Hershey 2018. Flea Market or Camp Ground/Parking Lot

[trimacar]

Personally, I'm thrilled that fewer golf cars had cans dragging.  It's up in the top 5 most annoying noises that exist.

 

I will admit that Hershey would be better for us old folks if there was some organization of vendors, and less parking. 

 

That said, my wife and I vended this year, first time she could make it in a while (had to have SOMEONE in the family working!), and we did quite well.  Brought a lot of smalls, nothing big, yet still sold into 4 figures of stuff.

 

What amazes me, and I think it's been mentioned before, 30 years ago, muddy fields and all, when the rain came, vendors would set up and buyers would walk, slogging through the mud and the straw and the deep puddles.

 

Nowadays, on asphalt no less, a rainy day basically shuts down the whole market.  We were going to set up Thursday, until we saw that there were about 10 people an hour walking down our row (and I exaggerate of course).  And, we have what I've found out are pretty decent spaces, down from the Hyman tent, so people coming into the flea market have a chance of coming down our row first thing.

 

These are all random thoughts.  Hershey won't die, but by the same token, the Hershey Region needs to grab the bull by the tail and face the situation, there are a lot of less than ideal conditions that are hurting the image of the event, from empty rows to cars parking to people on all manner of conveyances that, even a few years ago, would not have been tolerated.

[Peter J.Heizmann]

31 minutes ago, 48woodie said:

Dear Peter,

 

You don't have to be rude.

 

Mike

Not being rude at all, Mike.  Your wording made it sound like you missed cans behind golf carts.

 

Why don't you start a separate thread for all your issues that way none will get lost if all jumbled into the parking issues?  Hypothetically if in say 2 weeks you add another complaint about something at Hershey it will not get buried.

 

Regards,

 

Peter J.

[auburnseeker]

5 hours ago, Oldsfan said:

Here's a thing that I think about....

 

I have never vended at Hershey, but I think would like to next year to liquidate my literature collection. What kind of spots am I going to get? Am I going to stuck out on the east 40 somewhere with poor traffic, while these decent spaces are taken up with nothing in them? I realize I can be listed in the program and people could find me by looking at the Literature listings. But not everyone buys a program - I don't.

Or you could just sell me the literature in advance and not have to worry about the weather with it getting blown away or rain soaked,  then take that fold of money and have a little fun shopping.  

 

 

 

[charlier]

2 hours ago, Janousek said:

This is what happens to our group in the orange field.   This year the foot traffic was almost nonexistent.  I applaud all the volunteers that make this event happen.  I don't like to be negative about any of it but some consolidation would be nice.  I just know as long as someone is paying for the spot then eyes are gonna look the other way.  Money and pride not to the shrink this large event are hard to overcome.  

 

While walking the fields on Thursday and Friday one of my friends had an idea that all in our group thought interesting. When walking the fields at Fall Hershey it is virtually impossible to walk in such a pattern where one is not forced to make a LONG walk back to one's starting point walking through an area where one has already seen everything. One friend asked WHY didn't Hershey Region ask HERCO if they (HERCO) would run their trams during Fall Hershey??? These are the same trams HERCO uses all season long to ferry Hershey Park customers from the parking lots to the Park gates.The trams would run around the outside perimeter of the fields and make it a VERY, VERY EASY for attendees to get from Orange or Green Field over to the Chocolate or Red Fields and vice-versa. 

 

Yes, the route of the trams would have to be well thought out to MINIMIZE impact on the event, MAXIMIZE safety and keep the trams on the property (since they may not be licensed to operate outside the Hershey Property). Yes, HERCO would probably have to charge riders a Fee to use this service. Everyone in my group said they would be willing to pay a small fee for a daily or weekly wrist band to ride the trams. Best of all, HERCO takes care of the trams, selling tickets/wristbands and Hershey Region DOES NOT have to use ANY MANPOWER to do this. Making it easier to get from/to the various fields would in theory INCREASE CUSTOMER TRAFFIC for vendors. This suggestion may not be possible due to logistics, etc but it might be worth at least a discussion between HERCO and Hershey Region.

