Allan Miller posted:Here's what Lionel should have done:
Announce in advance the 50 (or whatever number) special run boxcars, along with "rules" detailing this process:
When doors open at noon Thursday, come to the Lionel booth and be given a two-part numbered ticket (as used at basket raffles, etc). You keep one part and the second part goes in a big fishbowl (or some such).
At 3 p.m. (or whatever time selected), a Lionel rep. will reach in and, one at a time, draw 50 (or whatever) winners, who must have the second part of their ticket.
Winners must be present to claim their car. If not present when numbers is called, another number is drawn.
Simple and effective process!
Never would have worked...
One - you would never be guaranteed a car... so nobody is going to wait in line for a prayer of getting one.
Second - You cannot understand the loud speaker in the other halls or the grounds.
Third - finding the person, waiting for them for to appear, and drawing the next number would have taken too long. Besides people are trying to divide and conquer to find a good deal and cover as many tables as they can in the first day.... nobody is going to wait for an 027 box car.
just an observation...
