PamelaG Posted November 12, 2017 Report Share Posted November 12, 2017 I live in Tucson, Az. One a year we have a Quilt and Sewing Show known locally as the Rusty Barn show. Gammill is always there. Handiquilter is usually there. And so is RocketBlocket. Even Innova was there last year but not this year. But never APQS. We have one of the best machines out there. I'd love to see APQS represented. I've only owned my Millie for 6 months or I'd do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neher-in-law5 Posted November 12, 2017 Report Share Posted November 12, 2017 Check with your most local APQS dealer to see if they may be able to do the show. APQS as headquarters may be spread thin enough with the schedules that the dealer could be there with a bit of $$ or machine assist from the company. When is your show in the calendar of the national known shows, that may make a big difference in where they can be when. Good luck, I agree a quilt show is not a really good one without APQS!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barbm Posted November 12, 2017 Report Share Posted November 12, 2017 A few words from someone who has done local and regional quilt shows (as an APQS Representative): As Madelyn said, APQS Corporate is stretched thin with the national shows (AQS, PIQF, Road to CA, etc.) and the cost to truck in a booth full of equipment, literature, quilts, racks & stands and other booth trappings is enormous. APQS depends on its local Reps or Stores to participate (or not) as vendors at smaller shows, but even then, the cost is often prohibitive. Not all Reps have enough equipment to participate effectively as a vendor and find it difficult to justify renting additional machines/tables from APQS in Iowa. And not everyone is interested in interacting with the quilting public at a show. Another issue: my local Rusty Barn shows aren't limited to quilting-related interests. In fact, more than half of their classes (and vendors) are either garment or fiber related (knitting, embellishment, etc.), which means the attendees are less likely to be quilters. The cost of being a vendor, including the booth fee (which can run several thousand dollars), has to be weighed against the possibility of sales at that show. I agree that it would be awesome to have an APQS booth, with all the machines, at every Quilt Show! Is that likely to happen? I'm afraid not... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PamelaG Posted November 12, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2017 Seems like we should have a way to have at least information at smaller shows that isn't so cost prohibited. The closest dealer to me is all the way in Las Vegas! That is quite a way away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barbm Posted November 12, 2017 Report Share Posted November 12, 2017 That's a good suggestion, Pamela! If someone from your Guild (or Show committee) contacted APQS, I'm betting they would be thrilled to send you a stack of brochures for your literature table! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PamelaG Posted November 12, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2017 I'm in the Tucson Quilter's Guild. Maybe I'll contact them and ask! Good idea Barb. Once I've had my Millie long enough I'm considering becoming a tech and /or dealer. We are very underrepresented in this area. Pamela Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue E. Posted November 12, 2017 Report Share Posted November 12, 2017 I live in Phoenix. Several years ago my husband and I decided to drive down to Tucson for the Rusty Barns (official name is the Craft and Sewing Show) show and check it out. The entire show was depressing compared to the Rusty Barns show we have in Phoenix at the end of January every year. It is a much smaller show in a dark and dingy very old convention center. It was probably between ¼ and 1/2 the size of the Phoenix show. However, there was an APQS dealer from California there. I don't think she had much traffic coming to talk to her as we spent quite a bit of time talking to her and no one else ever came by! The Gammill dealer who was there is a very large quilt store from the Phoenix area and they are at every show in the area. They sell lots of brands of sewing machines, fabrics, Gammill, and, I think, HandiQuilter. I can't remember if Innova was there, but if they were, it was the previous owner of the dealership out of Utah. I don't think I have ever seen APQS represented at the show in January but I know that Myrna Ficken had been at the Arizona Quilters Guild show many years ago and APQS was at the AQS shows when they were held in Phoenix (that show is no longer coming to Phoenix as it wasn't cost effective for them). From what I remember, it is a huge expense to have machines shipped to these shows, to get the people to work the booths, and set the machines up and tear the machines down, and then get it ready to be shipped back to Iowa. Myrna had to really work to have the machines ready to clear out of the vendor area by the time everything had to be out that evening. I think that if Innova was there last year and not there this year, that says a lot about how worthwhile it was for them to come to the show. Innova has been at several of our Arizona Quilters Guild shows in the Spring - it will be interesting to see if they return this year! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PamelaG Posted November 13, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2017 Yes, Innova was there last year and I spend a lot of time taking to them before buying my Millie They were not there this year. And it is a small show. Maybe I will come up to the Phoenix show in January. I just think people looking need to see all the good ones. And that does include APQS! if I hadn't had a friend who was a dealer I won't have know how good they are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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