 

2 hours ago, Janousek said:

I also don't mind the little scooters for the disabled, but the golf carts this year seemed to be a problem.  I had one run up the side of my foot.  Luckily for me it didn't do anything but just because your dragging a beer can doesn't mean you have the right away over foot traffic.   I thought for a while I was at the old Auburn auction park.  

 

I too do not mind the use of personal mobility devices for those people that have a need to use one. I am getting tired of getting hit by them or nearly hit by them MULTIPLE TIMES at EVERY FALL HERSHEY. In 2018 probably 1 in 30 of these devices was dragging a can which is WAY DOWN from prior years making it WAY MORE DANGEROUS to walk the fields. Even more dangerous were the hybrid vehicles moving around in the flea market area. Getting hit by one of those is much more serious.

 

On the bright side, I did near the F-350 Super Duty diesel coming up behind me on Thursday as it went up and down the isles in the flea market doing some shopping. At least this F350 did not have it's towing mirrors extended. The hybrid SUV doing some shopping on Thursday was a different story since one could not hear that vehicle coming from behind.

 

Charlie

 

 

[48woodie]

54 minutes ago, Peter J.Heizmann said:

Not being rude at all, Mike.  Your wording made it sound like you missed cans behind golf carts.

 

Why don't you start a separate thread for all your issues that way none will get lost if all jumbled into the parking issues?  Hypothetically if in say 2 weeks you add another complaint about something at Hershey it will not get buried.

 

Regards,

 

Peter J.

I did not bring up the scooters and golf carts...someone else did. I just agreed with them.

 

Mike

[Peter J.Heizmann]

Mike,  I suggested numerous routes for you to go last and this year with this quest of yours.  You did not use any of them (only saying you did which I highly doubt).  Going forward I am going to sit back and watch.  Have at it and good luck.

 

Regards,

 

Peter J.

[freeman]

Mike,

Quit your bitchin', enjoy Hershey for what it is.  It's a swap meet, car show, car coral, gathering of friends.  If you don't like what is happening stay home, things have changed in this hobby and you have to change with the times, you're not that old if you were 18 in 1976. I've been vending for years and yes, it is not the same.  I continue to go and will continue to go.  Life is too short, look for the positives and stop being so negative, enjoy Hershey and forget all the other BS.

Pat

[oldford]

1 hour ago, freeman said:

Mike,

Quit your bitchin', enjoy Hershey for what it is.  It's a swap meet, car show, car coral, gathering of friends.  If you don't like what is happening stay home, things have changed in this hobby and you have to change with the times, you're not that old if you were 18 in 1976. I've been vending for years and yes, it is not the same.  I continue to go and will continue to go.  Life is too short, look for the positives and stop being so negative, enjoy Hershey and forget all the other BS.

Pat

 

Careful freeman, posts like that will get deleted, mine did. I repeat... IT'S A FLEA MARKET...

 

Frank

[tomcarnut]

20 hours ago, 48woodie said:

 

Tom,

 

The rules are no campers or cars using spaces solely for camping or parking. Read #4.

 

You can park across the back of your spaces and sell in front of the space. I see a lot of people putting out a card table with 5 things on, I wouldn't think this counts.

