A study in value…
Wes Knodel Centralia
Wes Knodel Tacoma
WAC Puyallup
WAC Monroe
Supports Gun Rights
No
No
$260,000+ in last year
Provides NRA “Refuse to be a Victim” seminars free of charge.
No
No
Yes
Yes
Provides NRA “Refuse to be a Victim” Instructor Development seminars.
No
No
Yes
Yes
Provides NRA “Home Firearms Safety” classes free of charge.
No
No
Yes
Yes
Attendees
2,000 (?)
?
5000
3000
Table Rent
$50
$60-$65
$50
$50
Power
Free
$75
$35
$25
Gate Fee
$9
$10
$6 (April & advance tickets purchased by members through 12/31/14)
$8 ($6 advance tickets purchased by members through 12/31/14)
Supports the Military – Military Discount
$9
$10
$4 April Special (Active & Retired)
- all other shows $4 for *active duty military* only.
$4 April Special (Active & Retired)
- all other shows $4 for *active duty military* only
Children Age Under Free
12
12
16
16
18 Free Show Admission with $40 membership
No
No
Yes
Yes
Parking
Free
Free
Free
Free
Background Check
No
No
Yes
Yes
Onsite Security
1
?
Trained Staff
Puyallup PD
Pierce County Security
Trained Staff
Pierce County Security
After Hours Security
?
?
Puyallup PD
Trained Staff
Accurate Table Rentals
?
?
Yes
Yes
Radio Advertising
No
No
Yes
Yes
Social Media Promotion
No
No
Yes
Yes
Monthly Club Newsletter
No
No
Yes
Yes
Free Classified Ads in Newsletter for Members
No
No
Yes
Yes
NRA Affiliate
No
No
Yes
Yes
Free Firearms Safety Training
No
No
Yes
Yes
Sentiment is all well and good, but sometimes it’s worth looking at dollars and value delivered. Now let us look at dollars – WAC provides a safer environment for vendors and attendees at a price that is identical to or less than the per table cost of a Knodel show, doesn’t charge for power drops (leaked through editing, corrected – ed.), provides after hours security and three levels of “operational hours” security (local Law Enforcement, uniformed security, and WAC security staff).
WAC provides gate and membership discounts to spouses, children, active duty military and youth, and WAC members get free admission to eighteen or more WAC shows each year (roughly $2.25 a show, if you break the numbers out) and will be selling advance gate tickets at $6 each at the WAC office for the remainder of 2014.
In the last year WAC has expended nearly $500,000 on pro-gun rights projects, provides firearms safety training and continued as an NRA Affiliate. No other show organizer, despite the fact they are among the most affected by the I-594/I-591 initiative battle is shown on the WA Public Disclosure Commission website to have made any pro-gun donations – either anti-594 or pro-591.
WAC table holders know that in selling a firearm as a private person to another WAC member that a badge holder has at least been background checked. While that’s no guarantee of eternal good behavior, it’s a good hedge of the bet in the sale of a firearm.
From a table holder view point, the potential value of a show can be measured (in large part) by how many attendees (potential buyers) an organizer puts in front of a table. From a attendee view point worth is often measured by the number and variety of tables, increasing the odds of finding something worth taking home at a price that seems reasonable to the buyer. WAC has the numbers.
WAC supports gun rights, costs less to work with, and offers more benefits. It’s the sensible choice for table renters, members and the general public.
(?) indicates either an absence of data or conflicting data. WAC data was gathered by sitting through many Board meetings and chats with WAC staff. Knodel data was gathered by show attendance, examination of data published on the Knodel website, and observance of physical facility size – specifically, this author doubts that Knodel or anyone else could safely run more than 1,500 persons through the Centralia buildings at a pace allowing actual browsing over the course of a weekend even with liberal use of Crisco and a hydraulic ram. Estimates will be gladly modified upon submission of independently audited data.
- Updated 4/26/14 to include mention of WAC Training & Education benefits at the suggestion of WAC long-time instructor & Vice President Boyd Kneeland. Apologies for not including that in the initial publication. – Ed.
-Updated 4/28/14 upon receipt of query from Vice President Boyd Kneeland. Discovered PDC calculation combined near-matching donations from another group with those from WAC. Corrected immediately.
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