Dave@Moon Posted October 14, 2002 Share Posted October 14, 2002 I'd like to thank the Hershey Region and (even) HERCO for a perfectly wonderful time this weekend. The improvements to the Chocolate and new Red fields made for a much better shopping experience in the swap meet, and the car show was as much a thing of beauty as ever. Even the (quite distant) Car Corral was excellent. (I hope that the distance/shuttle bus situation didn't limit buyers, though.)The site was (I think) vastly improved over past years. The only quibbles I'd have would be that there should've been a few more access points to the site from the western edge, and I didn't like the confusing curved aisles in the Red Field. Those curved rows became a completely random pattern when the vendors began bailing Friday morning.Now if we could only convince vendors that if the stay for Friday and Saturday there'd be buyers for them. It's rapidly becomming a self-fulfilling prophesy that the vendors leave early because the buyers tail off. I belikeve that the reverse of that statement is closer to the truth.It's not often I say this, but I'm sorry to be home. Thanks Guys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave@Moon Posted October 14, 2002 Author Share Posted October 14, 2002 I almost forgot. After <span style="font-weight: bold">years</span> of searching for a decent cup of coffee at Hershey I found two places with excellent coffee. Both the <span style="font-style: italic">Nut Hut</span> ($1.25, no frills) and <span style="font-style: italic">Java the Hut</span> ($2.00, plenty of frills) had excellent coffee that I'd buy on the street. In past years I was thankful if the warm mud I was drinking was flavorless. I'll be back next year! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R W Burgess Posted October 14, 2002 Share Posted October 14, 2002 I agree with Dave@moon about the great time you would have had if you had stayed another day. My feet were so wet Friday, that I kept saying to myself" Why are you up here?" Meeting all the people and seeing those great cars being "Driven" on to the showfield Saturday morning made it all worthwhile. Thanks!, AACA! Wayne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brassbus Posted October 14, 2002 Share Posted October 14, 2002 "Now if we could only convince vendors that if the stay for Friday and Saturday there'd be buyers for them. It's rapidly becoming a self-fulfilling prophesy that the vendors leave early because the buyers tail off. I believe that the reverse of that statement is closer to the truth."Once again I'll have to disagree with you, Dave. I arrived and set up in the White field at 11 AM on Tuesday, and business was steady all through Thursday morning. As soon as the rain began, business came to a halt, and I didn't sell another thing on Thursday afternoon, Friday, or Saturday. My stuff was under an awning, out in plain view, and all nos or excellent used (I very rarely sell rusty junk). All the while, people were walking in every direction around me with their eyes glued to some point on the horizon, as if there were an imaginary pot of gold in the distance. I heard comments that no one was open as they walked by! I don't know if folks think they will get wetter than they already are if they stop and look, or what , but I ended up closing early all three days and walked the other fields myself. Know what I saw? You guessed it- people walking all over, eyes set in the distance or glancing as they walked by, and no one stopping! I stopped many times and talked to other venders and they confirmed my observations. I don't think it's a self-fulfilling prophecy at all, as you suggest, and I think most sellers will agree. The fact is that, for the most part, the people doing the buying on Tuesday and Wednesday are other venders who know a good deal when they see one. After that, the "I'll be backs" come in droves! Just a few of my observations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Bollman Posted October 15, 2002 Share Posted October 15, 2002 We stayed open till about 5pm on Saturday. We did better before the rain but did OK right through the rain and on Saturday.I agree I think more buyers would come out if more vendors stayed.The pavement seem to help traffic during the rain.Jim... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave@Moon Posted October 15, 2002 Author Share Posted October 15, 2002 Brassbus, all I can tell you is that I (and the rest of the non-retired types) couldn't get there until Friday AM. I still managed to find some major part finds [color:\\"purple\\"] (a nearly impossible to find NOS late Lucas horn!!! ) , spending almost all the money I brought. I had to empty my parts satchel bag three times at the truck. Had the guy with my rebuilt Buick master cylinder stayed, I'd have bought it instead of Skip Boyer's booster rebuild kit. But I was lucky. There <span style="font-style: italic">are</span> buyers on Friday. I wonder if maybe this problem is contributing to the accelerated aging of the AACA. It's very difficult to participate in a lot of these events when you have something like a job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ex98thdrill Posted October 15, 2002 Share Posted October 15, 2002 Wetness or not, I'd have given anything in the world to be there and was forced to sit this one out. Part of the fun of going to Hershey is