The 2006 Woodworking Show - Worth Attending??

[Glen Blanchard]

I have attended a couple of woodworking shows (last one was 2 years ago) and enjoyed them both. I had planned on going to the Dallas show next weekend, but just read some disconcerting posts on another forum about the shows.

The consensus of the thread was basically that the shows have gone downhill in recent years with many manufacturers and vendors no longer bothering to have a presence. Just wondering if I should even bother going.

Comments?

[Randal Stevenson]

As links aren't allowed, insert this after www.
thewoodworkingshows.com

That link is just fine Randal - www.thewoodworkingshows.com

You should be able to find out who is going to be at your local one, and as someone who has attended, you'll already have an idea of what your looking for.

For my local one, won't be till February. Last year was the last year, for OUR major dealer. And they looked more like a Harbor Freight, then a woodworking store, last time.

[Cory Newman]

Well hopefully you have been misinformed. I'm planning on hitting the one in Dallas this weekend, and I've got a pocket full of shopping money.:cool:

[Jim O'Dell]

I've been to the last 3 DFW shows there it Arlington. Part of it may be that I've seen it a couple times, so I'm not so wild eyed anymore, and part may be that the number of exhibitors is dropping. Last year especially. I still haven't decided if I'm going to go or not. The last 3 years I've taken off a half day on Friday, then went back on either Sat afternoon, or Sunday. I know I'm not taking Friday to go this year. Will see if I go at all. If so, It will be Sat. I haven't found a good list on the web site about what vendors will be there, except for the big ones (Delta, DeWalt, MM, Laguna, etc.) I did thoroughly enjoy the free classes last year. I tried to go to all the ones that Kelly Meher did. Very down to earth guy with some good information. It was easy to understand, even as a pretty much newbie. Somerfields class on cabinet making was great also. I bought their DVD set last year for the library.
I won't have any available money to spend this year, so I'm not as enthusiastic from that point about attending. One bit of advice I can give you, is map out the items you are looking for. Check locally and on the net for pricing to come up with the best price at a place you feel comfortable purchasing from. Include all taxes and shipping so you have a total price for that item. Take that with you to the show. Remember, you will be paying tax at the show for all purchases. Most of us have found that, except for nick-nack items, big tool purchases are not always the best price there. Some items you get to see, that you can't find locally anywhere else...Join-Tech, Incra to a lesser extent, etc. Getting to see the demos on how that stuff is used is valuable, and costly! The first show I bought a Delta 17-965 DP that I already knew I wanted, a miter sled for the TS that I didn't know I needed :rolleyes: , and saw that I had to have the Woodpecker PRL, Incra 25" LS router table fence system, and PC 7518 router. The latter 3 items I waited for and caught on sale at Woodpeckers web site and Amazon, and probably saved about $200.00. Prices at the show usually aren't great, but they do throw in a bunch of freebies normally. Kreg gave me the extra big clamp, videos, and something else when I bought the K200 pro pack, same price the pro pack was selling for on line. Join Tech gave the side board for cutoffs to land on for free, things like that. Just know what you are looking for and at what price. Good luck and Smart shopping! Jim

edit: I meant to add, if you've never been, it's well worth it! If you're expecting great prices on a miter saw, or something other that t-track type stuff, you might be disapointed. Again, know what you can get items you are looking for before you go. Jim.

[Jim Becker]

As links aren't allowed, insert this after www.
thewoodworkingshows.com

Links ARE allowed at SMC...in fact, they are encouraged...as long as they are not direct links to another forum, direct links to an auction, pointedly commercial/advertising or in a member's signature.

http://www.thewoodworkingshows.com is just fine!

Jim
SMC Moderator

[Randal Stevenson]

Links ARE allowed at SMC...in fact, they are encouraged...as long as they are not direct links to another forum, direct links to an auction, pointedly commercial/advertising or in a member's signature.

http://www.thewoodworkingshows.com is just fine!

Jim
SMC Moderator

That link is commercial in nature. So it is safer to NOT post it, as per the discussions on TOS revisions. By the way I tried searching via "SMC Terms of Service" and didn't find them.

[Doug Shepard]

I've been to the last 3 DFW shows there it Arlington. Part of it may be that I've seen it a couple times, so I'm not so wild eyed anymore, and part may be that the number of exhibitors is dropping....



