Off Topic Toronto Sportsmen Show👎👎👎

[ch312]

$60 per table at Woodstock vs $15 per table in Pt Rowan is the reason I chose not to take up the offer to attend the Woodstock show.
I was selling brand new tackle for half retail price and gently used items for even less. Sales were ok, It paid for my tables, gas, time, etc... but not enough to justify setting up in Woodstock. I met quite a few 68 members at the Rowan sale, handed out a bunch of free 68 beer coasters and then checked my trailer to make the drive worthwhile. Just my two cents being on the vendor side of the table.

Those crying about the lack of sales simply do not understand the true costs and time to setup at shows.

The Sportsman show minimum size booths are $1500-$1900 with the large spaces costing $8000-$11000 and more. Add in fuel costs, transportation of goods, your time along with wages and it’s no wonder not everyone has good sales. Retailers need to move a lot of product just to recoup their costs. Lower margins are a thing.


It’s a very cheap way to spend the day with the family and the kids had a ton of fun while learning and getting lots of free loot. I’m open to suggestions for similar indoor activities I can do with the wife and 3 kids for $34…

 

[M_P]

I hope it was one of these.

View attachment 85165

That one's for the boat

 

[Windy Point]

Both the toronto fishing show and sportmans shows have been duds for years and years IMHO. The Future is a combination of fishing swaps and shows like the one at woodstock 2 weeks ago, the ancaster hamilton bassmasters swap this past sunday and the greatest of all the up coming Cancast fishing show and swap April 7th in Peterborough. Plus the other 6-8 smaller swaps that are popping up all over the place now. Just my 2 cents

I've done all four this year.

The fishing show was to look at and talk 16' - 17' aluminum boats, I didn't pull the trigger.

The sportsman's show was to browse, I didn't buy anything.

The Woodstock show I bought a 20 hour old Terrova 36v trolling motor and a new Helix 9.

The Ancaster show I spent $150 on odds and ends to make world better.

In the future the Ancaster and Woodstock shows are a must do. Pertborough is a little far to go considering what Ancaster and Woodstock has. I do think I will do the Chatham show later this spring.

 

[FlyingViking]

I picked up ANOTHER new “Canada fishing reels” mooching reel earlier that day, not at the show, for a great price…… and just HAD to find a mooching rod that same day after my local shops had none in store. Can’t just have a reel with no rod!

Drove with the girlfriend to the show, parked exceptionally illegally out front, ran in, payed the 20 bucks, found the streamside booth, got a rod and ran back out. Was at the show for under 10 minutes…. It’s all a blur now…

 

[Windy Point]

I picked up ANOTHER new “Canada fishing reels” mooching reel earlier that day for a great price…… and just HAD to find a mooching rod that same day after my local shops had none in store. Can’t just have a reel with no rod!

Drove with the girlfriend to the show, parked exceptionally illegally out front, ran in, payed the 20 bucks, found the streamside booth, got a rod and ran back out. Was at the show for under 10 minutes…. It’s all a blur now…

My kind of shopper. Knows what he's after, gets in, buys what he's after and gets out.

 

[Bandwagon]

Nah not a false perception.. typically there is show exclusive deals that are to attract people to attend the show
More people attend the show more exposure your product gets..
more exposure equals more sales
More sales equals more money..

No where in that equation is there dropping margins and a net loss to have a booth at a show.. otherwise the idea would of died long ago and they would not exist
do you need it explained any better?

I can reach 100 X the people on line using social media vs guys kicking tires in my booth wanting 15% off. More sales does not mean more money, more margin dollars and margin percentage means more money. Show attendance is always a struggle, brick and motor and trade shows are dying. The numbers never lie.