Disturbing & Shameful!

[basswipe]

Not much worse than a thief other than a pedophile.

I know exactly what its like to have what you've EARNED stolen.
Sickening.

[HOCKEYCOACH]

As a carpenter/builder and fisherman anyone that steals either tools should rot in hell. Most of us I am sure appreiciated what the vendors do at these shows, but for someone to steal from them is inexcusible. Kadir I am still in awe of that bag and the amount of stuff that can be stored in there. Chin but for a few doesn't make the rest bad. I for one if in a position of catching someone I would have stopped the offending party.

[Pete_G]

I don't think any vendor made it home without losing something this year. We've discovered several "unexplainable" inventory discrepencies as well.

You probably will see the SWE at the show next year but without any product or at least far less to sell on site (this isn't just due to theft, but more because our costs will be lower and can just pass a discount on to customers instead). We'll have several computers set up and approximately a 10% discount (you won't get hit by tax either if you live out of state) on anything you buy that day from our website at the show, and we'll ship it from the store as the order is placed and you'll have it as early as Monday. The store will be open during the show for a change and will also have a sale going on as well.

Shows are too expensive for vendors to be getting robbed at. As Kadir suggested, keep an eye out on others as you walk around the show. As vendors get discouraged (some already are just by the sheer cost of going) the quality of the shows inherently drops. Much like #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^& I have several guys getting paid whose only job is to watch.

Sorry to hear you to got hit Kadir.

[Slipknot]

Wow that is disturbing. Have to lock everything up these days no matter what, shameful.
I even picked up that big O myself and admired it since I have never seen one before(I did put it back so don't worry)
Sad that it has come to this at a fishing show.
Trust no one.

[BigFish]

If I had seen anyone doing such a thing, I am thinking his casting arm might have wound up broken somehow!

I had heard all the "theft" stories having been involved with the MSBA show for a few years. So with my display I ran a table across the front to keep folks at bay, they were able to see the plugs we had to offer in the locked display cases and when they wanted something we simply removed it from the peg board behind us and completed the transaction. We also let a few folks at a time come into the booth to look so as not to have too many folks in there at one time. Its a shame because it would be nice to have that open feeling for folks to browse but I could not afford the cost of the theft and it was just my wife and myself there. It worked out great I thought. I know the Aquaskinz booth is a bit more "interactive" so maybe this is not an option....that is a shame Kadir. #^&#^&#^&#^&heads are everywhere!!

[afterhours]

theives suck bigtime! hope they know that reel bad karma will fall on them!!!! i always have 3- 5 people at shows watching our stuff and am sure i "lost a few"...