[SGVLUG] La "computer fair" only at Pomona now?

[Solomon K. Chang]

It seemed the only profitable booths were the vendors in the adult-only section with their colorful, oversized boxes catering to any possible taste.  You'd find yourself buying something from there at the spur-of-the moment, and then regret it later, wondering what your parents/spouse/roommate would think if they accidentally ran across those DVDs.

Um, er, or so I've heard.  From other people.  Who were not me.  Yeah.

I did wonder what they were doing at a computer show, though.  What killed the fair was that other, non-computer related vendors were slowly filtering in.  Sword vendors.  Shoe vendors.  Guys selling flashlights in all kinds of creative patterns.  Ugh.  I'll stick with Newegg.

Even though they don't have an adult section.


--- On Thu, 3/19/09, Stan Slonkosky <stan.ke6zc at gmail.com> wrote:

> From: Stan Slonkosky <stan.ke6zc at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [SGVLUG] La "computer fair" only at Pomona now?
> To: "SGVLUG Discussion List." <sgvlug at sgvlug.net>
> Date: Thursday, March 19, 2009, 5:10 PM
> The main competitor to LA Computer Fair in this area was
> megashow.com
> , which had shows in Glendale, Northridge and a few other
> places.
> Their web site says there will be no more computer shows
> until further
> notice.
> 
> In the last few years of my going to the Pomona
> Computerfair, I got
> the impression that it was slowly dying out. I used to buy
> an annual
> pass every year, but my last pass ran out a year ago and I
> haven't
> been back since. Vendors were complaining about the high
> cost of a
> booth ($800, but I see they've now lowered it to $495)
> making it hard
> for them to break even. Some vendors came only once to
> introduce their
> products. It was interesting to learn about new products.
> While I
> prefer to be able to look things over before I buy it, the
> prices from
> online vendors were about the same or lower and they had a
> greater
> selection. Quite often, the Computer Vendors might have
> sold what I
> needed/wanted, but didn't bring it along to the show.
> 
> I now buy mostly from Mwave, Newegg, PCMall/MacMall and
> Amazon.
> 
> I haven't been to ACP in over 10 years, so I don't
> know how well that
> one is going.
> 
> TRW (the signs now say Northrup/Grumman) on the last
> Saturday of the
> month doesn't really have a lot of computer stuff and a
> lot of it is
> used. Chino Hills High School (3rd Saturday of the month)
> has even
> fewer computer items, also mainly used.
> 
> My observation of Microcenter is that their prices are
> usually higher
> than Fry's, I usually go to Irvine a couple of times a
> week and thus
> pass by, but usually I don't even bother getting off
> the freeway.
> -- 
> Stan Slonkosky