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Author Topic: CA. Toy Store Train Dio. 11/18/2012  (Read 5287 times)

Offline Rasputin

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CA. Toy Store Train Dio. 11/18/2012
« on: November 01, 2012, 05:34:03 »
The owner of a local franchise toy store asked if we would like to participate. This will be the 2nd public show we try. We will do western in an area of 12'x15'.

I will ask what kind of "tourists" will be there and that may change the dio. If its a war crowd I may do a town ravaged by 2 or 3 armies. If its a bunch of small kids then maybe just a town with secretive wars of the civilian folk.
 
I really want more space so I start thinking "If I built a table on top of the display it could be twice as large".

I still would love to  try having the tables in a "U" shape and a bridge can span the opening, water below. Then you hang brown fabric over the tables and you created a valley at the bottom. Unfortunately I think its to small of a space to do that  ??? I may have to try setting it up before hand.

I wonder if Geobra could or would send catalogs and any give aways for our 2nd US show? Last time it was my fault for not responding with in the 2 hour window. I will make sure to be more sharp this time. 

With all the talk about misunderstandings due to language translations would it be appropriate to ask in the pcc or also could it start a bad trend?
 
Train Day on Sunday, November 18th from 11:00am to 5:00pm.

"Hope to see you at Train Day.
Steven Elliott
HobbyTown USA
Petaluma, CA
Phone: 707-762-2176
FAX: 707-762-2850
Web: http://www.htupetaluma.com"
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Offline bonniebeth

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Re: CA. Toy Store Train Dio. 11/18/2012
« Reply #1 on: November 01, 2012, 12:43:20 »
I think you could ask through the PCC through a private message. I wouldn't do it publicly, for the reason you said. Anyway, exciting! I'm so jealous!
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Offline Tiermann

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Re: CA. Toy Store Train Dio. 11/18/2012
« Reply #2 on: November 01, 2012, 22:26:42 »
It's a discussion we will be needing to have publicly there eventually. Be sure to submit it to the Events calendar at PCC.  Do you still have the email of the contact at PlaymobilUSA? If so then send off a mail telling them you are doing another event, how much you want and where to send it. If I've learned anything with Geobra it's that you have to be pro-active. If you wait around for them to start something you will be waiting a while.
BUT - keep in mind the Playmobilusa website still has the Hurricane Sandy notice on their homepage. It's possible all the catalogs are underwater right now, we don't know yet what if any damage was done at their headquarters in New Jersey.
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Offline Rasputin

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Re: CA. Toy Store Train Dio. 11/18/2012
« Reply #3 on: November 02, 2012, 03:50:28 »
Quote from: Tiermann on November 01, 2012, 22:26:42
It's a discussion we will be needing to have publicly there eventually. Be sure to submit it to the Events calendar at PCC.  Do you still have the email of the contact at PlaymobilUSA? If so then send off a mail telling them you are doing another event, how much you want and where to send it. If I've learned anything with Geobra it's that you have to be pro-active. If you wait around for them to start something you will be waiting a while.
BUT - keep in mind the Playmobilusa website still has the Hurricane Sandy notice on their homepage. It's possible all the catalogs are underwater right now, we don't know yet what if any damage was done at their headquarters in New Jersey.

Thanks for the info and I never thought that the warehouse and new jersey and the super storm all in one thought. I too wonder if its all under water and they have a sale on wet boxes. I will call and ask
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Offline Rasputin

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Re: CA. Toy Store Train Dio. 11/18/2012
« Reply #4 on: November 19, 2012, 15:29:31 »
well I put together our 2nd train show in California. It was a smaller area so I was able to set it up in about 3 hours. I really did not want to spend much more time as we are so busy still. I showed up at the shop at 8 am and the show was 11-5pm. There was a O gauge table display next to me and it had a nice set up as well. I was on the ground as usuall and it was a simpler diorama, no water or bridge. The shop owner said it was the best turn out he has ever seen. I think it must have been that the people were not leaving and would stay and ogle for very long durations. Some kids and parents stayed for hours.

I did not take a single picture but in the morning I asked for a security camera file and the owner agreed to give it to me. I wanted to have a video of the setting up process and I do not have a 3 hour film capability. My son said/suggested that I should just get the CCTV file  :)9 So I will take that when it is ready and have a friend speed it up and edit it and maybe add music or ? what ever those hollywood guys do to them to make them not  so boring.   

The owner said over 1000 people showed up on the one Sunday that the show was on. They put pressure on me to attend the next show in February and they want me to put up a larger display. It is a show of IPMS (International Plastic Modeler's Society)

At the begining of the set up the husband did not want to negtiate a deal. If you have not noticed I am always thinking "What do I get?".  I figured I would show them what I could do for them. When it was all over and the dust settled I was able to negotiate, with the wife, a good deal for my efforts that I will utilize in January. They were really happy with the out come and the overall image that was left with all their clients.   
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If you hear the sound of the bell which will tell you that Grigori has been killed, if it was your relations who have wrought my death, then no one in the family will remain alive. They will be killed by the Russian people. :prays:

Offline Rasputin

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Re: CA. Toy Store Train Dio. 11/18/2012
« Reply #5 on: November 19, 2012, 18:24:45 »
Here is a picture of what it look like being transported and guarded



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Offline basilsdad

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Re: CA. Toy Store Train Dio. 11/18/2012
« Reply #6 on: November 19, 2012, 20:01:36 »
That is one fine guard!  :yup:
Joe
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Offline bonniebeth

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Re: CA. Toy Store Train Dio. 11/18/2012
« Reply #7 on: November 19, 2012, 20:50:48 »
Aw, what a cutie! :love:

Sounds like a fun weekend, can't wait to see the video.
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Offline tahra

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Re: CA. Toy Store Train Dio. 11/18/2012
« Reply #8 on: November 19, 2012, 21:14:23 »
Love the guard too :love: :love:
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Offline Rasputin

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Re: CA. Toy Store Train Dio. 11/18/2012
« Reply #9 on: November 20, 2012, 16:00:12 »
Thanks, he is a very good guard indeed.

I must say that I am very tired from the show. It was not the set up or break down that was so tiring. The show was open for 6 hours 11am to 5pm. In those 6 hours the owner said approx. 1000 people showed up. Out of those there was a very large percentage who where young children, my guess is 3 to 6. Those kids were all over the place. Some would run around the display to race the train. Others would lye on the ground, prop their head up with their arms and just watch. Many wanted to dive into the diorama. I tried to encourage imagination and let many kids set things up. I had many big boxes of items that I would have them set them up where ever they wanted.  Then I would let others controll the trains. Some were natural born engineers. They knew how to gauge a speed that was very soothing to watch. They would slow the train down for curves and changed the wagons often. Not to stereo type but they were usually boys and the few girls that did want to controll the engine, they would quickly go to 100% power and crash. Even after explaining the fact that you had to slow down they would not let the whole train pass the curve. They would speed up as soon as the engine was past the curve and the caboose would then be flung off. It was really neat to see the differences.

As the show was going on I kept hearing the other dio builder (o scale train w/town) keep saying how now that he was retired he wanted to encourage kids to play with trains. In the same breath he would reprimand a child for touching anything  :lol:
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If you hear the sound of the bell which will tell you that Grigori has been killed, if it was your relations who have wrought my death, then no one in the family will remain alive. They will be killed by the Russian people. :prays:
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