FYI...wink, wink...
 

Remember, April is Black Dollar Month!

Sorors - Does anyone know where I can find this "apology" t-shirt from an ONLINE vendor?

Sorors...the vendors at The Great Lakes Regional Conference this past weekend DID NOT have any unique items to purchase. I was truly disappointed for I had brought mad money to spend and came back with only a T-shirt and a hat:( I can find a better selection of things in Michigan. In fact I was wearing my 'nalia from home and Sorors kept asking where did I get my shirts,jogging suits etc. from. I ended up passing out cards to 'nalia shops in Detroit. Hopefully there will be a better selection of vendors next year.

FWRC Vendors
 

I spent the last 5 days all over the FWRC vendor room, so here's my assessment.

I spent approx. $200 and had planned on spending at least $150 more than that.

Soror Steeltrap witnessed a CUTE pink sweatsuit that was just calling my name off the rack, so I had to give in.

The FWRC vendors occupied only about 3/4 of the room. There was one side of the room that was completely empty. There was a lot of jewelry, but the prices were pretty steep. I would have liked to see a better selection of pins, t-shirts (i want that apology t-shirt, but no one had it), bags, notebooks, pens, shoes, etc.

The top items sold at this year's FWRC were from the first vendor when you walked in the door. Their t-shirts and jackets sold like hot-cakes.

FWRC vending
 

My chapter hosted FWRC. I would have liked a more diverse item selection. Last year, for example, I bought an AKA notepad. I was looking for another, but couldn't find one.

I was also seeking an umbrella and that apology T-shirt. The jewelry was good, but I have my lavalier and that's all I can afford now.

The pink sweatsuit that Soror Prayerfull bought was cute.;) BTW, that vendor also had the beautiful fur-lined leather jacket with the shield and script "Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc." on the back.

As for me, I got my first jacket (white w/our letters and the shield) and three T-shirts. One of the T-shirts came from the first vendor when you walked in the door -- his stuh was flying out, considering that he charged only $25 for his jackets, later reduced to $20.

I am a member of DST and have attended AKA events with my mother-in-law and other friends that are AKAs for many years. And they have attended DST events with me. I can't speak for everyone, but I wear a pin or t-shirt so folks don't assume I'm an AKA because I'm in a group with 2-5 AKAs!!! Especially if I'm holding my daughter who has been "drenched" in pink and green by her grandmother!!! I dont' think it should be taken as a sign of disrespect!!

FWRC Vendors
 

Okay, as a shopaholic I was a bit disappointed in the selection available. Like Sorors Prayerfull and Steeltrap, I was looking for more things like notepads, bags, pins, etc. Nonetheless, I did manage to find ways to spend my money. The jackets were a bargain at $20, I paid $60 for my first line jacket. However, you did have to inspect them carefully, my ls bought a jacket that's missing part of the "8" it look like "190S". I spent most of my money on jewelry, there was a Soror there selling Sterling Silver things that were pretty nice. I bought a ring, necklace and bracelet. I also found a few cute T-Shirts as well. So, in retrospect, it's a good thing that there weren't more vendors, I would have been totally broke! =)

the apology shirt
 

I am happy to say that the guys that were selling the ever so popular apology shirt will be or definitely are planning to be at Boule so maybe sorors you can cop a shirt there.... hope to see u at Boule....

as a matter of fact most of the vendors at the SARC were really reasonable... I bought most of my shirt for $5 and some for $10 and the sock were 2 for $5.. the jewelry seem inexpensive as well I bought several pieces (a charm for my bracelet, an aklet w/ivy charm with AKA at the points, and unique looking ring under for about $240), I bought pins, a sweatsuit, and other items that were semi costly, but I also bought a little tote for $5, and they had this vendor there that sold letters and ivy designs that allowed to decorate your clothing however you wanted, i bought some incense for $5 and she was also selling some type of soap that dissolved in the bath, and the AKA lotions, I even bought my stow that goes over your graduation gown from there and it was original because my LS bought theirs from our book store, even though they did not cover but a fourth of the area we had a multitude of vendors they even had vendors that sold clothing formal, semi-formal, and casual wear with shoes, hats, and the purse to match.... they were moving so merchandise up in der up in der....:D

There were ALOT of vendors at the SARC. And the prices were pretty good. I bought t-shirts that were $5.00 apiece and a really cute coloring book for my daughter. I purchased a coin purse that I thought was a good buy but the sides of the coin purse don't come up to the top of the coin purse and the change keeps falling out in my purse (sorta defeats the whole purpose of having a change purse!)

Boule is going to be PACKED with vendors. At one time, sorors could get a discount because the vendors didn't want to take anything home. One runs the risk of something that they want not being available because the vendor runs out before the conference.

Re: the apology shirt
 

Thanks to some planning with one of my LS who attended Boule, I'm the proud owner of an apology T-shirt. When she got it for me, the vendor sold her a second shirt that has "Hated by Many Respected by All" surrounding a bottle of pink "Haterade" with a green label that says: AKA Skee-Wee Established in 1908. The Haterade is above our letters in green with pink 3-D and "Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc." in white. :D

On the apology T-shirt it says Copyright 2002 Nu Greek Gear.

Re: Re: the apology shirt
 

Soror Steeltrap....HC I am JEALOUS right now. I want that shirt. That's all right though. I'm about to hunt one down somehow.

Vendor at Boule
 

I found this site while searching the web:

http://www.akadinnerware.com/

I purchased the plate and stand at Boule. Hopefully, it should get here this week or the beginning of next week.

All the information included was $35.00.

I do not know where to put it, since I do not own a china cabinet.

:D

I spoke with a soror who was a vendor at Boule and she told be that the vendors are having a hard time breakin even. The cost to register as a vendor is $2500. The cost to be a vendor at Boule was $3000 with the soror discount. This does not include travel, hotel, merchandise, etc. costs. Something happened on Saturday with the contract so the vendors expected to open and could not until Sunday - so they lost 1 day of business. Many of them backed out at the last minute. I spent under $100 this year because there really wasn't anything there.

At Central Regional Conference, the vendors were very upset. They were so far away from the rest of the conference, many sorors refused to walk to see them. if they did, it wasn't more then once. There were two rooms, instead of one big one - so many sorors didn't even know about the second room of vendors. The vendors are suffering.

We are hosting an area retreat this fall and not only has the vendor price gone up, our regional director wanted to try to limit when they could open to only the times we were not in session. Of course, no vendor are going to agree to that arrangement, especially the ones that lost money at Boule.

Re: Evaluating your RC vendors
 

And the soror looking for her gym shoes - tell her to keep looking. This company (the one in the Ivy) is in trouble for taking money from hundreds of sorors and not delivering their shoes. Sorors were looking for them at Boule, but of course they weren't there. The other vendor with the new pink and green gym shoes (Greek by Design) told me she's not sure if they're even doing business at conferences anymore because they're in so much trouble...