Swap Meet Ideas...

[Ron Sower]

Hello friendly fin fashionistas....!

I've never been to an aquarium related swap meet, but want to hold one here.  I'm looking for some ideas and figure you guys have had some experience and will share with me.   I've got a fairly noticeable profile in in the Greater Seattle Aquarium Society now but this won't be a function or event of GSAS at all.  I have posted on their Airstone List that I will be doing this and there is to be no money exchanging hands, just goods traded.

The reason for no selling is that our LFS Sponsors are very kind to GSAS with their contributions to our auctions and member discounts at their checkout. We're entering a period of the year when they struggle to pay their bills and keep their doors open as was presented in recent Airstone postings.  So this is why I stated No Sales. This is NOT a GSAS sponsored event in any way, but due to my involvement in GSAS, I?m sensitive to this issue.

I also realize some hobbiests are new and really haven?t accumulated a lot of stuff they don?t need yet (I?ve given away a lot of stuff to people in this group and just ask them to help others when they see the need and can help someone out ? And I?m seeing this happening with several kids I?ve assisted in the past); and there are those who are downsizing and just want to move stuff out and don?t need any morestuff.

I definitely want us to have a fun time trading stuff for things we want, and am trying to figure a way not to take money out of our sponsors? tills by us buying and selling amongst ourselves, and at the same time provide the opportunity for hobbiests to get rid of stuff or acquire stuff while they have nothing to trade away or nothing they need to get.

I'd really appreciate any thoughts and ideas you have from your experiences. How do you think it could be done?

Sincerely,
Ron

[BallAquatics]

.....there is to be no money exchanging hands, just goods traded.

Well, good luck with that.  I hate to be negative, but I don't think I'd show up to a swap with a bag of stuff hoping that I find something I want AND the person that has what I want wants to take my stuff in trade.

I did trade fish for plants at our last swap, but it's very rare it works out that way.....

Dennis

[Mugwump]

.....there is to be no money exchanging hands, just goods traded.

Well, good luck with that.  I hate to be negative, but I don't think I'd show up to a swap with a bag of stuff hoping that I find something I want AND the person that has what I want wants to take my stuff in trade.

I did trade fish for plants at our last swap, but it's very rare it works out that way.....

Dennis

I'd have to agree. I see swap meets as making new contacts, and selling my stock, and maybe acquiring new/different stock to work with at home. Every person that you talk to, or deal with is either a hobbyist, a beginner, or might become one..??..The clubs around here look forward to new members, too. Some club sponsors even set up a table, it's a win,win for them. They reap the addition sales from folks nurtured by the clubs. It's a chance for more exposure. They put out discount sales at the swaps, just for those attending...put up flyers in their shops too...
You'll find more people will attend if they know they can get a good breeders product for a decent price. You won't be stepping on anyone's toes...you'll be growing the hobby with availabilty and added interest.  Stores love to see that.....
Set up a club function, charge 'X dollars for each table($10-$20,etc). That will pay for the hall/room rental. Have a set number of tables available and offer 1-2 per vendor. Charge a small admission, say $2 for adults, children under 12 free...these funds offset costs and go right to the club treasury...it'll pay for flyers,etc....set up a membership table to recruit new folks,etc...and watch it grow as word gets around...have one every month or two...advertise at the pet shops/malls/flyers/craigslist/etc...you'll have a blast...rotate your club membership to help out on the floor and even get everybody club Tshirts,etc....once you get one under your belt. tweek it from there....the GCCA has swap vendor rules posted on their site, you can do something similar to keep a uniform policy for vendor sales and conduct....vendors are responsible for their own sales etc...you just supply the hall/table....

[P4Angels]

  I got so excited when  Ron and I talked about this last night, but I will have to say what Jon just said sounds almost like the conversation we had....

[sschind]

As a store owner I appreciate your sentiments Ron but I'd have to agree with the others.  I just don't think it would fly.  If you don't have it too often (like 2 weekends a month for the reptile swap around here) and if you involve those LFSs in the planning somewhat or at least don't cut them out (maybe offer them a free table in exchange for their support) I don't think it would upset them too much.  As a shop owner I can tell you a swap meet is nothing compared to the competition we face from the internet.  Most smart shop owners will take advantage of the lower prices and rarer fish (usually) that they can get from a swap because after all, the majority of their customers won't know about the swap and if its only a few times a year it won't take much out of their pocket anyway.  Also, the more fish people have the more supplies they need to buy.

