[TheForge] Conference electricity

[Bruce Freeman]

Jerry,
Yeah, Disneyland went through stages.  I remember the
ticket books too.  We used to save those ride tickets
from one visit to the next - they didn't lose their
value.  (I lived a few miles from Anaheim for many
years.)  But when you paid general admission, you got
a few tickets with it.  Then we'd trade off tickets,
as those "A" tickets were only good for the little
kids' rides!

ANYWAY, a divided conference is a good idea to an
extent.  It has to be enforced by someone, and no one
wants "cops" around.

That's why I prefer the idea of having one open day
for tourists - the general public.  Make that a
weekend day.  Have a few spectacular demonstrations
going on that day:  A coal fire demo complete with
buring steel ("oops") and forge-welding with lots of
sparks.  A three-striker sword-shaped-object-forging
demo.  A power hammer display with a lot of radical
forging going on.  Then too a continuous lesson on the
elements of forging - drawing out, bending, upsetting,
cutting and welding, that draws the public up to an
area where they can try it themselves.  Of course,
display "halls" would be open to tourists that day too
(display cases tightly locked!).

That same day, have Peter Ross demonstrating something
like his five-leaf compass that he blithely creates
with hammer and anvil as if anyone could do it!!! 
I.e., absolutely nothing to grab the public's
attention, but mesmerizing to blacksmiths.

Bruce

--- Jerry Frost <frosty at customcpu.com> wrote:

> Agreed Bruce. No nickle dime, it's enough to keep me
> 
> away too.
> 
> I remember going to Disneyland, (the original in 
> Anaheim, Ca.), paying admission, then hitting the 
> ticket booth(s) for ride/show tickets. If you bought
> a 
> book you got a break and there were different books 
> offering different ranges of tickets, A thru E.
> (This 
> is where the term, "E ticket ride" came from) As the
> 
> years went by they started selling packages, a
> little 
> later they started renting the park to organizations
> 
> like high schools, etc.
> 
> Now you pay one large price and do whatever you want
> 
> to. (I guess; I haven't been to Disneyland in better
> 
> than 35 years) The downside to this is the poor
> schmoe 
> who is just taking the kid/s and doesn't intend to
> do 
> any rides him/erself but has to pay the full price 
> anyway.
> 
> As (I think) I mentioned packages would be
> available. 
> Thinking again, (thanks for bringing up Disneyland!)
> 
> the easy (maybe) way to do it would be to sell books
> of 
> coupons good for admission to various events. 
> Incentives to buy packages and coupons in advance
> would 
> as always be discounted prices. Pay at the gate
> should 
> still be allowed but more pricey.
> 
> This would help filter the spectators and keep them
> out 
> from under the feet of the serious smiths. On the
> other 
> hand letting spectators watch some of the BIG
> machines 
> treat BIG iron like silly putty might just put the
> fire 
> in their eyes. <grin>
> 
> Bottom line for me is not making a conference a
> closed 
> affair.
> 
> Frosty
> -------------------------------
> If it ain't forged
> it ain't real.
> Wrought iron is.
> The FrostWorks
> 
> Meadow Lakes, AK.
> 
> http://www.artmetalradio.com/
> 
> From: "Bruce Freeman" <FREEMAB at pt.fdah.com>
> 
> 
> Frosty,
> Great ideas.
> 
> But I, for one, hate being
> nickle-and-dimed-to-death. 
> If I pay $35 "general admission", I expect to see 
> everything.  That's how Disneyland does it!
> 
> Hence, I suggest that all charges be posted on
> entering 
> or in advertisements.  That way folks know in
> advance 
> what exactly they're paying for.
> 
> Then we could post you at your forge as shill
> outside 
> the closed blacksmiths demo area, with some sweet
> young 
> things selling the $50 admission tickets to that 
> area...
> 
> Bruce
> NJ
> 
> 
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