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General => Community Events => Topic started by: WarriorOfToys on May 20, 2011, 14:20:20

Title: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: WarriorOfToys on May 20, 2011, 14:20:20
I have been planning a small event for us East Coast Playmo-Collectors for a little while now.
With all this talk about an US Playmo Event, I figured that I might spring that idea on you guys now.

It is just in the planning stages,
but I figured I would take a poll to see how many people could maybe make it to such an event this fall,
I was thinking September, but August might work better for some (with kids).

The Event would take place in North Carolina...
So is anyone interested, and thinks they could come?
Title: Re: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: Elric on May 20, 2011, 17:25:48
I would probably be up for such an event. I live in South Carolina so it would be close to me.
Title: Re: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: bonniebeth on May 20, 2011, 17:29:07
Chris and I would probably be up for it too. We're in Louisiana, so it's a bit of a drive, but we love road trips. ;D I'd sure love to be in on it, and to do a diorama!
Title: Re: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: Bill Blackhurst on May 20, 2011, 18:55:42
I'd be interested in participating. Depending on fuel prices & lodging costs of course.
Title: Re: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: EmGee on May 21, 2011, 21:21:09
We often go on road trips on the east coast, from south Florida up to DC (where the inlaws live)... maybe we could make birthday/playmo road trip... :)
Title: Re: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: Bill Blackhurst on May 22, 2011, 00:59:55
Hopefully it will happen!
Title: Re: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: bonniebeth on May 22, 2011, 02:03:35
Yes, I hope so!  ;D
Title: Re: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: WarriorOfToys on May 23, 2011, 15:38:03
This is getting good feedback. :)
Title: Re: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: Bill Blackhurst on May 23, 2011, 17:20:15
Will you be hosting the event,....with free Playmobil door prizes, raffles, & stuff? :yippee:
Title: Re: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: WarriorOfToys on May 24, 2011, 01:13:56
Doubtful, but I may be able to get a dude from our local toy shop to come out and sell stuff there! :D
Title: Re: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: Bill Blackhurst on May 24, 2011, 01:16:33
Doubtful, but I may be able to get a dude from our local toy shop to come out and sell stuff there! :D

 :hmm:
Title: Re: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: bonniebeth on May 24, 2011, 01:17:47
I think that would be great! Not to sell to us, but to the people who have just been captivated by our amazing collections. ;D
Title: Re: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: Giorginetto on May 24, 2011, 09:49:06
I wish i could come  :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(
Title: Re: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: bonniebeth on May 24, 2011, 12:30:57
That's how I felt when hearing about the Greek meetings!
Title: Re: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: Giorginetto on May 24, 2011, 12:34:43
Having set a few of these meetings now, we are fortunate to host them in playmobil greece neverthelss , the element of buying shoudl be ther ei reckon so your meetign shoudl be hosted near a shop/seller who has playmobil so you can all go and buy some ... is there a playmobil fun park in the east coast ?????
Title: Re: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: bonniebeth on May 24, 2011, 12:59:19
Not anywhere close to where the event will be. But we'll see what we can do, I guess. WoT mentioned there is a toy shop owner he knows well who can set up a booth there.
Title: Re: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: WarriorOfToys on May 24, 2011, 14:52:58
Only a small edit Bonnie,
Since it is so far away from the time we would host it,
and I have asked no one anything yet,

I know a seller who may be able to come out and sell Playmobil.
Title: Re: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: bonniebeth on May 24, 2011, 15:14:41
 :lol: Sorry, I meant to say who you can ask to set up a booth there, i was a little distracted.
Title: Re: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: WarriorOfToys on May 24, 2011, 15:39:34
No problem, just wanted the distinction known. :wave:
Title: Re: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: Playmoholics on May 24, 2011, 21:14:32
There is one in Florida...
Title: Re: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: WarriorOfToys on May 24, 2011, 21:46:18
True, we could see if the FunPark in Florida would be interested in something much like what is happening in Greece. :)
Title: Re: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: EmGee on May 25, 2011, 04:41:18
An event at the FunPark in Palm Beach Gardens would be great! I'm driving up there in a couple of weeks (to check out the monthly specials  ;D ).
Title: Re: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: bonniebeth on May 25, 2011, 04:43:51
I think North Carolina would be more centrally located....
Title: Re: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: EmGee on May 25, 2011, 04:47:08
I think North Carolina would be more centrally located....

