Folks Of Interest 150.00 Dollars !!! to register

I was at the Mending Hearts Show and it was an outstanding initial effort and I give props to all involved.!!!! I'm looking forward to next year.

 

This is a interesting thread

 

Around this part of Ontario, Canada, the cost is around 10$, and most shows give back to charities. Some shows ask only for donations to the food bank as admission. The odd show charges 5$ to spectators.

 

I started this post so cool to see a club put on a large show for Free !!

 

Trophies? Who needs 'em....

The only reward I need is the satisfaction of a job well done (fix oil leak, repair door latches, install new gauges, etc.).

I love driving the Plymouth, and yes, I like the attention it gets,
but I have a heckuva lot more fun wrenching on it. I enjoy car shows and rod runs mostly for the social aspect - I get to hang with my gearhead friends, and check out a bunch of other cars. Plus, every now and then I get an idea from someone else's car that would work on my cars.

Just my 2 cents...

 

I understand a charity event....no problem.
Someone doing it to make money....different story.
I understand the overhead of an indoor event and there are incentives like trophies but they usually end up going o the people who know the people.
They want my car....they can pay me! Besides, our summers here are far to short and I'd rather be driving than sitting behind my car in a carry chair!

 

As far as charging people to look at my car....anybody stupid enough to pay to look at my ride is not some one I want to meet.

 

^ what he said

 

Brad, I am sure there are people that thank you for putting together a swap meet for your area. Swap meets are essential to our hobby. I understand their are costs on putting on an event such as yours. I congratulate you on putting in your time and effort to bring such a meet to your area.

 

my family used to put on a car show at woodley park in van nuys. It was all for charity...100%. We donated tons of hours, we would start planning at the end of the last show. We charged 20 bucks to show your car totally tax deductible. After insurance, fees for the park, and buying lunch for the volunteers it was a pretty sad take for the charity....maybe a grand....still made us feel good, but so much work for so little...? We each could have given a couple of hundred bucks and gave much more to the charity. So...the guys that do this for profit I don't really think they are getting rich (maybe some scumbags here and there), but I think most just love cars and are trying to keep the hobby alive. I personally would never put on a car show again, I could not believe how bitchy people would get about; parking, paying, trophies, shade, driving so far, parking on the grass with their motorcycle, water not being cold enough, the dash plaques aren't cool, it' so hot/cold/overcast, I didn't win?...yep everything you could think of...we did this for 10 years....never again.

 

I know of all the bitching from when we had the Rydell lot on Van Nuys Blvd...can't please em all and some just won't be happy with anything...Wasn't in it for money..Just giving people a good time.
Didn't make a dime and had my family working their asses off too...

 

It didn't break even for over a year and a half... that means it was money out of the family budget to do it.

It broke even, with enough for a steak dinner, until last year. This year it's finally paying some house-hold bills.

But what I LOVE about it is that guys use it as a place to get together and hang out, shoot the shit, and buy some stuff for their rods.

Dog Patch here on the HAMB showed up a couple months ago in a chopped A... I remember when he bought the body at my show, and had Green Mountain Boy haul it home in the back of his '63 Chevy short bed... Seeing Tony's A made me so freakin' proud you can't imagine... I LOVE that he got something at my show, and turned it into that car. It means the world to me.

I've had guys piss and bitch and tell me I charge too much. I've had guys get pissed and leave. It's amazing what guys will complain about...

But every month, I have guys happy to hand me their money... at the end of the day when things are slowing down and a bunch of vendors have already left, I only charge a buck, or don't charge for everyone in the car, or don't charge at all... and I have people INSIST that I take the money, because "we want to support your show."

And every month, I have guys stop on the way out, and thank me for putting on the swap meet. They stop their car, roll down the windows, and thank me. I'm always humbled when they freakin' take the time to stop and tell me "Thanks for putting on the show... I really appreciate all the work you and your wife do to make this happen every month."

And that is why I do the show. I love all those guys, and I love that I'm doing something that gets people out into their garage, or in their hot rods, and out with their buddies.

I'd love to get rich doing it, but for now, deals on parts, a steak dinner and covering the electric bill and groceries are enough.

And that's why I get so defensive when people bitch about show promoters.

-Brad

 

ha unless its free i dont normally go charity is different but if the lima, ohio rebel rod run can pull off $50 for cars $7 for and get around 3000 cars and do it at a fairgrounds idk what all you promoters bitch about stick to the kiss rule these guys have a burnout contest and flamethrower contest no grandstand fees and gene winfield shows up every year. who needs live bands,burlesqe,beer tents?once this fad goes away prices will go down shows are about the cars and people. beer+hot rods is bad news anyways. rebel rod run is the only show i pay to go to cause its worth it

 

Ditto X2.

You caught me. Yes I tell my wife the reason I keep going every year is because of the outstanding value compared to the investment!

 

I haven't attended a *pay* show in about 20 yrs now. Not going to either. Local various club get togethers are smaller but just as much fun...

 

Pistons & Paint Car show......Denton Texas......think it was $25 and you got a great t-shirt and the bands played all afternoon.....great show for all ages !!!!!!
Just had it on 11-12-2011.....excellent cars showed up......guessing 300 cars+ showed up.