 

 

Mike

 

MIke,

 

At first I was really pissed at your comment as I was last year but then I realized you do not understand the uncommon spots we have. The four spots in the Red field our group of three vendors have are bumper to bumper not side by side like we had on the old Green Field. We use one spot solely for vending and sitting for us and friends and/or sometimes even spectators that need a place under an "easy up" to sit and rest or get out of the sun or rain. The other two have tables or parts on the ground along Two of the RV's. The other spot has a RV that is too far down the way for us to watch our stuff. We set up four long 3x8 tables, and two or three shorter tables. We also have lots of items on the pavement along the RV's In total, we probably have a row of parts along 60-70 foot of our 120 foot of space on the road. If we were parked next to each other like most of the Hershey spaces, we would have only 40 foot of vending space in front of the RV's as each space is 10x30. Our tables and space on the pavement has a lot of pre war and brass era parts like lamps along with post war car items, toy cars, book and misc. We also bring items from other club members to sell and also allow friends and sometimes passers by to store purchased parts at our spot along with providing a place for friends to get out of the weather in the RV's. It takes about two hours for the three of us to set up on Tuesday and two hours on Friday to pack up. Also about the same time to load and unload the parts and tables from the RV's at home. We vendors also have to deal with PA sales tax forms twice a year even though we vend only once. IF we had to park our RV's across the Street and walk to the space daily moving very valuable parts each time , none of us would come to Hershey as would the majority of RV/vendors. The RV's in the flea market make the event more comfortable given the changing weather conditions and a place for many that have pets to be close. While my RV is just less than the 30 foot space it occupies, most at Hershey are over 30 thus the need for two like the ones in the picture above. While three of the pictures above appear to have no parts for sale next to their RV's, one is marginal, the last one has two RVs with two large tables of parts. I have no problem with the last picture. I also have friend who has a space with a car and just a table with information about his popular speedo repair business which he mans part of the week.  I agree vendors should not use all of their spaces for solely for parking or camping. However, if large RV's are kicked out since they can not fit on a 10x30 space, Hershey will change dramatically and not for the better as many of those vendors bring lot of cool stuff and sometimes just display like the Stanley Steamer near us that Jay Leno was riding in. There was also a Duesenburg near us in Trailer behind an RV that was out for display in flea market before the Saturday show. 

 

Tom Muth

[Steve Moskowitz]

I know you guys would not be posting if you did not care.  I applaud you for your ideas even if some do not understand all the issues involved with putting on this event.  However, while it may be cathartic to post here, it does not have the impact that a letter to the Hershey Region would have.  Address your concerns to the 2019 Fall Meet Chairman.  I am not aware that the region has many folks on this forum.  I try my best to keep abreast of your concerns, those of the national club and my personal concerns to later discuss with the region but your letters would be more impactful.  I only ask you to be respectful in your comments to these people who work their butts off on our behalf. 

[Restorer32]

uhhh Steve....keeping "a breast" is not the same as "keeping abreast".  Apparently Freud is still slipping.

[Steve Moskowitz]

Oh my, thanks Jeff.  Will go back and correct. 

[Walt G]

Mike

I can appreciate your concern, if you look at the first page of you photos/post about 3/4 of the way down, you will see a large blue van, and if you look a bit further see a large tent set up behind it. Just passed that photo you have other photos of a pair of silver cars and one has a yellow sign in the rear window. The blue van was loaded with tables, parts etc and unloaded into the tent. Was that van then supposed to be driven out and moved across the street and not left in the spaces? The silver cars belong to myself and a friend. Both were loaded with parts as well, and the yellow sign on the back of one says we are set up under the same tent across the aisle. I had open heart surgery this past year and was just lucky to be there at all. However, I still did put out tables of parts under the tent on the opposite side, as I have for the past 5+ years. I did not walk around at all due to the weather and my current health condition - on the mend, but highly restricted as to activity.

 

So, was I supposed to unload, then park my car across the street and walk in, even though I have field space stickers that are meant for that exact use?  If I did, I probably would have wound up spending my time that week in the Hershey Medical Center.

 

As mentioned, I can appreciate your concern, you are there to look for parts and not look at parked modern cars. But perhaps if you surveyed the situation a bit better or asked questions, you may have understood better why some of the modern vehicles were were they were.

[Bhigdog]

3 hours ago, Walt G said:

But perhaps if you surveyed the situation a bit better or asked questions, you may have understood better why some of the modern vehicles were were they were.

