Car Shows, Am I just out of touch?

Seriously, I don't mind paying admission to see a car show. While I prefer the smaller shows, and cruises where we can park and watch as the cl***ics drive past. I will go to stuff like the Detroit AutoRama or some other bigger ones too and don't mind the entry fee. I understand the costs involved with putting on a show, my folks belonged to a club did that very thing when I was a kid (horses, not cars but same type of deal). But the contestants paid only a very nominal registration fee, mostly to cover administrative & supplies costs. Trophies and other prizes came from previous events' gate fees or club fundraisers. 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.

 

Choppers show in cleveland is allways a good time. They have ICE cold beer , Good Food, Rods and Customs. The last night is the most fun watching the show cars pull holeshots upon departure. I have paid to put a couple of my cars in [ no big deal ] never won anything just had some fun. I would NEVER go to a goodguy show even if it was free.. Not my bag. too many CHAINERS wandering around stupified. Me too ****..

 

I agree with you about it being backwards.I always go as a spectator to the shows that charge entrance for the cars.I park outside the fence and still enjoy the show as a free spectator.I think that is b***-akwards too.The ones that get me is when the car owners get charged to park and the spectators are free.The spectators should pay and the owners should get in free.It wouldn't be quite as bad if it wasn't so expensive.$15-20 bucks every weekend somewhere will break you quickly if you are retired.So yeah, I mostly don't participate.Viva la cruiz-ins.

 

How much more for a lapdance?


The problem is it's not cheap to run a show, and if you raise admission to the general public, they just go do something else, there's a limit to what people are willing to pay. Your costs to put on a show include renting the location and then if you want to bring in bands or a DJ that costs money... plus they may need insurance for the event... and then if there's anything left over the club can exist for another year off it. Some guys provide food, some bring in a vendor who pays them, that can go either way.

$30 is a lot though unless it's two day shows, or the trophies come with a couple of lapdances. From hot girls, too, not the monday afternoon strippers with scars from bullet wounds and stretch marks from the last baby.

 

Realistically both the spectators and the entrants are the show without either you have no show. If you try an recoupe your costs by charging entrants more they may not come but at the same time if you differ all of the costs to the spectator then they will stop coming as well.

 

I was at that event! Too bad our paths didn't cross then....we'd have a few more friendship years under our belt.

Regarding the topic at hand.....some of you guys are just complaining, *****ing nancy boys, worse then a bunch of old ladies at a quilting bee.

 

I take my car to charity events only. There's about 20 of them a year withing a 50 mile drive. Toys for kids, research for juvinile cancer, research for autusm, Animal shelter, etc.

Check around, you'll find the charity events are the new way to enjoy your car. They all give out a sheet to hang in the window, judging cl***, etc. I write 'don't judge' on mine in black sharpie.

 

yea nash that reminds me of one i forgot. Brookgate has a shoes for kids show . they close off the 4-lane street and let you make circle p***es ! the cops even let you pull "MINI" holeshots ! !. the cash went to needy children, was a really good time. Man whats with the f-bombs man ? sounds like a Good boys CHAINER musta pissed in you cheerios...LOL

 

Once when I was young and on the hunt, I belonged to a private night club where you had to be a member to get in.
The owner said,"I don't make money off the membershipo, but it keeps the riff raff out".
As an example, look at Hot August Nights riots.

 

Go Rumblers----Go Rumblers--------Go Rumblers!!!

 

whining about car shows is the new flat black.


I think I stole that from KIRK!.... or was it someone else??

 

Timely thread for me....my show is this weekend.

If the dead horse is gonna get beat again, I'm gonna toss in my pennies.

Most of y'all get it. It takes cubic dollars to do something a step above the Saturday afternoon parking lot show. My building rent alone is $8000+ for 3 days. Then there's insurance(you bought a $3mil policy lately?), hotel rooms(it's 60 miles away), fuel to get there,flyers, expenses to go to other events to hand out flyers, ADVERTISING(I won't even go there), awards, security, help in the ticket booth, door ticket takers, helpers on load-in day(s),etc. On top of that, we pay a local club to do the physical judging(and that money goes to charity), ETC ETC....
THEN....some ***hole(s) are gonna power-park out front with their for sale signs cause they're too CHEAP to pay to park inside(where all the people are). I've had guys bring trailerloads of parts and try to sell outside in the parking lot, while I'm scrambling trying to fill in my vendor area...
And what about the risk? What happens, say if the weather turns to **** and I have no gate? I STILL have to pay for the event. Add to that the guys that wait until the last minute, call and say "hold me a spot!"...then don't show after I've turned three other guys away. Not cool.
Oh yeah, don't wanna forget there's always whiners...."why am I in this cl***?" "it's cold/hot in here" "I had to park at the far end, and I'm disabled" "I don't like the food"" I don't like where I'm parked--can I move?"......And the guys that try to sneak in for free.....

All that considered, is it unfair for me to ask for an entry fee for the exhibitors? I mean, you WILL get an award(that costs me more than you paid) You WILL get to see everything in the building, maybe closer than the guy who walks in the front door. You WILL have the opportunity to make new friends, and probably visit with old friends.....

Which poses a question in my mind----WHY do people build 'show' cars anyway? Pride in craftsmanship? Recognition? Ego? Or maybe because they like owning a "perfect" car....I dunno....

My gig's small---100 cars, maybe 50 vendors, we try to have fun.....but every year when it rolls around, all these things resurface(i.e., people's at***udes) and it makes me hate indoor shows that much more especially when my profit margin is almost zero...( I though car people actually enjoyed hanging out with each other)

I don't know why I even bother......

rant over--thanks.

