December 28, 2017

NEACA Members and Exhibitors,

Cathy and I have been working very hard to bring NEACA Members and exhibitors some very exiting NEW Gun Shows in 2018 plus visiting most of our tried and true venues; the attached PDF 2018 Show Schedule is for you to print and view the culmination of most of our latest work and revisions. Some new and usual locations are still in working progress.

To keep you up to date with this overall process let me start by admitting I am late in getting this done; a myriad of problems needed to be overcome and dealt with for us to get this far. That said, notice that on our Saratoga flier for January 12, 13, 14 which has already been sent out to a lot of you already … states a $10.00 charge for tables not requested within two weeks of the show… is obviously, not in force seeing that we are sending that mailing out now, again, quite late. So you procrastinators need not worry about an extra fee for tardiness. We still need to have new exhibitors come to our Saratoga City Center Arms Fair … you can also download from NEACA.com right now.

This will be a fantastic event! Ads are going out, our post card mailing is going out and our e-mail campaign is starting now … please pass this on. There are also several shows that are running against our published date … come to where the money is … Saratoga; and where the four to five feet of snow isn’t! This will be the first January Gun Show in the Saratoga area in over two years, the gun buyers will be there … then maybe on Sunday they might visit somewhere else … but don’t plan on that, either. Bring your best items and simply wait to begin a great new year in 2018 at Saratoga. There is a reason buyers have come to our NEACA show and have done so for over 33 years … the good dealers and good buys are also there. Call me today or email for tables if you have not already done so.

Our February 2, 3, 4, Fishkill Gun Show at the Ramada Inn is definitely on and we have already taken applications from dealers who were there in December; it was a very nice show and I know you guys made money! Same special low rate for rooms; $72.00, but call early and ask for Gun Show rate. There has been talk about the Ramada being in talks about a possible sale in 2018 but that is only conversation at this time and our schedule is currently secure.

We have a lot of new events for 2018 and one is in the Franklin Center at the Howe in Rutland, Vermont. There have been shows there before put on thru Green Mountain Shows but recently the promoter, Bill Borchers, has passed away. I have tried contacting the family but have not had a return call; we wanted a winter show in the Rutland area and contacted the Howe Center. We have that show scheduled for March 2, 3, 4 and we think it will complement our spring, summer and fall events at the Rutland Fairgrounds. Which brings me to mention our Vermont State Fairground Arms Fair WITHIN the Fair during the week of August 14th thru 18th. They usually draw around 25,000 folks for the Fair and we will compliment them with our own great draw. Something new … we hope, something GREAT!!

The State of Vermont plays well with our 2018 schedule … be sure to scrutinize the dates for Rutland and Manchester Center. I think you Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Connecticut dealers should look very closely at our new Vermont shows, truly the Land of the Free! We are working on others.

Our 2017 March show at the Polish Community Center was just a bit under the great January event we had there; we are back at the PCC on March 23, 24, 25 and again on Labor Day weekend … check our schedule; 50,000 cars pass the PCC each day. They are so busy there that NO other dates are available unless a cancellation occurs … and they will call me! Because of that they are also quite expensive but if we fill the show tables with paid exhibitors we can keep the table prices as we have now … ask your friends to exhibit also; word of mouth is best advertising.

We are disappointed for 2018 that we can’t use the Chenango Fairgrounds in Norwich (still because of their collapsed exhibit hall) and now, also, the Kiwanis Ice Rink in Saugerties as they are remodeling the whole roof this spring and summer. We should be back there again in 2019 with better than ever facilities; we wish them all good luck in their efforts.

The Clinton Arena in Clinton, NY came thru for us last year when we needed to find a replacement venue for Norwich and they are stepping up again this year for our NEACA Gun Show on June 8, 9, 10. We learned what to do in 2017 and will have a much better attended show this 2018; we stressed ads in Norwich which didn’t work that well. This time we will concentrate on the direct area and Utica. Nice people, nice facility … glad we are back.

And while on the Utica Area … notice we have a planned event at the AUD … back in our old stomping grounds and where we have had many fine events for over 35 years. We have scheduled June 29, 30, July 1 for a “Toys for Big Girls & Boys” Shop-a-ramma. Our plan is to run a 250 table Gun Show on the ground floor and outdoor activity booth space on the wide mezzanine that surrounds the gun show. An expensive operation and we will need all of the help we can get to promote this show and participate within it. AND, we need it NOW! Standard table prices will apply and booth space will be affordable … we really need to work on this early and I want to know who of you will participate. I will have a cancellation option plus also have another smaller venue available if I do have to pull the plug. Again, we need to know who wants to participate; call me!!

We will be up in Watertown and Old Forge this year … same time period as last year but without that huge sporting store going out of business the months before our show. They took all the money out of the buyers pockets … but not this year. And this year is when we all start feeling better about the economy with more cash in our jeans! Plus we will give all Military folks with Current ID FREE entry. There are about 40,000 of them in the area. You know, we try to go where the money is … plus have fun.

We are working on new dates for Icetime in Newburgh … will let you know. We are working on new venues … two new places CALLED NEACA … just today! Our only problem is that we can’t handle all of the work and really do need to find some real full time help. I am to the point where I may simply have to advertise locally for someone who is interested in a new career. I have two sons who work from their home offices and travel occasionally for meetings and events … they have fine jobs with their own careers and make more money than I do but I can’t afford either of them. Trying to talk my daughter into at least taking over the Membership portion like she used to do but that is difficult also. BUT, if anyone thinks they need a career change … let me know. Remember this though … my job ain’t as easy as it used to be … and we aren’t making that easy money either.

I am an optimist but I see that our NEACA schedule is only half full … a new face could really make it fuller!

Again, Cathy and I wish you all a very Happy New Year!!