Stirsmommy Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 Finally after three years I am settled in one place and the convention is even in my town. I am going not for the speakers ( I really don't have time) but to go and see all of the vendors and curriculum that I have no access to otherwise. I have already made a list of everything I want to see. Now my question is should I expect better deals there than I would normally get or should I plan just to look and buy later? Are there any tricks to these things? TIA Melissa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FloridaLisa Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 Isn't the anticipation at getting to pick up and leaf through the materials great? Love it. I don't know what convention you are going to, but there will likely be some convention specials. One store I regularly buy from has a 10% off on Thursday night of the convention. I bought the Right Start games package one year at a deep discount because she didn't want to take it back on the plane. Many vendors have boxes of clearance books. And, of course, no shipping! Aside from any discount, I would strongly encourage you to buy from the vendors if you know you will be purchasing that curriculum. The vendors have incurred travel expenses and convention fees to bring you the hard copies. They are sooooo helpful to answer questions and tell you their experience. How disheartening to go to that trouble and then have homeschool patrons go home and buy on-line. I'm all for the competitve marketplace, but I try to cast my dollars to the vendor who brought me the books and took the time to answer my questions. I want to encourage them to come back the next year. :) HTH, Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ekarl2 Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 We are a vendor. I can tell you that we bring stock so that people pay no shipping. We also offer a 10% discount for those who attend our workshop. You'll see all sorts of deals because vendors don't want to drive all their product home again. We want to sell it there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whybenormal Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 I'm with Lisa. I like to give my business to the vendors in person whenever possible. Even if they don't offer a discount there, I've found that it is cheaper to get it at the convention because I don't have to pay shipping. Plus you get that lovely immediate gratification! :D The main advantage I find to going to the convention is seeing the curriculum in person. A lot of times I have my heart set on something that I've only seen online. When I actually get to thumb through it in person, I sometimes see it just won't work for us. Then I usually find something I've never heard of that will work perfectly. Have fun at your convention! I love them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 You can save a bundle! I love looking at the materials from the vendors - esp. Critical Thinking Press, to get a better idea of what might and might not work with my kid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alana in Canada Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 There's this too--last year I was trying to decide whether to do R&S--which I can only see at a convention and GWG--which was brand-new. R&S would be there--so that was OK--but I e-mailed a vendor the GWG site said would carry their materials and asked them if they'd be bringing a copy I could look at. They did and it was so much easier to make my decision after seeing both in person! Make sure you have a great list--and stick to it! You can easily get overwhelmed! www.donnayoung.org has a great form you can fill out and use for surviving the curriculum fair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GothicGyrl Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 Dude, if I had money and went to a convention, I'd be buying there, no doubt about that one. To be able to pick it up, look at it, and then bring it home that day is worth it. I just wish I had money to go to conventions. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Hood Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 Dude, if I had money and went to a convention, I'd be buying there, no doubt about that one. To be able to pick it up, look at it, and then bring it home that day is worth it. My thoughts exactly. To hold it in my hands is to sell it to me. If the convention is large, you might want to puruse the the whole thing first looking at a few items to see how things are priced out, remember who offers discounts and go back and spend some time. No matter what, it is great fun. To hold a book. In your hands. IRL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stirsmommy Posted February 10, 2008 Author Share Posted February 10, 2008 Thanks for all of the replies. I didn't realize RR would be bringing a ton of stuff too so I will have my list ready for them as well. Instant gratification is a huge bonus. I hadn't thought of that. I just knew i really need to see some of the stuff before I buy it. Melissa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 I'd take a catalog so I could double check vendor prices against what a big seller, like maybe RRC, offers. There are deals often offered by various vendors. And you will save on shipping and handling, in general. Regena Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stirsmommy Posted February 10, 2008 Author Share Posted February 10, 2008 I'd take a catalog so I could double check vendor prices against what a big seller, like maybe RRC, offers. There are deals often offered by various vendors. And you will save on shipping and handling, in general. Regena Hadn't thought of that. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whybenormal Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 You might want to take an empty tote bag or backpack, too. Books get heavy and cumbersome to carry! I see a lot of moms actually bringing carry-on size suitcases with handles and wheels or those crates with handles and wheels if they are planning on buying a lot! Some conventions offer a package check station where they will store your bags for you while you shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GothicGyrl Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 whybenormal--I'm giving you rep just because I LOVE your name and ITA!!!!!!!! