The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I have been trying to resurrect the shows in North Carolina, but the road blocks are getting cooperation from members of the CAMPS organization... no one seems to be able to make decisions and no one wants to help getting it going. I have found a "perfect" space - 5,000 square feet, available Wednesday thru Sunday for a reasonable price near Charlotte, NC just outside the city where there are many restaurants, hotels/motels and does not require going in to the city of Charlotte. It is accessible from I-77, I-485, I-85 and local roads... It is available for several dates in March and April of 2017. The owners are not only cooperative, but excited to have it as an annual event with reasonable expectations of only 30 dealers which should be no problem... Anyone interested in making this happen, please PM me...

We have a small springtime show in Portland, Oregon. We have avoided the big expenses of renting a venue and insurance liability issues by joining one of the good Portland antique flea markets. Our club, the Oregon Territory Antique Phonograph Society, rents twenty five tables and have the Rose City Antique Phonograph Sale. This might be a good way for you to restart a North Carolina show. Our Rose City event does not begin to compare with the good regional shows like Wayne, Orlando, or APS but we do have a great time and many phonos exchange hands. Jerry Blais

I miss the NC shows. I would love to see a show return locally
T.G IN NC

Curt,
The reason the show failed to begin with was due to the fact there are no buyers for the dealers. The dealers are not going to come and set up with all of the expenses involved if no one is willing to buy anything. Makes it a losing proposition for the dealer. The only buyers the NC show attracted in the past were "Flea Pickers" expecting give away prices on merchandise. Can't pay the bills by giving stuff away.

Curt,
The reason the show failed to begin with was due to the fact there are no buyers for the dealers. The dealers are not going to come and set up with all of the expenses involved if no one is willing to buy anything. Makes it a losing proposition for the dealer. The only buyers the NC show attracted in the past were "Flea Pickers" expecting give away prices on merchandise. Can't pay the bills by giving stuff away.

It's been my experience at phono shows that a large percentage of the selling is done between dealers. I'm surprised that was not the case at the old NC shows. The risk at our small Rose City event is small because an 8' table is only $30. Working with an established flea market has worked well for us. If our phono club, OTAPS, rented a venue and paid for insurance and permits, the cost would be much higher. Another bonus for us is the fact that no single person or committee has to do all the work to pull off a show. Our OTAPS president sends out a blanket email asking who will be attending and how many tables they'd like and then reserves a block to tables for the phono nerds. It's pretty simple. I realize our little Rose City sale will probably never blossom into a true regional show but every show has been a little better than the previous. Jerry Blais

edisonclassm wrote:Curt,
The reason the show failed to begin with was due to the fact there are no buyers for the dealers. The dealers are not going to come and set up with all of the expenses involved if no one is willing to buy anything. Makes it a losing proposition for the dealer. The only buyers the NC show attracted in the past were "Flea Pickers" expecting give away prices on merchandise. Can't pay the bills by giving stuff away.

I understand that concept perfectly... however, buyers can't be produced out of the blue. Some dealers were very successful at our previous shows, but that was regrettably not the case for all dealers. In the grand scheme of things, phonograph collectors are in a miniscule percentage of the general population and buyers who are not collectors or dealers are almost non-existent. Add to that the fact that most uneducated buyers are looking for something cheap to get started, not $1,500 and up machines that they have no clue about. So, the successful sellers at any show are selling quantities of common stuff priced reasonably and the occasional rarity to a knowledgeable buyer. Records in the $1-5 range seem to sell well, but it takes someone special to fork over $50-1,000 for a rare record title. So, if you have an abundance of cheaper stuff, it sells, but Victor VIs and up are harder to turn over. I think a dealer needs to plan for this before taking a trip and spending money... low overhead and higher margins are the name of the game. That being said, is anyone aware of a good source for buyers with deep pockets?

Hi Curt-- I always loved the NC show-- I only made it for the last 3 years you all were doing it, but absolutely enjoyed getting to know the NC collectors and see friends from other areas. And the Bar-B-Que at Bob's house was outstanding!! That being said, I did notice that there were relatively few 'outside' buyers. The venue was great--attached to the Metrolina antiques mall--- but even so almost everything I sold was to the other collectors/dealers-- You even bought a Columbia cylinder machine from me. I usually sold 2 or 3 machines-- Not bad for someone like myself who rarely brought more than 5 or 6 common machines. However, I understand why the NY folks were reluctant to make the trip and pay all the expenses for gas, food and lodging. I live about 6 hours from where the show was held. I came down on Thursday and returned home Sunday. I spent 3 nights lodging, plus other expenses. That easily topped $500 or more, plus table costs--I had to look at it as a great vacation, visiting some nice people. I seldom turned a profit when I figured in my costs for the machines, plus parts and a miniscule amount for my time restoring what I sold. But I had fun

I would gladly attend another NC show and set-up to try to sell some junque, but I think it will take massive amounts of advertising and very low costs to convince the "big dealers" from NY and the mid west to make the long trip.

Just my two cents---

Brad Abell

Thanks for the input, Brad... I would love to see you at another show.