"Informal Poll - Lancaster Host Vendor Barn" Topic

Given the reconfiguration of the entrance from the southeast corner to the far west wall,…

Do you find you trek down there less often than you used to?

Do you find you end up spending less down there than you used to?

Do you come away forgoing things you wanted to get because it's just not worth the journey down and up that infernal Hill?

For my part, yes to all 3.

Now that it has been reconfigured, I find I am going down there constantly and spending a lot more money!

Spent something like $400 USD at Historicon.

Prior to the remodel I almost never went there. I think one year that all three conventions were at The Host I didn't go there once. Just too crowded and congested.

I find the walk further, but not difficult. I just take my time. If you stay at one the hotels down the street, you can walk across the grass and are right at the entrance.

No, no, and no.

No, Yes and No.

The configuration and the hill hasn't had any effect on me.

Now the flea market being in dark cave this year was another thing…

Once the garden/patio/whatever they are going to call it is finished in 2030, the entrance will be along the near wall, not the rear of the building.

The walk will no longer represent the Bataan Death March; it will be more like the German retreat off the Kuban Peninsular instead.

So there you go, just hang in there for another 12 years or so.

Unless it's raining or snowing out, I don't see the big deal, except for the mobility challenged. Doesn't everybody basically walk the length of the hall several times before they've finished their shopping anyways?

No, no, and no. I don't mind stretching my legs a bit, in fact I enjoyed the break from sitting at a game table.

Yes, Yes, No

I've been spending less, because I don't need to stockpile any more minis!!!! :)

I don't mind the walk, but… it forces one to plan their trips to the dealer area; whereas somewhere like FB, you could just go one door down and you were there!

No, No, and No.
But while I don't have those problems, I do have problems.

I'm not thrilled by the new layout. I'm by no means sure I've walked past each vendor when I'm done. But that's our fault, not the Host's.

And there's less and less on offer. No small stuff. A dwindling number of historical miniatures dealers. Nothing new at the convention--except Minuteman!--and nothing discounted. But that's the dealers. You can't even blame the convention staff for this.

I think the best way to put it is that when I no longer want to attend a convention for the time spent with my fellow historical miniatures gamers, they're not offering me the toys or the games which would justify the trip.

No, No, No.

I found a lot of new stuff (for me), and I saw some great deals offered by several vendors, too.

I like the old layout better.
But then nobody consulted me before they did it. It's just like putting traffic circles or roundabouts in perfectly good intersections. Nobody consulted me there either.

No, no, and no.

I did miss one of the dealers who apparently didn't get in this time.

No to all three. I don't see the change from the prior walk to the entrance as anything other than minor and the improvement to the hall as significant.

No
In fact, I spent MUCH more than i usually do
No

No effect whatsoever. I usually park down on the grass down that way anyhow, so easy drop off to my truck.

I love the new configuration, natural light makes me spend more money.

Not bad when the suns out , but just wait to see how you like it when in rains all day or ice and snow time !

"Not bad when the suns out , but just wait to see how you like it when in rains all day or ice and snow time !"

When it snows, we can provide sleds to rocket down the hill, stopping could be an issue as well as the treck up the hill, I envision a lot of falling, sliding down the hill and picking up the dreaded 7/10 split worth of wargamers trying to come up the hill.

Just think of the entertainment factor, I'm going to build a set of bleachers, have a hot chocolate stand and a grill set up next to it.

It's gold Jerry, gold……………….

No, no, and no. I spent a lot of time in the newly remodeled vendors area and spent a lot of money and walked to and fro often. I am 59 almost 60 with bad knees and I enjoyed the hike (to call it hike is a misnomer) everyday of the convention that I was there, multiple times. Geez guys get out and do some exercise. You will feel better. I seem to recall that for those with mobility issues there were golf cart runs back and forth from the barn to the Host. But for crying out loud it is not even a city block of a walk we are talking about here.

"…the dreaded 7/10 split…"

LOL!!

Not a problem. The difference between original front entrance and back entrance was minimal: the length and breadth of the building, albeit a hill might be more challenging than stairs to some. You're still going to walk and gawk down every row a couple of times. And you probably won't have to worry about it for much longer, given that Hcon 19 and FallIn 19 are moving.

Fair enough.

I had to look up 7/10 split.

Russ nailed it in that each of us spends who knows how much time once down at the barn just walking around and gawking. So the climb back to the Host should not be an issue. One of my buddies that came with me to the convention was wearing a "Fit Bit" He and I pretty much covered the same ground most days. On average he was getting in over 10,000 steps a day just walking the convention and our trips to grab breakfast/lunch/dinner. 10,000 steps a day works out to walking approximately 5 miles.

It seemed like the area inside the tennis barn had shrunk, was this to do with my eyes and the lighting or had the changed the size of the place?

There is less space available now than before the renovations. With the interior finishing, quite a bit of square footage was lost which has made the vendor area much smaller and tighter.

no, no and no.

"Do you find you trek down there less often than you used to?"
No. My limitations for hitting the vendor barn are available-time-based.

"Do you find you end up spending less down there than you used to?"
No. Since my second trip there was to make use of the last 15 minutes before closing Saturday evening, any slackening of spending was due to lack of _time_, not lack of funds. This is usually the inverse of my normal state of affairs, however.

"Do you come away forgoing things you wanted to get because it's just not worth the journey down and up that infernal Hill?"

No. Once I'm there, if I'm not rushing off to a game or trying to beat the closing bell, I generally spend what I wish to, or have budgeted for. The Hill is a serious pain in the butt in the heat and for dodging cars on the road, but it bears no weight in my decisions on buying there.

No, no & no. But as BTCTerrainman said, everything seems a little tighter. I also feel bad for the vendors stuck in the balcony. I purchased a bunch of minis from GHQ and it seemed like I was the only person up there at several times over the weekend.