The Loose Association of Wargamers

I have noticed over the last few years that going to shows seems -at least to me- to be more of a social occasion rather than a meticulously planned assualt on the manufacturers of all things wargamey. I don't think I've bought a figure at a show in the last five years and most of my purchsses have been books, the odd set of rules, a fair few paints and sh*tloads of discounted mdf bases of all shapes and sizes. Which is exactly what I came home with yesterday apart from picking up some little chaps from EB, that is. I reckon that in this regard the internet and the sheer choice of manufacturer has possibly driven some of them away from shows because it's simply not financially viable anymore., especially for the smaller shows like Cavalier. I suppose my attitude might change if I frequented some of the bigger shows but even SELWG didn't really do it for me either.
This isn't going to stop me going to some shows, but since moving back to the south east, the options just seem more limited.

Does the panel find themselves in the same situation or is it just me?

I think you've pretty much summed things up. There is a growing lack of diversity at shows. Four traders doing multi buy deals on Warlord & Perry boxed sets and four more selling MDF buildings along with about a dozen traders selling their own merchandise.

I think it's a matter of being spoilt by the internet.
"Way back when" it was weeks worth of work to plan an assault on a show.
Magazines had to be bought and perused.
Rules researched.
Catalogues sent for.
and only then could we begin to actually plan what we could find and/or afford.

Now it's one click...and two days later a parcel arrives.

We have more choice and diversity of wargames products now than we ever have but we've become both lazy and desensitised by the sheer volume and variety.

It is always a please to catch up with people, you, Henry, Chris and John this time. And what a shocker! Mr Allen himself. I think it's at least forty years since we last spoke.

The show was a disappointment though. Little variety on the trade stands and lots of second hand bits and bobs. I do rather resent traders who buy cheap aquarium stuff, re-package it into tiny bags and charge a fortune. There weren't many games but I thought the quality was pretty good on the whole (John and Chris' game being the best, obviously). I won't go again other than to socialise. And I agree, SELWG was better but much the same. Salute is still my supermarket of choice, but even there I find it hard to impulse buy.

I miss going to the pub for a chat after a show. Salute is rubbish for pubs.

There is of course the possibility that we've all been gaming for so long that we have virtually all we need. So with nothing left to buy it's the people that are the highlight of the hobby.

I’ve only been to 4 shows since I moved here, and even I no longer have planned buys. They all happen online. Shopping wise, I go to the show looking for stuff I haven’t seen before or to confirm/discard any impulses I haven’t fulfilled online. And well, I’m always on the lookout for bargains. Generally it’s for novelty vignette/command base diorama type figures.

Lately I mostly go to indulge and immerse myself in my hobby and partake in some of the awesome games that are on show.

Jamanicus always asks me what I’m wanting to buy and my answer is ‘whatever tickles my fancy’. Take that as you may.

Buff Orpington wrote: ↑Mon Feb 26, 2018 7:43 pmThere is a growing lack of diversity at shows....about a dozen traders selling their own merchandise.

That surprised me at ROBIN, there was only a couple of box traders, a few big manufacturers and a lot of small manufacturers that were new to me. The Joy of Six was similarly refreshing/wallet frightening but being a single scale show the big traders wouldn't have had a place anyway. The bigger the show, the more expensive it is to trade so you tend to get the volume sellers not the interesting little outfits.

Paul wrote: ↑Mon Feb 26, 2018 8:25 pm There is of course the possibility that we've all been gaming for so long that we have virtually all we need.

Nope, sorry but I haven't a clue what any of that means. My girlfriend says things like that occasionally but I think she might be speaking foreign or something.

Paul wrote: ↑Mon Feb 26, 2018 7:54 pm I think it's a matter of being spoilt by the internet.

yep this. The internet is a wonderful wonderful thing but the easy availability of information means that there are very few surprises left now. This isnt just with gaming either - rummaging through record shops isnt really the joy it used to be.,

I was saying to CB last week that its only the bring and buys that offer the unknown now. They are hit and miss but thats the point....

On the plus side many years ago i wouldnt have known anyone at shows other than my local one. Now i know lots of people and most of them owe me a pint.

Good to see you at the show, Sub and EB (though I wanted to chat more with you and you disappeared into thin air). I've done a report at http://henrys-wargaming.co.uk/cavalier- ... tonbridge/

I enjoyed the show purely for social reasons, really. I ended up spending some money on stuff for Ayton, and a few obscure books, and PSC foisted some samples on me which will no doubt end up in Peeler's hands in due course. Oh, and a lovely-smelling MDF building perfect for our mad WotFS games.

I left at about 2.30, had a lovely drive home along country lanes in the sunshine. Got home and fell asleep. Lovely.