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| - This is my fifth recent home show visit. Until this year, they seemed like they were getting better each year. This year is the 30th anniversary, and the ads promised that it would be the biggest show yet- but to me it seemed the same size or smaller. One of my favorite sights at the show is the designer rooms that they design for Pittsburgh celebrities, but they didn't have any this year. They also didn't have "the house" they build in the Convention Center. The main vendors were pretty much in the same places with the same setups. Strangely, the show was three days in when I went, and yet many vendors had "sold" signs on most of their products. A lot of vendors were either pushy, ignored you, or just weren't at their display (why pay for a display and leave a pile of brochures?). The experience didn't start well- the guy at the entrance that was trying to get people to sign up for Better Homes & Gardens was rude, loud, and obnoxious, and their paperwork was everywhere and looked sloppy. Something that really bothered me was a chimney sweep service that had two signs that said "$60 cleaning special." Since I've seen home show chimney sweeps offer $99 cleanings in the past, I figured this was an incredible deal- until the guy told me it was $60 off their usual $220 cleaning. Talk about bait and switch!
One of the positives this year was Duquesne Lights' expanded presence. They take up almost a whole row and have some neat displays on power safety like what to do with trees and power lines. Also, my favorite, the turtle race guy, is back, and his show is just as fun and campy as ever.
What can I say- it's the Home Show. Go if you're looking for someone for your house or need ideas, but don't go if you're looking for something to kill time...
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