Very true... plus, it would give me an excuse to visit our friends in Asheville. :)
Title: Re: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: Playmoholics on May 25, 2011, 11:50:06
We would really like to visit the fun park, but North Carolina is more realistic for us to be able to attend  :D
Title: Re: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: bonniebeth on May 25, 2011, 12:31:20
I think it's close to the same distance for me either way. But there are certain members i'm sure can only attend if it's in NC.
Title: Re: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: Bill Blackhurst on May 25, 2011, 14:56:08
There's one in Florida. I've been soooo jealous of all of the Greek meetings, but now maybe we USA er's can get into the fun!
Title: Re: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: bonniebeth on May 25, 2011, 14:57:47
I really hope so! It would be great to get to meet each other.
Title: Re: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: WarriorOfToys on May 25, 2011, 14:58:32
I agree! :D
Title: Re: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: Bill Blackhurst on May 25, 2011, 15:05:00
Very true... plus, it would give me an excuse to visit our friends in Asheville. :)

They're not far for me,...about 1 hour.
Title: Re: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: Giorginetto on May 25, 2011, 15:18:25
Away from the hurricanes, very sad to see all that destruction and death  ....  :sorrow: :sorrow: :sorrow: :sorrow:
Title: Re: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: Bill Blackhurst on May 25, 2011, 15:20:07
Away from the hurricanes, very sad to see all that destruction and death  ....  :sorrow: :sorrow: :sorrow: :sorrow:

And tornado's :0,....it's looks like an epidemic!
Title: Re: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: bonniebeth on May 25, 2011, 15:26:44
I've been to Raleigh and surrounding area before, a few years ago, spent about a week there visiting friends. I really liked the area.
Title: Re: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: WarriorOfToys on May 25, 2011, 15:41:06
I really like Chapel Hill. :)
It is a nice close-nit place,
With good restaurants...
And a great Playmobil store! :D
Title: Re: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: EmGee on May 25, 2011, 17:21:30
They're not far for me,...about 1 hour.

Nice, we have been to Asheville a couple of times, love the place... at one point we were really thinking about relocating... but work has kept us anchored in South Florida.
Title: Re: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: Bill Blackhurst on May 25, 2011, 17:28:59
Nice, we have been to Asheville a couple of times, love the place... at one point we were really thinking about relocating... but work has kept us anchored in South Florida.

They had plenty of snow last winter, so if you ski, it's a great place to be! Hey that rhymed,..... :P

so if you ski,
it's a great place to be, (http://smileys.on-my-web.com/repository/Music/group-051.gif)
Title: Re: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: bonniebeth on May 25, 2011, 17:32:09
Late night last night, BB? ;)
Title: Re: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: Bill Blackhurst on May 25, 2011, 17:37:05
Uuuuuuh, no? :-[
Title: Re: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: WarriorOfToys on May 25, 2011, 17:41:58
Made sense to be.
Title: Re: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: EmGee on May 25, 2011, 17:44:53
They had plenty of snow last winter, so if you ski, it's a great place to be! Hey that rhymed,..... :P

so if you ski,
it's a great place to be, (http://smileys.on-my-web.com/repository/Music/group-051.gif)

