Thread: So what did you buy????

Haven't been for over 10 years now, but used to cost $3500.00 for 1.5 x 2.00 metres, want a chair thats extra, want lighting another plus.
Mobile phones really buggered them though, got you for every little thing they could, seagrass matting, table chair, all the 'stalls' were covered and you had to have a light.
This was in the old exhibition building and it wasn't the same organisers as WWW but I'll bet the prices won't be much different.
And bloody kids coming around and taking all the flyers just for the hell of having them, light fingered bastards pinching whatever they could and the sheila opposite doing a demo all day with the noisiest 12v vacuum cleaner I've ever heard.

Originally Posted by Slow6

Baxter.. the prices were high mate, any way you look at it. believe me I would have spent the money if I thought I couldn't do better else where.

at any rate its only my opinion.. dont let it get you all worked up.

Slow I appreciate your opinion and am only responding as a person who has been involved in the administrative side, of a largish wood show (nothing to do with WWW Shows), who has had to encourage suppliers to attend a woodworking show.

The fact is that, yours & Iain's preferences, to purchase timber from a cheaper source only reinforces my comments. Particularly for timber suppliers, show related costs have to be factored into the show prices and not carried into their normal retail prices. There there is no mass production of timber and it cannot be sold from catalogues. There may only be one particular piece that suits a customer's specific requirements. By going to the show the suppliers gives the customer the opportunity of seeing, feeling etc. before buying. This opportunity to select is what can make timber "expensive" at shows. However, if those suppliers were not there, then we would have a wood show without any wood.

Given that many show patrons do not live in the immediate vicinity of a number of timber suppliers, then the shows can be their only opportunity to compare various types of timber and select pieces that suit their requirements.

Therefore, whether timber is expensive or not is an objective view of the customer. But don't forget that if the supplier makes a loss then they won't return to another show. The costs of the next show will be spread over fewer exhibitors and this will increase overall costs to everybody, including the patrons. A point may be reached where shows are no longer financially viable and none of us will have the opportunity of comparing and shopping within the one specialised environment that a woodworking show provides.

Hobart is probably an example of this, where, I understand, the shows are now bi-annually. WWW shows (as such) are no longer held in Perth.

I suppose I am trying to say that if we don't accept that shows come at a cost and support the suppliers that do attend, then there will not be any shows at all. This even extends to the acceptance that the presence of non-wood related exhibitors does go towards the offsetting of the cost of staging a show.

Local suppliers, who don't support shows, would think this was good. However we (particularly those from non metropolitian areas) would loose the opportunities that a large show provides.

I needed a piece of blackwood about 90 x 45 x 1000, found a piece at the show and they wanted over $120 for it, my local supplier has it for $45.
Had it been in the same range I would have purchased same but not at almost x3.

Iain on those numbers I must agree.

I wasn't in the market for timber because of travel arrangements, however I did inquire about a few pieces that I liked and the prices were not to a multiple of 3 to what I would have expected.

But my thoughts are general concerning the exhibitor's expense etc. of attendance and it is then for the individual to decide whether they buy or not. The exhibitor will then assess whether it is worth coming again. But to make a comment about prices generally can have the effect of detering patrons from attending in future years.
.
Enough on this subject. I can get back into the shed tomorrow night!

TRust me, I was not having a shot at you, but when confronted with little $25 tubs of shoe polish (which is why I wear runners to the show ), et al, I tend to look very closely at prices.
The regulars are fine and I look forward to Neil and our Scot/Chinese friend (McJing) as well as a few others, but some seem to go over the top.

Originally Posted by Iain

TRust me, I was not having a shot at you, but when confronted with little $25 tubs of shoe polish (which is why I wear runners to the show ), et al, I tend to look very closely at prices.

I didn't say you have to stop and look at the non-wood stalls it is just that they help may the cost of the venue.

I have nothing to do with them or similar, but I accept that they can be there to fill up that space.

I know that to put chairs there, instead of them, would be an expensive exercise and not income productive.

Originally Posted by ozwinner

Its a bugger when you let a Pfeil go isnt it? Thats one Pfeil you will never get back.

Is that called copping a Pfeil?

Originally Posted by ozwinner

Same here, we are heading for 31 years, it only feels like yesterday we met.

That's Al-zheimers for yer, right there

I bought a 8" Fein randon orbit sander and a bandsaw Clico style copy plug cutter, 4000# water stone and a DVD off Lie Neislon

One of the students the guitar making school grabbed a great deal with a Work bench band saw. From $750 to $400. Just pushed down to the last minute of the show as they did not want to take the equipment back to the warehouse with them. And of course he saved on freight.

I picked up some great timber veneers for headstocks of guitars and a handmade winebottle top made of olive wood. (Christmas shopping)

Enjoy!

Originally Posted by gratay

lie neilson bronze low angle block plane
cam clamps from timbecon
teeny weeny metabo bas260 bench bandsaw

Grant what was the price on the cam clamps? How do they compare to the LMI/Stewmac clamps?