Folks Of Interest 150.00 Dollars !!! to register

After having seen both sides of the fence for about 30 years, all that I can say is that it is a confusing mess and no matter how you look at it, no one is 100% right and no one is 100% wrong.

It takes a LOT of money and planning to do a decent show though. If you want shade and paved parking lots and paved roads with clean port-a-johns or regular bathrooms, well guess what - the people who provide those things generally want a sh!tload of money to rent them for the day/weekend. Our car club tried renting the local speedway for a CHARITY event about 8 years ago and the owners still wanted over $7,000 for the gate keys, the PA system and for three staff to assist us with the little things. How much would we have had to charge per car/passenger to cover just the rental (on average we get 100 - 150 cars at our car club events)? And that was before t-shirts, trophies, etc.

Currently I'm on the board to run a show to benefit the Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters (a not for profit children's hospital that relies solely on donations from charitable businesses & charitable organizations and individuals) and even we have to pay ridiculous prices for things that everyone takes for granted. Fortunately the city lets us use one of the biggest & nicest parks in the state every year, and the city police donates their time for security, parking, and traffic control at the end of the day. But the t-shirts, trophies, dash plaques, and all that swag that people want & expect costs money. Our "suggested donation" is $20 per car/truck, and we have a live auction every year to auction tools, art, supplies, cleaning products, clothing, etc. that was gathered from the local businesses. So, the people with money can "buy" lots of stuff at the auction, and the people that don't want to spend a lot can just enjoy the cars & the company and still have a good time. On average, we raise over $35,000 a year with this event as a result. Keep your costs low and keep it FUN and it'll draw a great crowd. (By the way, it's the Virginia Fall Classic www.VaFallClassic.org in case you're in the area at the end of October!)

 

Trust me - it's cool! Four or five of your buds traveling to a show is better than going solo, an entire car club going down the road is better... but picture thousands of hotrods going through small town USA with hundreds of on lookers lining the streets to cheer us on. Unforgettable!!!

 

I was thinking about a trip to Reno this year, but, lets see, the cost of the trip plus the cost of entering ..... maybe I'll just chrome the rear end in my roadster.

 

I think the Turkey Run in Daytona Beach is a good deal. I think it's $45 for a car for 4 days. That includes the raffle tickets, dash plaque and mug, the swapmeet and parking. Plus you will get "walk in passes" that you can give to someone you know. (saves $15 a person)

 

Agreed.

 

I'll second this one

 

Thanks. You gave me a good laugh that will carry me through the day.

 

$150 is too much for our crowd... That seems to be more of a checkbook rod and custom crowd. But that is their choice, they obviously are catering to a different audience. As many people here have shown it can be done much cheaper and those will be the shows I chose to attend. With gas prices going through the roof, it takes a much bigger $ commitment to attend these shows from a distance, add $150 and it's a deal breaker for most. The shows that cater to our crowd deserve our support, the others don't, period..

 

The L A Roadsters are to get a little chickenpoop.
Last year the catered BBQ was replaced with a Costco "burger burn"
This year they're charging 20 bucks for your passenger.
And they'll probably wonder why there's so many empty roadster spaces on Sunday.
It's only about 5 miles away, so I've always driven the Bucket over both days, figuring I owe them something, but I'm beginning to wonder if it's worth it.
MaybeI'll just show up for the mug.

 

Okay, I see it from BOTH sides...first of all, our COST to put the Symco Shakedown on has been between $20,000-25,000 each year. Which means in only two years of a startup show we have spent almost $50,000. I will tell you I am NOT going overboard on stuff. That is myself doing the website, getting a screaming deal on artwork and printing because my friends are the best!! And I get deals elsewhere that keep costs down. That is just how much it costs. Insurance, t-shirts, portajohns, dumpster, advertising, grounds rental, entertainment, etc etc etc. Now if I had this show in a fair park and did it without any deals, the cost would be easily $10-15k more each year. If you want a good show, it costs.

Okay, here is my @$$hole side...you wanna bitch about a show that charges, don't go support it....better yet, start your own show and spend your own hard earned $$, then you can bitch about stuff all you want.

Now... I charge $10 for a weekend admission. Camp spaces are $20 each this year. We had 15 bands last year and a lot to see at the show. Well worth the $$. I could charge more easily...but why? We had 3500+ people through the gate last year, about 90% were paid admissions. Not including shirt sales and swap and camping spaces. Do the math, I more than cover my expenses and the price is very fair.

Charging big for show cars and having free spectators is just stupid in my eyes. What makes a show? Show cars and vendors. without them, it is a pretty empty show. Why do you overcharge what makes your show what it is? I don't understand that. That is why vehicle admission at my show is free from here on out. The more cars that come because it is free makes any show better, PERIOD! More show cars = more spectators. If I have 200 more cars because they can afford to get into the show and I get 1000 more spectators because I have quality cars and lots of them, where do I make more $$ It doesn't take a genious to figure it out. Not that it is about the $$, but a good show has to make a profit to survive. Besides, what does the spectator bring to make the show better? Charge spectators, not participants. In a perfect world I would pay people to bring their hot rods and charge spectators $100 to get in.

Okay, $150 is just stupid. But it may serve the purpose to keep the budget cars out...some shows don't want us. I have no problem with that, I just don't go.

Now as a participant or spectator, I am MORE than happy to pay a reasonable amount to get in to most shows....why? Because I know how much it costs and what it takes to put on a show....if you bitch about $5, $10, $20 to get into a show put on by volunteers, SHAME ON YOU!!! Support your local car clubs!!! I don't understand why someone will spend $20,000 on a car but will complain about $5 that goes to support a local orgainization.

