February 12, 2010

Dear Members and Exhibitors,

(More info on Clifton Park Show)

Nearly a record crowd comprised of customers with cash made all of our exhibitors happy at our recent January show in Saratoga Springs. Even with the construction in progress, people found places to park but those who are not yet members of NEACA contributed to the long lines at the door. Even with two doors open, there was a continual line waiting to get in until 2:15 on Saturday. Our Sunday crowd was nearly as large. Most exhibitors in January deposited for our upcoming March 19 and 20 Show so we are working on an early sell out and waiting list like last year's March Show. Our current flier is enclosed and if you want tables we suggest you fill it out, sign the reverse and send it in. As far as Cathy and I are concerned, with this final dealer and Member mailing our March Arms Fair has been put to bed other than our continual advertising.

Recently all of our shows have been very good, both with exhibitors and attendance and we are constantly getting new members signed up. With membership, all of our shows allow free entry and we really don't know how many members come through the shows so when I say "nearly record crowd" that still doesn't count members or courtesy admissions we may give out. Because the guards are too busy to check everything we are going back to having Members sign in with ID at future events.

Even though the last August Show and our October and January Arms Fair were nearly all sell outs with great attendance it seems we just can't win! I even give money away, in the form of $50 gift certificates as door prizes for the general public and they must spend them during the show with you, the exhibitors. We've done this for over a year at various shows and I always make several announcements that this is going on at the show. Seems to work fine but there is always a first! One of our local dealers figured that this piece of paper with my name on it was just a joke and not worth the time to consider it wasn't. What happened is a dealer who was working at someone else's table, wouldn't accept my $50 credit that a door prize winner attempted to give him as partial payment for an expensive handgun, as this customer reported. So he went and spent it somewhere else. The incident naturally made me look foolish as well as making an ass out of the exhibitor. "I should have just gave out $50.00," was the reply, what do you think? Enough said about miss-communication, except that I don't write these to make me feel good. These letters are for important upcoming show information and we expect you to read them.

We will send all pertinent information about the March Saratoga Springs Show and hotel info in our confirmation letter as usual. Be aware that we do not have a Sunday for this show. See the times on the flier. The only additional information is that we will be able to come in Thursday evening from 8:30 to 11:30 PM with City Center porters, the same we've had for the past two shows. Porters are available from 7:30 AM until noon on Friday. From noon until 1:00 on Friday we will be open for our members and will be open from 1 to 8 PM for the public. Then our normal Saturday hours and we'll break down by 5PM and will probably be out by 7PM NO SUNDAY! We have special hotel deals for Thursday and Friday and most all of the current updated info is on our web site NEACA.com. Send in your application now with money if you expect to get tables.

We have a new Membership application enclosed with a letter on the reverse. As we stated previously we are raising the annual dues to $50.00 initially with $45.00 renewal for 12 full months. Current Members can renew at the old rate of $25.00 until January 2011. All new Memberships will be $50.00 as of this April I, 2010. If you want a deal fill out the form and send it in so we get it by March 31, 2010. Save on time and admission.

Our new Clifton Park Arms Fair at the SportsPlex of Halfmoon is being received very well. I have many applications coming in and promises of many more. The new flier is enclosed. Be aware there is a cut-off date for reserving tables. The info on our webpage about the show reads, in part...

"The average home value in the area runs $300,000. plus the average household income hovers at $70,000. Saratoga County is one of a rare few with a Surplus of Money in their Treasury and offers a low tax rate with no increase for 2010, all attributes of the area. The Albany Capital District is home to nearly 300,000 people just eight miles south of the bordering Mohawk River where NYS Route 9 crosses from the oppressed and restricted gun purchasing areas, Albany County, to the land of the free. With its' own populace of 220,000 and the Conservative attitudes, there is a huge base of gun owners, hunters and outdoor sporting and military collectors.

Another 850,000 folks live in the four Counties that comprise the Greater Capital District and within an hour's drive of Clifton Park there resides over 1 million people; all easily connected to I-87, a mile from the SportsPlex. As the crow flies, it is almost equidistant to the North East Major Population Centers, all nearly 140 miles distant; South is New York City, East is Boston, North is Plattsburgh (and Montreal) and West is Syracuse, all within 2 to 2 1/2 hour's drive. Allentown, Pennsylvania is about 3 1/2 hour's drive and Hartford, Connecticut is less than 100 miles away. Our New Clifton Park, NY Arms Fair is very easy to get to from almost anywhere in the Northeast or beyond and will draw from a population of over 30 Million Americans and even more Canadians if they want to drop down to see us. We are very strategically located and our advertising has begun, you will want to be there.

The Albany International Airport is a 1/2 hour drive to our show where Shopping Malls, many fine restaurants and Major Hotel chains are within a one to five mile radius. We expect a huge response so don't wait to the last month to apply ... also because we will have a cut-off of table sales two weeks prior to the show (a very busy time period and we need to notify and contract early with our table supplier) and a four week cut-off for special motel rates and normal table prices ... they will be higher for late comers; our flier prices are good to April 20th and go up $15.00 each for the next two weeks when we cut off sales. With the area and time frame being so busy we need to confirm table sales and who is coming and also concentrate on our local advertising ... don't wait, apply for space today."

Sincerely, Cathy & David Petronis