Quote:
Originally Posted by philodox
I was just thinking... will we be permitted to trade stuff at either the Saturday or Sunday meet? I understand no selling as it undermines the manufacturers that bought tables, but trading should be ok right?
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Sorry, I haven't read the whole thread so I don't know what rules Aaron has set in place, But I really don't think the vendors will have any problem with whatever the members do. This is a meet By and For members so I don't think they're going to mind anything the members decide to do.
FWIW, it's probably worth setting some expectation of what the vendors are going to be willing to do there. As I contacted each vendor I told them that it's their call as to what they are going to do for the members at the meet. But, I did express to each one that the main reason for their participation is to be able to loan gear to members during the meet so that the member will have the opportunity try gear in their own systems. We have designed little forms for the members to fill out; each form has spaces for members to fill in their name, address, credit card info, and signiture. It also has space for the vendors to fill in what they are loaning and what it's cost would be. That way vendors are garranteed security loaning out gear. This is NOT an invitation to keep the gear and buy it at the cost on the ticket, it is simply a security measure for loaning gear.
Some vendors will be selling gear at the meet, other will not. It is a rather complicated bit of paperwork to legally sell stuff in another state. (HeadRoom has decided not to offer gear for sale at the meet because we don't want to deal with all the legalities and tax stuff. But we have brought a lot of gear to loan.) But I know that some of the vendors are going to be willing to sell stuff. I think folks should welcome the vendors with open arms into this community, but I also think the members should feel free to act just as they would at any normal meet. After talking to all the vendors my impression is that they DO NOT want to act as commercial vultures but rather as cooperative participants in this community event.
Again, this is your meet, not the vendors meet. I think members should do what ever they want. Your enjoyment is the focus, not how much money can be made. I can garranty that most vendors fully expect this event to cost them money, and not to be profitable in the short run----though I do expect, as do the other vendors, that community members will remember which and how vendors participate in this community event, and that members will naturally embrace them as part of this community, and will remember them when it comes time to evaluate product available in the market.