"Indy Toy Soldier Show this weekend" Topic

I was searching the web and found a toy soldier show in Indianapolis, IN this Sunday. I'm going to go as long as work doesn't mess things up. Has anyone ever been to the Indy show?

link

CRIKEY! I didn't even know about this!

Yes I am going….

I am certainly thinking about making the drive. It is a little more then an hour and half from me. But looks like it could be a fun afternoon.

I wish I were in range. A bit too far for me.

I find it interesting how many hobby shows outside the gaming community have flea market style sales via something called room trading. I've seen it at die cast collector shows, farm toy shows, doll shows, and this tou soldier show. basically a big block of day use rooms or conference rooms are set up or reserved (they may even be actual rooms with beds) and folks set up all their stuff for sale in them and people roam the hallways stopping into each room to buy and sell whatever the want. And this is seperate from a dealer hall in each case. Very different from the flea markets at most US wargame shows where a large open space with tables is used to allow sellers to set up traditional flea market style.

Just an interesting observation to see how other hobbies do it.

At the Chicago toy soldier show the room trading is done in the peoples' actual sleeping rooms -- you just go floor to floor and room to room seeing what they have for sale.

Very interesting. I wonder if these are officially sanctioned by the conventions themselves or grew out of something that was occurring already. Seems like a way to not be seen as interfering with the dealers who regardless of the hobby seem to always hate the perception of competition. Must be a pain in the butt as a buyer to go to each room though, versus walking around an open floor with tables laid out with easy access.

It's actually a lot of fun. The Chicago Show is officially Sunday only, but the room trading starts days before that. And it's not instead of having a table in the actual show, it's in addition. I'd guess the vast majority of the room traders also have a table (or more) during the show.

If you don't get to OTSN by Thursday you are too late. The new, rare, unique, popular or any combination of those are picked over. If you just come to the show Sunday you are seeing the remains of or previous few days trading.

Does the room trading occur only within a certain block of rooms? How does one know which rooms to go to? Are the rooms marked somehow? How long does room trading generally run, all day? You go in a room and everything is laid out on the bed, or?

I ask because I am interested in how other conventions and hobbies run their trader to trader flea market type stuff.

@jpipes: sent you a PM.

Just got back and it was well worth the trip. I picked up some Barzso goodies and some John Jenkins figures.

I wish I could have attended.

Those shows always have something of a magical quality about them -- rather like entering Ali-Babba's Cave, filled with the accumulated plunder of the 40 Thieves, or the Cyclops' treasure trove from Harryhausen's "Seventh Voyage of Sinbad."