If you visit a standard wargames show as a visitor.
What are you timings for and arrival departure?
Maybe change the numbers depending on how far to travel and show size??
martin :)
I always aim to get there for opening time. Don't want to miss any bargains!
Departure in the early afternoon after I've eaten my packed lunch.
Simon
I think I would turn up 1 hour after the start in order not to queue.
I would tour the games first and maybe join in on one too.
Traders before lunchtime. I would want to buy something (anything) to take home.
I would visit the bring and buy if there is one. I am always interested to see what is being sold. Painting competitions can be good to browse. At Alumwell I often spend a bit of time (20 minutes) chatting and looking at the model section.
I usually visit the competition gaming room to see the quality of scenery. This is to see if scenery has importance to the event, players or organiser.
Good scenery would make me want to know more about the rules in use. Little or poor scenery would also be informative.
martin :)
I like to get there at opening.
Do my shopping first, and then browse all the demo games. And then met up with the guys at some pre determined location. Leave the show and grab drinks.
My usual show buddy, and taxi service, sadly passed away a few years go. I haven't been to a show since. :'(
However, our tried and tested plan, for us was to arrive about 30 minutes after opening to allow the queues to disperse.
We'd already made shopping lists, or pre-ordered to collect at the show. First rotation of the hall/show concentrating on the traders, golden rule; don't buy anything yet. A chance to see who is there, more importantly who isn't and to see how prices compare and if there are any bargains. Take it all in.
Coffee time and chat to friends.
Second rotation - Buy stuff.
Lunch and meet up with pals to chew the fat.
Third rotation - Ignore traders but take a look at the games.
Coffee time.
Fourth rotation - Pick up pre-orders and buy more stuff as a response to seeing games.
Go back and look at games.
Fifth rotation - Slow walk round and say goodbye to trader friends.
Good show plan Kev
Who was your show buddy?
Tell us a some stuff about him
martin
Chap called Nigel. Met him via the old Eastleigh Wargames club in '97.
He was known to be well read but tactically inept, slow and ponderous and one of those types that thumbs through rules during a game desperately looking for an answer.
"That can't be right..." seemed his automatic response to any situation which went badly for him. Cue rules thumbing.
That said, he was surprisingly good company with a great sense of witty humour. My constant show companion and taxi too and from shows. We shared many happy memories of almost two decades of shows.
I painted his first army for him. DBM 15mm Essex Early Imperial Romans. He bought almost 10,000 6mm Napoleonics from me my plus 15mm PP WW2 German Paras and British for Crete. I painted PP Pirate ships for him, 1/600th WW2 planes for 'Bag The Hun' and 1/144th WW1 planes too. He also got my son and I started in X-Wing.
I had literally just started PP Covenanters for 'Baroque' when he passed away unexpectedly. Living alone and diabetic, he collapsed with a hypo and lay there in winter unconscious for almost three days before anyone found him. Died of hypothermia in hospital. So very sad. This was four years ago now.
My son was only seven when he first played him and has fond memories.
I nicknamed him 'Capability' because his love of woolly jumpers often saw terrain re-positioned as he collected miniature trees on his sleeves to be deposited back on the table in new locations as he leaned forward to move troops. So funny was his chagrin that often in a pick up game I would try to put woods on his base line to encourage this.
Another interesting trait was to put a hill in his deployment area knowing full well that he would place his most valuable troops on it. He would refuse to leave the hill, either to advance or retreat. I would also try to place a mass battery opposite it knowing it wouldn't be threatened but could blast away to it's heart's content all day long.
Man, my son and I really, really miss him.
Always good to hear about gamers Kev.
Keep on mentioning him.
martin :)
At 2.55 a few of the biggest demonstration games start to pack up.
At 3.10 pm all the traders start staring at each other as in some western gunfight . Much like Lee van Cleef?
Then suddenly there is a flurry of packing up.
At 5pm there is one sole trader carefully putting each piece of his wares into tissue paper or labelled pieces of bubble wrap. He states that he will only be about an hour packing up. He has already parked his car on the loading bay in order to block any others trying to load up their vehicles.
martin :) ::)
I typically employ chaos theory, stumbling around in a glorious daze of happiness.
I always buy a book. Books are great.
I don't often buy figures unless it's a preorder. Usually, I buy a paint brush and a pot of paint that I find I've already got once I'm home.
Love having a good old chat and a nice cup of coffee.
Quite enjoy the table top sale format rather than bring and buy as the whole thing refreshes every hour or so and you can haggle with tee sellers directly.
I get there as early as I can and stay as long as I can.
Two things make a show for me - a good bring and buy and some participation games to play in.
I normally pretty much know what I want from traders and pick that up fairly quickly. The only exception is books - I I love a browse and picking up something unexpected