SMC Discussion Areas

Went to the spring show for first time and attended on a Saturday.
Was told several times that Friday is the time to go
I was told the "good stuff" is sold in the parking lot
Does that mean you show up Thursday night with the flashlights or do you show up first thing Friday
Any info appreciated

Friday morning... Will be a different location so will be interesting to see the layout and how they handle the parking lot.

In most cases, people get there Thurs. nite and get up early Fri. morning a fun time!

Anyone know what this show is about located not far from the Pheasant Run location...  Windy City Coin-Op Show (https://windycitycoinopshow.com/)

First I have heard of it as well... wonder what that might do to the Chicagoland show?

as a vendor, not enough time to do both and I'm sure others will feel the same?

I think that is the show that was always a few days before the coin op at the fairgrounds. Not many vendors there.

Anyone go to that show? Was it any good? Big Chicago one coming up next week! New location, should be interesting....

Best I can tell it is another Promoter putting in a secondary show. Never works.
Creighton

So... who all is going to the show this week?... New place.. heard there's a lot of vendors... also heard you'll have to pay for Friday morning to walk the lot...
Any chance of a new place for a dinner Thursday night?

Well I won’t be there for the first time in years  :oh:  I had a full knee replacement on my left knee on oct 23 and I had all the intention in the world to be there to hang out with my friends . But recovery is not going as I thought it would . So I Out

So everyone that is going have a great time and visit with friends a if there’s time post a few pics and thoughts of the new show venu .

I will be up there on Thursday. Leonard see you soon.

We'll be heading down there on Thursday as well, our usually Outside only setup ..
going to be a lot different this year as they have 3 different staging areas and set up locations..
Looks like outside vendors only in one parking lot on West Side Parking lot, and everyone else setting up for 3 day they are staging on the north end of building in multiple lots?

seems very scattered around but we'll see I guess?

not sure of any plans to meet on Thursday night ? as seems like everyone is staying at different hotels across the area?

but if someone comes up with a central meeting spot, let us know..

this year we may have to just "Feel it out" and get to know the flow..  see ya all Thursday.

FYI, This is a response email I received today about Friday from the people that run the Chicagoland show.

"There will still be outside sales on Friday, however, the new location is gated, so everyone who comes on Friday will require the 3-day early buyer's pass for $50.  We are selling tickets on Thursday from 8:30-5 and on Friday starting at 5am in the lobby of the Event Center.  General admission is Saturday & Sunday for $7 each day." 

         Well that's going to cut attendance by quite a bit!  If they had enacted this charge a year ago they wouldn't have needed this new larger location.

I’ll be there, but not happy about the $50 fee. That’s crazy. Better be some cup machines for me to buy! Lol.

Yeah this is really going to suck I think? as general foot traffic will be WAY down... hopefully I'm wrong.. but $50.00 just to walk around..
as if they are not making enough just on the show itself..

Many of us can't afford or have time to set up for a 3 day show... so the swap meet side of things was always nice.. we'll see..

Heard there is snow in the forecast also... so safe travels all.. hope to see you folks there...

I have been going on Friday's for many many years. This will be the first time I won't be going on Friday but I will go on Saturday to check out the new location. I just can't see spending the $50 being that its at a new location for the first time without knowing vendor turn out. It will be a bummer for a lot of people who are not aware of this.
I just noticed that it is mentioned on there website under FAQ.
www.chicagolandshow.com/faq/

I was intending to go until I read Erics post. Looked up the web site and read that it cost fifty bills to walk the lot. Im out. Not going this weekend either.

Ended up going on Saturday for a bit with my family. Its the same distance from my house compared to Pheasant Run, but much easier and faster to get to.

As far as the insides of the show it was nice. It looked like there were less vendors but it could be that the room was larger and more spaced out. Theres also a concession area. Same stuff as usual. I would not go back inside because there is nothing I would want because of the inside prices. I wouldn’t mind checking out the parking lot but I would only go if I had cash to buy something. It wouldn’t be worth fifty bucks for me just to walk around.

