Blacksburg, VA Fall Meet!!!

After you get some rest (at least you don't have to clean your car since it was INDOORS in Louisville) please register for this meet! It is going to be another great meet and we need to support this region! PLEASE CONSIDER ATTENDING!!! You won't be disappointed.

We will have new 75th merchandise available...sorry we ran out in KY!

I plan on it. I already have my room.

After you get some rest (at least you don't have to clean your car since it was INDOORS in Louisville) please register for this meet! It is going to be another great meet and we need to support this region! PLEASE CONSIDER ATTENDING!!! You won't be disappointed.

We will have new 75th merchandise available...sorry we ran out in KY!

Besides, you really don't want me harassing you like I did in Louisville....:D:D You deserve a break!!

Who are you again? Can't find any member in our database with your name....

Who are you again? Can't find any member in our database with your name....[/quote

When I went to buy an extra 75th anniversary 'medallian' Chris Ritter told me that I had to pay double.

I told him as long as it was going in your pocket, to go ahead and charge me double.

You're a hard worker, and I don't have a problem with giving you $20 bucks.

When I called Chris' bluff, he chickened out and charged me a regular price.

Nothing goes in MY pocket...it all goes in your's and every other member's pocket!

I'm not sure that is true Steve, I seem to be missing the spare set of keys from my 69 442.

Great talking to you. I give you a ton of credit you sure were a hard working guy.

Mark S.

Nothing goes in MY pocket...it all goes in your's and every other member's pocket!

BTW, the only thing you take is my smiles.......

Bill and I have already signed up as has our friend Rodger Woodrum, who has invited us to stay at his beautiful farm in Rocky Gap, Va. prior to the meet.

Just signed up to judge. Host hotel is full. Hopefully I can find something else in the area.

What are the dates and location?

8-12 to the 14th Virginia Tech Campus. Go to the region's website for more info:

http://local.aaca.org/roanoke/2010%20meet.htm

Thanks, Steve. We were there Saturday checking out Virginia Tech for our son. It's a beautiful campus with a lot of character. And the food in the dining halls is TERRIFIC! Maybe we can arrange a visit with an admissions officer for one of those days.....

Heh. The VT dining hall food must have changed a lot from 1974-75. That was my first experience with powdered eggs. For a kid who'd been used to REAL eggs that was a rude awakening.

I want to try and ride up there for a day just to look around and meet some folks. One mind tells me to take the judging school, but as soon as I sign up for it, something will happen that I can't get there.

What do I need to do to visit as a spectator?

You do not sign up for Judging School...just show up. Same thing as a spectator...no admission fee just come on down or up and enjoy!

just come on down or up and enjoy.......!

.................and drive your Oldsmobile, Glenn. It probably needs the exercise.

Gloria and I will be in the DPC class with our black 1965 Corvette, the same year model as the year I was last at Tech! :cool:

Wayne

It may be the Gray Ghost wagon, but it will be an Oldsmobile. Maybe the Ninety Eight will be comfortably roadworthy again by that time.

That Fiat Spider my cousin had was driven from here to Raleigh last weekend after not being driven since 2005, and it made it fine. So maybe me big Oldsmobile can do the same. Just wish there was a good two-lane road to travel on. Virginia Rt 8 from Stuart to Christiansburg is a beautiful drive but kinda narrow for a big car.

The meet brochure says $15 PER DAY for car trailer parking. Is that correct or do I mis read that?. Anyone know for sure...............Bob

The meet brochure says $15 PER DAY for car trailer parking. Is that correct or do I mis read that?. Anyone know for sure...............Bob

I saw that also and was wondering if it was correct.

Does anyone else every remember an AACA Meet where the trailer parking was on a per day basis?

I cannot seem to remember this kind of pricing at any other meets in the past.

For $15/day, I hope the nice people at Virginia Tech will at least be hand washing and waxing the trailers while they are parked there.

