Buying at Pennsic Instead of Online

[Valstarr Hawkwind]

Are prices for items bought from merchants at Pennsic typically higher, lower, or the same as when you purchase them normally from them off of net sales?

How (shopping money wise) 'mad' is Midnight Madness at Pennsic? Some true specials?


Val

[Agnarr]

Are prices for items bought from merchants at Pennsic typically higher, lower, or the same as when you purchase them normally from them off of net sales?

How (shopping money wise) 'mad' is Midnight Madness at Pennsic? Some true specials?


Val

I have found lower to the same. Never higher.

[losthelm]

the things I look for at pennsic usualy are about the same price. costs after midnight madness realy depend on what type of sales the different merchants are running. Some will cut prices below cost on one or two items and moderate sales on the rest of there stock.

[UlrichvR]

As a merchant my online prices are the same as at Pennsic. We like to think we have very competitive and realistic prices. At an event though you can probably get things a little cheaper because we have a motto "haggling is period!" If we are close to a price with you we will always haggle

Midnight madness we always have sales. We don't want to take stock home...bottom line. Tha caveat to that is, if you think you can wait until midnight madness to get the item you want because its cheaper then, it most likely won't be there. Many customers have come back to my booth to get that special piece of armor to only have someone else already buy it. Thus leaving sad and kicking themselves for not getting it when they had the chance.
Example, at Gulf Wars this year we sold 11 helms before midnight madness. We only had 3 left on the rack for the sale. @ cents from the merchant perspective. Regards, Ulrich

[Baron Eirik]

I usually run the same prices at events as I do online. If I do get a deal on the Pennsic or Gulf Wars shipment, I'll pass that along for the whole event.

[Maeryk]

yeah, in my experience the prices are the same, opening day, as online. In a number of cases, they drop steadily throughout the war, with some people getting to an "any reasonable offer" level by the end of the war, cause they just don't want to pack it up and take it home.

Mid-Mad is cool.. people get really dressed up, and it's worth your life to be able to even move in the marketplace. There are some amazing sales, and some that I swear mark _UP_ for the event, but it's a lot of fun.

As long as some asshat isn't sending paper lanterns with burning candles in them soaring overhead again this year.. that was a bit stupid.

[Corcran mac Diarmata]

Plus if you by at Pennsic, you don't pay shipping, or have to wait. And with some items and merchants, if what you buy doesn't fit, they are able to alter it on site for you.

[schreiber]

It's been my experience that if at the beginning of war I find a single example (or even two or three) of something that I really have to have, then I either buy it that second, or stand there with my hand on it until someone fetches my wallet.

Years ago I tapped some funds to really start my shop, and I couldn't be there for opening day of merchants - so I sent two trusted friends to raid Ironmonger's tent the second he started selling. I only got there a day later, but it's the way it had to be, if I wanted to be sure of getting certain things.

On the other hand, there are a lot of tents that usually have three six-foot tall piles of the same puke-colored hat. If you wanted one of them, it only makes sense to wait.

It's all about supply and demand, which is sometimes hard to gauge. It helps to know what stuff is worth outside of war. I usually try to gauge based on that, and how many are at war. I also gauge based on how much I want it - I'm a big believer in the idea of merchants charging the "it's right here for sale right now and you could own it in sixty seconds" premium.

[Duke Icefalcon]

Not everyone runs great sales during the year, so their might not be much difference between what you can get online and what you can get at war. The larger merchants with the huge stocks will give their best deals during the slow season on line.

Getting your hands on the armor and trying it on for fit is worth it. Go through the merchants on the first day to get unique and one of a kind items before someone else gets it. . Go again towards the end to pick up some deals.


Shop early- shop often.

[Maeryk]

Not everyone runs great sales during the year, so their might not be much difference between what you can get online and what you can get at war. The larger merchants with the huge stocks will give their best deals during the slow season on line.

Getting your hands on the armor and trying it on for fit is worth it. Go through the merchants on the first day to get unique and one of a kind items before someone else gets it. . Go again towards the end to pick up some deals.


Shop early- shop often.

Shop.. IceMart?

[Angusm0628]

Also one other advantage to buying at Pennsic.. Being able to talk to the maker his/herself.
I bought several things online only to have to modify them up to fit (I was impatient). If nothing on the shelf fits how you want it to, you have the option of saying "I like these but they need to fit this way".. whereupon you get to haggle over modifications and pricing.

I like my stonekeep arms a lot.. I wish I could have seen Mike face to face so he could have seen how the fit needed to be done.

[Tibbie Croser]

Duke Andreas, are you bringing samples of your rapier helms? I really hope to see one in person, as I have a hard time judging pictures on the Internet.

[Mykaru]

Val,

Your case is rather special. Something to fit *you*, well it is probably a mistake they are trying to unload. OTOH Pennsic is *the* biggest opportunity to move that "accidentally beyond the pale oversize" piece.

In other words, it's probably a mistake you can get a deal on, but don't expect you'll be the only one it will fit and you can come back later.

[sha-ul]

Not everyone runs great sales during the year, so their might not be much difference between what you can get online and what you can get at war. The larger merchants with the huge stocks will give their best deals during the slow season on line.

Getting your hands on the armor and trying it on for fit is worth it. Go through the merchants on the first day to get unique and one of a kind items before someone else gets it. . Go again towards the end to pick up some deals.


Shop early- shop often.

<s>Shop.. IceMart?</s>

Be smart, shop IceMart / shop smart, shop IceMart

[Duke Icefalcon]

Duke Andreas, are you bringing samples of your rapier helms? I really hope to see one in person, as I have a hard time judging pictures on the Internet.

I cannot keep these in stock. I am all sold out at the moment. There is slight possibility that we might have one done for Pennsic....

[Stonekeep]

The biggest reason I never sell at events anymore is I couldnt sell at the same prices that I do online without taking a loss..

[Stonekeep]

If i ever do an event again, I would probably only carry a big load of spring stainless just to showcase it..