There was a comment about Back to the Fifties being a deal. NOT! Gas, hotel, and the OUTRAGOUS prices for food in the state fair park. That is a crazy expensive weekend for anyone out of town. That is by far the most expensive show weekend I attend. And with Porky's gone, I am not sure I will go back.

 

The Burbank Road Kings put on a show at Carson Park every year (June 12th this year) and it's FREE to all (except vendors). Beat that!!!!!

 

HAN Reno registration for 2012 is $170-hope it's good---have gone for the past 10yrs with a car and stayed 4-5 days--wife and I have a good time but it's pricey-am retired and have a fixed income but at 68, I will go to a couple of more (I hope!!!)
Alot of money but we have always enjoyed it--may be my last one though.

 

I think the LA Roadsters will get just as good of turn out. I know that many of us bring Roadsters and don't even care about the lunch. Yeah, its a bummer that there will be a charge for passengers this year, but i understand their costs for the fairgrounds went up due to having to move into the buildings that the GNRS use. The outdoor covered area the vendors used to be in have been demolished - the reason for the move around.
Still the best show in So Cal and a decent price at FREE for roadsters and $20.00 for passengers. And you get the nice Pewter Mug as well. (showing up "Just for the Mug" seems kinda shitty to me, you should be gracious for the generosity)

 

We can not control gas food and hotels its still the world largest as far as porky cheap pricks caused it demise

 

Hell, I had to pay $50 for a space to sell (very little) at the one day Turlock Swap Meet here in Cali yesterday. I have a harder and harder time doing the car show scene as an entry. After some visiting and looking at stuff ready to leave and do something else. It should be free to all, or make entries and spectators pay to balance out cost to all.

 

sacramento poor boys "midnight mass car show" only $10. last year i went to alot of car shows in northern cal and usually paid anywhere from
$25-40 day of show entry, midnight mass best show for the money and held at a state fairground.

 

The THROTTLERS put on a show in Burbank every October at Johnny Carson park, and its' FREE, one of the best damn shows you can go to, filled with traditional cars. You can attend the So Cal SS open house on friday night before LA Roadster show and see just about every car for free, get a free In-N-out Burger (if you wait in the long line) and you can have Jimmy Shine sign your naked chest....all FREE. You can pay $5 to the Pasadena Roadster Club (as a thank you more than anything) for putting on the best damn reliability run in the west, filled with traditional cars, participants and non.

Anyone who complains their local fairgrounds or venue is charging them too much in fees and insurance, etc....isn't doing a very good job of "negotiating"...it's called you tell them where to stick it, your taking your show to another location and all the money that goes with it.

Seriously, how do you think the hard working man feels who built the car, paid for the gas and insurance, his lodging and your high dollar entrance fee so he could leave your show more broke than he arrived and you get to walk away with a profit???

I went to the LSR and I thought the free parking and the $10 was a screaming deal for what you got to see. The mini bike races alone where worth the $10.

 

I truly admire the Burbank Road Kings,
however you did throw down the qauntlet...

The "Classic Rods for Mending Hearts" show our club is putting on June 25th in Sparks NV.
is FREE to everyone, including vendors,... and with three bands providing live music all day.

 

hot august nights is pulling out of Long beach,due to lack of entries,sponser partisepation(spelling)

 

Some people will spent a truck load of money to win a $4.00 trophy - ya cant educate an idiot !!! lol

 

Car gets 22 mpg & I love to drive it, but after putting 50 bucks worth of gas in it I'm not
paying another - even 20 bucks to get into a show just to walk around or sit in a lawn chair
in a parking lot. I'll park on the street outside the show & go in for nothing & buy lunch for the wife & myself with that 20 bucks. I'm not donating to the trofy fund.

 

Yea they cancel it which makes me feel just great

 

Yea, me too...

 

BOTTOM LINE---No Cars = No Car Show

 

Comes down to value.

A show is only worth a fair amount that satisfies the desire of the payee.

Has nothing to do with the cost of putting on the show.

For me, 150 bucks better include the hotel and a kiss from the pretty gal who delivered room service!!!

 

I love that concept. I wish there were more clubs willing to give back to this great hobby by putting on a free show, but, it's a lot of work so few are willing to do it. The Road Kings get a lot of support from the city of Burbank. Without that, there probably would not be a free show. So a lot of credit must go to the city and several corporate sponsors for their support.

 

anyone wanna run on down to deep south Texas, we help host a car show in late February in Mission, TX that is COMPLETELY FREE plus+++. Free to show your car, free goodie bags for entrants, free t-shirts to entries, free dash plaques for entrants, free chances to win door prizes and raffles, free for spectators, free parking for spectators, free live entertainment and music, AND we pay out over $10,000 in cash and prizes for various categories with the cars so everyone has an opportunity to win. Show is open to cars from 1976 or older only. there are vendors on hand that do sell swap meet goods, new items, or food and drinks, etc...

we are able to offer it all for free and have trophies and payout because we get sponsors and supporters to help pay for everything instead of charging those that come to the show. we running on our 8th year

 

You guys are all missing the point. The H. A. M. B. type rods aren't the type of high dollar rides that draw the spectators they want in the casinos anyway. Who cares what they charge. They want cars that'll get them TV coverage on Speed channel. Cars that sell for record prices at the auction and that will impress the doctors and lawyers that are blowing their disposable income in the casino and hotels all week. The folks that will buy the event T, Hat, coffee cup, water bottle, jacket...etc.
Skimming 150/170 from the traditional trash is just a bonus for them... These are professional promoters, not car people. Go there, drive around. Check out all the cars in town for the event. The polished pro built deuce sitting in the grass with the TV crew around it doesn't impress me nearly as much as the Model A rumbling at the stoplight. Lose 10 bucks in the slots, have a good time and drive home. You don't need to enter to do that.

 

Texans know how to do things right.

 

With some of the prices, the show in the parking lot can be better than the show its self.