About a year ago on the podcast, I interviewed Paul Allen of England about the UK show circuit. Train shows over there are much more like show business and the "acts" (layout exhibitors) are paid for attending the shows. Contrast that to here in North America where some of the biggest shows pay nothing.
I expect the thinking goes that the larger the show, the more an exhibitor's ego will dismiss the lack of remuneration. A guy like me may have maybe ten visitors a year to his basement, but offered the chance to have 20-thousand+ people stroll past his work and he'll happily rent a van or trailer and drive 500 miles and pay for a hotel and meals for 4 days. We get reimbursed by about half the shows we attend...usually smaller ones and never enough to cover our true costs. I'm not complaining. I enjoy the social opportunities and such costs are part of my yearly hobby budget. I was keeping an old mini van around, primarily for getting my stuff to shows, but I realized that the cost on the insurance alone, would cover a number of van and/or trailer rentals. I got rid of the old van and also saved myself the costs of repairs and licensing Jim Martin. >________________________________ > From: Don Thompson <[email protected]> >To: [email protected] >Sent: Friday, February 1, 2013 9:00:39 PM >Subject: Re: {S-Scale List} Re: Free Mo S > > > >Dear Lee, This was over 20 years ago and the shows were put on by individuals >to make a profit. There were not as many modular or traveling layouts at that >time. These were not for clubs or organizations. We had to rent a truck to >move them. We were only talking about enough to cover our costs. > I had not qualms about taking a few bucks back then... >Don > > >On Feb 1, 2013, at 8:49 PM, [email protected] wrote: > > >>Reimbursed to show modules at shows??!! That is a new one on me. >> >>We've had folks travel from Colorado to Maine and from Maine to St Louis and >>all variations in between and no one ever suggested reimbursing us. (In fact, >>one place even made us pay extra to have electricity!) I guess we have been >>approaching this the wrong way. >> >>Ah, well. Live and learn. >> >>Lee Rainey >> > > > >
