Just seen the following announcement on the club website
Sheffield Wargames Society wishes to announce that sadly, the 2017 Triples wargames show will not take place. This decision was taken reluctantly but is the result of waning interest and increasing costs.
All deposits taken to date will be returned and the club secretary will be contacting competition organizers individually.
Sheffield Wargames Society would like to thank everyone; traders, competitors and the general public, who have supported and enjoyed the event over the past 35 years.
Its a shame but the pictures Leon took this year did make it seem inevitable
Aw! That's a shame.
First show I ever attended in 1980ish when I was but a callow youth.
'Tis a great shame.
Sadly....I think there are almost too many shows nowadays......and a relatively limited number of gamers who can frequent them.
The 'gamers' haven't got unlimited funds and time for all the travel....and I'm sure most would rather spend money on soldiers, accessories, etc, than train fares or fuel for the car.
Be interesting to know......What's the furthest anyone has traveled to get to a show ?
As nowadays, folk get to see 'new stuff' constantly on 'the net'......I fear lots of shows will go the same way.
(I know it's not the same as seeing new stuff 'in the flesh', and meeting up with old friends, but...........)
Cheers - Phil
Just done Edinburgh to Sheffield for a visit to the Baccus workshop and Joy of Six. That's around 310km or 200 miles.
Planning to go back next year, all being well.
We used to go as a Club to the Triples, 3 hours by car and about 300 mile round trip. It was more social than show as there were about 8 of us who went.
It cost about £100 with fuel and food (beer extra)
We have not been for 4 years, as some of us started to go on Military 4 day holidays. Normandy, Arnhem, Ardennes and Normandy (western end) this year. I think the internet and Ebay have had a huge impact.
I think this is more to do with the fact that people buy online so spend less in shows, going more to see the models "in the flesh" and look at the games and socialise than buy. This means that for traders the takings from the show are not enough to justify the costs of travel, accommodation and lost output. The possible sales generated later by people having seen a range" in the flesh" is harder to quantify
I know I am guilty of this - Why wait to the next show when I can order today and Leon ( or whoever) will post it tomorrow and I will have it 72 hours after ordering.
Perhaps traders should go back to 28 days for mail order?
A shame but I think this will not be the last one to go. Financially it is not worth me attending because the costs of getting there and entry more than cover the costs of any P&P on orders over the year. I've also noticed a drop off in the quality of demo games, at least that's my impression.
The Games at JoS, both demo and participation, were very, very impressive.
I'll report back on my impressions of Claymore on a week or so!
I now limit myself to three shows a year: Vapnartak in York because it's big and the first of the year (and free for over 60s), Phalanx because it is my local show (and it seemed to be doing better this year than last), and Warfare as a gang from the Liverpool club go down and I also get to meet up with my brother who drives across from the Bristol area.
I go to about 8 or 9 shows a year.
Edinburgh - Claymore (my local show)
Falkirk - Carronade - 30 minutes away
Dumfries - Albanich - an hour and a bit
Forfar - Skelp - an hour and a half
Kirriemuir - Targe - an hour and a half
Gateshead - Border Reiver - 2 hours
Battleground - Middlesbrough - 2 and a bit hours
York - Vapnartak - 4 hours
Antwerp - Crisis - 3 day minimum trip by air
These are all healthy shows although some of them are smaller than others. I can't see me not visiting any of them in the future if I am fit and well.
Lucky man to have the dosh to be able to do that.
We'd heard on the grapevine that it wouldn't returning, but it's taken a while for that to be confirmed publicly. There's been nothing sent to the traders about it yet, I wondered if they'd contact us separately to explain the reasoning. It's not a surprise though, this years takings were our lowest since 2007, back when we only took about 40% of our current stock to the shows... :(
Economics and the bottom line will always win through. Full marks to them for realising it and pulling the plug before anyone got really hurt (I hope!).
Mollinary