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Re: NASG convention

 

HI Chris.

I find Ed's cost estimates somewhat pessimistic. Before I break my estimated costs down, and as one who enjoys driving, a distance of a mere 170 miles is no reason to pass up a chance to make new S scale friends. So. assuming you have to budget time and expenses, here's how I would do one day of the convention.:
  • Gasoline costs in Penn are less than four bucks a gallon.? If your vehicle gets between 25.30 mpg, total fuel costs should not be more than 50 - 60 bucks. so:
  • Leave Saturday morning at 5:00 am (no groaning) and arrive at the convention table by 9:00.
  • Spend the morning at the dealers' tables and attend afternoon clinics or simply socialize.
  • You can now return home arriving by about 9:00 pm, or:
  • Assuming the closing banquet is sold out, grab a nice meal somewhere, preferably with new found friends, and:
  • Return for the Saturday night auction. Great deals and Jamie's auctioneering is not to be missed.
  • If you booked a room somewhere, grab a night's sleep and enjoy a leisurely return Sunday morning or, leaving the auction, plan to be home by 2:00 am.
That's how I'd plan things but that's just me.

I'd like to wish all of my American friends a happy Independence Day and say how sorry I am that I've had to change my plans to attend Harrisburg. Have fun.

Jim Martin

On Thu, Jul 4, 2024 at 1:40?PM Jamie Bothwell via <jamie.bothwell610=[email protected]> wrote:
Hello Chris and All,

Thanks to Jace and Ed for saying positive things about our convention, well, conventions in general, but we're next. One day registration is $30. No NASG membership required. You can pay at the door.

?The vendor hall is slated to be open Thursday evening from 6:30 to 9:30. Friday it will be open from 9:00 until 5:00, and Saturday 9:00 until noon. I can't promise anything, but there are usually deals?to be had. Too bad you can't stay for the auction Saturday night. There are often some very good deals there.?

If you, or anyone else still needs a hotel room, contact me. I think I can still get you in at the convention rate.

And while I'm talking about conventions and auctions, remember good items make good auctions. Clear off some shelf space. You get 90% of the sales price with only 10% going to the NASG.

Jamie Bothwell
Susquehannock II Convention Co-chairman

On Thu, Jul 4, 2024 at 12:45?PM Ed Loizeaux via <Loizeaux=[email protected]> wrote:
On Thu, Jul 4, 2024 at 08:18 AM, Chris Fauxturkey wrote:
is it worth it to drive 170 miles for that alone? What is the cost of admission (for members obviously).
Hi Chris........

Your question is rather subjective and different folks will have different opinions.? Here is the way I look at it:

One night hotel =? $135?
Driving cost = $227? (IRS allows 67 cents per mile which resembles actual total driving cost.)
Meals =? $80 ($40 per day to/from)
Registration fee = not shown on website = $40 (guesstimate)
Total out-of-pocket costs = $ 482

So, in order to break even financially, you would have to find $482 worth of "juicy deals" to make the trip "worth it".? Is that easy?? Or hard?? How "juicy" does a deal need to be?? One big "juicy" deal on a brass steam engine might do the job all by itself.? Or, numerous "less juicy" deals on smaller items might add up to match your costs.? Who knows how to predict what you will find?

Not to mention all the intangible reasons for attending a convention:? face-time with good friends, clinics to learn new skills, real RR experiences and so forth.? All of these intangible reasons are probably more important to many folks than the cold hard financial facts.? Each to this own, I suppose.

How much is pure unadulterated fun worth?

That's how I look at it.?

Good luck and have fun..........Ed Loizeaux
--
Ed Loizeaux
Los Altos, CA
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