The swap meet and show from August the 5th thru the 8th.in Reno and then a week at Bonneville. Anyone else planning to make the trek??
The promoter that used to do the HAN swapmeet now has his own called The Reno Swapmeet that is taking place Sunday August 2nd at the Arco Center in Sacramento CA. It was very good last year. The HAN swap Thu-Fri-Sat last year was down, but I still found good deals. I go to HAN mainly for the swap, but did enjoy the night drags sponsored by HAN at the Reno-Fernley Raceway last year.
i just get sick of corvetts,chevells,camaros,and try 5 chevys to me they all look the same all street rods
, a few clarifications I think is in order here --- THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A HOT AUGUST NIGHTS SWAP MEET == Its always been the Reno Swap Meet since the beginning -- We had to drop the Harrah name when Bill Harrah died and Holiday Inns bought the Harrahs name I am not a promoter -- I am a hobbyist who took over the (Harrahs) Reno Swap Meet from my departed buddy Bill Finefrock back in 1998 ------- Way back in 1987 the original Hot August Nights group came to Bill Finefrock and asked him to move the Reno Swap Meet (owned by Bill) , from early June to Aug. to help them get going (Hot August Nights was in deep do do and in the hole in excess of 800'gs -- Wanting to help the hobby ... Bill moved the Reno Swap Meet dates to coincide with the HAN dates -- and formed a partnership with HAN -- he found Mitch Silver and brought an Auction to the RLEC grounds and he worked his butt off to help Hot August Nights grow- getting sponsors and the car count up through his vast network of friends in the automotive world (Bill founded AutoWeek) - well it grew and the HAN organization fell into control of non-auto people mostly from the casinos & hotels -- they mostly have no interest in old cars or the hobby -- just getting people to Reno to spend $$$ which is great ...just using the guys with the cars to get people there .. Things were getting dicey when HAN decided that they wanted to control what vendors could sell at the Reno Swap Meet -- IE tires, wheels, car insurance, parts etc --and advised me I had to turn competing vendors away because guys like Summit Racing paid $20,000 to be a sponsor Not a good way to have a real swap meet kinda like restraint of trade (I really dont think many of the sponsors really wanted that control at the swap meet just at the other venues Then HAN decided not to report the total gate counts to me and withheld them saying that is wasnt necessary -- its kinda nice to know how many people actually come to the swap meet since we shared in the gate receipts.. And started to give passes to different groups and then raised the gate to $6 without my signed approval .. per our contract Clearly this non profit group that had an agenda (would love to see their books and who makes what?) There was a clause in our partnership contract where they had the right to buy the swap meet which they refused to exercise thinking they could hijack the swap meet which I let them pull off last year --the HAN executive director made oral threats to me and had their attorneys (who work for free) --send me threatening letters which I will gladly share with anyone -- HAN sent me a request for bids to run the swap meet while I was out of state -- it required that I give thousands of dollars to them and give up control of OUR Swap meet ..which would doom the meet.. it even called for us to handle the parking which is really controlled by the RSCVA and had non-exsisting buildings that we had to pay for.. We met with our attorney we could of fought and won but at what cost? I am getting old and this is a hobby for me I had asked to meet with the HAN board and was refused just send in your bid I was told nice way to be treated after 22years of holding their hand and covering for all their miscues and building the event -- Well the only bid was from my FORMER friend who I had helped over the years and I guess --he did not value our friendship opting for $$$ and submitted a bid... they only one that I know of ... and geeze he WON AMAZING .. Only problem he had not a clue on how to run a traditional swap meet no mail list , no equipment no crew no layouts of the grounds he tried contacting my crew to pick their brains and secure any info he could he did steal our field layout maps that Bill & I created over the past 18 years at the RLEC .. I guess he doesnt believe in copyrights or ethics. Oh by the way it should be up for bids in 2010 if any of you want to take a run at it just watch your backside for hitchhikers. Well, what you saw last year was his attempt to pull it off and from what I hear it could be worse this year anyone selling a used car or used parts must go to the Reno PD and have a background check and be photographed and finger printedhow may of you want to do that and pay $66 for that privilege? (But hey they say there wont be any enforcement) .. so I took my marbles and moved the Reno Swap Meet to the Arco Arena crazy huh? it was so much fun seeing all the real guys show up last year many who had dropped out of Hot (censored) Nights due to the high costs of doing the meet in Reno for 3 days at the RLEC dust bowl This will be our second year at the Arco Arena and will be even more fun as we continue the Harrah/Finefrock tradition.. In Rust We Trust just not in Reno anymore John Sweeney not a promoter . (But maybe a Studebaker promoter) The Reno Swap Meet renoswapmeet.com
Thanks John fo trying to keep at least some swap meets "old school". Heard nothing but good about your swap last year. The turn out this year should be much bigger. Good luck with everything.
WOW John, that's an amazing chain of events. It's a real shame the whole weekend has turned to a political money machine in Reno. Great to know you are keeping the spirit alive elsewhere...
I was at last years swap at Arco arena and let me tell you guys if you go bring roller skates or something this thing goes on for freakin ever and ever ! Also bring water walking this parking lot during the sac summer weather is like trying to follow moses through the desert. That being said one of the best swaps I have been at and super reasonable prices! I saw an og 57 chevy gasser w motor and decent barn find shape go for under 10gs also all kinds of other clean rides and cool speed parts coke machines signage I mean good stuff. and decent prices. Ans sac is a laid back town with decent people in it good attitudes and help full I even hitched a ride with guys that were leavin to get back to my bike ! as for HAN i used to go when they were fun but whoever is in charge now really ruined a good thing used to be burnouts engines revving awesomeness even lowriders were allowed to hop right in the street! Everyone had a great time cops were cool and looked the other way all the sudden things changed gates went up cops on every corner acting like robo cop no non registered cars allowed to cruise and every were you go a hassle it was like they decided Hey these people are here to give us crazy amounts of otherwise not available income but they can do it our way and maybe we can ticket fine jack up rates on everything impose ridiculouse rules and get our law enforcement to ticket fine and hassle em as much as possible while they are here! Screw that noise! I will and have taken my money else were.
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