plansrme Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Have you attended one of these that persuaded you to buy the vendor's product? Or not buy a product you were previously considering? If so, which ones? Sometimes, I think I would love to be sold on a program. If someone out there needs 45 minutes to make a good-enough case for their product, I might be willing to listen. Terri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Hm, maybe La Clase Divertida, when my kids were small? I didn't know a lot about it going in, and wasn't really looking for a Spanish product at the time. Most times when I've attended things like this, I was already more than half-way sold on a product... The "Violin Book" lady nearly suckered me in. ;) I find it difficult to resist her spiel. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Hm, maybe La Clase Divertida, when my kids were small? I didn't know a lot about it going in, and wasn't really looking for a Spanish product at the time. This was my answer! :tongue_smilie: When my youngest dd was about 6 years old, I went to a convention in Atlanta. I spoke to Senor Gamache in the vendor hall and he was so personable and made his product look so good. I had no intention of buying a Spanish program but I walked out with it. My youngest dd enjoyed it for a while, but we didn't stick with it. There was no particular reason we didn't, we probably just got bored. We rarely did programs all the way through when the kids were younger. But I do remember it being fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avila Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 A Rainbow Resource workshop really helped me work through a math issue with my oldest a few years ago. It isn't quite the same thing, since they are a vendor that sells multiple possibilities. But I ended up picking something they don't even sell, and they were still knowledgeable and gracious and helpful in the process. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jec3113 Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 YES!!! I had looked at IEW for about a year off and on. I was terrified of the program b/c it looked so complicated and if I messed up it would be an expensive mistake. Well, Andrew Pudewa spoke at our local convention. I went to ALL his lectures where it was standing room only. I discovered that it really wasn't that complicated, and I KNEW at that point that this was the program we needed. I purchased at convention and have since purchased the Phonetic Zoo and numerous other products from IEW and am more than satisfied with all of them. Better yet, my kids LOVE their products. Hearing AP speak was a turning point in our homeschooling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gooblink Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Yes! Accountable Kids, we used it for a while but my boys outgrew the package. Also, something called Business in a Box. I still have it, but haven't looked at it in years and we never used it. :tongue_smilie: It is a kid's entreprenurial 'kit' that came with a business starting guide, a bunch of forms, and supplies to start a car washing biz. Don't ask, I must have had a generous budget that year. Konos, my first year homeschooling. I had no clue what was out there, but I fell in love with their education philosophy and used it for years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cin Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 UGH yes. I was totally sucked into one of those record keeping programs. It produced report cards, printed out all kinds of beautiful stuff. I emailed them company several times before the DVD finally became a frisbee. A $75 frisbee, I might add. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 I bought the Discovering Music program after seeing Carol Reynolds at the Greenville conference. We're not going to use the program in the way it's intended at my son's age, but we will listen to the music and watch the videos. It'll also be just a good reference. Her presentations aren't a hard sell in any way. I just found her fun to listen to. She reminded me of professors I enjoyed in college. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samiam Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Ha, La Clase Divertida was mine as well!! Snr Gamache must be one heck of a salesman,lol!! We ended up only doing a few lessons, and then I finally sold it. Nothing wrong with the curriculum, more just about the point I was in life at that time (7 year old, crazy 3 year old, pregnant, and hubby out of town for work alot). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaMa2005 Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Yes, at Greenville I attended an Aerobics for the Mind session. They were describing the games they produce. They let US play the games. I was sold and walked out of their session, to the exhibit hall, and bought their game. Since we have been home, we have played it daily and I consider it money well spend. Here is their link: http://www.mugginsmath.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mejane Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 No, but I sold people on Teaching Textbooks. ;) Actually, the product sold itself; I simply demo'd it. All the math-phobic parents were very happy to have that particular burden lifted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephanier.1765 Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Absolutely! I discovered the Muggins math game at a convention. The vendor showed us how to play and let us explore the game a bit and we were totally hooked. We played that game daily for years and loved every second of it. On the flip side, I went to the convention to look specifically at certain curriculum and discovered that it was too religious for us to use. I can make a lot of things work but Omnibus was not one of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 (edited) There is a science curriculum that I was interested in, that once I saw it in person, talked to the author, and had a chance to read some of the material....I realized it was waaaaaay to basic for us. It was supposed to be a full high school credit w/lab, but I wouldn't count it for a basic 1/2 credit (w/o lab credit). I found Journey into Africa at a curriculum fair. It wasn't being presented, but I found it at Area 127 (general vedor). It was one of my kids favorite curricula ever. There are a lot of curricula that I considered, but seeing it in person altered that view. The science one, is the only that I was talked out of by the author's wife. lol Edited March 31, 2011 by Tap, tap, tap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 A Right Start workshop almost sold me on RS. I was happily using Singapore, but I just loved the abacus and all the manipulatives built right into the program. But fortunately I came to my senses... it was too scripted, there was too much type on the page, and I already owned similar manipulatives to almost everything they sold. So I bought an Abacus for each kid, the AL Abacus book, and sold a friend of mine who I knew would be a great fit for the program on RS instead. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Robyn Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Andrew Pudewa's talk at the Cincinnati convention last year sold me on his poetry memorization curriculum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 No. But, two years ago when I went to Cinci, I had SWB autograph my "History of the Ancient World" and picked up a PHP book for my sister in law. SWB was so awesome that had she said, "By the way, I have a bridge in Florida to sell you for a million dollars!" I'd have probably answered, "Let me talk to my bank." Seriously, she's just that marvelous. Faith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca VA Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 I met the couple who runs Lukeion (an online Latin and Greek provider) at the Northern Virginia Homeschool Conference four years ago. They were planning to hold a workshop an hour after I met them, so I went to that. I liked what I saw and heard, and we've used Lukeion ever since. We've even been on three of their annual trips to Italy, Greece, and Turkey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnitWit Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 I'm another one who became enamored by KONOS as a brand new homeschooler. Little did I know that before the year was out I'd be driven to cursing! LOL! I *failed* at KONOS. Just typing the word makes me break out in sweat! That said, I know people who use it and their kids actually learn all kinds of cool stuff. My kids learned that Mom *can* go c.r.a.z.y. over certain things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 Oh, another one. Muggins Math. Seeing someone demonstrate how to play (I didn't attend a session, just at the vendor booth) really sold me on it. I don't like Knock-out, but I luuuurve Muggins. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matrips Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 for me it was that Sue lady who does the workboxes. I heard about them for a long time but didn't really get it. her workshop (at her booth) was fantastic and I got so many ideas. and of course I bought it. great purchase! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeanne in MN Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 Don't know that a vendor "showed" it to me per se, but I saw Igniting Your Writing in passing and listened in on the vendor talking to another person at their booth. I really liked the looks of it and bought it. If Tapestry of Grace weren't so expensive, a vendor could've talked me into that fairly easy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in Neverland Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 IEW Mathusee FIAR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shindig Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 Just bought VideoText Interactive at a convention yesterday. Wasn't planning on buying it, but it looks promising. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmoe Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 Some math memory game sucked me in. I ended up selling it at the next year's convention! :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom2boys Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 Analytical Grammar - after seeing it demo'd at their booth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giftof6 Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 Yes... Tapestry of Grace! Just yesterday, as a matter of fact. I had been looking at it, but thought it would be too hard and too much do mess with. Was planning to go straight Abeka for History. But after the sales rep took LOTS of time to walk me through every piece of it, it's not so intimidating. We're gonna go for it next year. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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