KRK Sr. Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 http://hersheyaaca.org/images/arialphotos/2009.pdf<!-- google_ad_section_end --> Do you vend on Saturday? I do. I looked at the Aeriel photos on the Hershey Region site for the last few years, and I had to go back to 2005 to find most of the vendors still filling the flea spaces on Saturday. Look at last years photo link. It's a ghost town! Hershey like many other flea markets get fewer and fewer vendors for the last day. This may not be our best day, but adds enough to the total to stay open till 1pm. every year. If the 3300 vendors won't stay open the buyers wont come. There would be a lot of room for car show if we had vendors fields filled by days they would stay open!!! We could empty the 3 day vendor field and bring the car show back to the black top on Saturday? We put life on hold till Hershey is over... Just thinking out loud. Karl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
broadstreet3 Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 Karl,I know many vendors, including myself, tried Saturday sales for several years before giving up. Nobody wants to compete with the car show. Since there are no Sunday sales, why not have the car show on Sunday? Rand Broadstreet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shop Rat Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 Karl,I know many vendors, including myself, tried Saturday sales for several years before giving up. Nobody wants to compete with the car show. Since there are no Sunday sales, why not have the car show on Sunday? Rand BroadstreetMany folks need to have Sunday to head home rather than have to take an additional vacation day if they are still working. And truthfully there are folks that go to church on Sunday and don't do activities like car shows on Sundays. I can understand that many owners would like to have the show on the blacktop to avoid dust and grass/leaves getting up under the vehicles.For the owners, judging teams and visitors grass is nice because it is cooler if the sun is out. No radiated heat back up off of the blacktop and there are trees for folks that can't be out in the sun to sit under and still enjoy the show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restorer32 Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 What if it rains? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shop Rat Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 What if it rains?We do what has always been done, wear a raincoat and a waterproof hat and put the clipboard in a big plastic bag to keep the judging sheets dry and hope for better weather next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KRK Sr. Posted October 28, 2010 Author Share Posted October 28, 2010 When the car show was on Blacktop, the average car count was 1800? now less than 1300. More flea spaces were open too. Karl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Silverghost Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 This is a very sad, but true, story of the Hershey flea market on Saturdays in the last half dozen years. Many folks can only attend on a Saturday because they must work during week days. I know of a few that are looking to buy needed parts ; that are in this position. They don't come to the Hershey flea market Saturday any more because many of the vendors have already packed-up and gone home. They say Saturday is no longer worhwhile ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonHeberle Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 I do not have a vendor spot but many times I went back to the vendor areas after judging to get something but found alot of vendors were gone. I see what you are saying about not be able to compete with the car show I guess I thought there would still be enough of folks searching for stuff especially those that are unable to get off work during the week. Not sure of a solution but agree with Susan about Sundays and having the car show on grass. I know grass can be a mess if it rains however when it is sunny it beats judging on blacktop plus the grass and trees make a nice setting. Nothing is perfect but I do wish more vendors would stick around until the afternoon. Maybe if they did more people would come back to the vendor areas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W_Higgins Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 The commentary from all the PA based people is interesting. Simple fact of the matter is that many people need to get back to their lives by Monday morning and live at least a days drive away, if not more. By the time you pack all your trash and hit the road after being beat-up in the elements for the better part of a week, it's pretty exhausting and just plain time to go home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shop Rat Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 When the car show was on Blacktop, the average car count was 1800? now less than 1300. More flea spaces were open too. KarlAn additional question would be, how much has the downturn in the economy influenced this trend? Less show vehicles and less vendors might not all be due to blacktop vs. grass show field. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W_Higgins Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 An additional question would be, how much has the downturn in the economy influenced this trend? Three Hershey's ago at the start of the meet was that really bad day for the market, and the whole rest of the week the place looked like ghost town. Overall, things haven't seemed the same, since., Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter J.Heizmann Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 Just a reminder for what it is worth, folks: We are all guests on HERCO property. If they have an event scheduled for Saturday evening or Sunday either at the Giant Center or Stadium the Car Show on Sunday would be out of the question. In past years I recall a repeated message on the P.A. System reminding all vendors that they must vacate the property by whatever time on Saturday and this was due to evening events in the Center.Regards,Peter J. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Bollman Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 We use to stay open till late afternoon on Saturday sin ce we were staying till Sunday morning to come home anyway. Saturday has not been a good day for sales for decades for us. The last 5+ or so years we have started packing up around 1-2pm and on the road by 3. Part of the reason is all our neighbors now leave and we always use to have a Saturday night potluck supper and story telling time with all the neighbors. The other reason is the last time we stayed over on Saturday night they came around and told us we had to be off the grounds at some very early hour. Since we have about a 6 hour drive and we can't sleep in our camper after we pack the flea market space we leave in time to get home at a reasonable hour. All that said we actually had one of our best Saturdays for sales this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old car fan Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 (edited) Our first year vending,not a new guy .Hershey was great,,will not miss it,we still try to sell leftover parts ..from or restored or drivabile cars The Vacuum tank rebuild kits were a great seller,but did not have near as much as needed.you can contact me through aaca postTank kit come with die cut gaskets stainless