A question for Las Vegans...
 

Or Las Veganites, or whatever it is you are :)? Vegas is such a huge tourist and convention mecca that I've been curious about something. This area (High Point in particular) has been the "furniture capital" for forever it seems, and the semi-annual "furniture market" brings in approx. 80,000 buyers/sellers (industry insiders only), and is simply a HUGE boost to the local economy. In recent years, LV has been attempting to lure it to move, and it's been on the news here recently. My question for you Vegas locals is this, is the "furniture convention" even on the radar for most in Vegas, and is it even a big deal out there? Just curious....

Don't know the city of the subject, but Vegas courts any an all conventions to locate there. It doesn't matter what the content of the convention is, they want it just like most other cities.

Yes, Hugh, I understand that the "content" of the convention doesn't matter to "convention meccas"...Vegas has so many that I wondered if this one was even a blip on the radar.

ps: I haven't posted on your other thread, but those pics you've been posting are awewsome...keep 'em, coming!

80,000 conventioners is an awful lot of people. They lobby the professional association that I am in, which might get 3,000 attendees.

Thanks for the comment about the pics. Its about 1:00 PM here. Not too many people on the board this time of day/night.

If you've never noticed, the board gets a reset around 3:30AM, local pacific time, every morning.

Oh I notice...I'm usually drinking my coffee (6:30 here) and get knocked off 'bout every day I come around :)

My alarm is 0430 here, so I get knocked off just as I get finished with breakfast.

The 'what' of the convention doesn't seem to matter in Vegas. The really big ones can be a nuisance to residents, usually for traffic or restaurants, but most residents don't go near the strip anyway.

The economic benefits are tangible and usually cash.

The pole dancers have a different rating system for conventioneers. It was published in the RJ a couple of months ago. The bible-belt conventions are their busiest time, and best tips.

Bumpity to the top for folks in Vegas....If a few of you would just respond and say you've never even heard of the "furniture market" or convention...I'll know the answer and satisfy my curiousity.

ps: We don't have enough...err "local ladies", for the market around here...they're imported twice a year too :)

I don't live in Vegas, but I did for one year. I can tell you that our convention center here is Long Beach is booked every weekend and most days. I have no idea what goes on down there. So, to ask a resident of a city what they think of a particular convention is moot. To them, all convention goers look the same.

Many years ago, Long Beach was the site of the Job's Daughters convention. Now, that's when all convention goers don't look alike. With a few thousand young ladies in town, it was time for us young lads to be out looking our best in our best rods.

So thought I was going to get to share my best vegan dishes.

Looks to me like they are really going after the convention crowds...built a huge complex, etc. They don't plan to make the furniture in the Vegas area as in Thomasville or Hickory, but sure can entertain potential buyers and sellers.

Las Vegas Market

There is a huge woodworking show for anyone in manufacturing using woodworking machinery. It's in Anaheim near Disneyland. Does it matter where the shows are? Well, sure, if you want people to come. It doesn't need to be near the epicenter of where the customers are located.

They want to get out of town just like anyone else.

The World Market Center is a multi-Billion dolar complex meant to lure the furniture market to Vegas from San Francisco and the OPs neck of the woods. The furniture conventions do NOT get the media that SEMA, Con Ag, or CES get. Other posters are correct, the more pious the conventioners, the more sordid their actions in the many fine adult entertainment establishments...

I didn't even realize SF had a similar "furniture market", and the recent news here has been about the various "permanent showrooms" changing ownership, etc. Fint, it's sad what has become of the furniture industry around here over the past couple of decades. I don't think it exists in Thomasville anymore, High Point is a virtual "furniture ghost town", and I suspect Hickory is similar (most big cos. had plants in both). High quality, top-of-the line furniture, manufactured by skilled craftsmen...gone to China et al. None were unionized, and paid decent, but not out-of-line wages for hard workers (piece work, not even hourly), it was simply greed "at the top" and clueless management from most folks' perspective. Thank you all for responding...

ps: HardDrive, give it your best shot...go ahead and share some of your best vegan dishes...now I've got that dang "Men at Work" vegamite sandwich song going through my brain and I don't even know what one is :)

I am familar with the Convention Biz, Furniture Biz and live in LV. Nobody here says OH BOY the furniture Convention is in town lets go. They have built to the TRADE ONLY World Market Center. The immediate goal was to displace SF and the 2ND hub of the furniture biz.

