St. Paul expo question

[Dan_L]

did anybody else notice there were alot more trailor ice shacks than booths this year? sort of not really worth the $7.00 spent to get in.

[mamohr686]

I still thought it was cool. Was there anything that is availavle for ice fishing that wans't at the show? My only complaint is that I was expecting some really good deals. At the last sportmans show in fargo scheels had gentz lighning rods for $10. I didn't find any real deals but an ok discount at thornebros. I was hoping for some deals on ice rods. At least a few bucks off would've paid for the $10 parking and $6.00 to get in

[Mankato-Ice-Man]

This is the 3rd year in a row that I have gone and my opinion (just my OPINION), that it has gone down hill each year.

I was amaized the first year at the huge amount of smaller booths and wide variety of products from things built in a guys garage to the big names in fishing and ice fishing. I walked away from that show thinking I would be back every year no matter what.

The second year, a bunch of the "little guys" booths were gone, ICE TEAM had moved from the back room to a huge section of the main floor, there were more double wide booths taking up more space and seemed to be less show special prices and such. I left that show saying I would skip the next year and then go every other year after.

Then came this year, I had a vacation day to burn, so I went up on Friday. What I saw was much the same as the second year.... much less booths, ICE TEAM having an even bigger area, more things that seemed to be in the back room the year before out on the main floor, many main floor booths that were bigger, more spread out to fill the space and less and less products and show specials. There were very few items that I saw that really "wowed" me and virtually no prices that wowed me for sure.

I am not sure why the smaller booths are going away, if the show is charging more to have a booth there or what, but if thats the case, why does the admission price go up every year?

I think next year I will take a day and to the Fleet Farm, Gander Mountain, Cabellas loop and park for free, enter for free and probably see nearly the same amount of items and buy things at or below the price that I would have paid at the show.

Its disappointing too, because after that first year, and maybe even still a little bit after the second year, the ice fishing show was right up there with Christmas for me, but unless show organizers turn back the clock and get smaller booths with a wider variety of unique items instead of bowing to the bigger money, I wont be that excited to go again for a while.

[Northlander]

I think if you want a deal you have to work for one now compared to the last few years when there was more show specials and better deals. I think a lot of companys are putting the retailers in a bind with minimum pricing regulations. I know Thorne Brothers had a heck of a deal on the Chubby Darters. I think they were $2.50 or $2.99.

I agree the deals are going downhill and the show doesnt have as many small venders. I think the rent for a space is probably too high and they dont make enough $ doing the show.

I go every year to see old friends and meet new people. New products are fun.

[psegriz]

Minimun pricing = Price fixing

If that ain't illegal it should be. I was not there but wanted to go to see all the new stuff. If it's getting to where bigger companies are taking up more space then I don't know if it's worth going. To me the best part of it's seeing the new ideas. Most of the bigger companies improve their products every year, which is a good thing. I would just like to see more smaller boothes, cause thet is where the new stuff comes from. Stuff that is truely original. I'll bet stikemaster or jiffy didn't invent the gas powered auger. I guess I'd like to go ther and see new ideas, the old stuff just made better or improved is a plus. The truely new and original stuff is what I like to see. Ussually it is stuff that is made in someones garage. Keep the smaller booths and limit space to bigger companies to a double space. My opinion.

[FISHER ED]

Look at it this way, if you get rid of MAP (minimum advertised pricing) on items, you can bet that many small Mom & Pop shops would certainly be gone. MAP makes it possible for the small guys to compete with the big Corps. Without it, Cabela's and the like will sell everything for just above cost to destory any competition. You can already see it in items already.

As for the Ice Show, it's a shame there aren't more of the small shop and garage guys around. I believe that too much of it has to do with the booth costs. You have to sell a lot of jigs to pay for a booth. The big guys can write their space off to advertising if they want while the little guys "advertising" budget is the same as his "food for the table" budget. I would love to get a booth at events like the Ice Show or Game Fair but I'd have to sell a lot of fishing & hunting stuff to justify it. Limit the big shops space? Maybe, but remember, money talks. Lets just hope for the best in coming years.

[IcePro]

As an FYI Jiffy did invent the first power auger 50 plus years ago.

[psegriz]

IcePro

I have no knowledge to dispute that. My ? to that would be did Jiffy invent it or did they get the idea else where and had a way to market it. I don't know but there is a difference.

[IcePro]

Jiffy (Feldmann Engineering) did invent the first power auger 50 plus years ago. Marv Feldmann invented the power auger and the first lake it was used on was Lake Winnebago.

[big_fish_guy]

i'll dispute jiffy's claim to fame. Unless you can put a exact year on it, my grandpa and a freind of his who was a metal worker but an auger that ran off an electric motor that they jumped to the battery of an old airplane fusalage they put skis on and used to drive around on mille lacs in the early 40's. They had taken the wings off and put skis on and got around on the lake that way. they also, like I said, built an auger. little off subject, but fact. I have old pictures of them out there that I got from my dad.