January 18, 2008

Dear Members and Exhibitors,

 â€¦ and Prior or Potential Members

Cathy and I wish you all a great New Year in 2008.  For us, any look upward from under a snake belly will be an improvement over 2007.  All we have to contend with now is high gas prices, high fuel oil prices, the thought of Clinton or Osama Obama as President and a gallon of milk costing $4.09.  I wonder if Adams and Jefferson bitched about the cost of bread and milk two hundred years ago, probably did!   Regardless, our new motto is “Be great in ’08.”

In a consensus and from the exhibitors as a whole, the request was made that in my next letter I pass on these words, “Thank all of you who did not set up at our Christmas Show in Saratoga, we had a great show.  Glad you weren’t there!”  Not my words mind you but from the class of Christmas Past.  The party was great and the auction dealt out some fine bargains.

The rest of you won’t get a chance to rethink your blunder and come to our 2008 Christmas Show and 2nd Annual Convention Dinner and Auction because it is going to be held on January 2, 3 & 4, 2009.  We’ll have Christmas in January honoring my Lithuanian Heritage because I couldn’t book the same weekend in December at the City Center.  Plan for it now, same theme as this past show – tickets will still be $35.00, try saving up five dollars a month for two in January, 2009 for those who thought it a bit excessive.  Or you can start sending in a couple dollars extra with a table all year long and we’ll keep track of your balance.

For our Saratoga City Center schedule, see our current flier for March – it has new dates, throw away the prior one.  We still have August 1, 2 & 3 and those who go to the “flea market” don’t endear themselves to us.  Let them change their date!

But we have a new date which replaces the October date.  We have to move to September 19, 20 & 21, right after the Syracuse Show.  There were too many conflicts and shows moving to our new November 1 & 2 dates.  Actually, we started Saratoga on that September date over 25 years ago and added our March show always on the third weekend.  So we are back to where we were but also have August during the peak of racing season and now a Winter Convention on January 2, 3 & 4.  I think it is a very good schedule.

Members join NEACA and come into our shows Friday evening expecting to see the dealers open for business.  We’ve heard many complaints that exhibitors are closed before our Members come in.  If you can’t be open till 9pm at least stay until 8pm. Saratoga is about the last show with a viable Friday selling time. 

Instead of losing our Halloween Weekend entirely at Saratoga we are holding that October 31, Nov 1 & 2, 2008 for another type of show – leaning to an Antiques & Collectables Show like we’ve done in the past with about 110 booths. If you are one or know an Antiques Dealer make note of the date.  Details will follow.

Our Holiday Inn Turf, Lake George show is this February 10th, on Sunday as usual.  We’ll be staying over Saturday evening to set it up.  Flyer enclosed but our fun little Show is nearly already sold out. 

After nearly twenty years we are back in Utica.  The auditorium has just issued us a contract for April 4, 5 & 6 for about a 325 table show on the renovated and expanded main floor.  We also have room for about 35 booths (8’ X 10’ wide) around the upper level for Outdoor Sporting Activity dealers like ATV’s, motorcycles, small boats, guides, etc. and will call the show the NEACA Arms Fair & Sporting Exposition.  Another date of August 22, 23 & 24 is also scheduled, just after the Clayton, NY Show.  Send in your table deposits today – those who are not members now but want to get a deal here it is.  Send full balances for your tables plus $30.00 for a new membership and we’ll give you the member rate for tables, if I get them with a postmark in January, or see us at the NYS Arms Show in Albany.  Lot’s of excitement about this revived show, already have about 100 tables deposited so don’t wait.  Lots of motels near by, make your reservations early.

We are 99% committed to reviving another show where we used to get a lot of tourists and Canadian traffic years ago.  With the dropping of our dollar against the Canadian dollar, almost par now, these people can again afford to visit and shop in the USA – especially in Plattsburgh and in particular at the beach near the Crete Civic Center.  We are organizing an Arms Fair and Militaria Exposition at the Crete Center and hopefully a Military Vehicle Show on the grounds as well.  Vacation time of July 11, 12 & 13, 2008.  The beach will be open and lots of motels and restaurants near by. Other new shows in the works. More details to follow.

If you haven’t renewed your membership by now you’ll probably owe us $30.00 if you were up on January 1st.  Get it in by the 31st and pay only $25.00.  New members are welcome at our regular rate of $30.00.  Go to our New Eastcoast Arms Collectors Associates web page at www.NEACA.com and download an application.  We have expanded our shows, our influence and have added our Convention – you should be a NEACA Member and a part of our always innovative and exciting collecting fraternity. Happy hunting!

Sincerely,

Cathy & Dave Petronis