The Arms Race

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CoinKing
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The Arms Race

Post by CoinKing »

More generically, the term "arms race" is used to describe any competition where there is no absolute goal, only the relative goal of staying ahead of the other competitors in rank or knowledge. An arms race may also imply futility as the competitors spend a great deal of time and money, yet end up in the same situation as if they had never started the arms race. Today is the 22nd of May 2010; The arms race is in still going, but not as strong as the last decade. We have showmen buying rides left right and centre, with the hope of getting the next "big classic" it reminds me of the Kalgoorlie gold rush that started in 1893.


continued.....


Btw this mostly focuses on the big royals, as they are the most important dates in a showman's calender
Last edited by CoinKing on Sun May 23, 2010 9:21 am, edited 5 times in total.
CoinKing
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Re: The Arms Race

Post by CoinKing »

This has been an intricate part of the showmen industry for some time now. Most predominately the last decade, with lots of changes on how showmen operate including the great insurance swindle, Oil Prices raising because of demand / war and the global financial crisis and the advent of "we can't operate rides anymore so I'm going to count your money and decide how you operate central ticketing system". It's very much is an "arms race". This is something that has been on my mind for awhile but has taken a step forward on how much it really does effect the showmen....
Last edited by CoinKing on Sun May 23, 2010 9:35 am, edited 4 times in total.
CoinKing
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Re: The Arms Race

Post by CoinKing »

Such aspects of the arms race is the "XXXX year or so rule", This very gentleman agreement to do with bringing new Major rides to the royals all around Australia and displaying the best equipment they have in terms of presentation and silky smooth bump free operation of the said equipment. This should be a requirement for every showmen, Wearing their heart on their sleeve in terms of presentation . No matter how big or how small the show is the best should be displayed, Everyone should bring the best showmen within themselves and put pride into their sideshows and doing their best to make sure everything looks A+. After all you are running a company with your name on in it. No one likes rides that look run down and the general publics do vote with their dollars. The RAS wants new new new to bring people to the show but the main attractions of people coming to the shows is to see livestock and other agriculture elements. À la bringing the country to the city to display the best of what Australia in a whole has to offer, be it livestock, fruit and vegetable or farm machinery the new and the old. Who really likes fireworks? The consumer attending the show, but in reality they really are a polite way of saying it's all over for the night folks. People are attending the shows to see what i have just listed but the sideshow entertainment is always just an added bonus that doesn't mean a hell of a lot to most show goers......
Last edited by CoinKing on Sun May 23, 2010 7:36 am, edited 5 times in total.
CoinKing
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Re: The Arms Race

Post by CoinKing »

What does this mean to the showmen? Well they want to be in on the sideshow entertainment even though it is in many people eyes just the very low end of what people attend shows for. We have the low end sideshows then we have the even lower aspects of the show which include the show bag sellers, and the itinerants selling the "latest bling" thru to the "rub this snake oil on your joints" and you will feel like your 18 years old again, throw in a few "food vans" and the novelty foods and we have what we call a sideshow. This is the current setup of shows, personally i don't see this changing for a long time even though a few particular showmen will want to argue that the death of the current sideshow is going to end in the following years but i call these people senile and they have most likely spent their whole life on the grounds and know nothing better to do then just hang around and enjoy the social aspects of the showgrounds..... If thats what they enjoy doing good on them for still showing up at everyshow
Last edited by CoinKing on Sun May 23, 2010 9:50 am, edited 3 times in total.
CoinKing
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Re: The Arms Race

Post by CoinKing »

well thats the prologue done, im going to continue with the rest, this may take a day or two to finish as its been on my mind the last few days and is going to be quite long
CoinKing
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Re: The Arms Race

