Is anyone from the HAMB gonna be pinstriping at the Good Guys show in Scottsdale? I've got a flamed picnic cooler that needs some outlines!
Yep, I took my stuff to Charlotte so I could stripe with some other guys. I had done a little something the night before, and a guy asked me if I was going to be at GG the next day. "Sure, just find me and...." So he finds me and he gets what he wants. As I finish, a guy asks me if I would do a stripe or two on his mirrors. OK. Get ready to open my box and a nice enough guy (GoodGuys Event Sales Staff) tells me that a striper has paid to set up as a vendor. Not a problem. I was just trying to make back my admission fee and pay for gas. He DID tell methet if I left the track, I could stripe all I wanted. I didn't want to leave the show I came for, so I packed up and abandoned the effort! No biggie! I really understand their position, but shutting a guy down for doing 20 bucks worth of stripes just because he didn't pay a vendor's fee? To top it off, one of the guys I wanted to "jam" with has spoken with the "paid vendor" at a previous show, and asked if the minded if he did a couple cars. "Not at all, I sure can't do all the cars that want to be striped." I chalk it up to GoodGuys wanting to (over)control their events. It would be nice to have a little leniency, though.... Good Luck! SDG Brett
its not over control. One person spend money to be a vendor, and be permitted to charge for their service. allowing others to preform the same service without the fee would not be fair to any of the other "vendors" at the event. Even if the striper at one event would have been ok with others striping, it is proper event organization. Snapon pays to be a vendor, how would they feel if a mac guy brought in a bunch of tools in his trunk and sold them on the field? I would not like it.
I have no problem paying a vendor fee if I am going to be striping at an event;but paying an exorbitant fee in addition to hotel bills and other expenses associated with attending an event was my original premise. I inquired about attending a national event hosted by one of the major associations about 7 years ago and was informed that my vendor fee would be $1400 for the show! Now I don't know what stripers in other areas of the country charge for their work but I do know that I(and likely many others)would have to stripe a whole hell of a lot of vehicles to even make the vendor fee;let alone pay their other expenses and make even a small profit. Don't take my word for it;ask any other striper who has wanted to or has set up at any of the major meets.
Sorry, didn't realize the vendors fees were so high! I just thought someone could set up at a swap meet space and do stripes! Also, figured if someone was going to set up, might as well give business to a HAMB member.
I did striping at a few NSRA shows ,and with all the expenses ( vender space, hotels ,meals and transportation ) it was hard to make a buck . Striping a car that someone has spent a lot of time and $$ on is something that you need to take your time to do a nice job. I did however do striping at MC events for 30 years , the bikes are smaller so you can get around them fairly quick and usually turn a good buck.
I think it's bullshit that one or two guys can hold a hole show down b/c they were the ones that pay b/c half the time they think there shit is better then another artist damn just let us do our art and get paid for it not have to put out cash then we do on supplies even more if we have a car in the show. So would they stop me from pinstriping my own car at the show???
Bear, I asked the "nice" guy if I could pinstripe a panel with another striper and he told me, as long as it wasn't on a car, I could stripe. And I think if money didn't change hands, it might slide as well. But don't quote me on that! SDG Brett
Hey Kats Im here in Scottsdale at the Goodguys show Pinstriping, You can stop by my booth and get something Pinstriped or just hang out, Im inside the building. Pinstriping the world one Hotrod at a time..
I can speak from experience on the topic. After 30 years of striping at shows, from doing a few each year to over 40 you got to pay your dues, and fees. I've done shows with as little as 5 vehicles to 10,000 cars. Sometimes I made more at the shows with hardly any cars where it was free than the biggies with thousands of cars and a hge vendor fee. I was fortunate to learn the secrets of marketing yourself as a pinstriper from a master who in his day could pull in $20k+ at the Houstom autorama over the weekend. His best advice was to always get an exclusive when you secure a good show. Yes, that's how you do business and market yourself in this evvil world because many want to get in free or ride your coattails. Doing business costs money whether it's what you have in supplies, vendor fee, travel or years of learning and suffering. I've been there. It's tuff out there and getting harder what with all the new guys shooting the same target. Some of you may think that it is unfair for the promotor to charge a striper but they have to pay for the location and other expenses as well. In the early days I was chased out of many shows for trying to get in for nada. Another one of those business life lessons...you gotta pay your fees. After I earned my exclusives in what is about 15 shows now, then other stripers acted like I should to just let them in becasue they belong to the secret world of pinstriping. Well honey it don't work that way. Like I told one striper recently who tried to horn in on one of my shows..."you got to earn respect and learn to get your own gig and if you don't get it I can and will bust your ass for dissing my shit!" He got the message or so I thought. Last year he was at an indoor show that I had been doing for 12 years. The promotor asked if he was with me and I said nope. So he got chased out and gave me a look like I owed him something. Once again I said you gotta earn their respect or you are out. For sure the Goodguys and NSRA have priced us out of the market. But there are many smaller venues locally where you want to make a name for yourself. Thats where you want to focus your marketing. Go to your regional shows, stripe cars, pass out cards, talk to potential customers and build a rep for yourself. Stripe cars while you are there. Doing panles is fine but most people who to get their ride striped want to see you in action ona real vehicle. Marketing yourself at the shows is where you build clientele and make money. After the show backend is where you make the most money anyway. I can do a couple of thousand at a show but passing out cards nad talking with people will bring in more $$ afterwards. And, I've had many people tell me that the promotor should be paying me because we as pinstripers put on a heck of a show. We entertain. My advice is to get a couple of good shows under your belt. It takes time to do that, won't happen overnight. Work it hard, be loyal to the promotors, develop your clientele, build a reputation and earn their trust. You'll be in like flynn and no one can take it from you. Finally, don't expect the world to beat a path to your door and kiss your feet. In the old days that happened with stripers becasue it wasn't as prevalent like it is now with stripers on every street corner vying for the same piece of meat. It ain't that special anymore.
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