Let’s take a poll

[Greg Massey]

If i were going with only 200-300 dollars , i would stay home and just order a few calls from builders... My suggestion is take you a wallet full of money if
your going to a show ... 1500 - 3000 ....IMO... at Unicoi you can spend 1000 dollars in less than hour ... Walking in Unicoi show with 300 dollars is like going to the grocery store and wanting a basket full of groceries for 20 dollars... IMO....

This is advice that no one should follow. If you want to drop $1000+ then that is fine but that is not the point of the show. Bring would you can afford and regardless of that amount you will have a great time. The show is more about the interaction with the call makers and the conversation then dropping a pile of money. If you want commercialization then just go to the NWTF show.

I have been there with $100, $300, and $1000 and enjoyed it just as much with a $100 bucks as I did $1000.

You can take how you want and enjoy it how you want, but if you think the call builders are NOT  there to make money and get notoriety then your missing the point, sure they like to interact with you and i will agree it's about the experience. But when you have all these call builder's together, you have the opportunity to get some calls that will usually will take you 2 years or more to get by placing orders, so that's another reason to take you a pocket of money... also nothing was said about commercialization, spending money has nothing to do with that in my opinion at the show. I've been and i know what the show is all about, it's the best in my opinion again..

[aclawrence]

I would love to take a thousand dollars to the show. Honestly spending $300 something bucks on a hotel room for two nights is going to be a little tough right after Christmas, but I really want to experience the show and my wife is looking forward to going on a trip and relaxing for her birthday.  The call makers are obviously there to sell calls and make money and hopefully if I can come up with an extra 200-300 dollars I'll give it to one or two of them.  I've seen some pictures in the past of some of y'all's hauls and I'm happy for y'all but that is not a possibility for me in this season of life. If I can buy one box or trumpet I'll be happy!


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[Greg Massey]

I would love to take a thousand dollars to the show. Honestly spending $300 something bucks on a hotel room for two nights is going to be a little tough right after Christmas, but I really want to experience the show and my wife is looking forward to going on a trip and relaxing for her birthday.  The call makers are obviously there to sell calls and make money and hopefully if I can come up with an extra 200-300 dollars I'll give it to one or two of them.  I've seen some pictures in the past of some of y'all's hauls and I'm happy for y'all but that is not a possibility for me in this season of life. If I can buy one box or trumpet I'll be happy!


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Regardless you will enjoy the show and the experience, having all these great call builders in one room just makes you want to buy a call from all of them. But i agree with you spend what can and enjoy meeting everyone at the show.. it's all about making great memories ...

[Tarheel]

If you a buying turkey calls for an investment....quality beats quantity. Be strategic and selective with your purchases. Develop not only a relationship, but a friendship with the callmaker(s)...that's more valuable than the caller(s).  The $$ you spend is not critical or even important.  I recommend you go to Unicoi to meet and greet the callmakers... buy what they have on the table if it is exactly what you are looking for...if not...get them to make something especially for you...that you will enjoy for a lifetime....

Just my $.02....

[aclawrence]

Thanks Tarheel. I am a quality kind of guy but not really a collector. I'm buying calls to kill turkeys with. I do collect in the sense that I usually don't get rid of anything like turkey calls. My parents always roll their eyes at me because I always try to buy the best if everything lol.


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[trb136]

If you a buying turkey calls for an investment....quality beats quantity. Be strategic and selective with your purchases. Develop not only a relationship, but a friendship with the callmaker(s)...that's more valuable than the caller(s).  The $$ you spend is not critical or even important.  I recommend you go to Unicoi to meet and greet the callmakers... buy what they have on the table if it is exactly what you are looking for...if not...get them to make something especially for you...that you will enjoy for a lifetime....

Just my $.02....

. That's excellent advice. I enjoy the relationship I make with people and I have many repeat customers because we have gotten to know each other and have a great relationship.. it's the best show out there hands down. Stop by and visit and talk some turkey. 

[Meleagris gallopavo]

If you a buying turkey calls for an investment....quality beats quantity. Be strategic and selective with your purchases. Develop not only a relationship, but a friendship with the callmaker(s)...that's more valuable than the caller(s).  The $$ you spend is not critical or even important.  I recommend you go to Unicoi to meet and greet the callmakers... buy what they have on the table if it is exactly what you are looking for...if not...get them to make something especially for you...that you will enjoy for a lifetime....

