Canton Show Reports

[bumblebee]

We newer collectors are often puzzled by how you old timers behave, so we keep our distance and assume this is just how things are done in the hobby. We keep our respect too, because we want to maintain access to your marble hoards.

[sissydear]

In Texas we have grown in membership over the last 4 years. We welcome out of staters, youngsters, and presenters. We try to have workshops at each of our 2 a year shows so that younger folks and anybody else can learn. It has helped us grow. We welcome kids under 16 that largely used to be ignored. We have even gifted them with their first years membership and they stick with us. We have a newsletter that goes out 4 times a year. It's working. We've had phenomenal growth and retention and we reach outside of Texas. I'm writing this in hopes that more "old timers" change their attitudes about spending time in workshops, money on color photos in newsletters, children attending shows. Old timers need to share their knowledge with those less knowledgeable. We do not discourage collecting of any kind of marble - that includes marbles that some of you turn up your noses at. Things like West Virginia swirls, Vitro Agate, JABO, Vacor, Fabricas, contemps, cateyes. We support all marbles. We do not denigrate anyone's choices of what to collect. It works! Please don't answer this with denials. (This isn't written to everyone and you know who you are.) Some of you are very subtle with your remarks and you come across as very negative, but deny it. Think about how others perceive what you write and be better promoters of marbles, shows, and people who are trying to do the right thing. Using your negativity and attacks as a way of getting more participation here does not work to attract people.

As for not getting a table - I no longer get a table, but I sometimes pay at our Texas show to show my support. When I became president, Weldon and I were still buying a table. After he died, I found that I couldn't do my duties as president and watch my table. I gave up having a table. I also gave up selling marbles in my room. My presence was needed elsewhere to do club business. I do not get a table at out of state shows. I no longer sell. When I come to out of state shows, I come as a buyer only. I am disappointed when the sellers do not purchase a table and show up for the "marble show". I do not blame that on the show host. I well know that as president, or show host, I am not in control of the behavior of sellers. I spend my time at my show helping others and making guests feel welcome. I do buy in rooms and i do buy at the shows. What a loss if what we have said here has made Smitty stop having his show. Some of us need to "grow" and realize that our behavior just might be discouraging new people to the hobby. At 73 years old, I hope to be replaced by younger people. Look around and see how many young people you help to bring to the hobby. They are the "life" of our hobby. If they are not welcome, the hobby dies with us oldsters.

[mon]

I hope most teach their children better than this! It doesn't matter who or what position you hold that makes you more or less accountable. It's not about smitty being the best or leaving so, get a grip! If it's the same Chuck, he is a very fair and nice guy!!! ......I sold him a big slag that went into his collection at the WV show. If I came here and posted that he ripped me off and was a tightass, would you all have my back? We agreed on a price but I felt a donation to the "doug fund" is WHAT HE SHOULD DO! I'm also a great guy and just the best!!!!!

My father lived through the Great Depression and worked like a man from the age of 6 behind a team of horses. His mother scared him with their financial trouble that effected him his whole life. Some may have seen him as being a tightass but I understood. When he gave, it was a gift with no strings and if he sold, everyone involved knew the price. I would have no problem with smitty's statement if it was a known standard to buy a table and someone slipped out the back door.

Sissy, buying is also a part of the show and feel all that attend should pay the same price ~a~

[MLee1919]

I've loved marbles since I was a kid in the 50's. I've collected for a long time and started buying on EBay a few years ago. But the folks on this board scare the crap out of me and I'm not sure I would ever go to one of your shows. There's a competitiveness that's too aggressive for me. And a seeming lack of human kindness.

Yeah, lurker, and first time poster.

[greg11]

I want to hear more about the detectives that showed up...

[m!b$]

To Smitty...Some of us aren't that quick on the uptake of a hint. You've got to put away the sublety and get out the two by four. But we will help you.

I think the above quote states the core of the problem. Not everyone is that savvy about what is expected of them (myself included). It's the "nice guys" who are often seething underneath, then suddenly explode, leaving the denser ones among us to wonder what the heck happened, who scare me.

[MC Marbles]

But the folks on this board scare the crap out of me and I'm not sure I would ever go to one of your shows. There's a competitiveness that's too aggressive for me. And a seeming lack of human kindness.