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Now let’s get down to business, this is all about the rise and growth of showmen / showgrounds over the last decade due to new rides coming in to the country over the last decade (just had to get that bit clear). We have showmen gunning for ground or trying to keep what their past generations have received at all the big shows be it royals or regional shows, With that fact in mind, Showmen know the best way to get ahead in the ground situation is by getting a brand new European shiny, fruity, flashy, gravity defying rides that are the latest sensation to sweep the nation trying to prove they are number one in sideshow fascination. In the average clientele's mind watching, admiring the great European stallions. They are getting the best because it’s the newest, it’s the shiniest, it’s the greatest according to the guy with the microphone doing a great job and OMG look at those flashing lights.. Just like the apple generation people will run toward it like moths to a bright light because they just have to have one (ride it). The showmen have achieved what they wanted which is getting to keep their allocated ground or gaining more ground. This should bring huge amounts of relief to the showmen, sleepless nights wondering if the ride is going to arrive on time, going to pass the engineering requirements, Lifting a huge amount of weight off their shoulders and removing the permanent cigarette from their mouth for some time and some showmen might even break a smile. This is a very large bet in the terms of investments. People are lining up with wide smiles, stomachs full of butterflies, buying tokens and riding your brand new ride. SUCCESS! Could this be the one for the showmen or just another lemon
Last edited by CoinKing on Sun May 23, 2010 11:04 am, edited 6 times in total.
CoinKing
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Re: The Arms Race

Post by CoinKing »

Buying a new ride is a huge investment. You are going to want to do the most research as possible in regards to what is a good ride. A good ride is simple "a ride that is going to get customers / make money, get ground and has a FUTURE in the industry which equates to an all time sideshow classic". Amusement rides be it majors, family or kids rides should be a truly thought out process, Iron ore isn’t getting cheaper neither is steel (even worst for the future thanks to the mining super tax) with the prices of rides going up every few months and dealing with the unstable road of currency conversion. Import Taxes, New trucks to haul these 30+ Tonne monsters and generators to power them (also you can’t forget the licensing of these rides, you can’t just drive a overweight and oversize ride down the road expecting no problems, which result in the need for permits).Each state has different rules and regulations which means more permits. Also Can this size / weight semi be actually licensed stock standard from the factory, Does it need modifications to the airlines or brake systems. . All of these factors have effects on the industry no doubt about it. So what would a smart showman do? Well of course they would do some research, see how the ride goes in other parts of the world. Do these rides have problems / Constant break downs or failures. Will you need to make modifications to the truck that is going to haul this ride, Hydraulic turntables and Airbags have made it so much easier to deal with hooking up and unloading trailers, Just think of the past generations that didn’t have any of those features on the trucks and how much easier it is for you. without the past generation we wouldn't have what we have today. With Technology processing everyday and been able to get the internet in 98% of Australia there should be no real excuses on your behalf. Google is the most valuable resource tool in the world. Get on the phone to agents, or other showmen in the world. No doubt about it most showmen are willing to help each out. That's why showmen are so great.

With what i have listed above is common sense and sensible business practices, although quite a few showmen have been caught in "the arms race"
Last edited by CoinKing on Sun May 23, 2010 9:51 am, edited 3 times in total.
CoinKing
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Re: The Arms Race

Post by CoinKing »

i started writing this in notepad btw so all the edits have been spelling misteaks and adding more information.
CoinKing
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Re: The Arms Race

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Many a Showmen have been caught hook line and sinker in “the arms race” trying to keep the family tradition / business going hopefully for another generation by bringing in new rides no matter what sort just to keep ground / gain ground. This is where it gets interesting. I’m not sure what I can put this down to other then ground but the general importation of rides is very fascinating. One theory is the one up / jealous system. XYZ1 buys a ride, XYZ2 hears / sees XYZ1 new ride, XYZ2 is worried about business and how XYZ1's new ride could really affect his business, could it be XYZ2 ground that makes way for XYZ1 new ride. This after all is out of XYZ2 hand of how it could go. But the best way to protect himself is by rushing out and getting a ride to try and secure himself a future. So XYZ2 just one upped XYZ1. This continues on with showmen XYZ3 buying a new ride to try and stay in “the game” this continues on and on to XYZ4 / 5 /6 /7 ETC. resulting in theory one big loop. At the end of this it would appear to come back to XYZ1 to try and keep his ground XX years later. But this is wrong if XYX1 put thought into his purchase and made the right decision and secured himself a “sideshow classic” So it’s not a complete circle with everyone lining up for their renewal, You could look at this as jealously as well, “well if he can afford a new ride so can I” mentality but that’s clutching at straws and quite frankly stupid. So now every modern showman has new rides ready to compete with each other, competition is healthy for business after all.... Could all of this been avoided if every showman showed pride and kept their rides looking up to date, fresh, and cutting edge. Probably not……

