Car Shows, Am I just out of touch?

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD cl***=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset">Originally Posted by raceron1120
I remember the club members discussing increasing contestants' costs but it was voted down because most thought if it cost too much $$ to enter, it would keep many of them from coming to the show and they WERE the show.
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Yup, I agree. Definitely a fine line on how, who and what to charge. And no matter what the promoters or clubs do, there's always gonna be somebody who's unhappy about something. Human nature I guess. It's gotta be a tough job, and most of the putter-onners probably deserve a lot more credit than they get.

 

AHH Yes.....the price of being "cool"!

 

Builders outside, customers / consumers inside. What is the debate ? I go to see ingenuity, or mostly the lack there of......what?

 

Yeah, what he says. And I don't bang ******s either unless they pay me.

So far, no takers though.

 

Same ol thing been going on for years!! Welcome to the real world !!

 

Key word in the original post. SHOW. It's an event and it's supposed to make money for the person who is putting it on. So,yea they charge everyone so they can make more money. Is it right to charge the people who bring in the crowd? No, but that's the way it is.

I used to love going to our yearly AutoRama. Then, one year, I wondered why I NEVER saw ANY of the cars on the street. Build a car and don't drive it? Seemed like a big waste of money to me and most of the cars were something I knew I would never have. Fantasyland and I was paying $15 to day dream. It just got old.

Then, I built my first rod and thought I'd show it. Needed the ego boost? What kept me from doing it was that I didn't want to be without my car for even ONE weekend. I was having too much fun driving it. If I needed the ego trip of people looking at it, all I had to do was take her to the street. Every stoplight, gas station or drive inn was a show.

I found out about the local HAMBers and going to the monthly meet is like a mini show, even if it's the same people and the same cars. The payoff is being around cool people who share my interest.

There is a weekly meet up in Pearland that went from 10-15 cars to over a 100 in a month. It's free and most of the crowd are people who are into cars. I have met so many good people there. Then, there is the BIG meet up in Spring, TX (north of Houston). It's EVERY SATURDAY for about 6-7 months of the year. There are over 500 cars there EVERY Satuday night and it's FREE! Homebuilts and cars that could have been in the AutoRama. After going there, I swore off carshows.

I have found the best fun is being in the open air and hanging with gearheads. You don't need a big auditorium or pay to have fun. I won one trophy. It was an old timer telling me I had a nice car. I'll never forget that and the memory won't need to be dusted.

Get in your hot rod and drive around. Call your buddies and have them meet you at the burger joint or whatever. Buy your food and drinks from the joint to show respect and don't trash the place. It will catch on and you'll feel better.

 

Yhea, what he said.

 

McDonalds and Burger King charge also. Thats why we just eat out of the dumpsters for free.

 

Don't tell anyone, but I put my car in shows because the bar's in the trunk. It's hard, being a beer snob...

 

Same **** with us motorcycle guys ........too. I stopped showen' when the cost got out of hand ...... I realized it does take coin to put a show on but really ...... it's a bit much now.

Paco

 

What ever happend to getting a free T shirt when you bought some serious speed parts too? Even Moon would throw in a Tee with a box of bits, hell now you cant even get your box of bits!! Hell, its almost been 4 months an I still havent got my stuff from Moon!.

 

I feel the same way about shirts.About a year ago I started wearing plain black shirts no logos. I am kinda weired about **** like that I am not going to pay some company the wear their logo.

 

You forgot about the police officer to deter people from doing donuts on the gr*** and perhaps killing a child. That one just AMAZED me!

 

The flying Eyeball here in Davenport charges $25 but you get a nice book and shirt, I cant remember the book this year as my truck wasnt done but it was really nice. I think it was the ZZ top book about his cars.
Yeah it was..

so that $ actually got you something atleast

but i agree, I pay for you to make the dough.. ****

 

Start your own car show, drive it to the store.

 

My .02 is this is and can be an expensive hobby to be involved with I understand that the insurance and to rent a lot can run up a bill but I think if you keep it in reason its ok to charge to try to break even I guarantee the GG shows loose their *** if it rains all 3 days with the cash they shell out . I guess in a way the street racers and rice rockets ruined the ability to hang out in parking lots with out h***le from cops cause they sure do like to around here and an entry fee is cheaper than a ticket for some BS that they can make up as you pull out of the parking lot.
Hell the only admission fee I pay is the starbird show every jan cause there aint much to do outside in the middle of jan in ks with snow on the ground bettr to be inside and see what old friends have been up to and see a few new rides than sit at home.

 

interesting thread this.
I help run/run 2 shows per year, one is at my shop that is outdoor casual free entry and the other is our State ***le Show that is at a big indoor centre with lots of traders, girls, lights etc etc.
I get 250+ cars to my show, it costs me $4000AU to put on and on the day I wouldnt recoup that money, but its may way of giving back to the guys that buy off me and we also send some money from the BBQ to a charity.
The big event is run by a committe of 8 guys,unpaid and it takes 6 months to organise. I dont know th total cost off the top of my head but the advertising and venue hire come to over $60,000Au, then you have insurance, security, catering, hire of the booths/poratble walls etc etc etc.
This show is free to enter (we take a $50 refundable deposit to stop no-shows) for cars and the public pay around $20Au to get in .
The show each year covers costs and makes a few $$. All money raised is left in an account that is managed by a book keeper. Any profit made is simply used towards the next show.

We get 200 in the venue, we get quite a few who believe they should be paid to put their car in, but there just isnt enough $$ to do that without making it a non-profit show.(ie if we paid each entry $50 thats $10,000 !!)