Most people act completely different in person.

The computer keyboard brings out the seeming lack of human kindness.

Friendly, Kind & Sharing people at Marble shows outnumber the Jerks 50 to 1.

egos & keyboards do not mix well.

[green gazer]

What the H--- are you talking about that we are mistaken and misguided. That comment totally sucked. I understand that Smitty is tired of doing all the work involved in putting on a marble show. I truly believe it is a good show. I do not know what the rest of the club members do, as a matter of fact, other than Brian I don't even know who they are. Do they help? If we were all to help, which I noticed a lot of you have volunteered to do, what would you do other than make suggestions or come up with ideas such as flyers, auctions etc. that only pile more work and resposibility on to your promoter? He did say he was tired and I believe he is serious. Maybe he is reluctant to ask for help or that by asking he feels that he is placing a burden upon someone else. Other ideas are needed. I live 5 hrs away and there is not much interest in marble shows. I have asked other collectors, sellers and even a new marble maker and collector to attend the Buckeye Show with no results. They would rather keep them to themselves or sell them at a flea mkt or mall. Most flea markets will have marbles but it is always "show me the money" when you show any interest in them. Sorry about the $5 a quart bulk statement but $35 is what you can expect to pay at a flea mkt in KY. So Smitty you are losing money.

In a previous post I refered to the SHOW part of collecting. I brought a large display case that holds my Peltier collection. What did you bring? I find it really cool when I get to see someones collection and can see the work they have done and how devoted to the hobby they really are, rather than a bunch marbles for sale. Theres that money part again. It just keeps on popping up as in your posts.

As far as young people go! Marbles are not on the agenda. It would be nice to see more of them come to a show, but as I see it (and I am 65) we don't have to worry because in the end they will have all the marbles and we will have spent all the money on health care. So enjoy the kids and the marbles while you can. One young man (under 15) came to my room with his marble box and asked to look at some marbles. I decided to talk to him about collecting and he listened intently. I gave him a few Jabo marbles along with some Peltiers'. I also gave him a couple of Christensens' and told him to practice his selling technique with them. He spoke up and said that he had bought a Christensen for $40 and sold it for more than something like $140. Us older collectors have taught him "Capitalism at its best". Marble on! These have been and probably will be the only posts I have ever made and if I ruffled some feathers- Good ! I'm Done! The Negative, Mistaken, Misguided, and Tightassed and whatever else Ya'll can think of Green Gazer.

s

mitt

[m!b$]

Why have the show/in-room trading at a place like the Holiday Inn, where it looks like the cheapest room is about $135 a night. Couldn't it be held at a place like the Red Roof Inn, where the rates are much cheaper?

[sissydear]

Red Roof Inns don't have large enough show rooms for us in Texas, but we have our shows at Wingate by Wynham and The Radisson which give us a good rate, seems like $89 is what i remember and we get free breakfast, not continental breakfast. The showroom kind of cuts out the cheaper places.

[m!b$]

I guess I don't understand what the point of in-room trading is. Why not just rent an auditorium or something somewhere and just have the show.

[lstmmrbls]

you have to attend a a show and you will understand. it is why we fly cross country and arrive days early. it is way to difficult to get all the visiting trading buying and selling done the day of a show when you have to man your table to make sales. I go to shows to visit and enjoy the in room visits as much or more than the show its self (as do many others) But the show and club putting it on should still be supported in some way if not renting a table

[m!b$]

And I don't understand how people who have spent $135 or more on a room for in-room trading, could be expected to put out even more money on buying a table at the show.

[m!b$]

Bring your wife (if you have one) or somebody to run the table at the show, while you go around the show visiting, buying, etc. And make the show two or three days, not just one day.

[m!b$]

And cross-country flight expenses too!

Well, I guess I just gave away where I fall in the yearly-income bracket. But lest you all think that I don't have ANY nice marbles, take a look at the one I posted in Killermarbles thread (in just a few minutes after I take pictures of it and post it.)