I saw some collectors that I chat with but no one wandering around from this site. I did talk to Rod to say hello and get his take on it. He liked that he was able to set up on Thursday so wheeling and dealing could be done on Friday. He can chime in on his experience. Overall there was a decent crowd and I went late after I finished plastering my frontroom ceiling. I needed a break and this was a good opportunity to check out the new building. I would like to check it out next spring on a Friday.

What was everybody’s elses opinion?

COLD! we drove up Thursday evening... got there about 7:00-ish... I didn't hear of a dinner till it was too late... Thank you to Rod and Janet for giving me a 2019 calendar! Love those!

Paid the $50 for the early morning lot... maybe it was the layout but didn't seem to be as many set up outside as like the Pheasant Run lot... and was dangerous! the lot was gravel
and packed down with ice and snow.. you could have skated on some of it... so take golf cleats next year if there's snow... one guy got ran over by a van in the early morning in the
lot... yes.. ran over... heard he broke his leg... foot was facing the other way.. also heard he didn't want to go to a hospital just wanted it set and some crutches so he could continue hunting
at the show... guess he wanted his $50 worth! :Oo:

Did see a lot of the gang walking around Brian, John, Marvin, Matt, Farmer Dave and Neil... Joey was set up inside selling as well as outside he even had his family there helping out.
Rod and Janet had a great spot up by the concession area.. Janet I'm sure had something to do with that (She's always taking care of Rod)

The weather getting there was bad in areas... white knuckled it in a few places in IL getting there.... heard the same about Indiana as well so maybe the weather had something to do with the show.
Seemed there were a lot of vendors, some new to me... but also seemed like a lot of vacant vendor spots.. some regular show vendors not there like the decal folks for gumball machines, the chrome vendors not there (or at least I didn't see them). The building was huge... nice to see everything in one building... not as crowded and compact like Pheasant Run where you get smashed and bumped running into each other .. the isles were wide... so the building with all the room and concession area was nice. May take a time or two going to get use to it. I'm sure things will be tweaked... and can't rely on the weather... If it were sunny things would have been totally different.. just need to give it time. Was glad I went, always good to see everyone. Hope everyone found some great pieces... I met a vendor and am trying to locate a NK carrier he had... So that is a plus.. always good to make new contacts. Sure others will comment and hope some took pics...

Dang it. No calendar :oh:

I saw a $34,000.00 bowling machine, but my wife said no.

We set up outside this year as usual, got in town around 3pm on Thursday and usually have some good luck selling a few things that afternoon.. but nothing, no traffic as it was snowing then too. Packed up and went out for dinner and met up with a few guys for drinks afterwards.. Good to see Brian, Matt, Seth as we had a few good laughs and enjoyed the atmosphere at the bar we where at..!!  :blush:

I did not like the outside set up , as we felt we had less traffic and the fact that we pay to be outside and then they charge $50.00 for our customers to come in I thought was ridiculous.. I honestly don't think they needed to charge for that ..
I'm fine if they wanted to charge $50 for the early INSIDE preview like in past, but they should not charge for the early outside shopping as that is the ONLY day we are there to sell and just didnt' seem fair to the buyer or us.

overall they need to tweek a few things on the set up , too spread out and of course if weather would been better, maybe a different experience.

and also with that? why those dates?? why can't it be in October or something like that? and the Spring show in 2019 is at the end of MARCH!?? why so early? can't imagine the fairgrounds have much going on just a few weeks later, say around april 15th?

but that is my take.

Agree with Signguy on the charge for outside... and there is a ton of paved parking lot at this place... why the crappy "roun' back" in the dirt/gravel area for the
dealers that set up outside? (Well.. I'm sure it's so they can fence it all in and charge now)... but for dealers that set up outside only I don't think it's fair. They may
have had more traffic/buyers if they cut the $50 for outside...  But I paid it... spent most of the day there... thought I saw everything so I left for home early Saturday
morning due to weather didn't go back to the show... Did hear that some more vendors showed up Saturday and set up then due to weather... So I missed out a little.

I liked the building.. roomy... didn't like the outside set up or the $50 charge for wandering outside...

        Are the outside vendors also charged a fee to set up there?

YEP!!! we had to pay $220.00 to set up outside (which is the normal fee), but then they charged our potential buyers $50.00 to come buy our stuff!!!