doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Off to Vintagers...

Bill: I can't speak for John, but for me Easton Maryland is a very long drive and there's not much to see there other than the Vintager's. I've been several times and enjoyed each time. The Parker get-together was O.K. too. There are pleanty of "tired old doubles at inflated prices" already there so there's no need to include mine. I can sell as many as I want right here from home. I was going this year but something came up that I couldn't avoid. If I lived in Maryland as you do I most certainly would have been there. To imply that I have "financial woes" is most unfair, untrue and beneath the man that I believe you to be.I am disapointed.

Best Regards, George

You have brought up some valid reasons for not attending the Vintagers. However, to wind those reasons into "The Vintagers is going down the tubes." is ridiculous. How about "Rick Hemingway's shoot is going down the tubes because Murphy is not going." which would be equally ridiculous. OH! I probably will go to Rick's shoot as always. By the way, you and John did cite your financial woes as the reason you are not going to the Vintagers; the inability to make a profit.

Yes, thats right eight bore. I go because it would be a business decision and it would have to make sense. Its not a couple of goof off days as it is for you.


John Boyd

Bill: If you kindly reread John's & my post I believe that neither he or I said or implied that Ray's event "was going down the tubes" I believe that we both stated that it was just too far away from us to haul a bunch of guns there & then haul most of them back. Ray has a fine event and a lot of effort is put forth to make it so. I plan to go next year but I don't plan to set up. Will you be set up at Backwoods at the end of this month or will you be there to shoot and look at the guns?

Best Regards As Always.....George

According to the US Patent and Trademark office website the trademark "THE VINTAGE CUP WORLD SIDE-BY-SIDE CHAMPIONSHIPS AND EXHIBITION" is owned by the Order of Edwardian Gunners, aka the Vintagers, which is a Vermont nonprofit corporation. By law, no one "owns" a nonprofit corporation. The board and members control a nonprofit organization according the bylaws, and the organization must serve the interest of either the public or its members.

The Board members of the Order of Edwardian Gunners are listed as:

Officer 1 RAYMOND S M POUDRIER
Officer 2 FRANK CONROY
Officer 3 CHRISTOPHER GILGUN
Officer 4 JACK DUDLEY

Please be careful about about what you say about a nonprofit corporation. The IRS and state AG's are all cracking down on misuse of nonprofits these days and misstatements like that above can cause real problems for a nonprofit, its board and members.

$20 is too much? A local hubba bubba gun show complete with jerky, Bennie babies, web gear, cheap jewelry, and lots if not mostly black plastic guns and "tactical accessories" will cost $12-$15 around here.
Pay the extra $5 and be happy you can see a lot of nice doubles

... or for $0 you can see even more fine guns and vendors at the Southern SXS shoots. Or you can get into the Great Northeast SXS shoot or the Orvis Cup for free and see fine guns as well.

I don't think its a coincidence that those events are growing each year, while the Vintage Cup continues to shrink.

I'm a Vintager member and shooter, so they don't charge me to get in, so it's not my wallet I'm concerned about.

What bothers me is the gate fee basically only hits visitors and new people, who are the very people we should be the most welcoming to, particularly given that new people haven't exactly been beating our door down to get in lately.

I've encouraged a number of new people over the years to come and find out why its a great event and it certainly doesn't help to have to tell them that they must fork out $20 per person per day for themselves and their family members just to find out if its something they would like to get involved in.

I'm sure its also frustrating for vendors, who are charged almost twice as much or more for their booths at the Vintage Cup as they are charged at the other SXS shoots, to have to tell any customers they invite to come see a gun that they will have to pay $20 just to visit their booth.

I really enjoy the Vintage Cup. It bothers me that I've been attending the Vintage Cup for almost ten years and each year there are fewer people and fewer vendors -- and that I am still one of the youngest people attending. I don't want to be one of the ones left behind to turn out the lights.

I'd like to see some changes to make the event more attractive to new people and more vendors, so the Vintage Cup can grow like the other SXS shoots have been. I think that should be a key goal of our little nonprofit group.

If the for-profit SXS shoots can make it cheaper for people and vendors to attend - and are growing - I can't figure out why the nonprofit shoot can't as well.