[richsantaclaus]

My show in California has 43 6' tables - 65% selling vintage, 34% contemporary and 1% marble jewelry. It is impossible to go to all the vintage tables in a 6 hour period of time during the show with all the people that attend from the general public AND sell your own marbles at your table. Last year we has a heavy rain downpour but still had 350 to 400 people foot traffic at the Saturday show. I hold room trading Wed, Thru and Fri nights before the show so the vendors have a chance to take quality time to check-out and talk about the marbles they want to buy/trade. This is why room trading happens here at my show. Last year my wife HAD to go to the Grandkid's birthday party so I was all alone to run my table!!! I do plan on back-up though - I have overlapping assignments of friends of mine that no vendor knows who it is that walk the show like the general public watching for any funny stuff that might go on. You can't imagine the amount of work it takes to hold a quality marble show - it's a year long process. When Mike Close ran it for the first 3 years, I just paid the table fees and sold but now for the past 3 years, I can appreciate all his HARD work he did by himself too. 2013 will mark the 7th annual show - March 16th, 2013 - come by if you can! Fullerton California

[SNYD]

What the H--- are you talking about that we are mistaken and misguided. That comment totally sucked. I understand that Smitty is tired of doing all the work involved in putting on a marble show. I truly believe it is a good show. I do not know what the rest of the club members do, as a matter of fact, other than Brian I don't even know who they are. Do they help? If we were all to help, which I noticed a lot of you have volunteered to do, what would you do other than make suggestions or come up with ideas such as flyers, auctions etc. that only pile more work and resposibility on to your promoter? He did say he was tired and I believe he is serious. Maybe he is reluctant to ask for help or that by asking he feels that he is placing a burden upon someone else. Other ideas are needed. I live 5 hrs away and there is not much interest in marble shows. I have asked other collectors, sellers and even a new marble maker and collector to attend the Buckeye Show with no results. They would rather keep them to themselves or sell them at a flea mkt or mall. Most flea markets will have marbles but it is always "show me the money" when you show any interest in them. Sorry about the $5 a quart bulk statement but $35 is what you can expect to pay at a flea mkt in KY. So Smitty you are losing money.

In a previous post I refered to the SHOW part of collecting. I brought a large display case that holds my Peltier collection. What did you bring? I find it really cool when I get to see someones collection and can see the work they have done and how devoted to the hobby they really are, rather than a bunch marbles for sale. Theres that money part again. It just keeps on popping up as in your posts.

As far as young people go! Marbles are not on the agenda. It would be nice to see more of them come to a show, but as I see it (and I am 65) we don't have to worry because in the end they will have all the marbles and we will have spent all the money on health care. So enjoy the kids and the marbles while you can. One young man (under 15) came to my room with his marble box and asked to look at some marbles. I decided to talk to him about collecting and he listened intently. I gave him a few Jabo marbles along with some Peltiers'. I also gave him a couple of Christensens' and told him to practice his selling technique with them. He spoke up and said that he had bought a Christensen for $40 and sold it for more than something like $140. Us older collectors have taught him "Capitalism at its best". Marble on! These have been and probably will be the only posts I have ever made and if I ruffled some feathers- Good ! I'm Done! The Negative, Mistaken, Misguided, and Tightassed and whatever else Ya'll can think of Green Gazer.

s

mitt

PM me, I need your street number, I have some mibs to send you. I think Hamot is still calling..... he he he. The lake is stil warm, bet you miss it.

[SNYD]

Smitty,

Stop, go to your favorite tree stand and go sit in it for an hour and relax and talk to the man upstairs. Your letting all this get to you and it is changing your character, don't let it. Your worth more than all this stuff as a friend and a person.

I support you 100%, I think that you should cancel the shows, then see how these people will sell, trade, find marbles. Let them go to the mid west or western shows. I will not say names, but you know who I am talking about. I am really good friends with a person who also does a big show in the North East. Last year this person too is strongly thinking about not having a show anymore. Why? Bingo, just the same reasons as you, they are stuck with all the work and it cost him cash to get it all set up (out of his pocket). Then to put up with issues.......... uhm.

