Paul-

The tables were $295 for a regular table and $385 for a corner table. Showcases are $15 each. As has been mentioned most dealers don't make much money from having a table but they may add to their collections and they get to visit with old friends. I can only think of 1 or 2 dealers who squeeze out a living from selling chips.

From the members standpoint I don't think the food is a big issue. As Jim mentioned the reason we have to do it is to keep the hotel happy. We either pay for food or pay more for the exhibit hall. Hotels make their profit from catering.

An idea that has been discussed is having a banquet. I checked with the Orleans last year and to have a 20 item buffet costs about $30 per person, with a guarantee not to run out of food. Most members don't understand why the buffet costs so much when they can go down the hall and get a 100+ item buffet for $7.95. Catering is it's own profit center in the hotel.

It becomes a balancing act between catering costs and exhibit hall costs. Hope this helps.

Wayne