Art & Inspiration How many Pinstipers are still traveling each year?

There were always a few Pinstripers who would travel to many of the National Street Rod Shows and I was just wondering if they are still doing it and who they are.
Years ago I know Jake Hudson followed the N.S.R.A. through many of their shows but I also remember him telling me how much it cost him just to set up at the shows and back 10 years ago it was almost $2,000 dollars for a Thursday, Friday, Saturday and half a day on Sundays.

I know that some Pinstripers travel within the state or a few states close to where they live.

Jimbo

 

Well, it looks like the answer to my question might be not many based on the responses to my question.

I guess this is another business that just fades away with time.
I always enjoyed doing it but it hard to make a decent living in today's world.

Just the thought of an old man.

 

I’d imagine the pandemic may have slowed things down this year as well?

 

I had my Deuce highboy pinstriped onethe grille shell and the deck lid several years back at the LONESTAR ROUNDUP in Austin by a very competent striper. He was dodging a ridiculous "fee" the show wanted to impose on him. What a crock, charging these self-taught specialists.

 

I have a feeling it just might not be profitable anymore to travel and follow the N.S.R.A. around the country.
The costs for vendors to display their products has soared over the past 20 years.

Many Pinstripers used to set up their shop and display in local motels or hotels or anywhere they could find a spot that did not cost much money but was still within sight of the larger shows.
It's another part of getting old that I really do not like to see happening to so many very talented people.

The lowrider guys still love Pinstripers!
Jimbo

 

The pandemic has shut down all the shows...so everything is on hold.
In the past, the only pinstripers I ever saw paying for a display booth at a large show were the "artists" that did more than pinstriping. Airbrushing, paintings, etc and were selling a lot of premade items that were lettered, pinstriped. everything from trash cans to toilet seat covers. They were "vending" premade items.

All the stripers I've known worked out of the trunk of their car at shows, taking their tackle box to the car to be striped under a shade tree at the show or as you said, a quiet spot or Motel parking lot. They didn't "set up", but were chased down by Rodders that "heard they were at the show". All word of mouth and if the striper was talented, they'd be busy all weekend. It's like tattoo artists. For every guy with a shop, there's a slew of competent freelancers doing work at their home or a customer's home. Once you're really good, and people see your work, the requests will come in. It's about networking and making a name for yourself.

Add to the fact that pinstriping overall is not as popular as it used to be. Used to be that someone would finish their car and his buddies would be saying "all it needs is some pinstriping, lets see who's working the next show we attend".

You mentioned it being tough to make a decent living at it. I'd say for every guy making a living at doing ONLY pinstriping, there's a dozen+ that do it as a part time second gig and hold a regular 9-5 job. The 9-5 might be paint and body or driving a truck, but pinstriping isn't paying their mortgage.
The guys bringing their tackle box to the big shows are usually car guys bringing their ride out to enjoy the show, however they pass on the lawn chair and "work" the show to pay for the travel expenses and maybe bring home some dough. The guy I knew doing it was always paid in cash (no taxes), enjoyed doing the work and told me he was making more per hour than his divorce attorney doing it, all the while enjoying the weekend with no out of pocket expenses .

 

In the "straight" world striping has gone the way of fuzzy dice and tube grilles.
People purchasing new Camrys and Altimas don't have their vehicles tricked
out. Plus, graphics took the place of elaborate striping designs. How someone
could make money following the NSRA show circuit is beyond me, most rides
are finished. Striping certainly isn't a dying art, it seems
more guys are doing it very well. Even half-assed jobs on old tool boxes and
shop refrigerators are still kool. I sure wish I could do it. I've got items I'd like
to get striped but cost is a factor. Even (some of) the part-time-at-home guys
want to get rich so I don't get it done.

Mention of the "artists" made me smile. An acquaintance drove his Cutlass to
California for vacation. While out there he wanted to get his car striped by one
of the West Coast top dogs so he he went to see Steve Sanford. Two thin body
line stripes and a signature cost him $250.00, and that was a good twenty years
ago. Yep, two narrow stripes just like the ones that might have come on your
new GM vehicle. I admit, I'm cheap, but realize someone's talent is going to
cost me, but only up to a point.

 

I do remember the days when Jake Hudson was following the N.S.R.A. shows all over the country and he would set up hin Easy Up canopy and have one car he was lettering and he had two more parked nearby waiting to get done.

Jake used templates that were created with chalk and a ponce wheel in different designs and people could look through his book of designs and select one they liked.
He would tape the design on the side of the car and hit it with a chalk bag and then remove the design and start striping and once he was done he wiped the chalk marks off.

Jimbo

 

HAMB'R @Montana1 still travels, but probably not so much this screwed up year.

 

I guess patterns were cost effective for Jake Hudson, but no thanks. I would want a striper’s personal style on my car, but not a carbon copy at any price.