I think a show should be a flyer or word of mouth that if you want to come, marble people will gather at farmer Joe's field or some large parking lot (location) on (date) bring your own shit, table, chairs, tents or get a hotel, rain suits, canopy's or what ever. Attend at your own risk ! That's it no work but for who comes. Just saying

[BobBlock]

I can remember my Dad running marble shows in Fairfield and Westport Connecticut back in the mid 1970s. At that time, there would be maybe 8 to 10 dealers/collectors set up. And even then someone would complain about another person getting a table closer to the door. Nothing really changes. I think Chuck in his posting above made some really good points. I would like to add a few.

1. It is virtually impossible for a marble show to break even. Unless you do no advertising. Considering the incredible amount of time that the person or person running the show put into it, you're only going to run a show for the "joy" of bringing marble collectors together. I ran several shows back in the 1990s, and they always cost me money. That was why I ran an auction with my shows. To help cover the costs. That's why Bert runs an auction the day before his show. I know that the dealers hate having an auction at the show because they feel it sucks money away from their potential customers. I've never understood that argument. You bring in more people and more money to the show, and if the auction is not huge, no one is going to spend anywhere near their budget. In fact, they will be more inclined to buy from the dealers, because they wanted something at the auction that got away. This is why most numismatic shows have auctions associated with them.

2. Someone mentioned about the potential conflict of interest bcause the show promoter also runs marble auctions and might divert walk-in marbles to his auctions. I think if someone walks into the show and has a collection to sell, they would not be doing their homework properly if they didn't talk to the show promoter about the best way to sell it. Considering the amount of time and expense the promoter has put into the show, I don't think this is a big deal. The only time this would be an issue, in my mind, would be if the show was actually being run by a marble club that was a 501©3 and the club had paid for the advertising and to rent the showroom. In that case, the "promoter" or "show manager" is really volunteering his time to the club, and it would endanger the club's tax exempt status if the show manager reaped a benefit from the show.

3. Someone bemoaned the fact that less "new blood" is coming into the hobby and the hobby is dying. I've been hearing this complaint for almost 30 years. True, you don't have the influx of collectors that you saw back in the late 1980s and early 1990s. But, that period of time was an anomaly. That was a the rapid growth phase in the life cycle of the hobby. If you are going to view the current state of the hobby through that prism, you're going to be sorely disappointed. Considering the current economic environment, I would view the current rate of collectors joining the hobby as positive. The past 5 years you have seen the effects of the maturation of the hobby and the resultant stretching out of marble prices, and the contraction experienced by all collectibles due to the economy. The fact that the Marble Price Guide was the #2 selling antique/collectible toy book on Amazon in July, I think proves that there are plenty of people interested in marble collecting. The way to increase walk-in to a show is to convince people that shows are fun and that they are the best place to buy marbles and meet collectors.

4. Someone made the comment that you should rent the hall for several days. This won't work. You can't possibly recover the cost of the rental from the table fees you charge. Many dealers would not pay twice or thrice the rental fee that is currently charged at shows. And the marble collecting hobby is not so large that you would get good walkthrough over multiple days. I think the one day format that we currently have is the best.

5. A number of people here have commented about in-room buying and selling before a show. At least one person said it should be banned. It would be impossible for a show promoter to do that. Show promoters can't even stop people from sitting in the lobby buying and selling (Gary tried that 20 years ago in Amana and finally gave up), how are you going to stop in-room buying and selling. It's a bad idea anyways. A large part of the marble show experience revolves around the in-room trading. In my opinion, we should encourage in-room trading, not discourage it. I feel it only serves to bring more people to the event. Yes, there are some people who only do in-room trading and don't buy a table at the show. So what? There are leeches in every facet of society. It just comes with running the show. I guess a promoter could go around to the rooms and try to sell tables, and if the person doesn't want a table you could ask them for a contribution to defray the cost of the show. But, realistically, if they are going to balk at buying a table at the show, they're going to balk at contributing.

6. What we should be doing is advertising the fact that marble shows are the absolute best place to buy marbles. I am constantly saying this to new collectors who email me and I say it in my books. There is no better place to buy marbles. Better than auctions, better than Ebay, better than antique shows, better than antique shops, better than marble dealer websites. Over the past 35 years I have consistently gotten my best buys at marble shows. Yeah, occasionally I'll get lucky at an auction, like the one in Deerfield last year, but that happens maybe once every few years. When I go to a marble show, I am virtually guaranteed that I'm going to buy some really nice marbles at truly cheap prices. It's all supply and demand. The ratio of supply to demand is tilted farther towards supply at a marble show than at any other venue. That's the message we should be putting out there.

