No GPAA Gold Show in Vegas 2019?

[Hard Prospector]

No GPAA Vegas gold show......what the Hell? George Massie would not have approved.

 

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[Goldwasher]

Interest in gold prospecting is cyclical. Gold price has gone nowhere for several years, so interest has dropped off. The price is being manipulated to keep people from going to gold instead of paper, or digital, easily-controlled money. At some point, the price will take off again, and so will the interest in prospecting. It's always been this way.
Jim

and the small scale community does not really change size within' that.

Notice were down to only two prospecting related publications in the country.. and Gold Prospector is only every other month...with articles about Kansas and tourist trap panning.

Love and respect to Chris Ralph .. but, ICMJ is a hollow shell of what it used to be as well.

the price of gold has a minimal affect on new panners and weekenders. they never find enough for it to matter.

it is a very small niche market period.

 

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[akflyer]

you have to look at it this way.. if the shows were profitable for GPAA or the vendors.. there wouldn't be less shows there would be more. Every year many vendors gear up for the show circuit as it is hoped to be a boost in sales...

If it isn't your not gonna spend the money on the front end as a vendor.. booking your booth and lodging.. if in the end you just spend money to basically go to gold shows and talk to a bunch of people who don't end up buying your widget.

If the opposite was happening we wouldn't be having this conversation.

The only upside to this for the vendors is a big tax write off. This day and age the little guy has to pull out every trick then can to retain ever $ they can. I would rather spend my money on a show where the potential is there to attract more buys and sales than to just write a check to dear old uncle sam..

 

[firebird]

Interest in gold prospecting is cyclical. Gold price has gone nowhere for several years, so interest has dropped off.
Jim

Nothing wrong with that IMO. Less interest = less competition and more gold for the rest of us still out there.

 

[Goldwasher]

so, the secret to success in the small scale prospecting widget biz.

is to spend a bunch on marketing and booths at show..

take in less money than you put out so, people can see your stuff.

and when you don't profit you write off your expenses on your taxes..and POOF you stay in business?


I can't find the nodding slowly in confused agreement emoji

 

[N/A]

you have to look at it this way.. if the shows were profitable for GPAA or the vendors.. there wouldn't be less shows there would be more. Every year many vendors gear up for the show circuit as it is hoped to be a boost in sales...

If it isn't your not gonna spend the money on the front end as a vendor.. booking your booth and lodging.. if in the end you just spend money to basically go to gold shows and talk to a bunch of people who don't end up buying your widget.

If the opposite was happening we wouldn't be having this conversation.

so, the secret to success in the small scale prospecting widget biz.

is to spend a bunch on marketing and booths at show..

take in less money than you put out so, people can see your stuff.

and when you don't profit you write off your expenses on your taxes..and POOF you stay in business?


I can't find the nodding slowly in confused agreement emoji

The goal of going to a show is not so much to make your money back at the the show but to get your name and contact info out to as many people as possible. Also to educate more people about your products. Don't get me wrong, leaving a show empty handed is FANTASTIC. The only way to track the shows true success is to track all calls and emails following the show and ask how the customer found you. I've known vendors with decent products but terrible public presence, they didn't know how to interact with the public or make sales and therefore the show was a bust for them.

And every penny is tax deductible regardless of the amount of money made during the show.

 

[Goldwasher]

The goal of going to a show is not so much to make your money back at the the show but to get your name and contact info out to as many people as possible. Also to educate more people about your products. Don't get me wrong, leaving a show empty handed is FANTASTIC. The only way to track the shows true success is to track all calls and emails following the show and ask how the customer found you. I've known vendors with decent products but terrible public presence, they didn't know how to interact with the public or make sales and therefore the show was a bust for them.

And every penny is tax deductible regardless of the amount of money made during the show.

I get all of that and do not dispute the theory.

However less shows and less vendors signing up and existing... that is quite telling.

I'd wager Gold Hog is selling more small scale gear ( considering he's not a pan and detector maker like garrett) than anyone besides say Keene or Proline.. Keene being a world wide commercial dealer..

Gold Hog doesn't do GPAA shows. Only direct sales with one exception... literally the opposite of the must have GPAA exposure theory.

You are right people sure do go to shows to look at stuff... I'm sure many vendors leave empty handed..

Of the stuff they gave a way for free

The group of buyers we are talking about put their stuff in a closet more than the creek.

 

[QNCrazy]

Sad (and happy) to say, Delta Gold Diggers will not be having a gold show in Sonora this year. Over the last two years, vendor participation had decreased. We had two full buildings of vendors and clubs our first three years. This last year our show consisted of one building of vendors and clubs and a smaller building for lectures.

