:
I didn't stay for the show itself, but the room trading seemed to be very light. Only maybe a quarter of the rooms were open, and the collectors in the halls seemed rather sparse. Most disturbing was the fact that there were absolutely no young people at all.
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Regretfully, the diminishing crowds for room trading has also been a fact of life at the West Coaster for several years now. I would estimate that it is now no more than 10 to 15 percent of what it use to be. However, unlike Louis, I have noticed more young people at the actual shows on Sundays which is somewhat encouraging. That being said, I would estimate that recent West Coaster attendance on Sundays is about 50 percent of what it was just a few years ago (i.e., 500 versus 1,000). I am saying this as someone who has attended the last 24 West Coasters to include writing three show reviews for Toy Soldier & Model Figure magazine. In addition, I have attended at least 15 Chicago Shows since 1993. Does anyone know what the official attendance was on Sunday and how it compares to previous shows? How about how many rooms were open for room trading compared to previous shows and how many vendor tables were thereon Sunday compared to before?
 
Louis Badolato said:
Finally (for now - I am waiting to hear on two pieces of Heco and a small scale Elastolin Prince Valiant Castle set-up) the Special Dinner figure, a statue of Abraham Lincoln, our good friend Brad's personal hero (don't worry Brad, I am working to get one for you from Tim or Pete, and if I can't, you can have mine):
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I just okayed the price conveyed to me by George for the two Heco models. The first is a Tiger Tank (which I may pass along to Tom Dubel if its in markings he doesn't have). The other model is one I have never seen before, not even in a Heco catalogue: a SDKFZ 222 (4 RAD) armored car in Afrika Corps markings!^&cool^&cool^&cool^&cool^&cool I am psyched!!^&grin I will post photos upon receipt.
 
ucla1967 said:
Regretfully, the diminishing crowds for room trading has also been a fact of life at the West Coaster for several years now. I would estimate that it is now no more than 10 to 15 percent of what it use to be. However, unlike Louis, I have noticed more young people at the actual shows on Sundays which is somewhat encouraging. That being said, I would estimate that recent West Coaster attendance on Sundays is about 50 percent of what it was just a few years ago (i.e., 500 versus 1,000). I am saying this as someone who has attended the last 24 West Coasters to include writing three show reviews for Toy Soldier & Model Figure magazine. In addition, I have attended at least 15 Chicago Shows since 1993. Does anyone know what the official attendance was on Sunday and how it compares to previous shows? How about how many rooms were open for room trading compared to previous shows and how many vendor tables were thereon Sunday compared to before?
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Mike,
I think one of my fellow vendors said there were 138 rooms with dealers vs 162 last year, but I could be wrong. In either case, the number was down this year from last year.

The thing that really jumped out at me was how off of the elevator bank, the rooms from say 4101 through 4110 were full, same with 4201-4210, 4301-4310, 4401-4410, but then it really thinned out from there on out. In my hallway directly off of 5301-5310, I am the only vendor left in the hall.

At some point, you'd think we'll all be moved up onto the 5th floor or down onto the 4th, ie, all dealers on one floor.

Several years ago, dealer rooms spilled onto the 3rd floor.

The foot traffic on Sunday seemed light to me, we were busy all day long, but it never got crazy/oh my God I can't keep up with the sales/busy, I can recall in years past not being able to take a break to go get a sandwich, bathroom breaks were few and far between as well.

That said, again it's not quantity but quality, room trading was very good for me, same with the day of the show and my number was up about 25% over last year, best number since pre stock market crash of 2008.
 
Warrior said:
Good thing the K & C figure thief who was going from room to room at the show didn't wander into this room, he would have had a field day with all those retired figures out on display....................he got me good this year, that is for sure.....................
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Sorry to hear that some mongrel knocked off some of your stock George. It's a shame you didn't catch him in the act and then had some stern words and then some to him...

Tom
 
I have attended the last 25 consecutive Chicago Shows. Still a lot of fun. Still great deals to be found. Always something completely unexpected. Great to see the fellow collectors and dealers who after all these years are friends. Can't wait until next year.
Now the negative. Not as many rooms open for room trading, every year a few less. But the main thing is there is no "wow" factor like a few years ago. The early 2000's had Conte with his new playsets, the anticipation of what playset Barszo was going to do as he always kept it a secret. K&C would always have completely new releases (before dispatches). There always seemed to be a new company with brand new metal figures. The first few K&C dinners were great but I have to admit after about 4 of them it became so boreing all I did was look at my watch and wait for it to end to get my figure. By the way I have not attended another one for the past 4 years. And most of all what I miss was Figartis lunch where they would release all their over the top items, e-boat, railway cannon, etc.
Would I ever think of missing this show? Never, still the high lite of my collecting year.
Gary
 
Great post Gary. You could probably have used it last year and can probably use it for next year.

When it comes to the Chicago Show, I've learned all I know from Gary. It was Gary who taught me that you don't need to stay for Sunday because by then you've seen about everything you're going to see.
 
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