The best furniture was and or still is built in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area...but even Kindel and Baker I think are now gone. Kindel has moved west to either CO or WY...

It seems a sad thing but nobody seems to care about good quality furniture..mad of real wood by real craftsman. Back in 90 I was given a private tour of the Kindel Furniture Company. it was quite a thing to see...

Thanks Tabs! I don't know squat about furniture although my parents' spent their whole lives making the stuff...for Drexal-Heritage and Henredon. I am familiar with Baker (they used to be here too - long gone), but generally weren't considered to be in the same league as the aforementioned by most.

ps: Only "insiders" care, and all I do is avoid "High Point" whenever the market is in town :). I was just curious if an 80,000 attendee convention would even be noticed in Vegas. I'm sure the local news is biased, but they pretend that Vegas hasn't really made a dent on the local one (yet).

Disappointing. I grew up in NC and planned to drive down and buy some nice new furniture later this year after I move to Virginia. I bought my dining room set in Thomasville about 15 years ago when I lived in Atlanta. It is hard to find quality furniture these days....at least in the southwest.

Fint, I knew you grew up fairly close to here, and that's why I mentioned some of the places I did. Don't despair...when you move to VA, this area is still "good" (but maybe not up to Tabs' level). Many high-end furniture retailers from around the world still come twice a year to select, then place orders for filling their stores. I don't know what you'd be interested in, but many of the "showrooms" are liquidated for pennies on the dollar immediately after the spring and fall markets...got to be Flinty-on-the-spot to take advantage though. High end stuff has a rediculous markup for most stores (like 4 times), so you can always get approx 50% off at places like Furniturelandsouth, etc. Shoot me a PM if you ever get to that point, and I'll be glad to assist if I can. I don't know squat about furniture like I'm sure Tabs does (and he does know his rugs, spoons, BBQ and such :)), but I was smart enough to buy Henredon case goods and D-H upholstered stuff (at employee rates) for 1/5 of retail. My parents' house is filled with 50 year old Henredon case goods...still like new, and will last another 50 easy.

ps: It's the manufactoring base that has disappeared...

pps: edited: Whew...I saw 6:30 approaching and was typing fast to get that post in :)

The top of the heap used to include Widicomb & Kittenger..both long gone and for whose pieces there is still a strong demand.

When I was out there buying in the early 90's It was High End Baker, Kindel & Kargas followed by Drexel, Henredon Century and on down the line Thomasville.

The Grand Rapids, MI area was the home of where the bestest furniture was mfg. It had over a 100 year tradition of furniture mfg.


Once U buy a piece of furniture the value plummets...I have recently priced out on the used market what the value of my Baker and Kindel furniture...for the most part I can get what I paid out of it.

Some people might think that 10K is a bunch of money for a Dining RM set, in the scheme of things that is absolutely zip...

I will admit that buying the high end stuff new I made a mistake. The best way to purchase the really good stuff is on the used market. One will pay a fraction of the cost of new.

I was always suspicious of the Markup Up on furniture..and that is why I never paid retail. I went to the Design Centers that were to the Trade Only...There it was generally 40% off of retail and on promotional pieces 40% plus 10%. Then they had their bargain or get rid of the floor samples section.

I always figured even by doing it that way I still paid too much. The better way was to be patient and buy used from High End Consignemnt shops or auctions. But that little bit of illumination only came later when I started to look for art.