[cpw]

Mark,techincally its a Meeting,not open to the public. Its for members and invited guests.I belive it was that way because you cant ban a meeting or the right to assemble.They banned us from Columbus when all the Assualt rifle and semi auto hoopla started with the first Ban.We ended up in Cleveland at the IX center and finally in Wilimgton.Has a few at Springfield and near Sandusky.Just my .02.Columbus was the best.No pre dealing and whoever got there first and had the cash won.It was a larger room with a bunch of smaller ones and things really turned up there.I know it was a long time ago,pre Gunboards,pre internet,before there was so much info available on Mosin Nagants and every thing else..

At Columbus, the bad thing about letting the members in at the same time as the table holders was that it made me (and others) sort of touchy when someone started going thru the bags or boxes before we had put things on the table. Then they started letting table holders in an hour early. Then it was the preceding day and now the preceeding day and the permission to shop with the other table holders.

The best one (I thought) was letting the table holders in an hour early. The table holders did not have time to shop, but had the opporunity to organize things somewhat before gettin pawed over.

 

[cpw]

I would add one comment to this excellent summary. One of the two members vouching for you has to go with you to the membership table to join. You cannot ask for an appication and mail it in. The people vouching for you have to write down how long they have known you and the members will also vote on you during the next meeting. If you get in trouble during your probation period, your sponsors can and probably will be disciplined as well.

The reason you have to physically be present is due to a circumstance that happed in the old Columbus show 20 years ago. Tables were rationed to two per member. One dealer always had four as he shared them with his friend. After many years, a show director got curious as the partner was always out in the van or elsewhere. He went and looked in the van and found out the member, Harry Katz was a nice black and white cat!

That was ingenious.

There was also the guy from the Louisville area who had 10, 12, 14 tables every show. He had 2, his wife had 2, and every person who worked for hm had 2.

 

[cpw]

Mark,techincally its a Meeting,not open to the public. Its for members and invited guests.I belive it was that way because you cant ban a meeting or the right to assemble.They banned us from Columbus when all the Assualt rifle and semi auto hoopla started with the first Ban.We ended up in Cleveland at the IX center and finally in Wilimgton.Has a few at Springfield and near Sandusky.Just my .02.Columbus was the best.No pre dealing and whoever got there first and had the cash won.It was a larger room with a bunch of smaller ones and things really turned up there.I know it was a long time ago,pre Gunboards,pre internet,before there was so much info available on Mosin Nagants and every thing else..

At one time, OGCA let NRA memebrs come into the show upon showing their NRA membership card. But that was before they became picky.