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When you’re looking at the photos, it can be hard to get perspective on exactly how big the LUG’s total display coverage is, but I was able to see it pretty clearly on the Trib reporter’s video of the incline in action. They really did give us a huge area. I remember in 2017 it was a large area too, but we had to artificially spread stuff out a bit to cover it all, and so it looked a bit sparse in places, whereas it looks like that was not an issue this time, despite the fact that it might’ve been an even bigger footprint. More glory to the LUG!
I thought of one more thing about set it and forget it (and then I’m really done), and that’s that not doing it arguably doesn’t just work for our benefit as displayers, but also for the benefit of the public as well. I go to conventions not just to be put my own stuff out, but also to see what everybody else built, and I can think of times where I saw a really cool build and I wanted to talk to the person who built it about it, or ask them a question, but never got it, since during the entire five-day event I never once saw them with it, and in fact may have never figured out who the builder was, other than maybe reading their name on the MOC card.
I wanna know where Walter got the shirt he’s wearing in this photo, I would totally wear a shirt like that @whitesidewjw
Here’s a link to the pics I took, although there are no where’s near as many as Krista took!!
I’m happy to report that the Incline ran like a champ on Saturday, making it until around 4 pm before we had the same “string stretching” issue that we’ve had before. Unfortunately that was not the case on Sunday, as we had any number of issues (worn gear, bent pusher rod, etc., etc.) that had us in there doing “maintenance” about every 30-40 minutes (someone commented “just like the Port Authority”!!). Thanks to @willmcdine for your help in troubleshooting and brainstorming potential fixes. Finally got to the point where we just shut it down for the day around 1 pm.
Heard that the ticket presale numbers were like 4,000 for Saturday and 3,000 for Sunday, and that doesn’t include walk-ups, so attendance was pretty good. There was a steady crowd all day long and all around our set-up on Saturday, with a definitely noticeable drop off on Sunday.
I’ll also echo the earlier comments by Rich, Krista and Jason about taking advantage of being able to interact with the guests at these displays. For me as well, that was one of the more enjoyable parts of this event. I’m glad I brought the kinetic displays (Hedwig, LOTR Eagle, Unicorn, Tensegrity and the Cut-away of the Flapping Wings) because those gave me the most opportunities to “step out from behind the tables”, show some “hands on” stuff and just talk to people. Watching the faces of both kids and adults “light up” at some of these is part of makes this hobby all the more worthwhile for me.
I want one of those unicorns, @rcgrier3406. Or, more ambitiously, a galloping and wing flapping PEGASUS.
LEGO kinetic builds that “play themselves” are a wonder to look at, similar to a well running Great Ball Contraption. Gearing and motion can be very elegant, and I’m all the more impressed by it since I have the mechanical knowledge of an old boot: none.
>> we had the same “string stretching” issue that we’ve had before. Unfortunately that was not the case on Sunday, as we had any number of issues (worn gear, bent pusher rod, etc., etc.) that had us in there doing “maintenance” about every 30-40 minutes
You should join us at the GBC table at BrickFair. You’ve already been initiated in the agonies of doing it, so you’ll fit right in.
>> (someone commented “just like the Port Authority”!!)
Bwahaha, well played.
Also, the question of where Walter got his shirt was fortunately an easy one to answer, simply by doing a Google image search for ‘pittsburgh incline t-shirt’, in fact it’s the first image on the list other than the sponsored results. I’m gonna order one. Maybe me n Walter will be accidental twinsies one day.
Trib Article dropped yesterday: https://triblive.com/local/monroeville/lego-event-helps-families-build-memories-at-monroeville-convention-center/
Just shared it on The Facebook page. Thanks for finding it! Nice article and great interviews! I’m happy to see they had links with their story too.
Now that I can hear again and think straight, I just wanted to share some final thoughts. I’ll try to keep them concise.
I’ve said it before, but thank you to everyone who contributed to make our display so awesome. We had 27 members participate, including some new members displaying for the first time. If I forgot anyone, I apologize, but many kudos to Jason, Jordan, Bob, and Rich for being incredible showmen and engaging the audience throughout public hours.
I believe in 2017 we had about 16 tables (with some being doubles, non-inclusive). This time we had 20 tables (layout included for future reference), all of which were double tables giving us 400 square feet of display. While our actual footprint may have been smaller than in 2017, I do wonder if this was so that they could accommodate our request for more space while balancing spacing everything out for COVID. Like in 2017, we were towards the entrance, but this time we were the first display that attendees saw.