Just my $.02....

I agree this is excellent advice!  I have found that getting to know call makers is a great experience and you can make some great friends.  That being said, with that $300 I'd go to my favorite call maker booths to see if there were any "must-have" items first.  Depending on how much money I had left I'd browse for something different from someone different.  I think just walking around, talking to folks and introducing yourself would be the most valuable thing you do.


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[HookedonHooks]

If i were going with only 200-300 dollars , i would stay home and just order a few calls from builders... My suggestion is take you a wallet full of money if
your going to a show ... 1500 - 3000 ....IMO... at Unicoi you can spend 1000 dollars in less than hour ... Walking in Unicoi show with 300 dollars is like going to the grocery store and wanting a basket full of groceries for 20 dollars... IMO....

This is advice that no one should follow. If you want to drop $1000+ then that is fine but that is not the point of the show. Bring would you can afford and regardless of that amount you will have a great time. The show is more about the interaction with the call makers and the conversation then dropping a pile of money. If you want commercialization then just go to the NWTF show.

I have been there with $100, $300, and $1000 and enjoyed it just as much with a $100 bucks as I did $1000.

I think somewhere in between these gentlemen's thought is the best place to be mentally heading into the show. If you like buying calls, you definitely don't want to bring less than $1000, but if you are more so there for conversations with call makers then don't worry as much about that and buy a call you fall in love with from the start. Don't be afraid to run calls in front of the call makers or other people, there's a lot of people there that are more than willing to help you become a better caller.

[EZ]

I agree with all the responses. There are so many ways to look at going to Unicoi from a collector's, a hunter's, a collector/hunter's, even a fairly new hunter's or new to custom call's point of view. The ONE thing everyone touched on is the interaction and conversation with the call makers.

As a call maker, that is nearly the whole reason I go. To meet call makers I haven't met yet, to see old friends that I only see there, to meet and talk turkey with new and previous customers. I have customers that I've only talked to over the phone that are coming down to look me up and I couldn't be more excited. The amount of call making history and turkey hunting knowledge (from the vendors and the customers) in that room is amazing. Anyone that goes needs to take full advantage of that regardless of how much money they spend.

If you are spending more than one day there, BE SURE to come down to the fireplace in the lodge after supper!!!!!!

Anyone that goes, please stop by my little area and introduce yourself....i look forward to it.

[eggshell]

I read through this thread and found it very interesting to see a side of turkey hunting I never got in to, call collecting or custom calls. I have been blessed to know a couple custom call makers who gave me some classic calls. I have a couple I hunt with, but other then  that I have not kept many calls. I actually gave most of them away, with consent from the maker, to kids or deserving collectors. I also had some calls I picked up when I first started in 1972 and I did sell a couple of them or traded for something else. These days I own three custom calls ( one pot and two vibrating tongues ) that were gifts to me. I rarely hunt with them.

Still I found all your comments interesting. I gues my poll response is I'd spend less, But I would enjoy meeting and talking with everyone.

[Tarheel]

In the late 1970s, the NCNWTF State Chapter held their state convention at Isothermal Community College. Neil Cost had a table there. I had never heard of Neil Cost, nor had I ever seen a custom made turkey caller. I introduced myself to Neil and asked if I could look at his callers. Neil told me to help myself.  Before I had walked up to Neil's table he had not sold a single caller. I sat down in a chair, and I went through every caller Neil had and played every one. At the time, I was very active with the NWTF, and I had numerous friends walk by the table wanting to know what I was doing...Neil stood there at the table and let me do my thing. I finally picked out two callers I wanted to purchase...and during the time I was playing his callers he sold every caller he had brought to the convention. Neil told me he had never done that before, he had never had time to walk around and visit with friends before...Neil was elated. That began 30+years of friendship I will always treasure. Folks, the true value isn't in the callers....

[3bailey3]

That's a Awesome story Marvin, a great memory!!

[mmclain]

 Don't worry about buying just have a nice time.

[Tarheel]

If you go to Unicoi and don't have a good time, you are doing it wrong.  Take your time and enjoy the event. Maybe eventually someone will put together a program listing the names of all the callmakers with a short bio for folks to use at the show as a guide to facilitating meeting and greeting the callmakers present.