SIBS: ticket & boat show "discount" prices

Koeketiene

Koeketiene

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SIBS: ticket & boat show \"discount\" prices

Toaday - last day of SIBS & the annual family pelgrimage to Southampton.

As usual, I bought a "family ticket". Last year they sold at £30 and included Park & Ride. Ho hum, borderline reasonable. This year £35 and NO Park & Ride.
I'll be buggered if I pay £8 for Park & Ride, so instead we paid £2.90 at West Quay for the 4.5 Hrs we were there.
All in all, and increase in price of more than 25% over last year. And inflation is supposed to be 2%??? My foot!!!
I resent the fact that I have to pay to enter a trade show - do you get charged to walk down the High Street? - but this increase is the final straw. Next year I'm going sailing instead!

Next: what's up with boat show discounts? I couldn't find any? (not talking small swindlery stuff).
1. I wanted to buy a Furuno 1623 radar - had it on the previous boat. Was very pleased with it, so wanted it for the current boat. Done my research: cheapest was Cactus. This set was advertised last month in PBO as "under £750". Boat Show "special price" : £799.99! WTF??

2. Need a new battery charger. Again, on last boat we had a Dolphin. Got it from Merlin. We were pleased with it - so just the thing right now. Advertised in PBO last month £399 (40A - 12V model). Found the stand - no price listed - asked the rep "Boat Show Special Price £439.99". WTF??? Told him that they had it advertised in PBO at £399. Blank look - maybe ex-VAT? No, it isn't. Talks to manager - they could sell it to me at PBO price. So the "Special" was that they would sell it at normal price?? I don't think so! Will look elsewhere - know they sell them in France too.

3. Last & least: we used to have these Nauticalia baseball caps with the boats name on it. We got four for £29.99. New boat, new name: Boat Show Special Price: £35.80!!

Surely they are taking the piss? Can anyone working in the marine industry please explain to me why we should buy ANYTHING AT ALL at the Boat Show? We have to pay to get in, and then you're going to reward the punters by charging them MORE???
WTF???
 
Re: SIBS: ticket & boat show \"discount\" prices

I think it was noticeable this year that no one seemed to be carrying anything - not even free carrier bags with advertising goodies in.

There always seemed to be some bargains about in previous years, discount shoes, reduced books or rope ends, even bargain oilies, but I didn't see anyone ladened down with impulse purchases.

Did manage to get a ticket bargain though, two for the price of one, but you had to live on the Isle of Wight and buy them with the Red Funnel tickets.
 
Re: SIBS: ticket & boat show \"discount\" prices

Agree. Not many deals to be had at the show. although I did get 50 squid off the list price of a new fridge from penguin. I dont normally go to boat shows unless there is an insentive of a free ticket. There seemed to be less punters around this year.

I went on the first weekend. Got woken up at 9am this saturday from a salesman at the show on his mobile. doing a follow up call wanting to arange a test sail, obviously thought i was interested in buying a Dufour 44. Business at the show must of been bad this year.
 
Re: SIBS: ticket & boat show \"discount\" prices

I agree with the sentiment of your post, it seems odd that we should have to pay to enter what is essentially a retail outlet. However, I attend every year and, luckily, I have yet to pay for a ticket, but the number of exhitors in one place that I can talk to in one day would justify the entry price. This year I got to talk to five sailmakers and received some great advce on my sailplan, without commitment on my part, and got some new oilies £100 cheaper than any offers I have seen published anywhere.

Regards,

Martin
 
Re: SIBS: ticket & boat show \"discount\" prices

Agree! Went Wednesday with the usual intention of spending nothing more than the normal beer allowance. Previous years I have always found something to make sure the credit card still works. This year, nadda!

Best freebie stand I found was Garmin, where I found a very nice globe stress ball, and one (okay maybe two) of those keep your sun glasses on Jobie's.

Wondering if I'll go next year, London is out! Any thoughts on those shows further afield?
 
Re: SIBS: ticket & boat show \"discount\" prices

Well, my experiences are just the opposite, we had a great day
Had won a couple of tickets and we parked as usual in the casino multiplex car park, its free after 12 otherwise £5 all day
Talked a gate guard to let us in one of the disabled entries to save a long walk to the regular entrance and almost immediately got offered a voucher for a free Tanquary gin & tonic. Very nice, that set the day up nicely.
Within 200 m I saw a stand selling off VHF antennas and got a top quality aerial with hawk windex for £25 (later saw them for £69 at the show). SWMBO bought a pair of Dubarry shoes for £35 and I got a new Gill deck coat for £45 - both well under half normal price and highly reduced to sell off on the last day.
Took a walk round the pontoons and went on Alex Thompson's Boss racer - very impressive, the new Bavaria deck saloon yacht which we visited next was not so impressive with really horrible wood work below - just about every panel or drawer front was cut from a different sheet of ply - nothing matched in pattern or shade, it would be a very difficult boat to be proud of.
Rounded off the day with a trip round the magazine stands who were all handing out free copies of the latest editions, YM, PBO, YW, Classic Boat and a few others and another visit to the Tanquary stand this time for a gin based cocktail. Good job SWMBO was driving!
All in all an excellent day out.
 
