Ever Buy Stuff From Vendors At Tournaments?

[cleung]

For those of you who compete in tournaments, have you ever bought anything from the vendors there? Do you think they are a good idea?

[mean fighter]

Do you meen food venders or do you meen souvenears? Because if you are talking about buying items like swords and stuff, no way The last tournament I went too was to just watch my friend compete, They were selling katana swords there to kids that were 16 years old and not checking I.D At all

[cleung]

I was refering to vendors who sell martial arts supply (equipment, uniforms, book, video), clothing (t-shirts) and other Asian gifts, not food.

Thanks for the clarification.

[coralreefer_1]

Yeah, it can be a good idea if you play your cards right. I've never really bought too much from them, but the uniform I wear now, i bought from a vendor at a taekwondo tournament. I wasn't competing that day, just doing a demonstration for the banquet that night, so I was basically walking around all day. I wanted a uniform, but i didn't want to pay alot for one. So throughout the day, I would pass buy the adidas vendor. I would make small talk with him hear and there, ask him if he ever studied martial arts, walk away..come back later, just hanging around like I was coaching some kids in the ring in front of him. So at the end of the day, I made my move, and asked him about the price of the adidas v-neck dobak. He originally told me 55 bucks, which i just kind of said..ok..and left. I waiting until he was starting to pack up, and asked him about it again. He told me $55 again, but i offered him $40 for it, and he gave it to me at that price, along with some free keychain!!!

Thats the best way to get something from those guys. People come up to their table all day holding things, kids swinging the weapons around, but I dont think they really sell alot unless someone forgot their equipment. So they are up and down all day wanting to make a sale. So if you need something, try to wait until the end of the day, and try bargaining with them!!! You might get a good deal. Those adidas V-neck dobaks are expensive, i never saw any less that $70 back in America.

Todd

[scottnshelly]

I’ve bought plenty of equipment from vendors at tournaments. Most of the local OKA tournaments that I went to only had one small t-shirt stand run by the sponsor. A lot of the larger tournaments seemed to have more equipment, uniforms and t-shirts for sale. I never went with the intention of buying something, but would be happy to buy a piece of equipment that I somehow managed to forget to bring.

I used to have a whole collection of tournament t-shirts and patches and I still have a really nice leather jacket from one of the NBL Super Grands tournaments that I attended.

I’ve never been really ripped off by a tournament vendor, but I was always very cautious. I know that some of those vendors are Martial Artists themselves, while others are simply there to make some money. It’s the latter that you gotta look out for.