Heck after the long drive the tow vehicles could use a hand wash & wax as well

It is correct...region had no other choice if close parking was to be had. Sent my $45. Ugh but this is not a first nor it will be the last meet that is forced to charge for trailer parking. Finding places that will accomodate our events is a tall order.

It is correct...region had no other choice if close parking was to be had. Sent my $45. Ugh but this is not a first nor it will be the last meet that is forced to charge for trailer parking. Finding places that will accomodate our events is a tall order.

Understood Steve, thanks for the quick response. I was seriousy thinking on coming down for 3 or 4 days and leaving maybe 6 or 7 hundred bucks with the locals but I'm going to have to rethink it...............Bob

It is correct...region had no other choice if close parking was to be had. Sent my $45. Ugh but this is not a first nor it will be the last meet that is forced to charge for trailer parking. Finding places that will accomodate our events is a tall order.

Thanks Steve.

I understand about being forced to charge for trailer parking.

Renting a location for an event is not cheap these days. Whether it is space for a car show, trailer parking, security, etc., etc., etc.

I can see that most AACA meets have no choice but to charge for trailer parking. I just do not remember all than many events that have been forced to charge for that parking on a daily basis. I guess AACA members will have little choice but to accept that trailer parking per day will become more common in the future as venues look to increase revenue streams/profits.

With the ever increasing costs of hotels, fuel, tolls, parking, etc. no doubt people will thinking long and hard about just how many days they will spend at AACA events now and in the future.

Speaking of increased costs, I saw on the news that the Pennsylvania Turnpike will be raising the cost of it's tolls by 10% (for cash customers) and 3% for EZ Pass customers next year. For those AACA members that use the PA Turnpike frequently an EZ Pass account might be worth considering. BTW, EZ Pass transponders can be used moved between vehicles if one owns multiple vehicles. They can also be used when towing car & RV trailers. That really comes in handy when traveling to AACA Meets with a trailer. No more having to have lots of cash to pay turnpike and bridge tolls.

I "rethought" the meet and the $15 per day trailer fee. I got a nice motel room in Radford just few miles West of Blacksburg for $45 a night. They said they would be very happy to have me and my trailer (and the bucks that Blacksburg would have gotten). See ya'll there................Bob

See y'all there, with the Taos Turquoise '56 Lincoln Premiere in Class 27B.

I'll keep the trailer at the hotel 4 miles away, except on show day.

Blacksburg/Roanoke is a beautiful place to visit, with lots to do!

TG

Unfortunately; paying for trailer parking at National Meets is becoming common. However, I try to realize that a lot of these regions must obtain the trailer lots from a third party. Then, in order to get it we and the Region must play by THEIR rules. I would rather pay a nominal fee than have my rig in a cow field. I just hope this does not become exploitation as so many things have in the world we live in today and the fee stays REASONABLE, if indeed there must be a fee.

Bob, glad you found a solution for your situation.

Billy, I can guarantee you that NO region looks to make money off of trailer parking. They ALWAYS try to find free parking. Many meets are lucky to break even and some do not. National usually loses money on the trophies etc. This is something the members do not see but it is a reality. We all realize how expensive it is to participate. Our directors and myself pay to go to these meets right along with you so we are all keenly aware of the costs (paying for the dog sitter is not cheap either!).

I know there is always give and take in any situation. One can only wonder how anxious Blacksburg was to have maybe $250,000 spent in only a few days in thier town, by an orderly bunch of gumpers, with virtually no town services required. Maybe a bit of creative conversation with a hint of "sorry no reasonable trailer parking no show" might have turned $15 a day into $10 for the show. Just wondering..................Bob

Bob, I am not sure if you have ever dealt with a college or university in use of facilities! You don't have to wonder, don't blame the Blacksburg community as they had nothing to do with it. The show is at the Virgina Tech campus. EVERYTHING was tried to lower costs. This is not the region's first rodeo nor is it national's. No show would not have worked, in the end, the campus was doing us a favor in their mind. This event will probably bring closer to $1,000,000 to the community!

