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New Hershey Vendors?


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OK - let me rephrase my question -

Are we the only ones that can't secure field spaces at Hershey???? Feeling kind of lonely on the outside. Been going to Hershey for over 20 years with a group of guys that have disbanded. They (3) got to keep the spaces - we (4) are out in the cold! All are long standing AACA members. Any suggestions???

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TsandAs,

There is only one sure way for you to get a direct answer and that would be for you to write a letter addressed to this years Fall Meet Chairman at the Hershey Region. As far as I know, he will be the ONLY one that can help you with this.

Hershey Region AACA

Attention: Ed Malloy

P.O. Box 305

Hershey, PA. 17033-0305

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Rick

Thanx for the advice - I will take that route on your suggestion.

Still am interested to here if we are alone or are there others that have been unable to secure spaces since the "freeze" during years 2001 & 2002.

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Guest Mark Golding

One of the big factors here is are you a vendor? Theyare cracking down on NON vendors in the fields, there are a lotof spaces in the fields that some folks just park on throw out a part or two and walk away. The fields are not the campgrounds, I for one would like to see more vendors get the spaces not being used. I have 4 spaces and I will always have parts for sale or a car for sale onthose spaces. I have seen over the past few years more and more spaces beingused only to park and walk the field there are about 6 of them in the row I'm in in the white field. This is not fair to those trying to get spaces to sell thier wares to those that come to buy parts they need. I also hate the rain and mud butI try to stay open when I'm there even if it's only under my awning or sitting in my motor home to keep dry I'm open.

So if your looking for a place to Camp go tothe campgrounds, NOT The Fields!!!

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Guest 57 pontiac

AMEN...I agree, non-venders hurt venders because persons walking the huge market try to cut down on time by "skipping " rows that don't seem to have many open venders or those with only a few parts in front of a motorhome.Anyone having/seeing one of these "campers only " next to them have only to stop at a club tent and pass the word on. And DAMM the barking dogs too.

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Boy -Am I taken aback by the venom in your comments!

We are three paid AACA members that have been selling in the mud and the rain Model A & Model T parts for over 20 years at Hershey and we have a PA sales tax number. We camp on our spots where we sell like the other hundreds that do so. We want to continue to sell like in the past but have lost our ability to do so becaues of our unfortunate situation.

Yes we have day jobs and antique cars are our hobby - but I thought that is what Hershey is all about. If Only professional Vendors are to be selling at Hershey - you could reduce the show to one field.

I too cuss when I walk past the parking lots on supposedly vendor sites and those vendors that are covered over because they chose to do something else than sell that day. Or worse yet,those that have paid for their life rights on their spaces and just do not show up at all.

Are we really the only ones that feel this way? If so we waisted are time and money joining the AACA for all these years!

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You can contact the Hershey Region, but I wrote Mr. Malloy a letter a few months ago concerning the gradual decline of the Flea market fields and he replied that the Region would discuss the situation and would decide if changes are needed. It appears that no changes were made and the "freeze" on "new" space assignments will continue. This is discouraging because the problems with the existing vendors is quite apparent. The real shame is that well-meaning folks who work hard at putting on the event don't see the gradual decline in the quality of the flea market and the car show (itself)that is caused by this stagnation. Twenty years ago the flea market was filled with (primarily) member-vendors actively selling parts to other members. Now we have the Bumper Boyz and MBNA occupying 25 spaces each. When members start to avoid the flea market, or the entire event, because it has changed for the worse- we all suffer. Last summer I attended the National Street Rod Show at Louisville, Ky and they had over 12,000 cars on display by members( not the 1500 to 2000 we have at Hershey). The(outside) flea market is tiny but they have a huge indoor vendor display. The point is: they don't exclude members from participating and the numbers grow each year. I saw as many "classics" there as were at Hershey. The question is: Does anyone with the AACA see the handwriting???

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Guest 57 pontiac

To TsandAs

As you can see you hit on a hot and sore subject. The comments were not directed towards you but were general in nature. Hershey is tending to cater to the big venders that have big bucks.,most of us ( or at least me ), want to see more venders that are there to sell their wares and to pick up some good deals or hard to find parts for their collections. Big is not bad but a lot of the professional venders can be seen in most books or on the web for day to day parts. Its the" great" find that a lot of us are looking for as well as having a good time and perhaps making a buck or two for our work.As you can see a lot of us are upset at the persons that just park their rigs, put a few pieces in front and go walking. Thats not what Hershey should be about. Hershey is not all bad, its still one of the best shows and meets around, BUT could be better.

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I think the problem is two fold - One definitly that you raise re: the Big professional vendors that basically bring and show what they have in their catalogs, eating up hundreds of spaces on the field. The other is the ability to have life rights on spaces that are NEVER set up on. I can think of several spaces that have been either totally vacant or parking lots year after year - yet the owners still are offered rights of first refusal for the following year. No one is willing to give up their spaces permanently - even though they have not attended the show in years for fear of being stuck in the freeze like we are.

Last year I suggested in this DF that there be some type of legal & controlled aftermarket for spaces that are spoken for but will go unused. They could be listed with the Region and folks like us could list our desire to sub-let for the year. The Region could make money on both the listing of the owner and the renter (if you will) and AACA ownership could be validated at that time. This would go a long way toward filling up those empty rows and boring stretches of parked cars with those of us that have plenty of those hard to find rare treasures to sell.

Just a dream I guess.

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