Of course, because it was held in Novi, it was incredibly expensive. Not just the vendor prices (most were right around retail), but the parking ($5) and the admission ($11 Saturday, $10 Sunday or $12? for both days). To be honest, unless there was a reason someone needed to be there both days and didn't have an exhibitor pass, there really wasn't anything different to see on Sunday that wasn't there on Saturday.
All in all, and with the perspective of having had a couple more hours of sleep than I did on Saturday, I think the show was pretty neat overall. There were things that I found pretty frustrating on Saturday, but lack of sleep had a lot of influence on my negativity over the weekend. It was a really good show for people who aren't as hardcore into the hobby as most of us are, and those just starting out in the hobby. I talked to several people about where to find information and supplies in the Detroit area (i.e. hobby shops, internet discussion groups, etc.), and I was surprised how many people asking questions were located out in the Novi area, rather than in other parts of the greater Detroit/Lansing/etc. area(s).
From my point of view as a hobbyist, not an exhibitor, the show was terrible. The Lapeer show on Sunday would have been a much better investment of time and energy. But the things that make the Lapeer show better for me personally are the same things that made this event so much better for the majority of the people who attended- they're not looking for a model railroad flea market (I mean swap meet), they're looking for information and examples of what you can do with a little skill, time and money. And although they may not be consciously aware that that's what they're looking for, as a "newbie" model railroader, would you want to jump in through a swap meet or a well organized assembly of vendors and "complete" layouts that offer a more complete picture of what the hobby offers and what you can do in the hobby?
By the way, I'm not directing this at anyone in particular. I've been sorting through my thoughts on the show since Saturday and I'm finally beginning to get a better understanding of what the show was really all about...
One last, "random" bit of information- apparently there were 13,000 people through the show on Saturday alone...
Charles W.
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