The Detroit (Novi,MI) show seems to keep dropping exbibitors too. So for about the 3rd-4th year in a row, I decided to skip it. I used to go every year but there's nothing big I'm shopping for at the moment. I bought my 6" PM jointer, my previous BS (14" Jet), MicroFence jig, some LN and BCT tools, and a few Incra gadgets over the years at decent show prices. In each case I was going with a specific purchase in mind and knew who'd be there. If Minimax starts coming to DTW I'd go just to meet the guys. Even though I'm not currently shopping for anything of theirs, I could always count on Lie-Nielsen or Bridge City to show up in the past for a good price on another hand tool, but they've been skipping the DTW show the last few years too. I'm sure if enough folks feel like me, sellers are going to start looking at sales generated per show location and another one will eventually stop coming and a downward spiral results.
So my $0.02 - if you've never been to one, go. Otherwise check the exhibitor list. If you're not actively shopping for something or the seller doesn't plan on being there, skip it.

[Dave Falkenstein]

The Woodworking Show in the Phoenix area in November had an excellent selection of vendors and products. I cannot think of a major vendor that did not have products on display, either at their own booth or through a reseller like Woodworkers Source. It was a great show!

[Charles McKinley]

The larger venues are probably OK but he smaller venues are really sparse. Don't trust the vendor list either. Lie-Nielson was on the list for harrisburg last year and was not there. :(

The Pittsburgh Wood Craft has their own show because they said the other one cost too much and didn't draw enough people. The other show doesn't even come here anymore.

The instructors that they have are usually verry good. Graham Blackburn was at Harrisburg and was very interesting.

[Bruce Wrenn]

I have watched the Charlotte show die a slow painful death. Used to be in big hall at Merchandise Center. A few years back, moved to smaller hall, and then shrunk a little each year. Merchandise Mart has been sold, so, no show. They have tried other venues without a lot of sucess. Columbia SC, two weeks before Charlotte, Winston Salem NC on a weekend in Sept on which the four major colleges were playing at home, and there was a FREE airshow over at airport. At two o'clock on Sat afternoon, you could sail a quarter down exhibit hall, and only hit a vendor. Tough competition. They did a show in Greensboro in late May once. People were at the lake, or working in yard. For years, we have begged them to come to Raleigh NC. The State Fair grounds has buildings, FREE PARKING, and a large flea market. The internet and Amazon have as much to do with their demise as anything. Think for a moment, when you want to buy something, the first thing you do is check internet stores. Also one of the large vendors, TWC, ceased business. When B&D bought Oldham, another vendor was lost. Still like to go and buy the stuff that cost more to ship and to buy. We always got up a group and went- it was a social thing.

[Jim Hinze]

And you didn't miss anything.

I went yesterday and was very disapointed. I won't go next year. I ended up buying some ZCTP's and a bandsaw blade pack from Olson... Powermatic and delta did not have any of thier new cool tools, sawstop was missing, Lie-Nielsen missing, but steel city was there..

There really wasn't any deals to be had that jumped out and said BUY ME! Prices were about the same as we can get online...


The Detroit (Novi,MI) show seems to keep dropping exbibitors too. So for about the 3rd-4th year in a row, I decided to skip it. I used to go every year but there's nothing big I'm shopping for at the moment. I bought my 6" PM jointer, my previous BS (14" Jet), MicroFence jig, some LN and BCT tools, and a few Incra gadgets over the years at decent show prices..

[scott spencer]

Hi Glen - I enjoy going to the shows regardless of who's there or not. Tom Pritchard and I made a road trip to the show in Hamburg/Buffalo, and had a great time. It's just nice to browse the stuff, see all the goodies under one roof, and pick up some items. Delta and a few other big names were there, but it really didn't matter...there are still demos and wwing items galore....enough to keep us occupied for several hours. I can't remember ever going to show that I didn't enjoy.

If you're looking for a great deal on a specific item, you might be disappointed, but if you just go for the fun of it, I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

[Steve Hayes]

I'm on the fence also. It's only 20 or so miles away but the last one I went to was very sparse.

[Kirk Poore]

The St Louis show (actually, Collinsville IL) was considerably weaker last February. However, one good thing is that several local woodworking groups (including the one I belong to) have booths to show off stuff and recruit new members. We even bring in machines--one member brought in a homebuilt treadle lathe, and I brought in my restored Powermatic 65 tablesaw. The year before I brought in my ~1920 Hall & Brown jointer. Can't run the power tools, but they do get lots of comments.

