This show was definitely well advertised. Ads appeared in many of the major hobby publications, local newspapers, radio spots, grocery stores, etc. The only problem was that the show was very lightly attended. The weather was beautiful, which could have been a factor. It was also August, a prime vacation month. Even taking all of this into account, the show should have been much more crowded.
The Reality: Parking was not free! In fact, it cost $10 to park every day. Dealers were offered the chance to pay $6 for a parking pass, and receive a $6 coupon from the B&B Booth. However, this is not free. Confused collectors would go to a table, make a purchase (the ad stated that parking was free with purchase) and want a validation. Dealers were confused, everybody was confused. Many collectors were resentful, and I’m sure that affected their mood when it came time to purchase. Additionally, B&B ran out of these validations by Sunday.
Concerning the show cards, the VIP bags included a Betty Boop card, Bozo, and one other (There was no Free Disney or Coke cards. The Pink Panther card was not free, it was produced by USA and available for sale at the show.) There was a show card that showed a Disney castle, but it was only available if a box of National Coke cards was purchased. Steve Schwartz of Sears Phonecard Dept. produced a card with ACMI that featured Garfield. Only 425 of these cards were produced. Contact Sears at: 74747.1416@compuserve.com for more information.
The special admission line was very badly mishandled. I heard from collectors that they waited in line longer than non-VIP lines. These passes were available for $15. This was they way to get the show cards, as well as get early admission. One complaint was that a $5 charge was added for postage/handling. The problem was that these people picked up the passes at the show and were still charged the $5 shipping charge. Eventually B&B gave back cash refunds, but only to those who asked.
Finally, there did not appear to be 400 tables, but many shows these days promise about twice as many tables that appear.
The Solution: Only print what can be delivered. Although I do not believe that B&B purposely tried to mislead anyone, this is the second time in a few months that B&B put things in print that were simply not true (The other case was the National Coke Product, and what would be available with that product) Concerning parking, Disney stated that they do not offer free parking. This seems like something that should have been researched. Don’t keep printing the same ad for months, when something like this can not be delivered. I have known that B&B was not going to have a coke card available since the National in June, yet that ad kept appearing. It all comes down to one thing - In order to protect your credibility, you should not print something you can not deliver. Simple. This needs to be done in the future. It is better to say less than promise something that can not be delivered.
The Reality: There were many phonecard dealers in the sportscard section. This was a problem, as the phonecard section was placed in the very back of the room. I can’t understand the logic of this decision, as I know that B&B really wanted to promote this as a phonecard show. One phonecard dealer stated in their contract that they were a sportscard dealer. They were forced to move to the phonecard section on the second day of the show, but many dealers had large phonecard displays that hurt the phonecard section, as the public saw them first
The Solution: No phonecard section. Just intermix the sportscard and phonecard dealers. This will get everyone to see everything. Those who sign up for the show first should get their pick of which booth they want.
The Reality: The Disney Hotel Complex is a very confusing place. Although before the show I was excited that it would be held at Disneyland, I quickly changed my mind. Disneyland is such a large complex, that it was hard to find the convention center in the hotel complex.
The Solution: This is a difficult one. I know that the show was closely linked to Disney. I even purchased a share of Disney stock from one of the dealers. However, this show would have been better (in my opinion) had it been held in the convention center of one of the major hotels in the area. That would have been easier to find, park, etc. Something for B&B to consider.
The Reality: This auction was very unprofessional The crowd turned on B&B, and it got ugly. The opening bids were set high, and the promoter bragged that he was going to "flip" (or resell) the item for a higher price. Either he started the opening bid on many lots, or his staff did. After the auction, many people were so disgusted that they did not even bother to pick up their items.
The Solution: The promoter and his staff should not have been the most active bidders in the auction, especially since it appeared that they were just trying to raise the bids on many lots. Had the bids been set at a lower price, more collectors and dealers may have gotten involved. Many of the lots received no bids, or just a bid from the promoter. The lots that received no bids were just passed upon. Why?? This was a charity auction! What is going to happen to these items that were passed on?
Certain to become collectors' items, the cards feature pre-recorded greetings from NFL stars like quarterbacks Dan Marino of the Miami Dolphins and the Buffalo Bills' Jim Kelly.
In addition to bearing official NFL and team insignias, each of the 30 versions of the card provides flexible and convenient prepaid calling from virtually anywhere in the world.
Sprint, the industry leader in prepaid calling cards, is also offering a special bonus for fans. Using the NFL card registers them automatically for a chance to win prizes including NFL-logoed merchandise and Grand Prize tickets to Super Bowl XXXI(TM) and Pro Bowl(TM).
DISTINCTIVE SHAPES SET CARDS APART
The cards are in the shape of a helmet or a football with each version sporting a team's logo and colors along with the NFL Shield. They will be distributed through Spree retailers nationwide, including grocery, drug and convenience stores as well as gas stations and college bookstores.
The specially designed Spree cards will replace the regular $10 and $20 versions during the promotional period of Sept. 1 - Oct. 31. Fans can call 1-800-366-0707 to find their nearest Spree retailer.
"As the official telecommunications provider to the NFL, Sprint is the only carrier that can use the NFL shield and the logos and marks of the 30 clubs," said Marlene Waltz, Sprint's director of Prepaid Card Marketing and Sales. "And we're using our sponsorship to add even greater value to the most reliable, flexible and convenient prepaid calling card on the market."
Unique Offer Sure to Attract Serious Collectors
Serious collectors can purchase a complete set of all 30 renditions of the $10 card, or of the $20 card, by calling 1-800-274-7740. The limited-edition sets are individually numbered and mounted in a frame or an album, at the discretion of the buyer.
From: Bruce Harmon
The coupon was in the Miami Herald but I suspect it is a national offer. Although, the GTI cards don't have much interest because of the unlimited mintage, they do have some very good issues (i.e. James Bond, Budweiser). Also, their LD service and system is one of the most reliable I have used.
From: Scott Nemeroff
Be careful removing it from the paper attachment because the glued backing does not completely come off.
From: Steve Carll
Disney is selling phonecards to the public for the first time in the US. But you have to go to Disney World to buy them. They are in vending machines inside the Magic Kingdom. The card shows a color picture of Cinderella Castle and flowers in the foreground. They come in denominations of $10 and $20. The cards are produced by Vista United, and each has an edition size of 10,000.
From: Warren Lee
Until Next Week,
Alan
2) Direct e-mail. Send a message to: phoneline@cardmall.com
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