(next line)
Said Double B.
:)
Title: Re: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: bonniebeth on May 25, 2011, 17:45:58
as he went pee.... :P
Title: Re: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: Bill Blackhurst on May 25, 2011, 17:47:24
(next line)
Said Double B.
:)

with her dubble dee's,
Title: Re: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: Playmoholics on May 25, 2011, 17:50:26
 :lol: :lol: :lol:
Title: Re: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: bonniebeth on May 25, 2011, 17:51:20
Excuse me? :hmm: :hmm: :hmm: :hmm:

 :lol: I believe he meant you! I didn't know you had man _____s!
Title: Re: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: Bill Blackhurst on May 25, 2011, 17:53:15
Excuse me? :hmm: :hmm: :hmm: :hmm:

 :lol: I believe he meant you! I didn't know you had man _____s!

Sorry, I didn't recognize the capital letters, double b!
Title: Re: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: playmogal on May 29, 2011, 12:54:04
I just posted (in the wrong place under my greeting post!) some ideas about a meeting at the Fun Park in FL. That could be a big one to attract folks from all over because so many people like to travel to FL.
And we could have a smaller one for folks wanting to meet in NC before that if there is enough interest. We live in the Triangle area, Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill. For shorter meetings, we often use a room at the public library for free. But these rooms are not huge. And they probably do not allow the sale of anything by store on their premises.
If we need a hotel venue because enough folks are interested, I can check with a couple of local hotels about getting a meeting room and what their lowest group rates would be for mid-Sept.
Anyone want to run a poll to gauge interest for Sat. Sept 24th in the Raleigh area? I'll post a hotel rate after a few calls. Cheers, Pgal ;)
Title: Re: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: WarriorOfToys on May 31, 2011, 13:01:17
Now that I think about it, you are right in that the library would probably not allow anything to be sold in it. :-\
We could go the hotel route, but would a hotel room work? ???
To me it seems like it could be a little crowded,
(and you are right, the library rooms are not huge, but I think if we got 2 of them together we would have a decent room)
and there is another problem with the hotel idea.
It doesn't seem very "open" like anyone off the street could come in and see our dioramas.
The library is perfect in that aspect.
Title: Re: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: bonniebeth on May 31, 2011, 13:11:55
Some hotels do have big meeting rooms that are very accessible, but you're right, sometimes the rooms are not that accessible and we might not get much traffic. The biggest problem is that we need the knd of venue you can rent for three or four days, not the kind you rent for an evening. I guess exhibition halls are what we need to look at, though we don't need a huge expo center or something. If you look at websites for expo centers and exhibition halls, sometimes they have several different rooms of varying sizes.
Title: Re: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: Gis on May 31, 2011, 13:14:18
The smaller one I went to in Germany was in a community center, maybe that is an option for you?

AFAIK the Luxplaymodays are held in a local sportshall and Wolfsburg was held at the convention center.

There are many options and it all depends on budget and what ways you will have on generating money.
Title: Re: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: bonniebeth on May 31, 2011, 13:19:56
You can look at civic centers and coliseums, too. Obviously we're talking smaller scale than a coliseum, but often they have smaller rooms available also. I know the one in Biloxi has several different rooms aside from the arena, with movable walls so that it can be whatever size you need.
Title: Re: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: playmogal on June 01, 2011, 18:57:10
Now that I think about it, you are right in that the library would probably not allow anything to be sold in it. :-\
We could go the hotel route, but would a hotel room work? ???
To me it seems like it could be a little crowded,
(and you are right, the library rooms are not huge, but I think if we got 2 of them together we would have a decent room)
and there is another problem with the hotel idea.
It doesn't seem very "open" like anyone off the street could come in and see our dioramas.
The library is perfect in that aspect.
WoT: I agree.
What town do you favor in NC? Once that is settled, one of us can look into the library room availability.
BTW I go to Chapel Hill once or twice a month and love the place. But hotel rates are high there depending on what is happening at UNC, where our kids are.
Lego used to have LegoPaloosa in Morehead Planetarium on campus, and it worked out very well, but the management has just changed and no longer will allow events like that. I displayed a house in the last one a few months ago, and it was a great location that drew a lot of folks.
That could be a good town for doing this if you can avoid UNC events that turn the roads into gridlock for most of the weekend days and if you can find a place that allows you to set up the day before....both are big ifsssss.
Which toy store do you like in Chapel Hill? I know the folks at Science Safari in Cary off Kildaire Farm Road.
Cheers, Pgal :wave: :wave:
Title: Re: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: Giorginetto on June 01, 2011, 20:06:23
Can i come, a great excuse to fly to the US a bit !!!!  :wave: :wave: :wave: :wave: :wave:
Title: Re: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: bonniebeth on June 01, 2011, 20:07:41
All playmofriends welcome! ;D
Title: Re: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: WarriorOfToys on June 01, 2011, 21:44:26
I was actually thinking of Cameron Village library,
with their two upstairs rooms there could be 3 or 4 several decent sized dioramas.
And it is in the center of Raleigh, also nearby a Campus.