I'm sure you're correct Steve, vis-a-vis the college feeling they are doing us a favor. On the other hand the town might feel we're doing them a huge favor by dropping a mil or so in thier laps and they might have been inclined to bring a bit of pressure, as only city hall can do, to work things out to everyone's satisfaction. Maybe, maybe not. I would have loved to see the city fathers and merchant associations collective faces when they got the word, at the last minute, that the meeting would not be coming to Blacksburg after all but would be held in Roanoke, who put on a very nice meet a few years ago. My guess is that would only have to happen once.

On the other hand, if no really cares that much about being overcharged, then it's just a tempest in a tea pot and not worth the effort. Just go with the flow

At any rate Blacksburg will not be getting the entire million. I'll be leaving my bucks with the nice folks in Radford....................Bob

You're dealing with a state agency (VT). Negotiation isn't part of the plan, though you have to wonder about $15 a DAY when Guvnah Bob just announced a $220 million budget surplus.

The disturbing trend I see is that a lot of people including legislators think all old car people are wealthy and can afford yet another fee or tax on everything they own or participate in.

Shoudn't grump, I'm close enough to make it a day trip and if I decide to overnight there are plenty of hotels in the area less expensive than what the University wants for lodging. I daresay Donaldson Brown CEC (also operated by the University) is cheaper than the Inn.

But having chaired several Zone and National level Oldsmobile meets, I'm well aware of what host properties will try to do to squeeze another dollar out of you. Dealt with one that wanted to charge $8 per connection for use of electrical outlets. My reply there was "then you won't mind if we furnish our own electricity?". They didn't know I had a Honda generator in the wings... I'm surprised they didn't try to charge us for the light post we chained it to.

You're dealing with a state agency (VT). Negotiation isn't part of the plan, though you have to wonder about $15 a DAY when Guvnah Bob just announced a $220 million budget surplus.

The disturbing trend I see is that a lot of people including legislators think all old car people are wealthy and can afford yet another fee or tax on everything they own or participate in.

Shoudn't grump, I'm close enough to make it a day trip and if I decide to overnight there are plenty of hotels in the area less expensive than what the University wants for lodging. I daresay Donaldson Brown CEC (also operated by the University) is cheaper than the Inn.

But having chaired several Zone and National level Oldsmobile meets, I'm well aware of what host properties will try to do to squeeze another dollar out of you. Dealt with one that wanted to charge $8 per connection for use of electrical outlets. My reply there was "then you won't mind if we furnish our own electricity?". They didn't know I had a Honda generator in the wings... I'm surprised they didn't try to charge us for the light post we chained it to.

The thing of it is when you are offering to pump a cool mil or so into the local economy over just 3 days, with little or no outlay on thier part, they should be falling all over themselves to get the buisness.

I have no idea how the present situation fell out but i wonder if it was approached by saying "we are trying decide whether to hold our meet here or Roanoke. This will pump $1,000,000 into your community over 3 days. Roanoke is very interested. What can we do, together, to make this work here." Of course you must be prepared to follow through in either case.

On the other hand if it was presented as " Gee we really want to hold a meet here. will you let us." Then the negotiation is started from a position of weakness and your lunch gets eaten.

Again I have no idea of how it all went down. I have a feeling the venue is very nice. That in itself has value. How much? Who knows.

Since I've made more satifactory arrangements I don't have a dog in this fight other than my membership in the club...............Bob

You forget who is putting on this meet. It is the Roanoke Region who hosted the show previously downtown. That location was not an option this year nor was it ideal. I will state this again, this group did not leave a stone unturned in trying to get the best deal. The region has other events and they are business people very well versed in negotiations. They were very upset when they found out that they had to charge for parking in order to get the trailers close to the show site.

This thread serves no other purpose so I am locking it down.