Home Forums Gear Knives and Blades Badger Knife Show in Janesville, Wisconsin

If you're in the neighborhood, please make sure to stop by the Badger Knife Show in Janesville, Wisconsin on 23-25 March, 2012.
This show has been sold out for exhibitors for many, many years.
That should tell you something.

http://www.badgerknifeclub.org/show/index.shtml

what bothers me about these shows, and most gun shows as well, is that the people running them charge you to come in so that they can sell you something.

I wonder what people would say if the grocery stores and the hardware stores and the liquor stores and all of the other stores charged a fee to get in the door!

"........ so they can sell you something"??
"They" aren't selling you anything.
The money you pay at the door goes to pay the rent and bills for the premises that the show promoter owes the owner of the building. There are thousands of dollars involved in putting on a three day show.
The money you spend inside goes to the makers for the knives they make.
If you have any true interest in knives - at all - 5 bucks to get into a knife show to see 100s of tables of knives from all sorts of makers in one room under one roof shouldn't even come into question.
I don't know where else you can get an entire day's pleasure and entertainment, not to mention the opportunity to spend the day with 100s of people who enjoy the same thing you do, for 5 bucks.
I guess I do not understand your statement - at all.

"The money you pay at the door goes to pay the rent and bills for the premises that the show promoter owes the owner of the building. There are thousands of dollars involved in putting on a three day show."

And that money should come out of the business owners pockets.
As I said, no other stores I frequent charge an entrance fee to come in and shop, and I can get a lot of pleasure and entertainment looking at a lot of other things where they don't charge a fee to get in.

For example, I live 4 miles from the Mall of America. It doesn't charge an entrance fee, nor do any of the stores that sell merchandise. and I can spend an entire day there with much pleasure and entertainment and spend the day with sometimes tens of thousands of people who enjoy the same thing I do for free.

An admission fee helps to keep out some of the riffraff that we commonly see frequenting the malls.

I would imagine that as long as the revenue gained in higher entrance fees to keep out the riffraff is more than the cost of lost sales that theory works out for you.

You're beginning to see the light, but it goes a little farther than that.

To many of the exhibitors involved, this is not just about the money. This is their passion in life. A knife show, or gun show, is almost like deer camp for them. It is a social event. A few lost sales are considered a very small price to pay in order to maintain the feeling of camaraderie, and an overall quality experience.

I don't know, I think I am begining to see darkness.

A bunch of guys want to get together for some comaraderie because its their life, so they decide that the way to pay for that is to charge the public money.

I guess when I want to get together with a bunch of people I feel as though I should pay for it.

No matter what else these shows might be, and no matter how much comaraderie is going on, the bottom line is that they want to sell something to somebody else.

Its up to them if they want to charge for it. I am not saying they shouldn't. All I am saying is that I know one hell of a lot of folks that aren't going to pay somebody elses rent in order to be sold something, and that includes me.

No problem. Have a good time at the shows.

I don't know, I think I am begining to see darkness.

A bunch of guys want to get together for some comaraderie because its their life, so they decide that the way to pay for that is to charge the public money.

I guess when I want to get together with a bunch of people I feel as though I should pay for it.

No matter what else these shows might be, and no matter how much comaraderie is going on, the bottom line is that they want to sell something to somebody else.

Its up to them if they want to charge for it. I am not saying they shouldn't. All I am saying is that I know one hell of a lot of folks that aren't going to pay somebody elses rent in order to be sold something, and that includes me.

No problem. Have a good time at the shows.

That's what I'm saying.

Maybe that is what you are saying, but not what I meant.

What I meant was that if I were a knifemaker and I wanted to have comaradarie with a bunch of other knifemakers or if I wanted to sell my knives to the public I would expect to pay the expenses of those two activities, and not have my guests and potential customers pay.

I don't think I have ever charged anyone to be my guest at any party I have had.

And the way I look at it, If I turned off one person by charging him or her $5 to get in the door so I could sell them something, and that person would have purchased a knife or something else from me if they weren't turned off, then my paying the extra money for the expenses of the sale was well worth it.

I look at it more like going to a car show. They charge you admission at the gate for the "Show". Same with the knifemakers, you're there to see the show. If you buy something that's great, but it's also an opportunity for the makers to showcase their stuff.

what would be the reasons to showcase their stuff? Perhaps all for pride of workmanship and pride of craft, but I suggest the main reason would be to sell their stuff.

Like I said, no problem.

Same reason I build a custom car, for me it's not only about money, it's pride in my work.

22WRF I think you misunderstand the concepts. Yes you do pay to go into a store to buy items in it . It is called overhead. It is built into the price of every item they sell in the store. In knife and gun show the promoter is not the owner of the merchandice being offered for sale. They are presenting an opportunity for people to see what is being offered and to help the knifemakers inside of the show. They hope to educate the public about new procedures and styles that is going on in the present time.

I think I am old enough (60) to understand the concepts, and I have an undergraduate degree in accounting, so I understand overhead. I also understand promotion.

But I think that those being promoted should pay the promoter's tab, even if it eventually ends up in the knife price as an overhead cost.

But again, no problem. If other want to participate thats their business.

So who do you pay when you go to a sporting event, the contestents or the owner of the venue???

Personally I like the owner of the building to promote the crap out of a gun/knife show. He does this to make sure he makes a profit and it gets people there so the vendors have a chance to make a profit.

Guess I should start charging potential customers who visit me at work???---Now I will sell a bunch of knives.
When do you want to schedule a visit???? That will be $5 please.
jmho
Tim

I hope bars and clubs learn that cover charges are costing them in the long run.

Those being promoted do pay in the form of table fees. I have paid table fees ranging from $50.00 t0 $100.00 at some of the Gun & Knife Shows, TO AS HIGH AS $400.00 AT SOME OF THE HIGHER END KNIFE SHOWS

There is a reason for everything, but it always boils down to money. Period. Free trade still involves money.
Those who only want to participate in entitlement style activities also see it as a money issue, just that it is owed to them.
To each his own. That is what the defenders of our freedoms gave to us all.
Tim