The thing is, I don't see many shop owners buying or selling at the GCCA swap.  Maybe because I'm a bit further away I don't see it as as much of a threat but my philosophy is they are not going to go away so why not take advantage of them.

[P4Angels]

GCCA planning and conducting a swap meet: (WOW this has it all)

http://www.faas.info/download/pdfs/swap_meet_slides_notes.pdf

[Mugwump]

Good one...I had to edit your link tho ....

[Frank The Plumber]

Swaps do not hurt the shops that much if they are once per each two month. Shops are harmed by mass merchant internet sales that charge no shipping and no tax, big box stores that give 6 year warranties on cheap fish so that a shop must give a similar warranty to a customer on an exotic fish, big box stores that give aquariums away for no markup because they are chopping and hacking at each other for market share, the lack of a distribution system to independents as a source for quality live stock.

[Ron Sower]

Hey Folks...!  Thanks a big bunch for your replies! 
Steve, you are expressing exactly what the 3 LFS's I called today said to me. 
Jon, yes!
Aron, thanks for the research.
Frank, internet (Craigslist) was also pointed out by the LFS's as bigger competitor.
Dennis, I have seen that point as well.

So, what I will be doing is holding this event the Saturday after Thanksgiving (I know, bad time, but that's when our community clubhouse is available!).  It will NOT be club sponsored, but if it's even halfway successful, I will push for it.  There will be no charge for tables because the clubhouse does not charge me anything, but I will ask for food donations for a local charity drive.

By the way...Aron has now been dubbed the official co-organizer of the Seattle Area Aquarium Swap (SAAS)!

Thank you all for the input.

Ron

[Mugwump]

Nice....get the word out, and good luck....

actually might be a good day for it...it'll give the men someplace to go on 'Black Friday' weekend..

[P4Angels2]

Actually Ron I think this is a good time people will be out and about doing Christmas shopping that day and who's to say maybe someone's child has asked for a fish tank or a "BIG" kid has asked for a few things!!

PS...What are Linda and my titles??? making me feel left out  lol

Hey Folks...!  Thanks a big bunch for your replies! 
Steve, you are expressing exactly what the 3 LFS's I called today said to me. 
Jon, yes!
Aron, thanks for the research.
Frank, internet (Craigslist) was also pointed out by the LFS's as bigger competitor.
Dennis, I have seen that point as well.

So, what I will be doing is holding this event the Saturday after Thanksgiving (I know, bad time, but that's when our community clubhouse is available!).  It will NOT be club sponsored, but if it's even halfway successful, I will push for it.  There will be no charge for tables because the clubhouse does not charge me anything, but I will ask for food donations for a local charity drive.

By the way...Aron has now been dubbed the official co-organizer of the Seattle Area Aquarium Swap (SAAS)!

Thank you all for the input.

Ron

[sschind]

Swaps do not hurt the shops that much if they are once per each two month. Shops are harmed by mass merchant internet sales that charge no shipping and no tax, big box stores that give 6 year warranties on cheap fish so that a shop must give a similar warranty to a customer on an exotic fish, big box stores that give aquariums away for no markup because they are chopping and hacking at each other for market share, the lack of a distribution system to independents as a source for quality live stock.

You mean the dollar per gallon sale that a certain big box store used to have once a year and now its more like once per month...for 27 days.  Unless my distributor has an awesome sale (like 50% off) I can buy tanks cheaper at the dollar per gallon sale.  They do seem to be getting more and more restrictive on the sizes available though.  At my local store this last time they had 20 longs, 20 highs and I think 55s and that was it.

Back to the swaps though, if approached in the right manner a swap can be a huge benefit for a store.  I don't know why a store wouldn't want a presence at a swap, especially a popular long running one.  I'll take the GCCA swap for example for 40 bucks I can get a table and let many hundreds of fish nuts know about my store.  Yeah a lot probably already know about it but a lot probably don't.  I just don't know where I can get more bang for my advertising dollar than that and I can usually make that money back the day of the show.  Now it doesn't really help me out personally because I'm about an or so away but the closer shops... I just don't see the lack of interest in participating?

Good luck and if you want to make it a recurring thing don't let the results of one show sway you.  You are not giving it much notice to get the word out so attendance might not be that great.  I'm not trying to put a damper on it just giving you a heads up.  As far as the Black Friday thing its one of my worst days.  Yeah everyone is out shopping but they are out shopping in malls and outlet stores and big retail centers (I'm not in one of those) If you are near one of those it might help a lot.

[P4Angels]

Thanks for all your input.. Ron and I are going to give it a try.  Trial run then do another in another in march......
.