 

How bout take the money you were going to pay to get in the show and instead buy gas with it go for a cruise and enjoy the car for what it's worth and meant to do. I'd rather drive it than park it and sit, but that's just me.

 

Our car club has a cruise on friday nights..We get 200+250 car on a good friday.....Why pay 20 -30 bucks for a show....Greed...

 

i agree, the best deal i have found in years is the nhra reunion in bowling green in june, and the red neck rumble in lebanon, tn. in sept. very resonable and fun. bowling green was 61.00 for 3 day pass, and lebanon was 15.00

 

I attended some great shows this fall in the northeast that were only $10. Orange drag strip reunion, Alter Boys, Glastonbury Ct. and the gathering of the faithful. All super shows that I will definitely go to again!!!

 

A true hotrodder wouldn't put on an event to make money,but put on a show so hotrodders can diplay cars,make others aware of our hobby,provide a means to introduce kids to our hobby instead of video games,hobnob with others of our ilk...to name a few...ya entry fee enough to cover overhead but still make it affordable to us workin stiffs...I suppose I will catch some shit for this but....jmho...R~R

 

Considering this thread was started in April, here is a quick update on the original post.
The Hot August Nights Long Beach Show NEVER happened.
It was total fiasco that rightfuly cost the Director of HAN his job.
The Hot August Nights Reno event had about 5000 entries and appears to be doing well.

 

5000 entries= 4999 Street Rods

 

Frog Follies Evansville, Indiana, $15 registration. Free T shirt and automotive type gift, free dinner Saturday night, free coffee and doughnuts on Sunday. Hamburgers $2 soft drink $1. Beat rod run in the country over 4000 cars. All proceeds go to charity instead of some ones pocket.
You can say what you want about the NSRA their $30 registration fee much lower then others.

 

Well...those of us in N.Ga. have a friend in the war of high prices vs hot rodding. Brad54 is a guy that stuck his neck out and started the swap meet at Lanier.....it took a set of big ones to do that...stepping into the unknown but he held fast and pulled it off.

He is also a true..."git 'er done" type guy that not only writes great low buck tech articles but actually builds the stuff. His articles are outstanding...from building low buck effective shop tools to the ins and outs of soda blasting.

Brad has given more to the hobby in this area than most folks realize. I applaud him for all he does and has done. Thank you sir.

 

Years ago, there was a van club in Florida that got greedy . The people were charging 100. 00 for a vendor fee plus a door prize . I reluctantly wrote a check . I also said Hell would freeze over before I ever supported their event again . A hurricane took the area where we had the event a year later and soon afterwards , the club disbanded . See, Karma strikes again ! scrubba

 

Yeah, never could figure out why someone was charging me to bring my car to their show so they could make money for their business.......WTF !!! ...........AMAN!

 

I'll occasionally pay $5 to drive an old car to the Nifty 50s thing in Spring, TX but only because there's usually some HAMB stuff there.

The only other thing that I'll actually pay to take my car to is one of the Texas swap meets. For around $35, I can get a slot to park my car in, sell some of my extra stuff and not have to park in the parking lot.

The BEST fun, however, is getting a few cars together and running down the road....totally free, except for gas.

The Goodguys, NSRA, etc, etc crowd just pisses me off.

 

And just me, too.
Cruise around, do a few errands, chat with the people who ask about it or remember the Model As from their days... and I don't bring a lawn chair.

 

NSRA and GOODGUYS registration fees are a bit sneaky though. $30 or so if your a member. If not you have to join and pay your yearly dues to get your car in. You've driven there so its kinda hard to just turn around and leave at that point. You do receive alot for the money and for membership but it seems to catch alot off gaurd at registration.
I don't mind a small fee as I understand the costs involved in putting on an event and charity events I'm happy to support without pause. Cruse in shows that aren't all day events I don't expect to pay for and won't but I will leave a donation if thats an option.
For the last 3 years I have put on a cruise night show for a school I am a board member of. I have alot of help from a wonderful staff and it has been very successful. I make all the trophies and we have pretty good support in the form of donations from local business's for door prizes. Student organizations sell hot dogs and soft drinks for prom or ffa and the cheer leaders act as car hops for those who don't want to walk up or stand in line for refreshments. Everyone has a great time from 5-8 pm and it has now become an event looked forward to by the hotrod community in the area. No fees, open to anyone and any type of ride. We only do it to bring people out and let them see what the school is all about and as a community service.
We are in a small community by most standards and our first year we had 116 registered, 2nd year 170, and last year we got rained out but through word of mouth only did it one week later and had 150 registered cars.
However you can't please everyone all the time. I had on person very upset 2nd year because he didn't get a dash plaque (advertised for 1st 100 cars, he was #112) but we found him one and next year we got 200. Only other complaint was the kids weren't charging enough for the food and people wanted to pay a registration fee to help the school! The following year we put out a donation jar but the cruise will always remain free.
Sorry for the rambling post, bottom line is we all have a choice. I like to go to alot of shows but also can't afford alot of the high cost ones and there are still alot of free ones that may be smaller but I have fun going to. Overhead costs for promoters isn't getting any cheaper so if you like the big shows with all the gifts and bands and such it has to come with a price.

Chuck