Discount for Seniors at Model Railway Exhibitions

[Pannier Tank]

Have you ever run a show and had to come out on the right side!!!!

Regards Arran

 

I'm not suggesting that Exhibitions have to offer concessions to OAP's, but when they do, you can't criticise OAP's for taking advantage.There's a difference in being offered a concession and asking for it.

[arran]

I'm not suggesting that Exhibitions have to offer concessions to OAP's, but when they do, you can't criticise OAP's for taking advantage.There's a difference in being offered a concession and asking for it.

 

If its on offer then take it while you can.

 

Regards Arran

[Tony_S]

...There's a difference in being offered a concession and asking for it.

I frequently seem to be offered concession rates at shows. I of course politely decline and pay the adult rate.

[Guest jim s-w]

 

This really goes back to the comment I passed earlier wondering if the show organisers make their decision for commercial or social reasons.

 

I don't think they have any say in the matter TBH. It's not commercial, it's not social it's survival!

 

Cheers

 

Jim

[Sidecar Racer]

Determining pension age is now in itself a problem due to all the government changes. For example you can no longer get a bus pass at 60

 

 

 

Mal

 

But the question was , what age is considered 'Senior ' .

 

I've not seen exhibiton price lists saying ' OAP ' , they usually say senior , so is senior classified as 60 or 65 ,

I'm retired , I get a pension , it's not an Old Age Pension , and I'm close to 62 .

 

So , am I a senior or not to exhibition organisers ?

[PhilH]

But the question was , what age is considered 'Senior ' .

 

I've not seen exhibiton price lists saying ' OAP ' , they usually say senior , so is senior classified as 60 or 65 ,

I'm retired , I get a pension , it's not an Old Age Pension , and I'm close to 62 .

 

So , am I a senior or not to exhibition organisers ?

 

Apparently you're as senior as the woman you...etc.etc.

[Grovenor]

Remember we all hope to grow old!

Not all of us, I am, however, putting up with it as the alternative is even worse.

Keith

[298]

I frequently seem to be offered concession rates at shows. I of course politely decline and pay the adult rate.

 

In my experience of being on the pay desk, for every person who waves their Passport/Birth Certificate/Bus Pass at you to demand their discount, they'll be another who is probably too shy to ask or wants to pay the Adult rate. But the total number of each is still in a minority compared to those who hand you a ten pound note, leaving you in the embaressing situation of having to ask their age....

 

And why is it those who vociferously demand their £1 discount are the same ones who seem to come out of the show six hours later with bulging shopping bags....?

[Coombe Barton]

You'll be asking the over sixties to return their 'Winter Fuel Allowance' next

Thank you - you've just reminded me I can claim!

[Coombe Barton]

So how about a flat rate and a free coffee/tea to us who are over the hill the age of qualification? If the society is organising that (rather than caterers) it'd cost a load less.

[bbishop]

Thank you - you've just reminded me I can claim!

You need to claim by 31 March.

 

Bill

[Geoff Endacott]

I have a feeling that the senior discount is on the way out. This might be its last year at Trainwest. Faced with rising costs, I can either put 50p on the full admission price or drop the £1 senior concession. All other things being equal, both will raise the same amount of money.

 

The choice for Trainwest 2013 looks like adult £7.50, senior £6.50 or adult £7.00 with no senior discount. I prefer the latter.

 

Geoff Endacott

[Xerces Fobe2]

We keep hearing how we should be encouraging younger modellers - maybe the trick would be to give them a reduced entry price? he says stirring the pot once more.

 

I discussed this very issue with the Chairman of Marlow, Maidenhead & District Club in relation our forthcoming Thames Valley Model Rail Expo (in conjunction with RMweb) and a family ticket will be 2 adults and up to 3 children for £10; his is a potential saving of up to £7 on the entry cost. The youngsters are the future of the hobby and whist I accept that the numbers of people attending with 3 children may be very small it sends a positive message that we want youngsters to take an interest in our hobby .

 

XF

[Coppercap]

In my experience of being on the pay desk, for every person who waves their Passport/Birth Certificate/Bus Pass at you to demand their discount, they'll be another who is probably too shy to ask or wants to pay the Adult rate. But the total number of each is still in a minority compared to those who hand you a ten pound note, leaving you in the embaressing situation of having to ask their age....

 

And why is it those who vociferously demand their £1 discount are the same ones who seem to come out of the show six hours later with bulging shopping bags....?

 

I wonder if they also demanded a 'seniors discount' from the traders?

[Dukedog]

Just my thoughts,

I am 60 and have taken early retirement which means I just have company pensions and pension credits, and I'm happy with that, we can live quite comfortably and I can still afford my hobby.

 

Now as far as discounts are concerned.

How many exhibitions do people attend each year? For me personally it might be 6 or 7 if I'm lucky, so with a £1:00 discount (if I was legible) at EVERY show I would save £7:00 a year max!

BIG DEAL!

I may be on a lower income than when I was at work full time but I ain't hard up for 7quid!

 

Having said all that, Last year(2010) at Wolverhampton I was given the senior discount without asking for it! I must look older than what I am, It's all the worry over the money I've got that does it!

