[meteorite-list] I am home from Tokyo

[Sterling K. Webb]

Hi,

    As a former vendor at many specialized computer shows in the past, I can
testify that trade shows and specialized sales shows can be very strange
environments indeed.
    Whether the show sponsor or owner is a commercial entrepreneur or an
organization or club, the pressures and stress on them are huge and at their
maximum at the actual opening and early hours of a show.
    Show organizers making bad decisions on the fly is commonplace, not to mention
sometimes verging into completely crazy territory.  My best example of that is one
organizer of a show that went very poorly who quit his job in the middle of the
show, walked out while the show was still open, left the show venue not torn down
at the end, and moved to another city two days later.
    As for other vendors, I've seen behaviors that range from friendly convivial
competitors with whom you end up going out for dinner, drinks and shop talk
afterwards all the way to grim competitors at the very next table that never say a
word to you for two 12-hour days in a row, even if you greet them in a friendly
fashion, and refuse to even glance at you, as if they could magically cancel out
your existence.
    All part of life's variety, I guess.  You have to ride the stress like you
were surfing, Mike, and not let the wave break over you.  Sail on!


Sterling K. Webb
----------------------------------------------------------
Michael L Blood wrote:

> I guess there is no such thing as free enterprise in Japan....
> at least not at that show.
>         Best wishes, Michael  - oh, and Mike -  thanks for making
> your post a sane one with no name calling and the like. I am sure
> that must have taken effort given the circumstances. Besides,
> people's actions speak far louder than words. Your gentlemanly
> behavior is appreciated and stands in stark contrast to your
> circumstances.
>
> on 6/6/05 11:29 PM, Michael Farmer at meteoritehunter at comcast.net wrote:
>
> > Hi everyone,
> > I am home a little early from Tokyo, and am preparing now for the Ensishiem
> > and St Marie aux Mines shows in France. Anyone who wants anything, let me
> > know now so that I can prepare it, ship it, or bring it to France. I will be
> > traveling on from there back to Asia, and will not be bringing much at all
> > to Europe. So please make your requests now.
> >
> > On to other business:
> >
> > Just a quick note about the Tokyo show, and just to squash any rumors before
> > they start, something occurred there that needs to be addressed now, not
> > when people start spreading rumors.
> >
> >   Hans Koser and I went to Tokyo, and managed to acquire a table at the
> > show, directly from the show owner, when another dealers material was stuck
> > in customs.
> > That table unfortunately was next to Marvin and Kitty Kilgore. We agreed
> > from the start not to put meteorite specimens on the table (as this would
> > compete too much with Marvin). Hans and I both had mineral specimens, and
> > meteorite jewelry, spheres, and eggs made of meteorites.
> > Within an hour of setting up the table (the show had already started) there
> > was a meeting with Marvin Kilgore and Bud Eisler. The complained to the show
> > owner several times, then Kitty Kilgore came in and saw us there and she got
> > the show owner, then they forced us to be kicked out of the show. There was
> > of course, an argument and although nothing serious, there was no happiness
> > between Hans, myself nor Marvin. He tried to explain that it was not
> > personal, only business.
> > Of course, any of you can imagine how much it costs to go to Tokyo, shipping
> > material, then being thrown out of the show barely two hours after it
> > opened. This was not a nice thing to do, and we had only jewelry and
> > manufactured items on our table, Kilgore had none of that, only large
> > specimens for sale. Eisler did have lots of meteorite jewelry, but he was
> > nowhere near us.
> >   This is a pretty bad situation, and no need to make it worse with
> > rumors. It was several dealers being jealous and not wanting competition at
> > a show, and that was that. Since I have never attended that show, the show
> > owner bowed to the complaints of Bruno and Carine, Marvin, and Eisler and
> > kicked us out. Bruno complained to me the moment he saw me in Tokyo.
> >   Any of you who know Hans Koser knows that he is the nicest guy in the
> > world, who works on very little money, and who this hurt extremely badly. He
> > did not deserve that sort of treatment, nor did I as I hardly know Bud
> > Eisler (even though he lives in Tucson) and have always considered Marvin a
> > close friend. Needless to say, that is over with this action.
> >
> > There are two sides to every story, and Marvin tried to tell me that he was
> > kicked out of there before and it was then only fair that I got kicked out
> > ( I don't buy that argument at all), and that there were too many meteorite
> > dealers there (again, so what) and those things made it ok to kick two
> > friends to the curb and force them to lose $4000 to $6000 each in expenses!
> > There were many witnesses to what happened, and if you don't believe me, ask
> > Hans.
> >
> > I am a firm believer in "what goes around, comes around".
> >
> > Mike Farmer
> >
> >
> > ______________________________________________
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>
>
> --
> "You and I do not see things as they are. We see things as we are."
>      -Herb Cohen
> --
> If a million people say a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing.
>
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