I want to conclude by saying, Steve don't quit. People are always going to complain to you, they are always going to complain about you, there are some that are always going to be unhappy. Ignore them. You'll never make them happy. The plain fact is that there are tons more people who think you do a great job with the show. The Ohio show has a long and proud tradition, going all the way back to when Bill and Betty ran it. You are doing a great job continuing that legacy, you should keep at it.

[bigjohn691500]

this was a stupid comment i made, bowing out,,j

[sissydear]

I just realized after reading your comments that most of your shows are not supported by your club. By that I mean, Texas Marble Collectors Inc is 20 years old. We have a bank account. We have trustees and officers. Nobody bears the expense of putting on a marble show. We set a budget for each of our two shows a year. We have a person in charge of our Spring Show and that person presents the location and expenses to our Board of Trustees at the Fall Show and we approve it them. Nobody has to personally pay for the showroom or coffee or donuts. The club pays. We have another person responsible for all the details of the Fall Show and that person presents the location and expenses to the Board of Trustees at the Spring Show. It works for us. We charge table fees for the show. The showroom can cost $500 to over $1,000 a day. I laughed when i read that someone thinks we should have the show room for 3 days. Club dues are minimal. We pay $15 a year for an individual membership and $20 for a family membership. In the last 4 years each of our shows has paid for itself with a small profit left over. We do a silent auction during the show, set up at extra tables and some real bargains result. We also pay for the hotel rooms for presenters who are out of state and we give them their tables in the showroom for no fee. Some of us try to personally cover the meals of that type of guest also. In no way does it pay for their airfares or their cross country gasoline expenses, but it's a gesture that is appreciated when we partly compensate for their visit. We have a great time during the in room shopping and also at a our shows. We actually like each other and love catching up on the news about each member. Shoot, we even all go out to eat together in the evenings and we have one hotel that provides special meals in a private room just so we can all fit in one place. It kind of sounds like to me that some of you need to do some work on forming a marble club that shares the work, the responsibility, and the expense. 20 years and still having fun. By the way, we are located in the Bible Belt. We don't provide beer and drinks in a hospitality room. We are family oriented. Most of us will imbibe, but at our own expense.

[sissydear]

One more thought for Smitty. A couple of years ago, after losing my husband in a horrific wreck, another stress causing incident occurred that involved my having to protect the Texas Marble Collectors Club. I was very stressed to say the least. One of my members and trusted friend Jim Garber gave me some great advice. It went sort of like this. Edna, pick out some of your favorite marbles, put them around you where you can look and enjoy. Sit down with your favorite beverage and sip and enjoy the marbles. I did just that. My favorite beverage in the dead of winter is a good cup of hot tea. I surrounded myself with gorgeous contemporary art glass marbles and sipped my tea and thought about all the beauty of those marbles and the good thoughts about the artists who made them. Smitty, you will be amazed at how much better that sort of thing can make you feel. I love marbles. They bring joy to my life. Forget all the negative people, negative remarks, and the intentional crap some people bring to your life.

[bigjohn691500]

man, now thats sounds like fun sissy,, very organized, maybe one day i can attend, maybe,, lol, bj

[mon]

Now we are leeches???????? This leech recently had his drive back topped to the tune of 28k. The 3 man grading crew did a great job and tipped each a hundred dollars. Then the 7 man paving crew received the same. I honestly had no clue that a $35 was this big of an issue! I will not attend another show because of this thread but, if I did, I would be more that happy to pay now that I know.

It is such CRAP that smitty insults unknowing good people and he is the victim. Hope you make it smitty and just ignore these idiots that don't like to be called tightasses and assholes. Who needs them anyways? I'm sure it will make you a better person in your god's eyes!

[m!b$]

The showroom can cost $500 to over $1,000 a day. I laughed when i read that someone thinks we should have the show room for 3 days.

Well, if the show was held in some auditorium, or even out on the street under a tent, it wouldn't cost that much. Isn't the Sistersville show out on the street?