|
It was great to see everyone at the show this year, including some new faces whom we shall talk more about shortly, although there were those who didn’t attend and we missed them a lot. At the top of that list is Sandie, our much loved and hard working treasurer/secretary who is still dealing with her family situation and was unable to be there with us. Sorely missed, we hope and pray that things will continue to get better for her and that she will be back with us soon. With a newfound respect for how much she really does do for us, it is much clearer to me that I should have thanked her more often for her hard work. THANKS SANDIE!!
Statistically speaking, the show has been somewhat contradictory this year. With only 276 patrons through the door for the weekend it looks bleak, but when you consider that there were 98 knives sold all up then your perspective on the success of the show changes a little. It means that there was an approximate average of 4 knives sold per maker, and a knife was sold for about every three people that came through the door. When you look at it like that, it doesn’t matter how many patrons we attract because the ones that make us the happiest are the buyers, right? Along that vein, it appeared that everyone was happy with the minor change that was introduced allowing makers to have a few items of jewellery on their table to sell, most who did this sold some pieces and added to their overall sales tally, including Karim who didn’t actually sell any jewellery but did sell a forge! Well done, and keep up the good work with your workshops, Karim. Also, thanks must go to Karim for the continuing excellence of the Guild website which is only going to become a more valuable resource for members and non-members as time progresses.
A special congratulations must go to first-show-displayer and Probationary Member, Brett Holmes, who sold all of the knives he put out for sale on the first day of the show! Brilliant result, Brett, and under the not-hand-holding tutelage of Peter (I wasn’t allowed to call him Almighty) Del Raso, you can look forward to much of the same success in the future. Well done!
There was a lot of interesting feedback after the performances of our sword-swallower, Baroness Mischa, who both delighted and nauseated young and old alike with her rather alarming talent, and it is our plan that she will be coming back next year to continue her mesmerizing demonstrations of gastronomically intimidating partial cutlery consumption. And to think I have trouble swallowing a panadol tablet.
Another thing which we were also pleased with was the number of patrons who heard our ad on 3AW which had been done for us at a very competetive rate, and it is also something which we plan to continue with for next year as it had by far the widest-reaching effect of any of our advertising forms to date.
It was a tight race for some of the awards this year, but it came out as follows:
- Art Knife - Maurie McCarthy
- Folder - Branko Giljevic
- Small Game - John Jones
- Forged - Shawn McIntyre
- Utility - Peter Del Raso
- Hunter - Peter Del Raso
- Fixed Blade - John Jones
- Kitchen - Ally Bastian
- Damascus - Shawn McIntyre
- Tactical - Tied Shawn McIntyre/Peter Del Raso
- Table Display - Barry Gunston
See the gallery for pictures of the winning knives. Interesting results, congratulations to you all and we hope that Peter and Shawn will come to an agreement soon in their custody battle for the Tactical Medallion. Congratulations must also go to Khane, the winner of our knife raffle who came to collect the prize himself and was presented with it by the maker, Peter Del Raso, the young man rather beside himself with excitement over the whole thing. Best $2 he ever spent.
Almost as much excitement was displayed by the Annual Guild Ladies Market Buy Everything group who enjoyed themselves grandly at the Vic. Markets, at one stage in danger of being parted from the group, the distress call of ‘Handbag Sale!’ soon bought them all together smartly and crisis was averted. Thanks ladies, for your shopping enthusiasm and for helping us on the front table this year, and thanks too, Tom, who isn’t a lady but helpful anyway.
As many of you know, this will be the last year that we run the show and it will then go over to the capable direction of Peter and Shawn, so we would like to thank you for your help and involvement in all that we’ve done and we’ll see you next year!
Adam & Terri. |
