RAM OPEN DAY 2016

Pedro · February 14, 2016, 07:17:08 PM

My inability to recall events may be a result of heat stress! :laugh2:

Didn't take many photos RG and will have to get them off my phone later.

Pedro

runway · February 14, 2016, 10:20:01 PM

The lineups varied during the day from cash and eftpos
Cash lineup was short and quicker to duck up the road to the redibank for cash

runway · February 14, 2016, 10:53:13 PM

Quote from: 'purplepennyhunter' pid='84508' dateline='1455357318'I would not have coped so good with the heat not being able to seek the shade if forced to stand in the queues. Bummed about the 50c bags that is bad bad bad of the RAM to do that. Thanks for the pics.

Kathryn the 50c bags are available from the RAM eShop

Pedro · February 15, 2016, 08:03:18 AM

PEDRO'S BIG ADVENTURE

This was my first visit to a RAM event so in the end I thought I would trundle over early and just see what the crowd was like. Arrived about 8.40am and seeing the length of the queue for the Open Day 50c made, as it turned out the "warm" decision, to join the line.

The queue extended the complete length of the car park and then looped around the end - would guess at perhaps 70 - 80 metres long.

This shot was taken after about 1/2 an hour or so in the line. You can just see the closed end of the row of tents (circled) and we had to go up past them then double back to a blue tent at the end of the car park.

At some point in the day the line actually ran in from the opposite direction to that tent (would have been where you would have been RG).

As RG mentioned there were significant numbers of RAM staff (including the CEO) around to give directions and answer questions.

The drawback was that they had significantly underestimated the early demand and only had two staff on selling the carded 50c. It took about an hour and a half for the RAM to set up another line for cash only purchases of the card.

Two hours after starting we finally reached our goal!! The line had shrunk somewhat but was still quite long even at that point.

The good news was that by then the queue for the bagged 50c was only about 5 long so picking them up was a breeze. While the line was so small you were only permitted to one purchase one bag at a time (the gent behind me pointed that out to the ladies serving but they followed their procedure and advised that he should just line up again). Easy in the end really to just whip around a couple of times.

It appeared that many people bought their coins and left the precinct. Not sure that the RAM had their allocations right ie allowing early buyers the opportunity to buy 50 coins and then dropping the number as time went by while demand was clearly very strong. I don't know how the dealers obtained their allocations but it just appeared that the Ebay set got in and got out - I may be doing those people an injustice but it would have been better to start with an allocation of 10 and make them circle around. That may have dampened their ardour (or maybe not) :laugh2: and made it fairer for people arriving later in the day.

Now because I made the unplanned decision to join the queue first up I left my hat in the car (and that wasn't close, silly boy :heat:). The RAM did provide some drinks and sunscreen as we "enjoyed" our vitamin D fix in the line.

Fortunately a kind lady and gentleman had come better prepared and lent another chap and myself an umbrella so I ended up with a "watermelon" rather than a "beetroot" shade on the top of my head.

The heroes of the day would have to have been the poor souls who were dressed up as the dollar coin, kangaroo and the koala. They would have been very hot in those costumes to say the least. From the line I could see the koala with the top half off and mopping himself down - and that was after about an hour.

Will post a bit more later on.

Pedro

purplepennyhunter · February 15, 2016, 07:29:12 AM

Quote from: 'runway' pid='84558' dateline='1455452593'Kathryn the 50c bags are available from the RAM eShop

Yes I bought some last week. Postage adds 100% to the cost though.

purplepennyhunter · February 15, 2016, 08:52:54 AM

Thanks Pedro, a great read!

Pedro · February 15, 2016, 10:38:41 AM

PEDRO'S ADVENTURE (Part 2)

After a bit of R&R with the wife's niece and family it was back into the fray.

We wandered back later in the afternoon so that the niece's daughter could have a look see.

After a brief look around we thought it may be a little cooler inside the RAM building. However, with so many people coming and going the air conditioning in the shop area was struggling.

Next stop - the factory floor tour.

Inside the toolroom area:

The 5c press clattering away:

Some "free" samples, pity they were enclosed in the drums. There were a number of drums scattered around that contained the new design coins. Couple of examples.

Titan having a rest:

Got to dip my hat to the ladies working in the proof room punching out those coins and carefully checking the output - I couldn't do that day in, day out. Mind you the coins did look very pretty even if proofs are not my thing.

Overall, Pedro had an enjoyable (if a little hot - did I mention that!) day. Very friendly people in the queue for coins at least made the lining up more bearable.

Pedro

Unicorn · February 15, 2016, 10:43:24 AM

Great pics and a very entertaining read Pedro! Glad you had a good time.

.... edit ..... removed comment that wasn't that bright (I didn't think that the new design for 2016 might actually be the obverse ..... der Uni)

robbiegal · February 15, 2016, 01:00:20 PM

Norti boy photos were not allowed on the tour. Great shots though. 8.40 am for what a 10 am opening! Wow

P's I was out in my veggie patch yesterday only 31 degrees but the UV was purple at 12 on weather zone. I was still really feeling the sun at that time of day and started thinking about those poor blighters in the dollar coin out fit etc and wondered if they may have been treated for heat exhaustion later that night. And yep I had left my umbrella in the car that was a kilometer down the road!

Hey runway where is your on the spot report? The more the merrier!

Pedro · February 15, 2016, 01:31:59 PM

Quote from: 'robbiegal' pid='84574' dateline='1455503420'Norti boy photos were not allowed on the tour. Great shots though. 8.40 am for what a 10 am opening! Wow

Oops - were there signs re photos? All that sun obviously affected my eyesight as well! :blush:

Was supposed to be an 8.30am start rather than the usual 10am Saturday start. I was originally working on 10am as well but only saw the 8.30am start time in the RAM Open day notice on the RAM site on Friday.

Pedro

Goldseeker · February 15, 2016, 02:18:14 PM

Great photos and reading folks. Well done.

runway · February 15, 2016, 09:59:49 PM

Quote from: 'robbiegal' pid='84574' dateline='1455503420'Norti boy photos were not allowed on the tour. Great shots though. 8.40 am for what a 10 am opening! Wow

P's I was out in my veggie patch yesterday only 31 degrees but the UV was purple at 12 on weather zone. I was still really feeling the sun at that time of day and started thinking about those poor blighters in the dollar coin out fit etc and wondered if they may have been treated for heat exhaustion later that night. And yep I had left my umbrella in the car that was a kilometer down the road!

Hey runway where is your on the spot report? The more the merrier!

Sorry I have a few photos but haven't downloaded them yet but will do
:yahoo:

robbiegal · February 16, 2016, 08:00:50 PM

Great the more the merrier and we all see the same things but see them differently