VCCA Home Forums GENERAL DISCUSSION General Discussions Carlisle and Hershey 2018

This is a report:

Carlisle:

Hot, sunny and humid weather,

Crowds were down as usual. Seems to get fewer and fewer each year.

Nothing noteworthy in cars for sale.

No good parts for old cars. No surprise there.

Hershey:

Saw Chip. He was busy as a bee the first time I say him. Not so much the second time on Friday. I pestered and annoyed him for awhile and then he ran me off. :Agrin I don't know who the good looking lady with him was but I doubt it was his wife. He could not have done that well. You all need to keep this right here on the hush-hush. We wouldn't want it to get back to the missus. No sir! Chip you're welcome to my great sense of secrecy and strong notion of "what happens at Hershey stays at Hershey." My lips are sealed. Are too!

Bought some wheel cylinders that fit the Chevrolet Huck brake system. Two different vendors but ended up with 10 of them. Fronts and backs. Some shoes and parts brakes, etc.

Rained all day Thursday and part of Saturday morning. Pretty much a bust. Again. What does one expect? It's Hershey.

Hershey had a lot of empty spaces. Rumors of consolidation for the next year or so. More rumor is that the RS (Red field south of the stadium) field will be closed. That is behind the old stadium. Not the Giant Center.

Saw a nicely done 42 Chevrolet convertible for sale. Asking 95K the owner said. There was a yellow 50 convertible for sale. Not perfect at 39K.

My impression over the last few years is that both Carlisle and Hershey are having fewer vendors and patrons each year. Given time, say ... ten more years and they may be close to history. Read Internet.

Best spenders were the Hispanic enthusiasts from California. I sold one a set of 41 wash boards and fender skirts. He thought it was a good deal for him. Had another come back and had to tell him they ware already sold. Go figure.

The trip and expenses caused me to come out in the hole for about 3.5K. I don't know how long I can afford to keep this up. The fun has begun to wane. Big time!

Best,

Charlie

excellent report Charlie. !!!

My opinion of the Carlise and then Hershey fall meets are that they are doomed.

I did the double in 1980, walked all over Carlise and bought things, a 1928-29 ford NOS rear fender for a friend. Bought a luggage rack complete for a 34-35 chev standard. Bought a large pile of NOS cylinder head gaskets pre 1940, because at that time I was THE GASKET KING and needed to fill in some sold out spots.

Why do I think the big swaps are doomed to downsize. Simple, ebay. Why, because a seller can list his items for sale, on auction or buy it now , or accept offers, get paid electronically thru paypal.., have UPS or FED-X come to your door and pick up the package and deliver it to the buyer. For that you give up roughly 10% of the selling price.

Figure like Charlie said it cost him $3500 in expenses to do the swap. You have to sell a lot of stuff to cover the costs of selling at a swap meet. Land fee rental , gasoline, driving time, food, accommodation.. Then you have to endure the hot or maybe freezing cold, pouring rain. Sounds like fun EH ?

Another regular poster CHIP set up there, wonder how he did $$$$$$$$

mike lynch

Yeah I noticed a lot of Empty spaces all over, and a LOT of motorized traffic, especially cars/ trucks !!

as for the rumors, yes Hershey Park is expanding and growing, Hershey Growing
not sure how it will all work out, but consolidation works for me :) to a degree

just google Hershey Park Expansion

Sorry I missed you Charlie... must have passed each other somewhere !!

Charlie, that good lookin' lady is from North Carolina, which explains it. She's been hanging around my shop for quite a few years and my wife never even noticed. Ohhh, wait a minute....she IS my wife. Darned confusing sometimes. Anyway, she's a trooper to spend a week selling old car parts for less than minimum wage.

We enjoyed seeing you over our way, and I agree pretty much with your assessment about Hershey. Yes it is gradually getting smaller, as is our hobby. But in my view, that's OK. Times change, we enjoy what we enjoy and I'll keep going every year as long as I keep having fun doing it.

Thanks again for walking miles to stop by for a visit -- and doing it TWICE. Enjoyed seeing you and all our other VCCA friends.

All the Best, Chip

Sounds like Hershey and Carlisle are following similar meets down here and not only the old car version, the ham radio versions I attend are reducing as well. A friend attended Daytona Hamfest and felt it wasnt as big as it was 2 years ago.
Seems like all that did attend had a good time though.
Tony

Charlie and I have been Hershey neighbors for almost 15 years. I would not welcome relocation because of neighbors like Charlie and that a group of us have 11 spaces under 4 different names and I know that it will not work out that we will remain together. Rain on Thursday is the worst possible day for rain, it deters both vendors and spectators. Where Charlie and I are located the foot traffic seems to stop around 10 AM Friday, and Saturday there really is no traffic we are too far from the show field.

There were some empty spaces, but we also had 2 major hurricanes hit the southeast in three weeks, which I am sure had an effect on some of the no shows. Hershey is a greatest social event in our hobby, and I see it continuing for a long time to come. It has become become pretty costly to vend, and I am about 2K in the hole before I stick the key in the ignition to head there. I feel that the internet has had an effect on some sellers, and I agree the internet is much easier, no insulting offers, just get paid and ship the item off, no wet feet as well!

I really don't do much walking around Hershey anymore, I save a lot money this way buy not buying anything else I don't need

I attended the very first Carlisle (1974 1975?) with my Father and it was great, and have been going to Hershey since 1972. I have not been to Carlisle in over 20 years.

As far as the elimination of the Red Field see the link below, it might give some clarification, that it is not all "doom and gloom"

https://www.abc27.com/news/local/ha...ocial&utm_source=facebook_ABC27_News

I agree with John on his assessment of Hershey. I painted too bleak a picture. He did not.

I too would hate to lose John and others nearby as neighbors. John is the best vending neighbor ever. He goes out of his way to help me and others and it is really appreciated. He also has a cast of charactors over there on his spaces that are amazing and delightful to see each year. There's a couple of them from NJ that are special and if I ever need to get a contract taken out then I know where to look. There's a certain comfort element in knowing that. Just kidding.

John, I hope you got home in good shape and found all was well when you arrived.

Best,

Charlie

Some more information, from the correct source!

http://forums.aaca.org/topic/316996-red-field-south-2019/

I had a fun time at Hershey. Wednesday was warm, but it felt good. Thursday it rained, and I spent the whole day in the AACA Library, and saw a number of VCCA members. The crowds thinned out a bit on Friday & Saturday, but there was plenty of enthusiasm.

Most of the people that I saw at the event had gray hair. Not many millennials walking around. A number of people commented on the turnout being smaller than in years past. If Hershey is to succeed in the future they need to make the event appealing to younger people.


I thought the car corral was a lot of fun, with many interesting cars. I plan on attending again next year.