Milwaukee-Waukesha area swap meet-Reef show.

[MiddletonMark]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9259460#post9259460 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by srlumaye1
That was what, 3 years ago???

Sounds about right ... attended my last WRS meeting I think not long before I got married 2.5 years ago.

I know I had some fast-growing corals that I had colonies of up on the old web site's `frags' page ... as I had colonies they were permanently available - but the `old stuff long sold' was a big problem there.
Then again, updating that wasn't something I was volunteering for, either

 

[Thorium]

OK, I see. Well at least it was given a try at one time.

 

[srlumaye1]

And doesn't mean we won't try it again sometime...

 

[jeffgp]

id be more then willing to keep something like that updated for us

 

[MadTownMax]

using a site like fragswapper.com helps to see what frags look like under typical lighting - as opposed to normal room lighting or a simple compact flourescent set-up on a small frag-swap tank. It also helps organize what is happening beforehand with a lot of people and frags start getting passed around.

paying for a table could be an option for those who would need that much space; for a tank or a cooler of frags, but all of the swaps that I've been to I've just brought a small lunch cooler with about 3-5 pieces that I've pre-arranged with people to trade, so charging for traders will either keep them away from the meet, or have them swapping out in the parking lot.

As far as that goes - charging more for businesses would be an option- it is always good to have a few sponsors there with frags for those who are just starting out and do not have anything to trade, only buy.


Cost:

If you can get good speakers, I think you could charge as much as $10. I really like a few of the talks that I've seen (R. Harker and others) and I'm sure a new viewpoint from those in the aquaculture field or aquarium-keeping in general is always sure to please a crowd.

It helps here to get in a large base of people, so if you can offer either free admittance or maybe 1/2-price for club members (for clubs that could then contribute a small amount to the swap) that would help in getting the word out and guranteeing an attendance that would support having 2 well-known speakers

I have some other suggestions, but no time now - if you do need help, i've been to quite a few of these and would be glad to help if you need it.

-Nick

 

[nursefry]

I will continue to follow and make changes to the new website. But eventually, I would like it to have moderators pruning the old posts and such. I average about 2 hours a day on the site right now reseaching and implementing new things, doing corrections for mishaps and such. But ideally we want it to be what the group decides it to be. I would really like to get some speakers in as well which would be another reason to join! The Pier Wisconsin tour was Great! Things like that I think will make the club continue to grow.

 

[sero]

I've been working on www.tankprofiler.com for quite a while now. I have planed to include the ability to advertise corals on that site, but haven't focused on developing such a feature yet. It is entirely possible to make my site allow its users to 'shop' for corals and even make your corals available to select groups of people. EG: Only WRS members.

I'll more than likely be making a post on one of the bigger forums in the next month or two about this site. Take a peek, let me know what you think of it. Jeff, thanks for the mention too I think it's about time to get the word out; I think this can help the hobby a lot. That first page of the site describes most of the features it's capable of in a VERY basic sense.

Yes it's free and I intend to keep it that way as long as my hosting is covered by my work. (Thanks boss!)

 

[jmkarcz]

Just totally off the wall...

What about dividing your participants into 3 groups....

Those comming to make a buck..... get a green badge, and are charged for participating... say.... (enter your number here...) 10$

Those that are traders and sellers.... lets give them a Red and Green Badge.... they are charged say..... 5$ (or your lower $ here...)

and strictly traders... those that are in the hobby, but are not there for the $.... free, but the RED only badge signifies that they are not selling... only trading... this would encourage more participation.


Guess what I'm saying is i'd be game to drive from G.B, but don't want the weight for the $ put on me the only in it for the fun hobbiest, I was at 2 other swaps this year, and yealize it's my choice to buy or not, but would be more likely to go and trade in the corner with some others thatare there for the fun... if my wallet was not extracted thru my nose before/at entry.



Just thinking out loud.

 

[MadTownMax]

It that site just for the swap?

I think it would be useful to have it available nation-wide, and then have search criteria restricted to search within X-miles of your zip code when you're looking to trade or buy corals - that would make it really easy to find livestock that is closest to you!

As for the post above - I think most hobbiests will be doing a combination of buying/selling and trading - $5 is fair; I have paid between $5 and $10 for swap events Just to attend, never as a separate fee for trading. Those swaps have all had well-known speakers at them. Devils's Advocate:> I think the idea is good, but in practice, if you charge for those types of things, people will just meet in the parking lot to buy/sell corals and then attend without paying anything......

As an extra revenue maker, all of these events had retailers at them who donated fairly high-dollar stuff that was raffeled off at the swap - that money from raffle tickets went to pay for the swap. Clubs that were using this system (philadelphia) have been using it for years as their sole income (no club dues).

Other club events that I attended on the East Coast had similar events for similar entrance fees, but also had club dues - either way it can work, the devil is in the details - it is usually better to get some nice raffel prizes from the retailers and not charge them - the raffel items will end up bringing in more attendance than just charging retailers a fee.....

That's a little of my input on the subject - of course, I'm no expert, so it can be taken with a tablespoon of salt :lol:

 

[TropTrea]

I woll agree there are bemifits to both a swap meet as well as an auction. Most of my experience has been in the auction end and I have seldom heard after auction complaints.

Prior to the auction you have tables with the items to be auctioned off for the public to view, with each item having an assigned designation or number. In an auction like this you set a mininium opening bid on every item out there at a set price usually around $5.00. However the owner of the item has the right to set his minimium. If an item auctions off for a final price of $20 and the minimium the owner put on the item was $30 then it is announced after the bidding that there was no sale because the minimum was not made. The minimium is then announced and it the highest bidder wishes to pay it then the item is his. If the minimium was under the $20 then the high bidder of $20 automaticly gets the item.

As far as cost split there are different ratios here. With most of the Fish Auction I have worked we had two splits for show fish that the seller had paid a show entry twords a tourophy for the split was usualy 70/30 while auction only items were split at 60/40. In the case of an auction like ours I would suggest a 70/30 or 80/20 split so we could help offset expenses but still not drive up prices. So if your item sold at $20 you would get either $14 or $16 back and the club would get $4 to $6 for expenses.

Not the club expenses for running an auction like thios would probably be in the range of $250 to $350, with a large enough hall rental plus advertising. So with an 80/20 split we would need to have at least $1,750 worth of merchandise auctioned off, or with a 70/30 split at least $1,200 auctioned off.

Now if we got 50 bidders that would mean an average one spending $35.00. But also keep in mind that out of the 50 bidder some would be selling as well.

The down fall on this that no one would get a free coral. However the same starter corals that might have been given out for free will probably be selling in the $5.00 to $10.. range. How often can you find a $5.00 or $10 coral in a store. On the other end of the spectrum there will probably be some rare fantastic show corals that you never see in a store because the average store could not invest in stocking something that expensive. Yet the person offering it for sale is safe by putting a minimium price on it and does not have worry about a coral woth $500.00 being sold for $15.00.

In the last Betta auction I went to in Virginia the price range that Bettas sold for was between $5.00 and $350.00 per fish. There were about 350 fish auctioned of and the average was around $18.00. I personaly sold about 30 fish for about $500 (average I got was $17.00 per fish that sold for $24.00) and I came home with 12 new fish that costed me about $400.(spent an average of about $34.00each with one costing me $125.00) But I came home with what I wanted and overall came out money ahead as well.

Dennis