 

Cheers!

Frank

[Penlan]

I've never thought about a pensioners discount at an exhibition, if one is offered OK, but if not, so be it.

I certainly don't look at the cost of entry as a starting point for considering going to an exhibition.

 

I support Geoff above (post #71) in his decision to keep the overall cost down and I rather like XF's Family ticket in post #72,

because the whole family may well come along, but I doubt if they all wanted to, although afterwards they may be glad they all came.

Agree with Dukedog too, but being in West Cornwall, the entry fee is always going to be my lowest expense by far.

 

But don't get me started on Pensions....

[chris p bacon]

Having been on the door of East Beds Ex in Biggleswade ( next saturday the 11th, details in exhibition thread) for quite a few years the price used to be the same for "senior" and child which was half the adult rate, but we started getting too many who retired in their 50's and asked for senior, so a couple of years ago it was changed to Adult £4, senior £3 and child £2 with a family ticket being a tenner, with this ticket we tend to have a loose definition of family anything from 2+2 to 2+4, we work on the basis that if they enter the exhibition with a smile it's a better day out for them and we see them next year.

With the senior rate we work on State Pensionable Age rather than say bus pass but we do not ask for them but rely on the honesty of the individual, we think a challenge although seeming correct may not look good to those waiting behind. After all we want people to enjoy their day out.

 

We do have a "mature" individual who asks for "student" rate and has asked for this for approx 10 years, we politely point out the rates, when he leaves he always thanks us for a good day and is armed with a bag of goodies.

 

And just in case I forgot to mention it's the East Beds Exhibition next saturday the 11th of February at stratton School Biggleswade, details in Exhibition thread, come along and say hello and help support a friendly club.

[beast66606]

We keep hearing how we should be encouraging younger modellers - maybe the trick would be to give them a reduced entry price? he says stirring the pot once more.

 

Indeed, at Wigan in Dec 2011 we had free admission for kids (up to 16) when accompanied by adults (to save the little "darlings" getting in unsupervised), one group tried and even claimed to be with a layout, they didn't get very far as I was on the door at the time, other than them we had no issues to my knowledge, so perhaps the way to go ? (And it was £10 per adult, no concessions, apart from carers for wheelchair bound visitors)

[Ohmisterporter]

As someone recently retired (last November) I have a dead simple system. If I am offered a discount, I will accept. If not I will pay full price. I well remember when raising my own kids as that being the time when we were strapped for cash, so any family group discounts were very welcome. As for people moaning, you are going to get that no matter what. If you let some of them in free they'd want tea and biscuits.

Can I just take this opportunity to give a big thank you to all involved in putting on shows for us?

[Guest Natalie Graham]

Can we decline the free child,

 

I hope you can decline it. If they are giving anything away free I would have rather have a free exhibition guide to be honest. Do you get to hand the free child back when you leave or is there a bin or something to drop it in if you don't want to keep it?

, and I'm close to 62 .

 

So , am I a senior or not to exhibition organisers ?

 

That depends on whether the exhibition organisers are aged under 61 or not.

 

I used to do the door at an annual show (not model railways) where we realised around 70% of the paying visitors were pensioners. As someone else said earlier, it was more a case we were charging non-pensioners a surcharge. At that point we decided to charge a flat rate for everyone.

 

As for bus passes being the criteria for cheap admission I am all for that, having a bus pass but being some way off retirement age.

[Coombe Barton]

At the St Buryan Agricultural show last July (Penlan will know where it is if no-one else) I was in the queue to get in and the person taking the money said "One senior, one normal". I didn't ask.

 

Then I thought "Oh sh*t - I must look old". Then SWMBO said "At least i'm normal."

 

We're still speaking - just!

[Rivercider]

Plenty of interesting views here, not least the insight from those responsible for organising

or balancing the books at exhibitions.

 

I wonder how the OP feels about the answers to his question?

 

From my own viewpoint as one who pays full rate, I would say that every exhibition

I have attended over the last 6/7 years has represented value for money, some have been truly memorable.

Overall I think it's cheap entertainment/education, compared to say a visit to the cinema, or league 1 football.

 

cheers

[Guest Natalie Graham]

At the St Buryan Agricultural show last July (Penlan will know where it is if no-one else) I was in the queue to get in and the person taking the money said "One senior, one normal". I didn't ask.

 

Then I thought "Oh sh*t - I must look old". Then SWMBO said "At least i'm normal."

 

We're still speaking - just!

 

You are on a hiding to nothing if you are on the gate at an event that has a seniors discount. If you offer the discount you offend anyone who looks like they might qualify but doesn't and if you don't offer it the ones who do qualify get indignant because they think you are trying to overcharge them. One more reason to charge the same rate for everyone, it saves the people on the door a lot of aggravation.

[PhilH]

It would be interesting to see if peoples' views on things change as they move into old age seniorship, -hood , -ness or whatever it is.

 

I know some of my preconceptions, prejudices and opinions have.

[Guest Natalie Graham]

Maybe the answer is to combine the seniors discount and the family ticket and offer cheaper admission to pensioners on condition they are accompanied by their parents.