trying to figure out what the weather is going to be, because it's never the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 15, 2002 Share Posted October 15, 2002 well nobody loves hershey more than me, and i too would have loved to see the vendors stay for the full four days. but with the rain forcast for almost the entire event, it's not hard to understand why they would pack up and leave early. the foul weather deters many buyers from coming to the event anyway. i managed to do the chocolate field on wednesday and the blue and white fields on thursday finishing them just after the rains began to fall. didn't go at all on friday, and saturday i did what was left of the red field; not much as many of the vendors were gone, but i made the best of it. i really think that if it didn't rain-- we probably would have seen the best hershey ever. i have been to every hershey since 1974 except 1985. and there's only 51 weeks till hershey 2003!! i'll be there!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 57 pontiac Posted October 15, 2002 Share Posted October 15, 2002 Glad to see that some venders did okey, this was the worse year for us. I just knew when I arrived that things had changed. The rows near me were only 15 ft wide and that made it hard to drive a motorhome pulling a trailor through the row and then I had to turn at the corners. I don't know what the region was thinking with the 15 foot rows but they made it very hard and I'm sure that some of the walk through traffic was cut down because of the narrow row. For my part, buyers did not seem to be out as before, a lot of walkers going buy. In the past rain did not seem to slow down the shoppers , they would come in and lift the plastic if needed. This year they seem to spend more time walking than looking. My sales were down to less than half. I don't like to complain and I know a lot of work goes into setting the meet up but do think that something needs to be done about the narrow rows and the cars for sale being so far away. I saw a lot of dead ends in the Red field and the bends in the rows caused a lot of confusion. Even a better shuttle service lasting into the evening would help.In the past we enjoyed walking up and down the rows of cars after we closed for the day. With bad sales and heavy rain and the next day looking like it was going to be the same ,we left Friday and will have to give some thought about going to Hershey in 2003 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poci1957 Posted October 15, 2002 Share Posted October 15, 2002 Where was your space? I had a full wallet and empty parts bag looking for 1957 Pontiac stuff? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 15, 2002 Share Posted October 15, 2002 Brassbus, I agree with you that on Tues & Wed many buyers are vendors picking up bargains, but if the seller gets his asking price what should he care what the next guy does with the purchase. I went with a bunch of parts left over from formerly owned cars and former restorations with the idea of getting rid of unwanted parts. That was the purpose of the flea market back 40 years ago.By Thurs afternoon I had sold almost all of my stuff at prices designed to move them out and when the rain started I gave all but a few prime items to the Library auction.Friday it rained like all H and I stayed at the motel and went to the show on Sat instead of selling.What I did was sell stuff at prices that probably allowed you or someone else to make a second profit on it or maybe allow a fellow hobbyist to get a part he needed at a fair or even cheap price. Who cares. I got rid of my stuff, made a few bucks and stayed dry after the rain began. And I'll bet the Library made a buck or two Each man should do the flea market as he chooses and enjoy it in his own way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brassbus Posted October 16, 2002 Share Posted October 16, 2002 Another vendor- I wasn't complaining about my sales. I was trying to express the reasons why vendors close early, in answer to Dave's original post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 16, 2002 Share Posted October 16, 2002 Brassbus. I dont think I said anything about your complaining about your sales.Please dont put words in my mouth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 16, 2002 Share Posted October 16, 2002 To go back to the opening post. I think the weather is the major factor. In recent years there have been a lot of rainy Fridays. If the weather is dry I doubt that vendors will not be selling on Friday. Saturday is a different story. With the market open Tues, Wed, Thurs & Fri there is little incentive to open up on Sat when the car show is going on. Years ago when there were only Fri & Sat or Thurs, Fri & Sat selling days there was more reason for Sat sales.Its too bad this works a hardship on those who cannot get to Hershey before Fri or Sat. Is there a solution? Make it a Thurs, Fri, Sat flea market? I don't think that will happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 57 pontiac Posted October 16, 2002 Share Posted October 16, 2002 To POCI 1957 My spaces were C3D 40-41 maybe they were too narrow to see down.Like I said before there was only 15 feet in the road between rows. I've sent you an E mail regarding parts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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