There is this place... I am not sure where is Chapel Hill it is exactly,
but it has a Cat Logo or Cat in its name... or something to do with cats. :P
It has a nice selection of Playmobil.

OMG! I know Science Safari, the very same one! :o
Those were the people I was gonna invite to the event. ;D
Title: Re: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: playmogal on June 01, 2011, 23:38:53
WoT:
The Lego Club meets once a month or so in one of the Cameron Village Library upstairs rooms that you mentioned. I doubt that they would let you have one room for more than 2 hours because their schedule is packed with so many groups trying to get rooms. And selling anything and parking there would be a major hassle. But it does have an ideal location in the middle of Raleigh.
The Eva Duncan Library in Cary may be a better location because it has more parking and less congestion not being in a shopping center like the one at Cameron Village. But the rooms are still heavily booked. Our neighborhood association meets there one night next week, and I can check out their schedule.
The Carrboro store Ali Cat is the one you must have visited. I have not checked that one out yet, but will.
Yup, Science Safari is a great store offering science classes to thousands of kids in our area. Our sons loved them between 6-10 years old. I was in there yesterday for the first time in about 10 years, and they do carry a full line of PM. Picked up some specials I was going to buy online; happy to find them nearby.
The manager will save some of the cardboard PM display signs for us; we can use them outside a building to promote a show inside when we get to that point. She usually throws them away.
Also she said they collect offsite some of the displays (without boxes I think that PM gives them) because they do not have room for them in the store. Every couple of years they hold an auction for a charity and sell them off. Maybe we could talk her into donating some of them to our show.
Our Learning Express is down the road another mile or two, and has the typical franchise look. The only things I bought there were 5 more of the Lego collectibles...Set 4. The red kimono lady is astoundingly gorgeous.
I can check with the Town of Cary to see about any meeting rooms they may have. Can you check with the City of Raleigh?
The Courtyard in Cary offers rooms for about $60. a night in late Sept, and if the rooms are not busy, might throw in the use of their two adjacent meeting rooms about 20 by 20 feet each holding 12 five foot rectangular tables. Unfortunately there is no door between the two rooms, but at least they are adjacent. Evidently this is the floor plan in most Courtyards.
Hope this info helps. It will be tough drawing much of an audience except for the foreigners, who probably will know much more about Playmobil than most Americans. We could invite the foreign clubs like the Dutch Club and maybe a few others that have more experience with PM. Maybe Science Safara would help us promote it and give the attendees a discount during the show.
That's my two cents worth! Phew!
Cheers, Pgal :wave: :wave:
Title: Re: East Coast USA Playmo Event
Post by: WarriorOfToys on June 02, 2011, 01:28:14
Ali Cat is the store, thanks.
It usually has quite a few older items on sale.

You have talked with the manager at Science Safari?
Cool, those signs will be great for the event.

Unfortunately I do not have time to read your post thoroughly,
but I will try to look into it more tomorrow. :wave: