I agree that enforcing the Friday-Saturday-Sunday timeframe will be
better for everyone. A five-day show is a bit over the top. However, the
Donnelys should have made that clear BEFORE early buyers made the trip
expecting to
participate on Thursday. Being an exhibitor, I was unaffected, but I heard a
lot of grumbling. The better way for the Donelys to have handled it would
have been to say, "This is the LAST year you're allowed Thursday buying and
selling."
I had not heard about the theft from Bill Landon's booth. It's been
years since any of that went on (as far as I know), and I hope it was an
isolated incident. I also hope to be part of the "mob" if we ever catch one of
these thieves in the act!
Everything said about the quality of show items is true. I'm very
happy with what I took home. Had I not been re-roofing my house this month, I
could have picked up several bargain-priced machines in nice condition. On the
flip side, the gate seemed a bit light, with relatively few serious buyers.
This seems to be the pattern for 2005, and like previous cycles, it will
change.
In the final analysis - even in an off year - there's nothing else like
Union.
George Paul