 

I like the $50 deposit idea...its kinda like when you get it back it feels good even if it is your own money your getting back,sorta like a tax refund

 

Yep, pays to check things out. There's a local website that let's you know all the shows in the 4 state area. Cost, type, activities, entry fee, charity being donated to. Cool to pick and choose what suites you. I feel bad for anyone putting on a show, because there's going to be *****ing no matter what. Lifes too short for stress. I've pulled up to shows and could tell it was something I wouldn't want to deal with and just drove on. Get that? Drove on. That's the best part anyway. Being on the road. Usually a good crowd around you on the road smiling and waving anyway and it doesn't cost you anymore than the fuel making that sweet rumble through the pipes. So if you run into something that bugs you, go the other way, that will bug them. lol..........................

 

Every time this topic comes up I quote the L.A. Roadster Show - if they can do it for decades, so can others.

Life is about choices - if it's a show where you pay to enter and you don't want to pay, don't go - it really is that simple.

I guess we're spoiled in SoCal: Donut Derelicts, Huntington Beach every Saturday morning - if that's your gold chainer bag - free, Cruise Nights - free and plenty of 'em - and The Broiler/Bob's Big Boy is gonna be free too. To me these are social events more than ego stroking. Hang out with buddies, grab a bite to eat, check out the cars, tell barefaced lies - perfect evening.

But don't worry, the economy will sort out the car shows (and motorsports for that matter - Nascar, NHRA etc.) - there will be less of both and less attendees.

Just one last thought: If you are into ********** and necrophilia, are you flogging a dead horse?

 

Maybe someday UNICEF will get into the car show business, until then....

If you don't like the cost of greens fees; don't golf. If you don't like the price of a lift ticket; don't ski. If you don't like the cost of the car show; don't go.

 

Yeah there are heaps of old gummers at car shows that i think get a big kick out of being douchebags. I second that, id go to a cruise-in any day of the week over a show. Although the half naked chicks are tempting...

 

Same at the Bash in Peoria we charge $10 for a car load and $1 to walk ins to help cover the costs, mainly the band and to give us some money to do it all again in 09'. We also gave out some custom made awards. I'll admit that I have thought about this when forking over my $20.00 but by the time I'm leaving any event I've been too I've had a good enough time shooting the **** and poking fun at my friends that I have forgotten about the 20 spot.

I'll remember that............LOL see ya in June or sooner.

 

I don't get it. I'm probably going to get in trouble here but I hate this wining about car shows. If you don't like them , don't go. Car show promoters are for profit organizations. Drag strip promoters have always charged partisapants and spectators, it's ok for them but not car shows? I understand where Earl Scrieb is at, been there, done that. I've been involved with some shows, our break down was entry fee's are a must, otherwise the no show's would kill you. Entry fee's go back to the car owner in the form of free t-shirts and trophies ( yeah, cheap plastic ones but buy 300 trophies and plaques all custom engraved and see what those cheap things cost). Sponsers pay for prise money (around $10,000) and for the feature cars (around $2000 per car plus gas money X6 or so). Venders cover building rent (around $8000. The door pays for advertising, insurance, sucurity, paid help, ect, ect. Almost all of the expense (somewhere around 60g) is up front and out of pocket. On a good weekend the break even point is around Sunday afternoon, the door after that is profit. You end up with 10 to 20 gs for 6 months and God knows how many hours of work. Then it snows and your door drops in half, all of a sudden your'e 10 to 20 g's in the hole for all that work. Frankly I don't know why anyone wants that job but I glad they do as I enjoy going, I enjoy compeating (not for the trophy, for the ego boost since I build my own) and I enjoy the friendships I've made at the shows over the years.
By the way, I think anyone comparing the big indoor shows to parking lot shows and cruise nights is comparing apples to oranges.
For the record I also enjoy driving my cars as much as showing them.

 

im in

 

seems like its alwas something. ***** it to much, there not much to do. if you don't like it stay home. the free shows are fun, yes. my club have been doing a show in town for 34 years. my old man is a OG member. they have heard it ALL. it 25 bucks to park your car in the show. we charge $4 to walk in free for the kids. if you come friday you get FREE pizza and drinks. then the show saterday, the cruz saterday night. we give trophie Coats. no plastic ****. we have a good time. its the biggest show in town. 450-500 cars. the money we make puts on the show. its not cheap. whats left over..... we give back to are community. the club buys the members coat, plaque, and a few shirts. the only other thing a guy GETS outa the club is the 2 or 3 BBQs/ meetings we have. the rest ALL goes back. if you don't want to play to park with other like minded. cool thats ok. donate your 25 to charity, and have a nice drive. its not about the money. never was for us. its about who we can help. and put on a fun show. i don't like paying for shows any more than the next guy. thats cutting in to my car fund. but at the end of the day. i got to hang out with all my friends, BS about cars and have a damn good time driving there and home if i didn't have to much fun drinking beer. ok rant done. i need to read all 6 pages now

 

I'm a car guy.I like old cars.I have an old car.I like it when people like my old car.I like seeing other old cars,'cause I realise there are other old cars as well as mine.I like meeting other people with old cars and talking to them about old cars.I find that I can usually find more old cars than any where else.... AT OLD CAR SHOWS.Bizarre huh?
Paul

where's Coldwar?

 

I usually go to cruise ins and if I enter a show it will be one that gives a T shirt with preregistering. Jeff

 

We have confettis car show promotions here, it's not too much to enter and the people seem pretty nice, it's not like concours type judging eithier. the judges are regular people and they seem to take a real interest in the cars. it's all mostly fun and a few small trophys. I think the small entry fee is to help defray the cost of running the show. I could see 5 or ten bucks, but they aren't charging admission. I see no excuse to charge people to enter when they are charging gate admission. Keep your eys out there are often small shows in local towns, these seem to be the most fun to go to, screw the trophys, isn't the entire point to enjoy yourself?

 

Let me get this staight, half naked chicks for $10.00? What do I get for $20.00?