Next up is ONE HIT WONDERS or all time classic
Last edited by CoinKing on Sun May 23, 2010 10:30 am, edited 1 time in total.
CoinKing
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Re: The Arms Race

Post by CoinKing »

New Rides are very important to keep the sideshow industry alive, Don’t get me wrong this isn’t about oh no we could do without all these new rides, They are the foundation, the heart beat to this industry, Yeah lets serve up the same rides we have for the past 30 years and hopefully the next 30 years, That would not work although there are a few exceptions to this. At the major shows the classics from 5-10-15 years ago shrine through because they are good rides with a proven track record. They are still very popular with the general public that’s why they still get ground. Waveswingers, Rangers, the obvious Ferris wheels, Zippers, Taipan and python loops, Dodgem cars , Alibaba’s. Matterhorns, Breakdances. All these rides I have listed has stood the test of time and prevailed winners. The current generation of new rides are still proving themselves involved in the “arms race” as I call it but anyone can see clear winners, Space Roller, Hard Rock, Big Dipper, No Limits, Newer Ghost trains. Power surge, Crazy Coaster, Rock N Roll,Caterpillar barn. All of these showman have made the right decisions with purchasing rides and they have paid off, no doubt about it, I can see those rides on the showgrounds for awhile to come.
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Re: The Arms Race

Post by CoinKing »

Now this is where the end result all comes together, rides that taper off after 4 to 6 years or sooner . We have Skywalker, Flash Dance, Chaos , Claw , Scorpian , Mega Drop, Techno Jump, Megamix, Superbowl, Energy Storm, XXXL, Extreme Speed, Halloween, Slingshot, Fear 1/8 of a roller coaster, Gravitrons are slow business these days, Music trips going going gone. Although some of the newer rides still need more time to really need time to prove what they are worth, All you need to do for most is these rides is look and them and you will see why they aren't performing. I believe the skyflier will Continue on strong in the future. I would say all these rides have lost the arms race. disappearing off all majors in the not so distance future, Some have novelty value eg Mega Drop, but that soon wears off




To be continued….. in a day or two, If i have missed any of the newer rides let me know and i will put them into the right categories, Probably another 4-6 posts to go. Im interested in your comments and feedback on how you see the arms race / ground situation and how you see the rise and fall of some amusement rides, Or Classics that are still going strong
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Zamperla
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Re: The Arms Race

Post by Zamperla »

Coinking you are on a roll. Very well written, especially that opening paragraph.

I wonder if we will see the increase of ride ticket prices we have seen in the last decade to support this continuiing boom (hopefully not with the bubble and bust part)

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Top Gunner14
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Re: The Arms Race

Post by Top Gunner14 »

Yeh great write-up Coinking, very interesting points raised.

Yeh good point Zamperla, IMO if they go up anymore, it'll get to a stage where people just won't pay, simple as that. Yes with all the rising costs, ops put their tickets up but anymore will be too much if you ask me.

Yeh agree on the newer rides that will have their place for years to come, one ride that I think that has been a great investment would be Pickett's Crazy Coaster, it's been here for nearly 10 years and is still as popular as what it was when it made its debut here in Australia. And can see it being on the showgrounds for many years to come.

IMO also it can depend on the success of a new ride depending on the operators and owner. Whether a ride can be successful or not, where some will have the novelty wear off a few years later. Like a ride that just sits there playing music, does its thing and thats it won't attract as many customers whereas if you had a good operator who picks their tunes well, works the mic well and has fun and interacts with the customers, will have a more successful run with the machine.

There my views at the moment anyway

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Re: The Arms Race

Post by princess »

You have been thinking about this for sometime coinking, so what is your point, you dont want people to stop bringing new rides in either, also I think Techno Jump is a stayer imo.
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