 

Not totally speaking for my spouse, striper Chick, the money for striping dried up really 10 years ago. And the newer stripers would work for nothing just to strip a car.
So stripers have disappeared, Von Franco, E Dog,,, who still has their Kool Tools? the parties at Coast Airbrush
Times change, tastes change

 

By his website it appears Herb Martinez still doing it. Had him do a little on my cpes dash when I was in Sacramento in 06.

 

I remember watching Bob Bond pinstripe a car in Orlando years ago and when he was done he signed his work in lettering that was so small I could not believe you could do that with a brush!

Tramp Warner was at the same show doing his famous panels for people to purchase.

The best pinstriper I ever saw was David Hightower and his panel work sells for thousands of dollars and hangs in many of the finest Art Galleries in the country.

For those that still love pinstriping and lettering work, Auto Art Magazine was full of inspirational work.

Jimbo

 

The thing I hate most about getting old is how fast things are changing in our world today.
Drag racing to a certain extent seems to be going away a little more each year along with pinstripers and sign shops.

Walk into a sign shop today and ask them to hand-letter a sign for you and you will see what I mean.

I hated seeing old water transfer decals disappear along with large indoor car shows but the times are changing but that does not mean I have to like it!

Jimbo

 

Had a traveling artist stop by my shop at the end of summer. He pays his way to art shows and festivals across the country by doing sign painting between stops. He was out of Santa Fe, drives a old watermelon farm truck he converted to a camper.


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Should I rush your rush job or the rush job I was rushing when you rushed in?

 

These are the kind of stories I love to hear about where someone just passing through and happens to have his brushes and One Shot paint with him and stops and offers his services.

Having a talent and being a true craftsman is what it's all about.
Jimbo

 

Here is the before shot with a high school friend who stopped in to say hey while he was in town. The artist was riding his Harley around town looking for signs that needed repainted so a little cash and him being able to use my parking lot for a place to park his rig and a deal was struck .


Sent from my iPhone
www.speedoservice.com
Should I rush your rush job or the rush job I was rushing when you rushed in?

 

Thanks for sharing this great story right before Christmas.
What was the artist's name just in case others might want to use his service?

Jimbo

 

I have his card at the shop I think. I will check tomorrow.


Sent from my iPhone
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Should I rush your rush job or the rush job I was rushing when you rushed in?

 

Thanks again for sharing this story.
Jimbo

 

Tom Scott Reno www.tomscottreno.com
His artwork is to abstract for my taste but it shows a wide range from sign painting to his regular fare.
The guy was a normal Joe and not a snob or afraid to get dirty.
He built that RV by himself from the F1 watermelon truck along with the trailer he hauls his Harley and supplies in, so he has some HAMB blood in his veins along with a little Yoda also.

 

Ive never traveled the country, but I have traveled Colorado and Nebraska in the past. Not so much recently.
Especially this year with no shows.

I never minded to pay a little to a show to allow me to setup, but a lot of them got greedy and wanted more than I could make. One show local to me wanted 2k for a 1 day booth! Id have to do 20 quick jobs just to break even, in 8 hours that wouldn't leave time to speak to a customer and stripe

 

Gearhead Graphics:
I understand just what you are saying.
Pinstripers were treated just like any other vendor setting up their easy-up canopies but the people running the shows don't seem to understand that when vendors set up their shop they may have hundreds of products stacked up.

I can remember seeing some vendors unloading their box truck full of products stacked 6' high and the pinstriper sitting there with his paint box and brushes waiting for a customer.

It never seemed fair that he was paying the same amount of money for space as the other vendors paid.

They ran off many of the pinstripers because of the high prices.
Jimbo

 

Sometimes stripers have to pay a "special" rate, that's higher than other's for the same size space. I think the shows should be paying the vendors to come and limit how many of each type come. They are the show! They don't need 10 chrome engine tin guys, or 10 stripers at a show.

 

At the Nats in OKC back in the ‘80’s I talked to a striper that had his tools of the trade in a coaster wagon and had to pay $1500 for the privilege of pulling it around the fairgrounds.

 

I think some of the people who put on large shows are overcharging the vendors and have been for many years.
I always thought someday they will beg the pinstripers to come back because without these artists the show is just not the same.
Jimbo

 

I remember talking to Ed Roth one time and he said they paid him 5 grand and put him up in a motel for the week. Now I ain't Roth, but Ed isn't here any more. Just saying...

 

Get in touch with palm coast eddie has in ormand beach. he's a member hear

 

Pinstriping has always been a very interesting business and I have met pinstripers who believe it or not had unlisted phone numbers and when I asked why they did this the answer was I am too busy now!

Not sure if that would be the case today but years ago everyone knew who was doing the best work in town and if you needed to ask how much you probably could not afford to hire them.

I also found many of the pinstripers who lived up north in the winter would head to Florida for a few months of sunshine and warm temperatures.

With Bike Week in Daytona and the big Turkey Run Car Show, they stayed busy applying their talents to many bikes and cars.
The interesting part is you could ask for a certain pinstriper every winter and my friends would tell me he has not arrived yet from Connecticut.
The guy spent over 25 years going back and forth each year with his paint kit and One Shot lettering paint. and everyone knew him very well.
Jimbo