Like many of you, I would have liked to see more vendors. I know that there are a number of the “regulars” planning to attend Philly so hopefully this was just an issue of timing more than not wanting to compete with the store. Although, the prices weren’t terrible.
On the social side, we have a ton of content from the show so I’ll be wading through that and posting it throughout the month.
Great job to Jordan and Jason for their contributions to the Trib article. I did see in the article that Chad mentioned a return in fall of 2022. I’ll keep you posted!
Now for the important part: cup credit. [Moved to a new post with adjustments for set-up and tear down]
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This reply was modified 3 years, 3 months ago by
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This reply was modified 3 years, 3 months ago by . Reason: Added location of display
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This reply was modified 3 years, 3 months ago by . Reason: Adjusted Pete's shifts
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Did Brickfest tickets actually cost $35?!?
https://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/tix/d/monroeville-lego-brickfest/7378494109.html
Did Brickfest tickets actually cost $35?!?
https://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/tix/d/monroeville-lego-brickfest/7378494109.html
Seems like the implication from this listing is that they cost more than $35!
yeah…and there were people that paid more for a VIP ticket. There were a number of negative comments on the review page saying “I could have just gone to the store to buy a set with all the money I spent for my family and had a better time.”
Yeah that sounds pretty ridiculous. A BrickFairVA all-day Saturday ticket cost $16 and I’m pretty sure BrickWorld prices similarly. I did notice in Krista’s photos that other than the Steel City LUG display, things were looking awfully sparse in the hall. I know BrickFest also has a lot of interactive stuff, like building something with black and white and trans-neon green and then adding it to the existing display in those colors, and it wasn’t clear to me if that stuff was fully operating or if they were restricted due to Covid.
On the other hand, I’m pretty sure Chad’s model is based less on BrickFair and BrickWorld and much more on Lego KidsFest, for which I paid $50 for a four-hour session back in 2012. I don’t know what they cost in more recent years. So compared to that, $35 doesn’t seem so bad, although it only works if there’s enough to do.
>> We had 27 members participate
That got my attention, that’s gotta be a record for the group for participating in anything (other than quarterly meetings and LUGBulk), possibly by a large margin. Sweet!
Interesting at the end, Chad says that he is planning Brick Fest Live Pittsburgh 2022 next fall.
Edit: Now I see that Krista already mentioned that above.
@knb112, my cup credit should be 2.0 (1 display and 3 shifts – set up, tear down, and 1 other shift) – once everyone has confirmed their credits to you, PM me the list and I will enter it into the system. Thank you!I want one of those unicorns, @rcgrier3406. Or, more ambitiously, a galloping and wing flapping PEGASUS.
I like the Pegasus idea @zaximillian, kind of a kinetic mash-up of the Unicorn and Hedwig if you will. I’ll give it a shot!!
>> we had the same “string stretching” issue that we’ve had before. Unfortunately that was not the case on Sunday, as we had any number of issues (worn gear, bent pusher rod, etc., etc.) that had us in there doing “maintenance” about every 30-40 minutes
You should join us at the GBC table at BrickFair. You’ve already been initiated in the agonies of doing it, so you’ll fit right in.
@bengood921, @greg has been trying to get me to go to BrickFair VA for the past couple of years. My sister lives close by in Sterling, VA, so I’d have a place to stay. Maybe next year will be the year!!that’s the way we’ve done it in the past.
Confirmed. Set Up and Tear Down (especially for the larger events like this one) get counted as a shift each.
Thought you folks might enjoy this… I had a lot more to say about the LUG and the Brick Fest event that was omitted, but it did get a mention lol…
@pete Thanks for letting me know. I’ll make that adjustment.
@rcgrier3406 I didn’t realize that. I appreciate you mentioning it. I’ll go back through and make the adjustments.
@timf Thanks for confirming on that. I’ll send you the list once it’s final.my cup credit should be 2.0 (1 display and 3 shifts – set up, tear down, and 1 other shift)
@timf Just checking my math, but shouldn’t that be 2.5 (1 large cup for displaying and 1.5 cups (3 small cups) for shifts)?
Thought you folks might enjoy this… I had a lot more to say about the LUG and the Brick Fest event that was omitted, but it did get a mention lol…
Jason, that is really cool. Thank you again for coming down. It was really nice to meet you finally and see your creations.
Just checking my math, but shouldn’t that be 2.5 (1 large cup for displaying and 1.5 cups (3 small cups) for shifts)?
@knb112 yes, your are correct. Curse my poor math skills. 😀
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