The Woodworking Show -- Indy

[Mike Brady]

For something to do on a cold Saturday, I went by myself to the Indy (Indianapolis) The Woodworking Show.  The show hasn't been here since the start of Covid, and was held at the usual location, the Indiana State Fair Grounds.  There was a modest turnout of attendees and visitors.  

Hand tools were absent, except for one guy with a nice selection of vintage tools.  We had a good conversation and he advised me to check out the MWTCA shows in Indiana.  I recall Lee Valley always being at this show in prior years, but no so today.  Woodpeckers had a large booth of all-red tools and quite a few customers.  If there was a recurring theme at this show, it was live-edge slabs.  Lots of those.  The other recurring theme was automated power tools of various sorts.  Just hit the button and watch them make something.

I was there maybe an hour and bought nothing; although it was $26, with parking, to get in the door.

[C. in Indy]

Thanks, Mike

The last couple of times I went, I only bought pen-turning blanks.   I also enrolled in the Int'l Wood Collectors Society.  Their magazine can be a little dry, but there's usually something pretty interesting in each issue; they really are international.

[Bill Holt]

The Woodworking Show has not been to the Dallas area in many years.  Have to admit, last time they were here, I didn't spend a lot of money.  But I really enjoyed the event.

[AHill]

I stopped going to those shows when the content was less about woodworking tools and more about junk tools. Large tables of Chinese bits and pieces. Home improvement items, etc. I remember when most of the major power tool suppliers were there (Jet, Powermatic, Delta, Laguna, etc.) and you had both Lie-Nielsen AND Lee Valley. Back in the day, LN actually brought inventory where you paid for a tool and actually got the tool there. LV offered free shipping, but had a lot of their tools available for demos.

[ajkoontz]

I'm local to Indy and *almost* went this year. Glad I stayed home after hearing your report, it's a shame what these shows have become. Good advise on MWTCA. I let my membership lapse but I need to get back into that group.

[Admiral]

There's one scheduled in NJ for February 10, website has no vendor listing for the event, strange. I'll think I'll pass.

[Handplanesandmore]

The show has gone downhill long before the pandemic. The best ones were those held before 2010. G. Blackburn and later Paul Sellers did the handtool demos there. Classes in the old days were all free. I met Norm Abram there.

If you like hotdog food and hotdog show (sawstop), and wouldn't mind paying over $25, you can kill a morning or a day there. Handtool vendors are mostly absent because LV hasnt resumed its tradeshow participation.

Simon

[Mike Brady]

Does anyone know how the red exclamation mark got placed at the front of my post title?  That was not intended.  The show wasn't  that bad!

[Handplanesandmore]

Not bad for several groups of people including those who haven't been to such shows, those with low expectations, and those who have never been to the good old shows held before the current show owner took over the business, when there were more than double if not triple the no. of exhibitors. Old-timers know what I'm talking about. Oh, not only seminars were free, so was parking at many of the locations.

Simon

[Stwood_]

I started attending when they were having the shows at Bartal? Hall in KC. Probably went 20 years without missing one, either a KC show or IL show. Sometimes both KC and IL.
Used to attend the breakfast meets before the shows. Members here and from other forums.
Then about 2015 or so, the attendance went down, had to pay parking, entry fees went up. Vendor showing was pitiful.
Last one I attended was on the Kansas side of KC.
That's when the junk really showed up. Half the show was filled with used, leftover, old stock, china made crap. And no bargains, show prices. There was only one machinery dealer, Powermatic.