Gas Prices vs. Car Shows/Events, Turnout impact?

[Marty Roth]

Jim,

Well said,

Marty

[Guest WEB 38]

Gas prices will surely hurt the swap meets as more will be buying there parts on e-bay. and swappers will also be selling more on e-bay. If you have not noticed the meets are getting smaller and smaller every year. Bill WEB 38

[Guest Jim_Edwards]

Gas prices will surely hurt the swap meets as more will be buying there parts on e-bay. and swappers will also be selling more on e-bay. If you have not noticed the meets are getting smaller and smaller every year. Bill WEB 38

Gas prices will likely have little to do with the number of those attending, selling, or swapping at any meet.

The fewer sellers trend started at least ten years ago when vendors began finding out there were far more people that could be reached and more money to be made online over the same time and at lesser cost than it took to be at a swap meet. Swap meets never were a "social" event for vendors, it is serious business with serious cost factors. Swappers are just like the rest of us in looking at meets as a somewhat social event. Realistically, when have any of us recently seen anyone swapping anything but cash for something at any meet.

The hobby has just become a lot different than it was twenty to thirty years ago.

Jim

[R W Burgess]

........Swap meets never were a "social" event for vendors, it is serious business with serious cost factors..............

Jim

I don't know about that Jim. The vendors I meet in Hershey are there for the friendships they have made over the years. Looking up old friends is a big part of Hershey week.

Wayne

[rocketraider]

Difference is between small-time vendors and the vendors with the fancy enclosed trailers, expensive tow rigs and a full complement of help that has to be fed, housed and paid. Even the wanna-be big-timers get into that act. I was casual friends with a couple of those guys and actually got a chuckle out of how tight they could squeeze a dollar on a swap meet trip.

Then again some of those types are just plain anti-social to begin with. If they can't make a dollar off you, they don't care anything about you.

[Marty Roth]

I guess I'm more of a "Swapper" than a vendor, and host the Louisiana Region Hospitality space at Hershey Fall Meet - same spot since October of 1984 when they opened the Chocolate Field.

One of my buddies grouses that, walking with me, he sees less of the swap meet, but has come to know many more of the terrific folks who make up the old car community. We cannot walk a row without meeting up with friends from all over the US, UK, etc, representing AACA, VMCCA, HCCA, VCCA, BCA, Cad-Lasalle, Packard, PAS, PATC, OOCI, and especially our Buzzards Breath Touring Region.

Sure, commercial vendors are very important to the continuation of our supply, and transportation costs are a consideration to their "bottom line". Costs are a factor to even those of us who attend partially for social reasons. Sometimes you just make the decision to spend, knowing that, at our ages, we want to enjoy those friendships, and that sometimes we do not get another chance.

Zeke, the radio guy was a long-time friend, but one year he didn't make it out of the chocolate field, losing out to a heart attack.

Another dear long-time friend is hospitalized in Florida right now - we almost lost a major benefactor to the hobby and to AACA - he still has a long way to go.

Costs affect our decisions, but so do relationships!

[charlier]

Interesting perspectives with inflation adjusted prices, etc.

Unfortunately, when people have had their salary cut and are paying more for health care, property and other taxes, utilities, food and a host of other things, less essential items (car events/vacations) are naturally cut back.

In my own case, I will be attending less long distance auto related events this year. This has more to do with family and work situations than the cost of fuel, hotels, etc. Hopefully I will make it to Fall Hershey this year as this is the only AACA Meet

on my calendar as of now.

Looking forward to 2012 with a Meet in my hometown and Fall Hershey.

[John_Maine]

It's actually everything to think about. The same relationship to other things we buy reveals the same inflation in price. We seem to have some bizarre notion in this country that a gallon of gasoline should have never risen above $0.29 a gallon. Except for those who have chosen extreme distances for their commute to work gasoline as a part of a typical household budget should actually be less than 20 years ago thanks to more fuel efficient vehicles.

I've thought about this as well. When I was a kid, my uncle never put more than $2.00 worth of gas in his car at a time and he'd always run it down to empty. Somehow, I remember that $2.00 then bought 6.3 gallons. When I drove in to fill my wife's car with gas this morning, the pump showed $20.00 and 6.3 gallons! So, gas is now 10x what it was back in the early mid-60's. Thinking about that, not everything is 10x more expensive than it was 40-45 years ago. I paid $300 for my first color TV in 1970. It had 13 stations and a 13" screen. TV's are not $3000 now unless you want a really super duper one. Last year, I paid less than $500 for a 37" HD and with cable, have 200+ stations. When my wife and I got married 36 years ago, we paid $1.00 for a gallon of milk. Milk isn't $10.00 a gallon now. We budgeted $30 a week for groceries; we spend $100 a week now, not $300. So, overall, technology and other advances have given us a better standard of living through the years as our income has grown faster than inflation and prices for most things as a percentage of income have gone down. We have nothing to complain about.

[ted sweet]

gas prices keep me from driving yesterday to a small indoor swap meet.

[avantey]

Unfortunately I am going to have to chime in and agree with Charlier on this topic. While I understand the historical perspective of gas pricing it sure does seem to take a bigger bite out of budgets now with everything else rising (except your pay).

We have already opted not to do a tour in TN with another club as it would be over $800 in diesel fuel to trailer down there. Normally it is not a consideration, just a given expense but the extra $300-400 now makes it too expensive.

In years past we figured $1500-$2000 total expense for a tour depending on location. Last year or two that became $2000-2500 for that same week and we still went. With these prices ($4 and rising) you push a week long tour into the $2500-3000 range and that is getting pretty high for most people for a week. It has come to the point where we have to drop our touring plans and that really hurts as we enjoy it so much. It looks like Hershey will be my only out of state car event this year because I go alone and live cheaply there on the flea market. Besides it IS Hershey! Maybe next year.....

[Terry Bond]

Right on Marty! If you read the most recent edition of Hemmings you'll know that we're not along with our feeling that AACA is the greatest club in the world. What price fun? We'll eat at McDonalds, stay in a cheaper motel someplace, and drink somebody elses scotch, but by golly, we're gonna be put AACA meets on top of the list.

Terry

[Seldenguy]

Ted--The rational to me is that, how much was gas to this event last year, $2.50/gal.and you used 5 gallons to go as an example? This year going to the same event, you should still use 5 gallons. Now with gas at $3.50/4.00 per gallon gives you a cost of $5/7.50 to attend this year over last year. This I can accept to see old friends,and look for old parts and treasures. Remember the only cost is your enjoyment. I will get off the box now. ---Bob

[60FlatTop]

Bob, It is great to see you pop up here. I was using the same reasoning you did. I figured my trip the Danvers, Mass this year from Brockport, New York is going to cost the gas, tolls, three night in a motel, registration fees, food, and a little entertainment, plus 4 days off work. The gas does not impact the total much.

Bernie