 

The point of this conversation is to address YOUR concerns and make the field layout and space allocation BETTER and more efficient both for YOU and your CUSTOMERS. What could be changed to improve Hershey for both you and your customers? The question is being asked. Do you have some constructive ideas? ...............Bob 

Edited October 31, 2018 by Bhigdog (see edit history)

[Walt G]

 I think that if the rows were identified better it would be a big help for people trying to find vendors. The 3 x 3 inch white stickers on the ground with the space numbers are ok but at the end of each row seem to be large barrel like trash cans. If a 8 1/2 x 11 white card stock piece of paper had just the row letters on it , it would help, also any trash can in that row should also have a similar white card stock paper taped to it with the row letters. To take it a bit further each vendor should get one of these pieces of card stock and letter their space number on it and tape it to the front of their table or back of their parked car, van , truck etc. it will identify the space so much clearer. This would be an added expense but make it a lot easier to find out where you are.

I suggested to CCCA for the past 2 years to give each of their members who take a space in the flea market a similar 8 1/2 x 11 card that has "Join CCCA" in large letters printed on it , and give them each a half dozen club flyers with membership application info. If they tape that to their table perhaps it would generate some interest of they could be directed to the club spaces. I even went to the point of going through a directory of vendors and making the list of CCCA members and their spaces that I saw. Early in the week some CCCA members / club officers could go to that list and divide it up and then deliver the sign and membership brochure. Free advertising and the more you see s name mentioned the more you start to think of how many people do belong to a organization and why. This suggestion never got done, oh well.

[Reicholzheimer]

The best way to solve this is to limited the amount of window stickers. Why does anybody with 4 spaces need 4 stickers?  I bet a lot of the vehicles on the field the owners don`t belong to AACA.  I have 4 spaces but only 1 vehicle.  Hershey changed after 911 . Check the old video`s for the 90`s when all the rows were packed. There was excitement in the air and you didn`t want it to end.  Every year between fall Carlisle and Hershey I go to Adamstown  Antique Capital of Pa.  This year on Sunday was like a ghost town unbelievable.  This was my 32nd year vending at Hershey and I will continue and enjoy what I have.

[Bhigdog]

Thanks Walt. How about field lay out? Would you rather buy one larger space rather than several small ones? Would you pay higher rent for a better location? What percent higher? Would you be willing to take a less desireable location for a discounted fee? Should commercial vendors pay more? Less? How about space location, aisle size, grouping of like vendors, numbering system, cost structure as it relates to space size, non vendor vehicle parking, pseudo-vendor vehicle parking, since an admission fee of the cost of a cheese steak ($8)  would gross the club $2,000,000/year should there be an admission charge for non vendors? how about a food price cap, location of porta-potties, cleanliness of porta-potties, golf carts for able bodied, and on and on and on. Any opinion on any of the above?

Anyone else?.......... Just asking...........................Bob

Edited October 31, 2018 by Bhigdog (see edit history)

[Walt G]

Hey Bob

Good questions. For me personally I am happy with where I am across from my bro in law, and by now most people who i annually see/visit with or sell to know where to locate me. This is the second set of spots we both have had and what we could manage to get after the place in the field we were in  became non existent due to the Giant Center being built.  Yes, I have been attending Hershey for a long time ( next year will be 54 years in a row if I make it health wise which I am told I will as of now) . All is good and thank you for thinking of issues, questions etc I never even considered since most do not affect me. Hershey this year despite very little walking around was THERAPY for me, the fact I could just be there at all was amazing. All is good because we all love old cars. I was allowed to drive a car with manual steering again for short trips and took my 1930 Packard out for a few miles drive between rain drops , next is the 1940 Buick. This may be a small thing to most people but I wasn't allowed to drive for nearly a year after surgery. Keep well all and thanks again Bob for the good questions.

WG