Allentown first-timer...

[spiroagnew]

I've got a weekend off, which is rare, and it happens to be this weekend...just saw that the Allentown Pinfest is on then.

Never been...so maybe a few members here can enlighten me on what to expect, what to look out for, or if its even worth the trip. I have my pennies saved and room for a game, but I'm not dead set on picking one up unless quality is there. My wife and young son will be tagging along (cue sad trombone and/or Picard facepalm) so it would be part of a larger road trip. I'm sure if I dug a bit into the back pages of another Canadian pin site I could find a noobs guide to Allentown, but I'd love to hear what you folks have to say.

Any info would be welcomed...thanks, guys.

 

[SquidVicious]

If you get there early there will be a number of decent priced pins.

With the move to the other side of the venue there is signifcantly more space for pins and vendors but I haven't been the last couple of years so wheter the additonal space is being used someone else will have to chime in. Even if things are the same there will be plenty of vendors there with NOS parts etc ...

The food in the market next door is very good ... and of course there will be huge numbers of fellow pin heads

If the missus likes outlet shopping there is a huge mall about 40 minutes away (0 percent sales tax on all clothing in PA)

 

[cooke]

If you get there early there will be a number of decent priced pins.

With the move to the other side of the venue there is signifcantly more space for pins and vendors but I haven't been the last couple of years so wheter the additonal space is being used someone else will have to chime in. Even if things are the same there will be plenty of vendors there with NOS parts etc ...

The food in the market next door is very good ... and of course there will be huge numbers of fellow pin heads

If the missus likes outlet shopping there is a huge mall about 40 minutes away (0 percent sales tax on all clothing in PA)

Where is the outlet mall exactly? I've never been there.

The secret to the show is the farmer's market. I go to Allentown for the food only, really.

 

[SquidVicious]

If you get there early there will be a number of decent priced pins.

With the move to the other side of the venue there is signifcantly more space for pins and vendors but I haven't been the last couple of years so wheter the additonal space is being used someone else will have to chime in. Even if things are the same there will be plenty of vendors there with NOS parts etc ...

The food in the market next door is very good ... and of course there will be huge numbers of fellow pin heads

If the missus likes outlet shopping there is a huge mall about 40 minutes away (0 percent sales tax on all clothing in PA)

Where is the outlet mall exactly? I've never been there.

The secret to the show is the farmer's market. I go to Allentown for the food only, really.

Tannersville PA .. around 40 minutes .. parently alot of the business for it comes from NYC, I've only be there once briefly but it was pretty big (at least as big as the grove city one .. and the no sales tax is a nice deal)

 

[DRANO]

Going for my first time too!
Can't wait

 

[spiroagnew]

Looks as if I should go down there hungry!

Turns out I'll be heading down for the Saturday only...so my chances of finding a worthwhile machine are probably hampered as I hear that stuff gets bought up fast on the first day.

 

[brewmanager]

Bargains abound as people don't want to take stuff home that hasn't sold by Saturday - so you never know.

Or so I've been told....

 

[Menace]

Bargains abound as people don't want to take stuff home that hasn't sold by Saturday - so you never know.

Or so I've been told....

Unless Cooke is there, in which case everyone is rooked. lol

D

 

[TwilightZone]

Where is the outlet mall exactly? I've never been there.

The secret to the show is the farmer's market. I go to Allentown for the food only, really.

I don't know about that. That trailer of yours wasn't filled up with cabbage last year. :lol: :lol:

See you soon!
Duane

 

[spiroagnew]

I won't be able to compete with you trailer jockeys! One will fit in the Kia if the baby agrees to share the folded back seat.

 

[nics135]

I can't say for sure about pinball but I help my buddy sell antiques at shows sometimes and end of show he has best deals simply to avoid loading it and unloading it again back into the store. He won't give it away but at that point anything reasonable is usually taken. Look for someone with a lot of machines to load back up...

 

[brewmanager]

Did you make it down, Rob?

 

[spiroagnew]

Yep...for Saturday only. Lots of empty spaces in the play area, so I asume many of the quality titles and good deals were taken out on the Friday. Game selection was okay I suppose...no shortage of LW3s or Bugs Bunny Birthday Bashes to play (ugh). Didn't really buy much, as online shopping has kind of killed the flea market/swap meet atmosphere. I left with my pocket full of bills and didn't buy anything. Overall, I wasn't blown away or overly impressed, but I did have a good time. Food market was great...those Amish gals sure make a great pretzel wrap. If I went again, I would make sure I was there for both days, and if I was dead set on buying a game, I'd try to arrange something before hand.