February 1, 2006

Dear Members and Exhibitors,

Our letter is a little late getting off the press on the beginning of this fine New Year of 2006 but with reason.  First, let me observe that this mild winter is surely a Godsend to those in need – us included.  The price of heating our building, home and apartment house would have been horrendous if not for these sunny, snow melting days and balmy temperatures.  With shop business slow, there truly must be a God looking out for us poor gunrunners.

Major reason for tardiness in writing about our upcoming schedule is that we have been working on details for a new show location at the Monticello, New York Raceway.  Now housing electronic gambling machines, one armed bandit type, and sporting a new name and Las Vegas look, the Event Director of Mighty M Gaming and Empire Resorts contacted us about promoting a gun show at their new facility.  We have accepted the invitation and have worked out the details.

The date we picked is this May 19, 20, and 21 and was the time period when we ran the Newburgh Armory Show, about ten or so years ago.  We have still kept up our 10,000 or more attendee mailing list from all of our southern tier shows and will use that as a base for post card mailing for this event.  We will have room for about 250 eight foot tables and will charge $70.00 for non members and $60.00 for members, wall tables $2.00 additional.

The actual location is 204 State Route 17B, Monticello, NY and info can be found on the web at www.EmpireResorts.com.  They have offered to help us with advertising, to supply carts and a few helpers for easy load-in, free parking, discount on their food buffet and a special rate of $62.00 for double rooms at the local Days Inn, about 10 minutes away in Liberty.  If you want to reserve your room for 2 people at that special price for May 19, 20, Friday and Saturday, call 845-292-7600 (Murrain at ext. 253) and ask her for the NEACA Show Promotion price for Mighty M Gaming Show.  Don’t wait too long for when they are all gone.

I have already sent out email inquiries to dealers asking for early support and a commitment to taking tables.  Also, I asked dealers at the last Albany Gun Show.  Most exhibitors said they would come but a few have already made prior plans for that weekend --- shows that are quite far away such as Denver and Ohio.  I can’t help but be against some shows if you look nation wide, but as for the local and regional area, there are none against that weekend.  We should have ample exhibitors and plenty of pent-up folks who want us to come back to this area.  As of now, I have about 30 tables committed.

I am asking you now to commit to this show early and send a note with a one table deposit so I can concentrate on advertising and who will be there – not have to call some of you for some for last minute tables.  Be a businessman and let us know well in advance your intentions.  We also expect many down state dealers to participate.  Check the map and see how easy it is to access this location from all of the Tri State corridor.  As with Albany, there are elevators to the third floor where this show will be held in a 20,000 square foot area.  But all level loading, no ramps.  Within two years, according to plan, they hope to build a new Convention Center and Hotel next to this facility and the show will move into that.  This is a fine opportunity to have a great show just north of 20 million potential customers at a place where they called us!  Be a part of it and send me a deposit today. 

As for Saratoga this year, I think we’ve got some great dates and a nice schedule planned.  March is coming along fine as usual but, as usual, the folks who don’t know what’s going on with themselves from day to week haven’t sent in their applications.  There are no deals to be had with procrastination, we’ll be sold out and I’m really starting not to care whether a few of the stragglers show up at all.  Makes life easier sometimes.  A flier is enclosed for March for all of you folks who plan to participate to post somewhere to spread the word.  And thanks for doing your part.

We again will have an Antique Arms Fair in June – flier is enclosed and I hope all of you consider looking it over.  We had just over 200 tables last year but were against another show in New Hampshire of the same type.  Not this year.  It is on Father’s Day weekend again so we’ve decided to close early on Sunday at 1PM so the day can still be a family one.  Please make it another fine event.

We are near to a decision of having several auctions on the Monday and Tuesday after our August show in Saratoga.  We have the dates booked at the City Center and are thinking of a member brunch around 1 PM on Monday with a Friends of NRA type of meal and silent auction and program.  Then viewing for a 6 PM or 7 PM auction of about 200 guns at the City Center. For anyone wanting to consign a gun for that auction we will have a flat $15 charge and a 10% buyers commission.  I have not yet picked the auctioneer.

On Tuesday we hope to hold a very nice Victorian Antiques and Vintage Sporting Auction starting around noon after a buffet style breakfast and viewing.  We would like to hear from anyone wishing to consign quality items.  We hope to make this an annual event and will try for an elegant display of quality antiques.  We would also like to combine this auction with online Internet bidding and a catalog.  We are talking to auctioneers now and will decide on final details in the spring.

In October we will have the Northeast Cutlery Collectors Association (NCCA) also participating in our Show at Saratoga.  The date is the weekend prior to hunting season after we managed to switch dates with other shows.  The knife collectors are mostly from the New England area and will take about 50 of our tables so again, we will be sold out.  We are very pleased they wanted to join us in our Saratoga Springs Arms Fair.

Lake George is Sunday, February 12th and we have a few tables to sell, always a nice little cabin fever show.  We’ll be staying at the Holiday Inn on Saturday night to enjoy the Winter Carnival.  Folks have asked about Schenectady, the location is history and the space will be rented to a grocery store.  We are looking into a couple of fun weekends this summer, one is a bar and restaurant pig roast and gun show in the Adirondacks.  Not Stony Creek.  Another is a chicken barbeque and show at a gun club in the Herkimer – Ilion area.  And one more major event is still in the planning and has been for several years now – maybe 2006 is the year of fruition for what could be a great Arms Fair.

Our NEACA.com website is now averaging 3 million hits a month and we are doing a fair business.  We hope you keep the faith and stay with success – New Eastcoast Arms Collectors Associates.  And if you haven’t joined us yet, now is the time, $30.00 initially and $25.00 twelve month renewal.  Send us a check with name and address and save on your next table rental.  See you all in Saratoga.

Sincerely,

Cathy & Dave Petronis