From: krikket@meltdown.chi.il.us (D. 'krikket' Krick)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.fandom
Subject: Re: Convention Supplies
Date: 1 Sep 92 01:55:06 GMT
Organization: The Meltdown - A Team Star BBS

In article <824@smith.CHI.IL.US>, dick@smith.CHI.IL.US (Dick Smith) writes:
>This sounds like a really difficult thing to do, since the cola
>companies have regional distributors.  Are there 70 cons in the MidWest
>who'll use your service, or can you make a national deal?  And if you're
>going to do a con in, say, Kentucky (to pick a place that isn't really
>very far from Chicago where you are located), are you going to truck the
>stuff there?  And Los Angeles???  What about the other regional cola 
>distributors, whose territory you will be poaching on...?  Or if the
>deal is bulk through all the distributors, whose truck (since you speak
>of saving the con the truck rental) delivers in LA or whatever?  If it's
>yours, just consider the permits required....  And whose truck will move
>the art show hangings?

I'm trying to work out a deal where the local cola distributers will deliver
the cola.  That it I might be able to work out a deal with one of the shipping
companies (IE: UPS).  If I end up having to deliver the stuff personally (Which
is something that I'm trying to avoid!) I'd be willing to truch the art show
stuff around as well, at no extra charge...

>Many large cons purchase bulk syrup, and the vendor includes or rents
>the fountain to mix it.  Medium sized cons often use cans, while the
>smallest and friendliest put two liter bottles on the bar near the
>bottles of Beam's Choice.  Which of these will you be able to service?

Right now I'm working on a deal for cans of pop.  Smaller than that and it's
not worth the Coke/Pepsi's bother to deal with 'em...  I'm also hoping to avoid
dealinbg with bulk syrup, because it would be a to harder for me to cut a deal
with the cola companies...

>The same goes for the munchies; you have got to make frequent pickups
>or you'll be delivering stale junk.  Midwestern cons can already get
>gross stale junk in trade for memberships from an infamous tax church...
>why should they pay cash?  And why should I pay for your labor to get
>the stuff every week, when a volunteer doesn't mind donating one
>afternoon a year to go to the chip company and pick up a van load of
>chips.

Munchies is something that I probably will *NOT* get into, unless a large
number of people say "We all want THAT kind of munchie!".  Once again you need
to get the volume to make it worthwhile to the companies...

>Then again, some cons don't seem to worry much about saving money,
>anyway.  Weren't you involved with CapriCon?  Weren't you the guy
>posting about how "no, CapriCon didn't shit in the jacuzi, just vomit"?
>Well, CapriCon checked out of their con suite on sunday afternoon,
>leaving about 20 flats of canned pop for "...the dead dog, if there 
>is any, or the maids who have to clean up this mess.... we're going 
>home!"  There's a customer for you, I'm sure.

Yes, I've been at the last few CapriCons gophering about...  I was the one who
pointed out that it was vomit in the pool, not shit...  But compared to other
types of conventions, CapriCon had minimal damage.

>I've heard the phrase "sucking off of fandom" about businesses which try
>to make a profit off con fandom, and I can't think of one which has
>lasted all that long, either.  Walkie-talkies for rent are another
>idea which has been tried, and hasn't made it.  If you're going for 
>the big bucks, why not just start another for-profit con?

Beleive it or not, I'm not after the "Big Bucks".  I didn't know that the
walkie-talkie idea had already been tried and failed.  I'm not looking to make
a living off of this!  (Well, I'm not...  I just want to compensate for my time
used...  I've always planned on keeping my full-time job...)  And if I can't
get the stuff to the conventions *CHEAPER* than what they are already paying,
I'm not going to bother!  But once you consider the number of cons (The ConList
that I have lists 70 in the U.S., multiplied by the number of days the con is
held, multiplied by the number of members at the con, multiplied by 2 (figuring
that on the average each person will have 2 cans of pop per day) you end up
with a hell of a lot of cases of pop.  Somewhere between 10,000 and 20,000
CASES depending on how you figure it.  More once you consider the number of
conventions that aren't listed there....  This is enough product that the cola
companies are going to consider giving some heavy discounts...

Which bring up another point:  Would people mind switching brands of cola, if I
were to get a drastic price break?  (IE:  Coke's first offer was $6.50 a case. 
I lauged, pointing out that I can get better prices in most grocery stores, let
along places like "Sam's Warehouse".)

>But I'm sure we'll be happy to look at your price list, if you can make
>some kind of deal... and compare it with the local outlets.  And you can
>advertise for free on the net, right?

Actually, this wasn't supposed to be advertizing...  I want some input to make
certian that I will be doing the cons a service by saving them some cash, which
is why I asked about the cuurent deals they are getting.  If I can't beat 'em,
why should I bother?

Krikket               ! krikket@meltdown.chi.il.us ! USnail:3 Danada Square E.
a.k.a Doug Krick      ! Team Star Charter Member   !        Suite 246
Data ph# 708/665-9732 ! #include<std.disclaimers>  !        Wheaton, Il 60187
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  Just another commentary on the sad state of affairs on our nation today.