Posted on 01/22/2013 4:21:47 PM PST by Second Amendment First
The Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show is billed as the largest show of its kind in North America. But after the event made a decision to ban assault weapons and high capacity magazines, it may now lose that title.
"We felt that getting involved last year was a good business decision. It has a lot of coverage, a lot of exposure," said Ben Bode of Trop Gun Shop in Elizabethtown.
Trop was one of the first vendors to boycott the show, and their customers responded. Trop's Facebook page exploded with 'likes', they received letter, faxes and praise from clients.
But that's not the case for the nine-day-long show, which is scheduled to begin on February 2.
Since the announcement of the ban, this Facebook page calling for a boycott already has nearly 10,000 likes. This is the Facebook list of vendors that have pulled out; more than 175 along with 20 celebrity speakers.
"While it was certainly a big decision, we could not rectify participating in something like that with an organization that is not supporting our second amendment rights." Bode said.
We did ask Bode at Trop Gun Shop if the store would consider going back to the Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show if the organizers dropped the ban. And he said no, the damage has been done.
The show has about 1200 vendors, so about 15% are gone.
It wouldn’t surprise me if Dick’s Sporting Goods will be there. Those guys sold ARs for a couple of months (great sales figures by the way) and then collapsed to political correctness after the Sandy Hook crime.
how many are presold?
How many there will be fat old unionistal elderly looking at RV’s?
How many there will be fishermen who hate hunters in general?
How many will be reporters spewing MSM propaganda?
Exhibitors are already invested, attendees are not. It's easier for an attendee to skip than for a vendor to skip. Just saying, I think attendance will be off by a bigger fraction than the percentage of boycotting vendors. If 15% of the vendors boycott, maybe 25-30% of the attendees will.
And some of the attendees now know the name "Reed", and will be looking for it, as long as they live.
Before I get slammed, I have to agree with you.
I think this last election stinks. And IMHO, it was boosted via electronic voting machine.
They were hacked.
Can’t prove it, got no evidence, but like you, when I traveled a HEAVILY democrat district here in Coal Country PA, that had miles and miles of yard signs (not on public property, but in the yards of homes) that said: “Stop the War on Coal, Fire Obama.” (many of those signs are STILL up) I really thought it was over for him.
These were his own people. Voted for him first time out.
I was really surprised the day after, and still have a bitter taste that this illegitimate, undocumented president won term 2 by computer fraud.
That’s very disappointing as I own a Victory and I love my bike. I suppose Polaris is there to sell their utilities to hunters and the like. They probably did not factor in the AR ban and the reaction to it when they committed to participating in the show. I will be sending them an e-mail encouraging them to not participate.
Pols in DC had better see the support and unity of the AR!
This is an entire thread devoted to following the boycott and who to call etc.
I think you are right.
Too many people go there for too many different reasons.
Only a hand full of campers and anglers will give a flying trout fly patooti about the “gun guys.”
Bottom line, show WILL GO ON! Now, question is, will they rethink their stupidity in the future?
After all, Cabellas is a BIG chunk of change. Will take almost a couple hundred ma and pa fly fishing vendors to make that one up!
LOL, I would LOVE to be in the board meeting when this fiasco is discussed and EVERYONE looks down the table at the wizard of pc smart who cooked this one up! “But you SAID the public would be on OUR SIDE! IDIOT”
I personally think some marketing moron is going to be looking for a new gig.
Wait, what? It’s not ALL fake is it?
Seriesly, when “We The People” want something to happen, we usually get it. We just need a leader.
http://mynortheastoutdoors.com/esos-boycott-supporters/
A list of boycotting companies. It will hopefully grow.
Ha Ha!
Yes I know how to use Google, but on my schedule not to unravel an incomptent story. Nothing is that interesting.
Rhetoric? Reed (the show organizer) changed the rules at the last minute to forbid the sale or display of so-called 'assault weapons', which adversely affected many of the firearms dealers and manufacturers who'd booked space at their show.
If they won't be allowed to display and sell their best selling goods, what is the point of following through by attending? They're going to be financially injured by Reed's last minute decision. I'll bet dollars to donuts that some of these companies already have letters from their attorneys en route to Reed's offices.
I don’t know LOL
I don’t look at that stuff.
Although only 150 vendors out of 1200 have dropped out, the bottom will fall out of this show, as it should very soon.
Protestors are the next platform.
Those strechpants overweight rv / fisher peoples will really not want to run that gauntlet even if there is free parking now.
when s&w was almost destroyed it was british investors that did the bonehead choices.
too bad there is no venue for a competing show.
The paid for a table not a propaganda position.
The article says 175. The last list I saw was 200, and the list is growing.
I read something about Reed Exhibitions making a statement today or tomorrow, but I have not seen it.
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