 

Blah ,blah ,blah, blah,blah !
Someone actually got 4 pages out of this, unbelievable !
And remember boys and girls your local cars show promoter
may be listening !

 

when I was in dynasty carclub we boycotted al the lrm sponsored events for this very reason... If Im going to the show anyway, I'll still bring my car, just so i have somewhere to smoke weed, and sit if i get tired. bring a p***enger and split the admission and it usually costs what it would to walk in anyway.

 

...come to our show the S**** Drive in June , it's only 15 bucks to enter your car and covers everyone in the car; if you don't have a good time I'll personally give you your money back.

 

I aggree, in the past you would go to the shows to hang out with your friends and pepole with the same interest as you. but they turned into *****ing contest over little plastic trophes. About 20 years ago the early ford v-8 club put on an all ford day ( they have for years ) it was free they would furnish drinks and prizes it was just FUN, well this certain year we bought some trophes ( it was my idea ) to hand out, the spectators voted on the cl***es. this was all free good time tire kicking, after this was over a guy came up to me and was upset beause he thought his car was nicer than the one which rcieved a trophy(and it was nice but) After that the so called Trophe car shows have turned me off., If a person needs a trophe to feel good about his car he could take the entry fee money and buy one. We should all build the car that WE like and than what the hey.

 

I find subtle irony in usually seeing the best traditional rides parked outside the Goodguys Columbus megameet. They get it.

 

I was hasty. I edited that out. I just have too much of a good time at less commercial events, and it's Charity events only for me from now on.

Me too. But I am thinking that nepotism is in play there. Big time. Anyhow,

It's ALWAYS TOO LOUD

and for me, in past tense, (was......)
.

 

thats it, we have given over $500,000 dollars to the Shrine Hospitals over the last 12 years, I ***ume that most clubs do good with the money they make on the shows, we give 100% away, we bought the Shrine a Van last year, and gave them $50,000 cash, $2000 to the Earth Angel Group, and to the local Clermont County Homeless Shelter...Ask What the Goodguys or the NSRA gives away....Our Club is a 100% non-profit 501C, hell of a note when a Car Club has to be a business...but we do! www.pumpkinrunnationals.com

John

 

awards and the indoor shows like ISCA shows are a no different than another motor sport,your trying to be the best in your cl*** at what you do,no different than guys cl*** racin at the HAMB drags.......if you dont think you can go to this event and just have fun then stay the f##K home!Its really your loss,Ive met some great life long friends and still enjoy the shows even tho my hotrod in not on their level,its about havin fun meetin good people and maybe doing some positive PR for the hobby while were at it,and in towns where you have indor shows (none in arizona this year) its a good way to bring a club together when doing a club display.........

 

I wonder if some of the "car guys" on here realize that a ton of the traditional and archived pics that we soo love to look at here on the hamb are at these promoted shows from the early days. Add to the fact that quite a few of the early legends were promoters as well. who'da thunk they made money to build their rides by puttin on car shows, them sons-a-*****es

Get over it!

 

Think of the entry fee as "Preferred Parking".

 

Our club used to charge $10. Reason: Club had to have liability insurance for shows, hire a DJ or live band, pay for permit, buy trophies and dash plaques, pay for security. Plus club had to be incorporated and registered with the state as a non-profit organization, hire an accountant and keep books. We also published a monthy newsletter and donated most of the proceeds to charity. Having a club in today's world of litigation makes a difference.

 

well said ma'am. that is my take, dont drag the horse all over the field , just let it be........... dont delete this rashy!!!!

 

And now you know why the L.A. Roadsters puts on the annual Fathers Day event!!
Free entry en***les you to BBQ, showing your open car with 800 other guys for 2 days, & recieving an engraved English pewter mug cherished over the years, as a thank you for exhibiting your open car!!----No best this & that, & a couple big charities get some big bucks,----And, you can't believe the costs for putting on this great show year after year since 1961!!!---Remember, promoters are in business for one thing, MONEY!!!--------------Don

 

Not at this venue unless you want to be there early every morning. The place starts loading on Thursday and the show ends Sunday afternoon. Downtown Little Rock parking is a royal pain. No shot at anybody with this remark. The concrete canyons close in on me in that area, and it's just small stuff for a lot of y'all.
For this area, it is seriously a big car event in January. The local promoter that got the deal started and which led to the Hot Rod Power Tour to visit Little Rock twice has done an outstanding job. When this event got it's first start in 2007, the hopes were and are to possibly have an event that could maybe rate like the Detroit Autorama or the GNRS. That statement might be an to big, but I bet that's what Carol would like to see with the help of Special Events or whoever the next "big promoter" might be.
If Special Events is the "entertainment" and bigger advertiser, is it normal for them to charge a $30.00 entry fee for a participant, more?

 

As far as I'm concerned, you can save what you pay for bands and DJ's (especially DJ's). I get sick and tired of hearing the same old low quality music blasted into my ears, or having an overly loud band that plays music I don't care for badly. I've been to shows where I've run into guys I knew from long ago, and we actually had to look for a place where we could hear each other to renew "auld aquaintences".

 

There is a big show here that charges to show your car then charges the public to seethe cars. And the proceeds pays for the club to go to hawaii. No one seems to care. Our club has a show for a charity not only does all the proceeds go to the charty,but we empty our treasury buying all the food and soda. And we give the food away. All for a donation you give what you wont. It all goes to the handy caped kids

 

you're gonna marry your brother?????

 

Now that's worth a buck.