AMA EAST Hobby Show

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  • QuarterMaster
    Rear Admiral
    • Sep 2015
    • 1207

    AMA EAST Hobby Show

    Quick lowdown regarding this past AMA East Hobby Show.

    Without being political, or it may be political, it certainly represents the current state of affairs today in ONE word.

    Sad.

    We were told there was limited attendance for each day, and from what we saw on Sunday, very little in the way of Vendors that would benefit the RC Submariner. We were also told Vendors were actually clearing out early on Saturday. We saw mostly “Toy style” booth’s selling Nanocopters. What was there was geared to drones and flight. Very little in the way of components that once made it fun for the DIY’er to come out and drop several hundred dollars on “doo-dad’s” and consumables that once were the mainstay of a show like this.

    I never came home before from a show like this with 80% cash still on hand.

    Granted we’re an adaptable lot that can turn PVC drain pipe into a fully functional RC sub with parts from “Home Depot”. But it was nice when you could go to one of these to “touch, smell, taste” what was offered, which alone stirred the creative juices. I always loathed becoming one of those old guy’s who’d say “Back in my day….”, yet I must admit I miss the heady days of the ‘90’s when I ran the SubCommittee booth at the WRAM show when its was filled to such capacity on 3 floors you couldn’t squeeze past people and it took hours to navigate the place. Here we’re through in about 30 minutes. The only real value this time was in fellowship and connecting with old friends at the ESMM and SC Booth. There was a pool that could have accommodated the smaller RC Sub.

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    Hey look! Fung Pang!! The on RC Submariner I've known to successful build a working RC Sub pressure hull from a Pepsi can! He did it for Irving Loyd at a Groton Regatta!!


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    As the people that "be" talk about moving this show (whose roots are the once proud WRAM show) to Massachusetts, we here in the NY, NJ,CT Tri state will be left with a void, and nothing to look forward to at mid-winter. Possibly replace it with a breakfast followed by a "Hobby Shop crawl" around Long Island.


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    Our very own Bob Gaito came in 3rd with his target the Broward Yacht in 1/24th scale “Parrothead” at the shows competition. He can teach us a thing or two regarding detail. Bob currently sports a home brewed GATO class RC Sub, USS COD SS-224 that he built with NO help from other RC Submariners. Now he met us….
    God help him.


    v/r "Sub" Ed

    Silent Service "Cold War" Veteran (The good years!)
    NEVER underestimate the power of a Sailor who served aboard a submarine.
    USS ULYSSES S GRANT-USS SHARK-USS NAUTILUS-USS KEY WEST-USS BLUEBACK-USS PATRICK HENRY-K432-U25-SSRN SEAVIEW-PROTEUS-NAUTILUS
  • He Who Shall Not Be Named
    Moderator

    • Aug 2008
    • 12818

    #2
    Welcome to the new world of, "I want it now; I want it cheap; and I want a robot to make it for me". So ends an age.

    I've lived too long.

    David
    Who is John Galt?

    Comment

    • QuarterMaster
      Rear Admiral
      • Sep 2015
      • 1207

      #3
      Originally posted by He Who Shall Not Be Named
      Welcome to the new world of, "I want it now; I want it cheap; and I want a robot to make it for me". So ends an age.

      I've lived too long.

      David
      Agreed Dave, that was the main point expressed by all members there.

      I think one of the saddest things I ever witnessed was my stepdaughter watching videos of people playing videos.
      Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?!?!

      The world has moved on......
      v/r "Sub" Ed

      Silent Service "Cold War" Veteran (The good years!)
      NEVER underestimate the power of a Sailor who served aboard a submarine.
      USS ULYSSES S GRANT-USS SHARK-USS NAUTILUS-USS KEY WEST-USS BLUEBACK-USS PATRICK HENRY-K432-U25-SSRN SEAVIEW-PROTEUS-NAUTILUS

      Comment

      • Subculture
        Admiral

        • Feb 2009
        • 2224

        #4
        Model shows in the way you may have remembered them have had their time. My experience was that they were always funded largely by pitches sold to traders, and that has largely disappeared, because trade has shifted to online and manufacturers can distribute their own product direct to the customer. Without a profit, or funding to underwrite any loss the organiser isn't likely to be motivated to take the risk of running a show.

        I live in London, in the North of the capital alone there used to be a dozen or more modelshops, and now we're down to one, which caters solely to plastic kit modellers, and that has only survived by the skin of its teeth. Do I mourn their loss, well sometimes it was nice to go for a browse, but they rarely had what I was looking for, most of them were just big boys toy stores, packed to the gills with RTR models. With the internet it's rare I fail in finding what I'm looking for.

        The next piece of the puzzle is social interaction. Shows and exhibitions were a way to achieve that to some extent. With them now receding or stopping altogether, that leaves clubs and societies to make their own magic, many have been slow to wake-up to this, and many are still soundly sleeping and will soon experience the longest sleep of all.

        If you want to catch mice, you have to think about how to build a better mousetrap.

        Comment

        • He Who Shall Not Be Named
          Moderator

          • Aug 2008
          • 12818

          #5
          Originally posted by QuarterMaster

          Agreed Dave, that was the main point expressed by all members there.

          I think one of the saddest things I ever witnessed was my stepdaughter watching videos of people playing videos.
          Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?!?!

          The world has moved on......
          WHAT!??? …. you agree that I've lived too long!????? Well, **** you, Ed! You slimy ET type!

          David
          Who is John Galt?

          Comment

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