 

[Hard Prospector]

Its not just gold shows and venders on the slide but also the mom n' pop prospecting shops too. I've seen many close in the past several years (So Cal) to where just a few left. Better times and brain numbing techno gadgetry I think has a lot to do with it.

When the economy eventually tanks and gold makes a run toward $2000.00 an ounce, interest & excitement in gold and selling prospecting equipment should rise once again.

So far as the GPAA......

I think I hear the "death rattle"

 

[Johnnybravo300]

Just the price tag is reason enough not to join gpaa.
I can see people doing that if it's their only choice but 1200 is alot of money. They will probably price themselves out of existence with the newer and more broke generations we have aging now. It's just too expensive for what you get.

 

[Jim in Idaho]

I've been self-employed my entire adult life, other than my time in the Air Force, and I can tell you it isn't all about the money. It's about being involved, being productive, and making a contribution that makes people's lives better. if you do that, the money will take care of itself. I'd like to make a little money on my jigs, but it won't change my life. I started out to build a unit that would improve MY life. I did that, and then thought others might like one. If they do, great! If they don't I'll just do what I was doing when this idea occurred to me....go prospecting! But, I should make a reasonable effort to get the idea to the public, otherwise I'm not involved, I'm simply existing, and that's a poor way to go through life IMHO.
Jim

 

[Johnnybravo300]

The yearly payment doesn't look as bad at least hehe. Or maybe a few years of buying gold and staying home instead of that might be better who knows? I can make a mistake just as good as the next guy!
I can see where an out of stater with a limited vacation could use it but still hi dolla! Better be some serious grams for that price tag geez.
I do have to say of my buddies that are in clubs, they are tight lipped about it and I've never gotten the secrets from them. They tell me what they get but never locations or the secret hand shake, passwords, real names.....I do have to admit they take it serious. They like their clubs and that's cool, not for me so much.

I have taken people out quite a few times around here when they come through but mostly to my septarian nodule and petrified wood spots. One guy gave my wife a beautiful lake superior agate necklace he made and people are always very thankful for it, saves them months or YEARS of prospecting for it. It's always a fun time when someone sees gold for the first time in the pan and they really have funny reactions. That's something that glues its picture in your brain.

 

[Goldwasher]

I've been self-employed my entire adult life, other than my time in the Air Force, and I can tell you it isn't all about the money. It's about being involved, being productive, and making a contribution that makes people's lives better. if you do that, the money will take care of itself. I'd like to make a little money on my jigs, but it won't change my life. I started out to build a unit that would improve MY life. I did that, and then thought others might like one. If they do, great! If they don't I'll just do what I was doing when this idea occurred to me....go prospecting! But, I should make a reasonable effort to get the idea to the public, otherwise I'm not involved, I'm simply existing, and that's a poor way to go through life IMHO.
Jim

yea well I have a feeling you wouldn't spend twice as much going to trade shows as you have a chance to make.. More than one time around

 

[N/A]

yea well I have a feeling you wouldn't spend twice as much going to trade shows as you have a chance to make.. More than one time around

Vendors doing the shows correctly will make most of their money long after the show is over

 

[N/A]

yea well I have a feeling you wouldn't spend twice as much going to trade shows as you have a chance to make.. More than one time around

Vendors doing the shows correctly will make most of their money long after the show is over

 

[Jim in Idaho]

yea well I have a feeling you wouldn't spend twice as much going to trade shows as you have a chance to make.. More than one time around

There's no limit on the potential profit, so you can't quantify that. I've done trade shows many times...mostly for a service business, and never made the cost of the show, at the show. It's all about introducing a product, or service.
Jim

 

[N/A]

so at this point is GPAA worth joining or are they on their way out?

 

[Jim in Idaho]

The only reason I joined was I was planning on having a booth at their shows, and felt I should be a member to do that. To me, it wasn't worth it for the other "benefits".
Jim

 

[Goldwasher]

well I guees its quantified if it actually does give a boost in Biz.

interesting how many gold widget makers have done the circuit...yet they and the circuit are diminishing......

 

[Goldwasher]

so, my point stands if it doesn't "quantify" in the long run the" vendor" isn't gonna keep doing it.

Its an actual thing

All trade shows are lessening, conference centers, venues, closing etc. In every product catagory in our country.

Even fair grounds are struggling.. for their shows and the yearly showcase fairs attendance is down across the board for these types of events its sad.