Going to ABS Expo, Reno.....thoughts

Kohai999

Kohai999

Second Degree Cutter
Joined
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Leaving for Reno this afternoon.....the city of Reno DOES suck....but am not happy about the show leaving there.....am about 90% sure that San Antonio in August is not going to work out for me.:(

Hope to pick up a piece from Burt Foster and Harvey Dean....and look at some Hancock knives, as well as some Fuegen knives....there is usually something surprising, and lovely to see....prices are looking to be robust this year.

I love the ABS...what it has done, and what it COULD do...some of the policies seem so wrongheaded and slow to adapt to change, though, that it drives me spittin' mad. Dinosaurs are extinct for a reason.....they could not adapt.

Will be able to visit with friends, some only seen once a year, or so, and that makes it a great show.....because I have a few knives;), and have been actively collecting so long, it makes it harder to get pumped up about simply great execution, great design and clean lines....at this point...there has to be something "extra". It makes it more difficult to explain what I am looking for, when a maker asks.

See some of you there, and will have an after-show writeup by next Tuesday.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Have a great show.

I look forward to your uniquely insightful show report.

I know photos aren't your thing, so I will make a general plea to other attendees - PLEASE TAKE SOME PICS!

Since all the knives will be there on day one, there's no excuse. :grumpy:

Roger
 
Kohai999 said:
Leaving for Reno this afternoon.....the city of Reno DOES suck....but am not happy about the show leaving there.....
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I'm feeling the same way. I generally dislike all the changes the ABS made to the show. As much as I dislike Reno, it's cheap and convenient, San Antonio isn't (at least not as convenient for me).

I wonder what % of makers will adopt the lottery system. For the others, I wonder how they'll decide who to sell to.
 
RogerP said:
so I will make a general plea to other attendees - PLEASE TAKE SOME PICS!
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Yeah, somebody include a pic of STeven so we can all know what that grumpy ol' SOB looks like. ;)

Looking forward to your writeup STeven. Go for the makers and their knives, not the organization. :thumbup:
 
Joss said:
As much as I dislike Reno, it's cheap and convenient, San Antonio isn't (at least not as convenient for me).
QUOTE]

I haven't spent enough time in Reno to have a strong opinion, but being a skier from the icy northeast I was hoping to plan a trip to the annual show combined with some skiing. But I guess that won't be a possibility in Texas.

Some years back, I had some time to make the drive around Lake Tahoe. It was beautiful.

I will also be anxious to hear about and see some pictures. The FEGA Annual Convention is going on too.

Peter
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Im glad to see the show leaving Reno.

I think like the Guild show being in Central Florida, it eliminates a lot of collectors from attending, as it is a long way to go.

I plan on attending the show in San Antonio as it is a 2 hour flight from Atlanta instead of a 5 hour flight.

The new show format is due directly to results from previous shows.

A one day show is a format that a lot of smaller shows should adopt.

Lottery's are fine for those in demand, as they are the fairest way to get a knife.

However, just like every show in the country, there will be those who sell out, those who do ok and those who sell little or nothing.

Les Robertson
Custom Knife Entrepreneur
www.robertsoncustomcutlery.com
 
I thought about going to Reno last year and I found that the airline tickets were quite expensive.....like twice as much as a comparable ticket to Las Vegas from Tampa. At least with San Antonio, most folks can take Southwest if they are willing to put up with the "festival" seating:D
 
I'm on a plane up to Reno tomorrow morning. I'm excited about the new format, but not really happy about the location change (not that I care for Reno at all). Having it the same weekend of the Safari Club is nice for me, able to do a couple things in one trip. That said, it's only my second time up to Reno anyway, and San Antonio is still reasonably close to me - if they'd moved it to the east coast I'd likely stop attending.

Looking forward to seeing some great work, and talking with some great people.
 
In case you guys haven't heard, we recaptured the Alamo and San Antonio is really a pretty nice venue for a major knife show. San Antonio International Airport has been recently upgraded and, in fact is being enlarged again. Plenty of really nice hotels, great food, inside plumbling and air conditioning. I think you'll like it!

Paul
 
sheathmaker said:
In case you guys haven't heard, we recaptured the Alamo and San Antonio is really a pretty nice venue for a major knife show. San Antonio International Airport has been recently upgraded and, in fact is being enlarged again. Plenty of really nice hotels, great food, inside plumbling and air conditioning. I think you'll like it!

Paul
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That inside plumbling is a great addition, Paul! (Plus, I have one coming your way by Pony Express). :D

Look forward to your report, as usual, STeven. :thumbup:

- Joe
 
Reno is troublesome to attend. I sold every knife I took to the show three years in a row. Reno was good for my sales but no fun to get to. I will attend the show again in San Antonio and look forward to it. Reno is a nasty town, do not leave the Silver Legacy unarmed.
 
San Antonio oh oh in 09 Pete will you be my wing man?
Have fun STeven Good Luck with the slips you drop
 
Good hunting, STeven.

I thought the move to San Antonio was a good one for the ABS. I even thought I would attend. Well, now that I find out it's in August, I'll need to cross it off my list. Oh, well.

Win
 
Okay - somebody clue me in - why is August so bad? I sure plan on going to San Antonio when the show moves there.

Roger
 
Other than it's hot (which is no big deal to me living in Augusta GA in the summer).

Someone is always unhappy no matter when you place a show.

If the show would have been in April, it would have been too soon before Blade.

This show is in between Blade, right after the Guild Show and right before the PKA and Central Texas shows and no more than 3-5 weeks before Chicago and the SOS Show.

Those shows are no more than 3-5 weeks to Dan Delavan's Invitational show and the New York Custom Knife Show.

Seems the biggest complaint is being voiced from those in the Northwest US. And that has to do with the distance they have to travel compared to now.

Having run two custom knife shows in Atlanta. I can tell you it is difficult to find a place and even more difficult to find a time that it won't conflict with other shows.

Les Robertson
Custom Knife Entrepreneur
www.robertsoncustomcutlery.com
 
RogerP said:
Okay - somebody clue me in - why is August so bad? I sure plan on going to San Antonio when the show moves there.

Roger
Click to expand...

End of summer, folks are tired of hot weather and are getting kids ready to go back to school, typically slow time for non-essentials sales. I was part of a retail business for 15 years and August was one of our slowest months.

Not that it matters much, but too close to the Guild show and what does matter to me is, it's too close to Chicago. But not many ABS guys do these two shows.

I'm not unhappy :p just my .02, probably will be a good show.
 
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