Re: SIBS: ticket & boat show \"discount\" prices

Well, we slipped Gosport about eleven-ish, had a great sail to Cowes (ripped off for 'short stay'), spot of lunch, lovely sail back. Cost... Err... Nothing...

And as the boat and relevant kit are all sorted (bar the how-do-I-get-constant-hot-water-when-at-anchor issue), I didn't miss paying to be sold expensive stuff at all.

That said, I do now have a guerrilla attitude to big purchases. I negotiate a knock-down price or I don't buy. I sometimes use the line 'I'd like to buy this from you or someone else, but only at a price which will see you bankrupt and at the soup kitchen by the end of the week'. Delivered with the right mix of irony and clear intent, it's a killer!
 
Re: SIBS: ticket & boat show \"discount\" prices

you look a bit off colour escargot. i hope you are not ill or anything /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Re: SIBS: ticket & boat show \"discount\" prices

Hi, I visited on Saturday 22nd but was only window shopping and left my serious cash behind. Saw some things which I had not seem in the magazines so it was worth the trip but wasn't overly impressed considering it was my 1st show.
So what do you all think about the London Boat Show. Is that worth going to with some cash in my pocket.
My only gripe was that all the trades persons were from the south coast or south (there is waterborne life north of Watford in case any one is interested)
Opinions please
 
Re: SIBS: ticket & boat show \"discount\" prices

LIBS is more "East Coast"-y, and even more MOBO orientated.

Whilst SIBS used the be the annual family boats show, LIBS I always go to on my own. (and then only coz most years I get a free ticket for that one).
 
Re: SIBS: ticket & boat show \"discount\" prices

[ QUOTE ]

I went on the first weekend. Got woken up at 9am this saturday from a salesman at the show on his mobile. doing a follow up call wanting to arange a test sail, obviously thought i was interested in buying a Dufour 44. Business at the show must of been bad this year.

[/ QUOTE ]

Hi

I was working on the Dufour stand see here and this SIBS was absolutley cracking for us. 14 boats in one deal alone to a charter company, and a record number of private deals. Sorry one of our guys called you in error, but we do try and take seriously people who express an interest in the Yachts.
 
Re: SIBS: ticket & boat show \"discount\" prices

Have not been to SIBS for about 15 years, but have noticed that Sailing Today usually have a deal of buy 2 tickets get one free for both London and Southampton shows.
 
Re: SIBS: ticket & boat show \"discount\" prices

14 yachts is one deal... well done /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif that must be worth a bob or two...
 
Re: SIBS: ticket & boat show \"discount\" prices

Went yesterday too, we spoke to a couple of the paint firms about painting "Blue" (colour choice not an issue!) and decided which make we would use based on their response to our queries.
But I was disappointed in the stocks on the chandlery stands, and also disappointed at the relative numbers of mobos/yachts; why are there so many more mobo manufacturers these days?
Enjoyed the tour of the lifeboat - hope thats the only time I see the inside of one of those!

And parked at 11am on the ground floor of the Marks & Spencer car park, all day for £5.30, 100yards from SIBS main entrance.
 
Re: SIBS: ticket & boat show \"discount\" prices

This is the first year in 7 that I had to pay for tickets to go to SIBS, ho hum, still went. I do agree though that one shouldn't pay to shop, after all the exhibitors pay a fortune to be there.

If you go to the show expecting to save money or cover the cost of the tickets, I think you may be disappointed.

I was looking at anchor windlasses. It was a good chance to see all the brands and talk to the suppliers, not the chandlers, in one go. After settling on a product(confirming suspicions) I then targeted potential suppliers, they were all there, and established 'rules of engagement' for future purchase, with the swindlry that appeared most likely to do a deal. It is important that in doing this you talk to someone who CAN do a deal, not a boy, we finished up talking to the MD of our prefered supplier. The actual purchase is to take place away from SIBS.

Having said this we did get a good deal on some new Baltic lifejackets, some clothing for SWMBO, deckies for me, and some decent saucepans (why are they so difficult to find?).
 
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