as I'm sure you guys are finding out, it takes a LOT of hard work to put one of these frag swaps together. Especially if you want it to be successfull for all parties involved.
To be successful year after year, the table vendors have to feel like it is worth their time and money to come to a frag swap. If a swap is consistently producing low buyers, would you want to make the drive and drag a ton of corals w/ you?
From a buyers perspective, would you want to drive a couple hours away when their's going to be a swap in your backyard in a month? As we all know we're in a recession, who can afford to drive to two separate swaps an hour away from each other in a span of one month??
Bham- may be the sellers didn't sell out because their weren't enough buyers? Comparing the first swap to the second, the raffles were MUCH better this time plus there were double the table sellers. So, the question is, why didn't people want to drive down to montgomery?? The Montgomery club is a club w/ members, a BOD, & has great support from three local sponsors. So, why didn't you sell out? The first swap I sold everything but may be 5 crappy corals. I think this was the point that was trying to be made.
For swaps to be successful, the buyers have to feel like it was worth their investment of committing their time to a swap plus you need buyers and that includes having the support of other clubs in your area. Montgomery needed support from the reefers in the surrounding cities, and vice versa, just as you guys will too. Without these, a swap will fail.
Their were no personal attacks on any one particular individual, but I think if you guys had worked really hard for months and months and with a month to go, some person came on here out of the blue and said "i want to have one in my own home town b/c yours interferes w/ my work schedule, oh and let's do it a week after ya'll have yours?" how do you think you would feel?