quote:

Originally posted by Ted Dastick Jr.:
Very nice! I really wish Topps would put forth the effort to exhibit at the Philly show - that Adam Bomb fortune teller machine would be awesome!

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Originally posted by Electrawoman Cards f/k/a jane:

quote:

Originally posted by Ted Dastick Jr.:
Very nice! I really wish Topps would put forth the effort to exhibit at the Philly show - that Adam Bomb fortune teller machine would be awesome!

Topps would do well to exhibit at Philly since I had sooooooo many people ask for GPK over the weekend.

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Originally posted by Raven:
I know everyone keeps saying Topps here, but really the old Topps card division doesn't exist anymore. Not that the old Topps might not have been absent either, perhaps they would have been, but no one can say. The name is still on the masthead, but it's Fanatics in charge now, and how committed they are to non-sport products is anybody's guess.

Maybe they don't believe they need to do as much at shows to promote their cards, if the cards are selling out anyway. Heck, if the cards are selling through in Dutch auctions or whatever, they don't need to do anything.

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Originally posted by Ted Dastick Jr.:
There's no way they would incur $10k in expenses to set up a few things at the Philly show.

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Originally posted by Bill Mullins:

quote:

Originally posted by Ted Dastick Jr.:
There's no way they would incur $10k in expenses to set up a few things at the Philly show.

I came up with $10k by rectal extraction, but let's run some number:

Figure a smallish booth, not the sort of big thing that would happen at Comicon or some place. Smaller than this. A display case of product, banners, a couple tables and chairs.

You'd need at least two people. I don't know what Topps pays the sort of folks who run trade show booths, but I wouldn't be surprised by a loaded (salaries + benefits) rate of $100k per year. Assume a 50 week work year, that's 250 days. One person-day of labor is $400. Send two people, that's $800 a day. Just getting to and from the booth means setup Thurs, travel Fri, show Sat + Sun, travel Mon, tear down Tues. 6 x $800 is $4800 labor, assuming no weekend overtime.

Travel expenses: We'll use GSA rates for Philly as a proxy for commercial costs. Hotels are $200 per night per room, plus another $80 for per diem. 3 travel days x 2 persons x $280 = $1680.

Travel: A van plus gas for the weekend is $500 minimum.

Booth equipment (tables, chairs, displays, cases, carpet, lights) -- $1000 rental easy.

Someone's got to coordinate this -- book the booth, book rooms, rent van, rent equipment, cut checks, file travel vouchers on return, pack & unpack equipment booth equipment. Figure one more day's labor -- $400

So we're up to $8380. We haven't allowed for the cost of any product to give away. We haven't designed and printed a custom promo for the show. We haven't brought any guests, like artists. We haven't even paid for the booth. This is just the minimum to show up.

It is not cheap for a company to display at a trade show.

quote:

Originally posted by Ted Dastick Jr.:

quote:

Originally posted by Bill Mullins:

quote:

Originally posted by Ted Dastick Jr.:
There's no way they would incur $10k in expenses to set up a few things at the Philly show.

I came up with $10k by rectal extraction, but let's run some number:

Figure a smallish booth, not the sort of big thing that would happen at Comicon or some place. Smaller than this. A display case of product, banners, a couple tables and chairs.

You'd need at least two people. I don't know what Topps pays the sort of folks who run trade show booths, but I wouldn't be surprised by a loaded (salaries + benefits) rate of $100k per year. Assume a 50 week work year, that's 250 days. One person-day of labor is $400. Send two people, that's $800 a day. Just getting to and from the booth means setup Thurs, travel Fri, show Sat + Sun, travel Mon, tear down Tues. 6 x $800 is $4800 labor, assuming no weekend overtime.

Travel expenses: We'll use GSA rates for Philly as a proxy for commercial costs. Hotels are $200 per night per room, plus another $80 for per diem. 3 travel days x 2 persons x $280 = $1680.

Travel: A van plus gas for the weekend is $500 minimum.

Booth equipment (tables, chairs, displays, cases, carpet, lights) -- $1000 rental easy.

Someone's got to coordinate this -- book the booth, book rooms, rent van, rent equipment, cut checks, file travel vouchers on return, pack & unpack equipment booth equipment. Figure one more day's labor -- $400

So we're up to $8380. We haven't allowed for the cost of any product to give away. We haven't designed and printed a custom promo for the show. We haven't brought any guests, like artists. We haven't even paid for the booth. This is just the minimum to show up.

It is not cheap for a company to display at a trade show.

I think you're shooting for the stars, here. This does not need to be a massive comic-con setup. In past Philly shows they've had a table, put out some displays, had some signage behind the table and that was about it. They don't need to go whole hog here, just show up!

I don't know what it costs for a table for a manufacturer, but Topps would probably want 2. Load up the stuff into a small van, send 2 employees with the van, give them off Monday and Tuesday since they're working Saturday and Sunday... this is not a huge expense.

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Originally posted by catskilleagle:
I don't think Topps would print special promos for every show. They cut back on promos in general at least ten years ago It's an extra expense on top of the travel cost and the show cost even if they are just sending "two guys in a van." It seems the company realized years ago that people going to the Philly show were already buying their products. They want go to a Comic-Con to let a wider segment of the collector population, potential customers, know what they have face-to-face. They'll go all-out for that.

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Originally posted by Ted Dastick Jr.:

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Originally posted by catskilleagle:
I don't think Topps would print special promos for every show. They cut back on promos in general at least ten years ago It's an extra expense on top of the travel cost and the show cost even if they are just sending "two guys in a van." It seems the company realized years ago that people going to the Philly show were already buying their products. They want go to a Comic-Con to let a wider segment of the collector population, potential customers, know what they have face-to-face. They'll go all-out for that.

For them to tack on a few thousand cards to an existing run would incur little to no additional expense. They already do cards for the show, what's one more to have at their table? Plus they send door prizes.

They have a massive presence at The National convention, where every single person walking in already knows Topps. Something like Comic-Con is definitely beneficial to reaching a new audience. All I'm asking is that they SHOW UP here! When a company like Cryptozoic can send someone across the country to set up, there is ZERO reason why Topps can't do the same when it's practically in their backyard.

And back to Bill's points, I think you're still overestimating, but I don't want to argue that any more. I have also planned out trade show setups for my day job. Setting up at the Philly show doesn't have to blow any budgets.