So I'll probably be going again this February. Maybe with my Oliver planer...

Kirk

[Ted Baca]

I just attended the Show in Denver a few weeks ago and found it was a bit smaller but an enjoyable afternoon none the less. What can it hurt? I always come away with something I can use whether it be product or knowledge. One peice of advice though. Buy your ticket online before you go, in Denver at least the line is always about a city block long. This is time you can spend in the show rather than standing around in the cold(colorado)or heat.

[Adam Bauer]

I'm planning on going to that one. I look at it this way, its only 5 bucks to get in and I get to get out of the house and look at tools all day. Its a good spending of 5 bucks as far as I'm concerned.

[Jim O'Dell]

Actually Adam, it's 5.00 to park, and 13.00 to get in, (You know about a back door the rest of us need to know about???:eek: :D ) less 1.00 for the coupon if you down load it. That, lunch and the gas, it would cost me 25.00 to go, so Im thinking I'll stay home this time. Hate to not go. Maybe I'll treat myself and go by the store out in the Bedford area that has General tools when I'm out that way on another project this weekend!..Jim.

[Adam Bauer]

Actually Adam, it's 5.00 to park, and 13.00 to get in, (You know about a back door the rest of us need to know about???:eek: :D ) less 1.00 for the coupon if you down load it. That, lunch and the gas, it would cost me 25.00 to go, so Im thinking I'll stay home this time. Hate to not go. Maybe I'll treat myself and go by the store out in the Bedford area that has General tools when I'm out that way on another project this weekend!..Jim.

Really?!? Guess I read that flyer wrong. Hate when I do that.

Also the store in Bedford went out of business about a month ago. They had about a 3 month going out of business sale with prices eventually getting up to 70% off. However most of the power tools went by the time it got to 50% off.

[Curt Harms]

to go to these shows. One problem with Grizzly, Bridgewood etc. is that it's difficult to get a 'hands on' feel for their equipment. Not a lot of woodworkers(who seem like a conservative lot) want to drop a bunch of cash on something they'd never laid eyes on. If I were in the market for something like a Jointer-Planer, format style slider or other big ticket item, I'd be uncomfortable if the first time I laid hands on one was at delivery time.

For myself, I enjoyed the first few shows I went to but haven't attended one the past couple years. I've about run out of major purchases to make (:eek: ) I'd go primarily for the presenters and to get 'hands on' time for any prospective upgrades.

Curt

[Peter Kuhlman]

Woodpeckers claims that they will no longer be selling at these shows. Seems to me that this is a huge mistake based upon the quantity of product they sell during those 3 days. How is Incra/Taylor going to get their products seen now?
Pete

[Jim O'Dell]

Really?!? Guess I read that flyer wrong. Hate when I do that.

Also the store in Bedford went out of business about a month ago. They had about a 3 month going out of business sale with prices eventually getting up to 70% off. However most of the power tools went by the time it got to 50% off.

MAN! They were in business for what, about a year? I had heard this time last year that they were open, and they had a booth at the show last year. That's a shame. Guess it's good I didn't know about the going out of business sale...didn't have any money to spend anyway!! Thanks for the heads up. Jim.

[Todd Solomon]

Hi Glen, I've found that it's been worth it for me to go, every time. I enjoyed the one at San Mateo a couple of weeks ago (near San Francisco). It seemed like about the same size as last year. Here were the highlights for me:

1. Picked up useful sharpening tips at the Lie-Nielsen booth. Those guys are very knowledgeable.
2. I was offered machinery at a lower price than I've ever seen online, anywhere (this time it was a General spindle sander; last year was a Powermatic hollow chisel mortiser, at pretty remarkable savings). And no, I didn't buy either, but am still dreaming about that spindle sander!
3. Took some seminars. This year's spray finishing was not very good, but last year I saw a great finishing class, and a David Marks seminar.
4. Got a chance to see some unusual european tools, such as Mini Max, Laguna, and sometimes Felder. They don't always show, but 2 out of 3 has made it to every show in my area.
5. A friend of mine bought some gorgeous figured wood from a guy, last year. That stuff's hard to find around here.

Todd

[Andy Haney]

I'm going, and expect I'll be there all 3 days. Two reasons...classes (I can always learn something) and the most important thing...

I really look forward to seeing you guys!

Andy