screws.and springs,we also restore them as well Edited October 28, 2010 by old car fan (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCHinson Posted October 29, 2010 Share Posted October 29, 2010 It was my first year vending. I had a great time. I rarely left the swap meet space Wednesday-Friday. About 80% of my sales were on Wednesday (in the rain), About 15% on Thursday, and about 5% on Friday. I packed up and loaded up on Friday afternoon. I did not open on Saturday because I was judging on Saturday morning. After Judging, visiting with some friends, and seeing some of the cars in the show, I started my 8 hour trip home, so I could make it to Church with the family on Sunday. I don't think there is a perfect solution. Even with lots of empty spaces on Saturday, it is still one heck of a swap meet. If you seriously want to experience Hershey, you really can't do it all in one day. If people want to just go on Saturday, they have to realize that the swap meet and the show can't really both be the focus of that day. While there are certainly bargains to be found in the swap meet on Saturday, if you are serious about buying something, you will not go just on Saturday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Maine Posted October 29, 2010 Share Posted October 29, 2010 Just an observation related to this. My first Hershey was 2004. I got hooked then and have attended every year since except 2006. I thought attendance and the number of vendors was down by quite a bit in 2008-2009 but that things improved this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trulyvintage Posted October 29, 2010 Share Posted October 29, 2010 Classic car parts are selling well now ....On the internet at least - but not at the shows With #2 diesel at $3.25 or higher, a lot of folks can't afford to drivea trailer full of parts a few hundred miles each way to a car show You end up losing money Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Moskowitz Posted October 29, 2010 Share Posted October 29, 2010 Facts: There were record crowd days at the fall meet this year based upon parking numbers. Those are quantifiable numbers and real.Almost all the fall meet spaces were sold this year with only a few scattered one space locations left unsold.Now for my observations. Flea market was more active on Saturday than any time in the last three years. I also was told by quite a few vendors that they had a terrific year. AACA did that was for sure. I know vendors who sold out by Thursday and vendors who told 5 times as much over the previous year. I also heard from some guys it was lousy. Pretty hard to generalize what everyone's experience was based upon your own or a few people you know. Overall, the complaint letters have been the fewest in 7 years and the "thank you letters" have been overwhelming. I am guessing that most people had a good experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KRK Sr. Posted October 29, 2010 Author Share Posted October 29, 2010 In recent years my sales for Saturday make up only 10-15% of sales for the week. However that said, the Chocolate field is not as near to the show as the Green and Orange fields so do they have a better crowd on Saturday? Every year Saturday is the day people come back to see if they can negotiate "bargain" pricing on an item and it's the day that we make sure if someone touches an item we don't want to haul back home that they become the owner!! Maybe I just don't want it to end. Karl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonHeberle Posted October 29, 2010 Share Posted October 29, 2010 Thanks for the info Steve. I really enjoyed this year's show and did not want it to end. Outside of some rain on Wednesday we were blessed with nice weather which really helps. No event or item whatever it is, will be pleasing to everyone. Glad to hear the show was enjoyed by many. I do now understand why many vendors leave early on Saturday's and was glad that Jim actually made out better this year on Saturday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John348 Posted October 29, 2010 Share Posted October 29, 2010 I vend and also show a car, to be honest I had about enough of swap meet vending by Friday morning and look forward to packing up. I also have to say that by Friday I had sold about 3/4 of what I came down with so I was very happy, besides most of that was heavy stuff I sold transmissions and so on Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Bond Posted October 31, 2010 Share Posted October 31, 2010 The car show is certainly important on Sat and many of us are off judging. My space is open once I get back from the show field and I begin to do a "slow-pack" so I can be off the field Sat evening (Awards banquet, and believe me, I've gotta shower before then!).I always find a few people looking or coming back for something on Sat so it can still be a good day. it's kinda like taking down the Christmas tree-we just don't want to see it end!Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shop Rat Posted October 31, 2010 Share Posted October 31, 2010 ..... it's kinda like taking down the Christmas tree-we just don't want to see it end!TerryHow true. And like taking the Christmas tree down, it gives us hope that Hershey, like Christmas, will come around again next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ex98thdrill Posted October 31, 2010 Share Posted October 31, 2010 What's going to be sad is when we go to Philly to close out the 75th anniversary and see Terry's presidency end. Hopefully we'll win that national award so that one of Terry's last acts as president would be to present us with an award. Winning a national award would mean a lot, but getting it from Terry would mean even more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KRK Sr. Posted October 31, 2010 Author Share Posted October 31, 2010 Terry, I do believe you could have a late open and still some stuff. We open at 7:30 am and like everyone else, stand and watch the parade. At 9 am the parade slows and our spaces fill with buyers and stay that way till after lunch. If more people did this Hershey could last a little longer... Karl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Block Posted November 26, 2010 Share Posted November 26, 2010 I arrive on Tuesday, walk hard all week, Judge on Saturday, and to be honest we left around 1PM even those my flight was until 6PM. I did get to ride in 1912 high wheeler truck, wow that was siting in heven. I has a great meet discovered my biggest treasures on Tuesday and Friday afternoon, walk by the Friday treasures at least twice during the week, or they weren't out. How many time do i see a NOS senior Packard coupe/convertible taillight assembly compete with the correct upper glass. Never. that was Fridays treasure, and rear compartment limo clock restored on Tuesday. and i had to ask, it was even on the table.Great meet for me, and all fir on the airplane, I make my home on the West coast. And consider a special year if I can make it to Hershey. I plan my leaves around it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldwhizzer Posted November 27, 2010 Share Posted November 27, 2010 I vend in the red field which is far away from the Car Show. Sat sales are not worth staying open. That said wed through friday are Good! If you are close to the show Sat sales I bet are better. Still the best swap meet there is. Thanks Hershey region! ow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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