This is a hobby!! Don't worry, be happy!!
I am floored by the negativism from a handful of people. I'm glad to see the people with a grip on life finally speak up and be recognized. This was an opportunity for friends to get together and share the HOBBY they all love. There is absolutely no reason to attend an event with the magnitude of the MR Swap if not for the all encompassing community of the hobby. As so many of the folks who posted here with a clue about life have said, kick back, enjoy, listen to the speakers, join in on the raffle, view corals you would normally not get to see all in one venue.....even if you were SCUBA diving because so many of those corals are from different locations around the world, and buy if you are so inclined.
Expensive some say? I really have to laugh at that one. The swap was a well organized event. If you were to do something else that particular day to occupy your time, maybe you went skiing? Not too expensive
$50-$75 for ONE lift ticket, $30-$40 for rentals if you don't own your equipment, $20-$40 for gas & tolls to get there (as jaa continually complains about), food (because they surely won't give you food and drink for 'only' $50 spent on a lift ticket). You just spent $100-$120 PER PERSON for the same # of hours of enjoyment.
You can always go to a movie for only 2 hours of your day for $12 per ticket, + $10 food + gas/tolls or subway another $10, or parking $20. Remember though, you still have another 6 hours of your day left to spend money on things to occupy your equivalent amount of time.
Not into a movie or skiing? Maybe you want to go bowling? Chelsea Piers is 'only' $7 per game per person. We normally bowl 3 games per person. There's $21 don't forget to add $4 for shoes per person. Still have to get there! Subway, cab, car, whatever.......
A concert? A Yankees game? A
Mets game? Don't get me started on those costs!
Anyway, I think you all get my point by now. The MR swap is an event just like all those other 'events'. The MR swap is run by volunteers for ALL OF YOU to enjoy yourselves. Not paid employees like these other activities. For a whopping $25 which includes lunch, parking at Pratt is free, big deal add the gas and tolls and you're spending less than, or unless you're traveling from a great distance, very rarely equal to any of the activities I've listed above.
I think everybody collectively knows that reefing is an expensive hobby. A $25 entry fee to gather all the vendors in one place for everyone to view and/or buy from so that you don't have to travel from one place to another to another and keep going until you hit about 15 different vendors, then include lunch, speakers, demonstrations, hanging with friends, raffles, etc., and an entire 8 hour fun filled day was had, by most people with a good attitude. Really, that's all it takes. When my wife and I took our kids to Disney World, I can tell you I wasn't a fan of standing on 45 minute to 1 hr lines for a 3 minute ride. Do 5-6 'amazing'
rides for a total of 15-18 minutes of actual rides and spent about $78 per CHILD and $87 per ADULT and it really isn't my idea of a day well spent. Well I put my mind to a certain place, conditioned myself to know I was having fun with my family, and that day on paper that doesn't look all that inviting turned into a lifetime memory of fun. I can't imagine that our MR swap would require such 'pre-conditioning' for someone in the hobby to actually enjoy their day at Pratt with all of us.
Josh, Kathy, Turan (with two boys sprouting their 'wings' no less), Randy, Janine, cupcake (sorry Frank
), and all the same volunteers from each of the last 1/2 dozen swaps did an amazing volunteer job to pull this event off. These people all have 'day' jobs. No one makes money on this event (if any small profit is turned, believe me, the site just sucks that up in a heartbeat), these folks all do it because of the size of their hearts......which is huge. A great group of people that I am proud to call friends.
If all the naysayers were to have seen the first MR swap at Pratt they'd surely have a bit more complaining to do. WE HAD THE ENTIRE SWAP, ALL VENDORS, EVERYTHING, IN RANDY'S OFFICE!!!!!! I think this group of fantastically well intentioned volunteers need to be applauded, thanked and held in the highest regard. For it is through their tireless efforts that we are all able to get together so organized twice per year.
If you have any problems with the way the swap was pulled off, don't complain. Take all that energy you're radiating and volunteer for the swap committee. For it is obviously you that we need to make it better.
One last time, in case I didn't say it, THANK YOU JOSH, KATHY, TURAN, JANINE, TAHL, MIKE, JAMES, FRANK, and please forgive me if I didn't mention your name specifically, I truly do appreciate all of your efforts.
And if there were any doubts about the Fall Swap, Saltwater Critters is now formally responding, we'll be there!!!!
Thank you to all the members as well. The MR members/attendees that were able to visit our booth, Jim, myself, Patrick, and Errol thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
Russ