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deece in MN Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 You might want to take an empty tote bag or backpack, too. Books get heavy and cumbersome to carry! I see a lot of moms actually bringing carry-on size suitcases with handles and wheels or those crates with handles and wheels if they are planning on buying a lot! Some conventions offer a package check station where they will store your bags for you while you shop. This is a good idea, but check the rules before bringing a wheeled cart because some conventions don't allow these. I know that MACHE has not allowed them in the past, I haven't looked at this years policy so not sure if it has changed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 I love to go and look forward to going each year. One of my best suggestions for fairs is this: Before I go, I take a cheap spiral note book and cut out descriptions from catalogs or make notes about what I want to look at. I leave room on the pages for notes that I can add while at the convention. I then use this like a shopping list and take notes along the way. I make notes on what I like and don't like...even on items I buy. It really helps when I get home and read posts by other people talking about what they like about a new program. It can be hard months later to remember the details of what I have seen at a curric. fair. I can then refer back to my notes and remind myself about why I didn't buy something or why I chose to buy something else. I love it now that I have four years worth of notes, that as I am looking for products for my 2nd child, I can remember more personal details about programs. I also add in new items at the fair that I may want to check out later. This is how we ended up using Journey Into Africa. I love this program now but didn't really want to spend the money at the fair on a product that I thought I wouldn't like as well as my first choice. The booth I saw it at didn't have all the pieces and I wasn't really in the market for it when I saw it that day. Well, the first choice came and went so I went back to my notebook, saw JintoA and researched it more. There is no way I would have remembered it later if it wasn't for my notebook. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*anj* Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 Also, you'll want to get to Rainbow early on because they are immensely popular. They get really crowded, and sometimes they run out of things. Our convention starts on a Friday afternoon, and then goes all day Saturday. I find that I'm happiest if I hit Rainbow right away on Friday before it gets too, too crowded. Of course, I have my list prepared in advance and I know which things I'm hoping to buy from them. I love the feeling of having 75% of my curriculum all taken care of in May, instead of scrambling in August. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karenciavo Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 Our convention starts on a Friday afternoon, and then goes all day Saturday. Are you going this year? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*anj* Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 Are you going this year? Yes, especially because of the keynotes! Are you? Can we meet for lunch? :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whybenormal Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 I love to go and look forward to going each year. One of my best suggestions for fairs is this: Before I go, I take a cheap spiral note book and cut out descriptions from catalogs or make notes about what I want to look at. I leave room on the pages for notes that I can add while at the convention. I then use this like a shopping list and take notes along the way. I make notes on what I like and don't like...even on items I buy. It really helps when I get home and read posts by other people talking about what they like about a new program. This is a GREAT idea! I try to make notes, etc., each year, but LOVE your idea of having all the past years' notes in the same book. I'm going to try this! whybenormal--I'm giving you rep just because I LOVE your name and ITA!!!!!!!! :) Woo-hoo! My first rep...and all I had to do was be myself! Thanks! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karenciavo Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 Yes, especially because of the keynotes! Are you? Can we meet for lunch? :D Yes! On both counts. Right now I'm hoping to go Friday by myself and dragging the dh along on Saturday. I want him to hear Scott Somerville. :D I'm hoping Donna (DB in NJ) comes too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*anj* Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 Yes! On both counts. Right now I'm hoping to go Friday by myself and dragging the dh along on Saturday. I want him to hear Scott Somerville. :D I'm hoping Donna (DB in NJ) comes too. Yes! Those are my plans too! Yay!!!! Come on, Donna!!! I'm pretty sure Michele (Classical Michele) will be there too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie in MN Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 You do have to pay tax at convention. If you live in Minnesota, then MACHE has an online form for getting a tax-exempt ID. I'm not sure if other states do this, too. Sometimes the tax and the shipping costs balance out. But I agree with the others -- I want it in my hands AND I want to thank the vendors. Julie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzanne in ABQ Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 Another deal that RR offers: They bring a huge selection, but obviously can't bring everything. If you ask them for what you want, and they don't have it with them, order it from them at the convention. They'll ship it to you for free if you place your order (and pay for it) at the convention. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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