Home Shows–Only for the Rich Anymore?

Even before we had a home, James and I used to go to the Atlanta Home Show once a year. These were downtown at the World Congress Center and we’d always have a great time. We’d skip "the gardening junk" (although one year we did fall in love with the "bird-friendly" garden, which had teeny lawn portions) and attend demonstrations.

Eventually we couldn't make the schedule: the spring show was perpetually a weekend we were busy and the fall show fell on the last weekend in September, usually a work weekend for those in Government contracting circles like me.

Our new branch chief, however, has been trying to dispose of the nonsensical attitude that everything must be spent at the exact last minute, so this year, although the work has been steady, it was not excessive enough to require weekend work--a godsend since we had a double birthday party and an APAzine collation to go to as well.

So on Sunday, armed with discount coupons from Borders, we went "a-homeshowing" for the first time in years.

The Atlanta Home Show is now held at the Galleria (a.k.a. the world's most boring mall) in Marietta, and seems appreciably smaller than it did when we quit attending them over five years ago. I could swear the display floor of the World Congress Center was a lot larger than this.

I must admit now that after the last home show we did manage to make, we were dissatisfied with the exhibitors. When we first attended these things, there were a great deal of different products for the home. Some of these even included food vendors; we remember the year the Wisconsin cheese people came. They had a sharp cheddar cheese spread that was to die for; we nursed our container for months, having the delicious concoction as a treat. The Watkins people used to show up, and there were other special foods and mixes marketed. There were also displays of things in the home for kids, pets, seniors, young couples just starting out, small homes.

Granted, some of the regulars are always there. The Lustre Craft folks whom we bought our cookware from 12 years ago were in attendance (you do get what you pay for; this stuff is expensive, but I expect it to last for another 100 years, it's that good), also the other cookware people. The adjustable ladder people, the different mop vendors, the new window people, and the massage chair people were all there as well.

But the two main vendor types seemed to be for jacuzzi/pools and fancy glass doors (and a couple of cases, stained glass windows). You couldn't turn a corner without seeing big hot tubs or beveled glass. The other prominent vendor-type was for kitchen re-dos, which seemed a little more sensible--until you noticed the type of kitchen remodelings they were selling.

In short, there are fewer and fewer vendors there for people with lower incomes like ourselves. There were kitchen renovation plans there that probably cost half the price of our house (at least). (Heck, there were stoves there that were probably 1/10th the cost of our house.) There were things there we would have loved to have: a nice sturdy awning for over the glass doors, a professional stove, beautiful double-sash "lean in" windows, trim closet organizers with shelves and drawers, etc. Any one of them would have left us in debt out the nose.

Where are the things for us "ordinary Joes" who don't want hand-crafted stained glass oriel windows, hot tubs that would graciously support an orgy of ten, "tea houses" that cost $4000 (and aren't even screened in), automated homes, $800 closet organizers, and $20,000 home theatre systems? Is there no room to exhibit something other than commercial-grade (and price) kitchen appliances, mahogany cupboards, and granite counters? Not everyone makes six-figure salaries and lives in a home with a two-story foyer, landscaped backyard, and so much room they need two (or more) air conditioning units.

Home shows should send you off with ideas to make your house a better place to live, not how to stress yourself out with redecorating debts for the rest of your life. And certainly not leave you feeling poor and mean, like Bob Cratchit counting his shillings and wondering if he'll ever manage something comfortable for Tiny Tim...

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. . . . . noted and logged by Linda at 9:01:00 AM

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