Taken with Koopowitz's recent editorial in 'The Orchid Digest' it appears
some societies are moving away from the 'show' aspect of their annual fund
raisers and only having the 'sale' portions. Two of the societies in the
CalSierra region hold sales instead of shows. I believe both are held in
conjunction with large home and garden shows. The DVOS had their show in
October, did not buy any plants as a society, only sold member's plants and
took a cut from the vendor (like what Pat was saying). We made more $$ than
in any previous year. We tried 1) being a vendor and having other vendors,
2) being the only vendor and 3) this time selling society members plants and
letting vendors sell. To us it looks like #3 is the winner. Also we
advertised the heck out of the show with signs placed at just about every
intersection in town. Lo tech.

I like Pat's comment that the local show may act only to whet the public's
appetite for orchids, so they then go off to Trader Joe's and buy their
plants. I suppose one would have to wonder where does one's sympathies lie?
As a Board member I wanted more members to come to the meetings. But as I
write this, maybe the club makes more money from the sale than they do from
the members and so why spend so much energy on the least productive portion
of the Club's income? If a club was to be run as a business then members,
newsletters and meetings are a loss leader. The real money comes from
auctions and sales.

I dunno, I'm just talking off the top of my head here, and I think I just
scared myself. *G*. Where's that dang 'Matrix' when you need it?

One of my friends eyes the progress of big box stores as a good thing.
Finally time for the vendor to finally make some decent money. But then
he's on the *Big* side of the business. He wholesales to box stores. To
him the debate is one of Darwinism. If you can't compete then get out of
the way. I suppose its the same way in any ag business. The little niche
growers vs the multinational conglomerates. I suppose our local societies
could be thought of as the Chez Panisses of the restaurant world, insisting
on the freshest most organic of foods for our restaurant's clientele who are
willing to pay the price. (Hmmm... there may be a newsletter article in
that notion...)

K Barrett