Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums General Petroliana Discussion Columbus

Just back from Columbus. GREAT show location and accomodations. Very well run show. I was able to meet so many of you that I've only known from this site and from ebay. Wonderful people. From what I was told the turnout of buyers and sellers was off and many people are blaming whoever it was who posted a couple of weeks ago basically telling people not to attend. SHAME ON YOU. We need these shows and they need attendence for our hobby to continue. Don't listen to whoever it was and if he continues to bad mouth. We don't need jerks like that in the hobby.
Thank you Kaiser Family. Loved the show.
Ray

Hi Ray. Enjoyed talking with you at the show. I was standing in the hall talking with Paddy about Billups, on Thursday night, when yall stopped by and introduced yourselves. I fell like you do about the show, the turnout of buyers and sellers was off as compared to the past shows. That said, we still had a great time and I was able to find some items for my Texaco collection that I didn't have. Looking forward to next year. Great show, great people!! Larry

Ray what post are you refering too ? Don't remember it.

Did anyone take any photos ?

T

Ray, I think gas prices have more to do with it than anything. I heard the show vendors were down 25% or so and foot traffic was way down.

ANYONE TELL ME HOW TO GET THE RESULTS OF THE ITEMS THAT WERE SOLD AT THE AUMAN AUCTION ON THE 15TH ?
THANKS

I enjoyed the show!!! I am still here in Ohio at BooBoom's house in Salem....leaving for home tomorrow on that big bird. Enjoyed hanging around and spending alot of time with Bob (booboom), Ray (hotcider), Chuck (hemibird), Maurice(souperhigh),and Randy.
Also enjoyed visiting with Tomcolletez, Dave Thomas, Tom Buckles, T-way, and my "cuz" Phil McCauley.....lots of great people, good stuff, and buying some nice stuff for my collection and winning some other items at both auctions.....Now on to Dry Creek, Alabama next month and to Iowa in August!!!!!
Paddy

This was probably the best time I had at any show I've gone to. Not becasue of the show itself but it was because of the people I got to hang out with and meet! It's definitely a small community and I'm amazed at how many people you bump into at other shows across the country. You could only walk around the lot so many times looking at the same stuff but you never get tired of talking with old friends and meeting new folks.

Unfortuanately I did miss out on 2 killer signs I wanted....just didn't get to them quick enough! However, I did get to visit the Sign Museum in Cincinnati with a couple of great guys so that made up for it. I met so many new faces that I don't dare try to list them by name casue I know I would forget someone but it was indeed a pleasure meeting and chatting with each and everyone of you. I look forward to the next show.


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Chuck

Signs Wanted: Sunset, Clipper, Habor, Indian, Powerlube, Beacon, Sinclar Aircraft

Sorry I missed you Ray.......was there Thursday and Friday and saw lots of folks, but was hoping to meet you. Probably walked by you several times without knowing it. Hope you enjoyed your visit to Buckeye country.

Richard

What.....no restroom reveiw????

Ray, it was really nice meeting you and randy,chuck,art and maurice and his wife. you all are great people and hope to see you again soon. i just dropped paddy off at pittsburgh airport and knowing him when he looks out of the airplanes window at 40,000 feet he will spot a sign. I had a good time at show, bought alittle sold alittle, but meeting new friends and old friends, it's always great. you all have a great time and see ya in iowa.
bob

You can get the results at Proxbid then Aumann Auctions or later in the week they will have it on there site
Aumannauctions.com
thanks Jim

I had a great time at the show also. On the side I was set up on, it seemed there were almost no foot traffic. This show used to have people from everywhere and now it seems just vendor to vendor selling going on. I had several empty swap spaces around me and noticed alot of empty spaces on all the lots. I think the economy, the price of gas, and other things kept alot of people away.

"Economy and gas prices" I don't think that is a valid reason for poor attendence, vendor turnout, sales, etc. It is the price of the colletibles and advancement of the hobby in general......for most "advanced" collectors it is difficult to add anything to your collection for less than 1000 and probably requires 1500+. For most "working" (mid-upper middle class) this means that you are spending the same amount or more money but you are buying far less items. The days of going to Iowa or Columbus spending 3k and getting 5-10 nice items is over. In the present the scenario is more likely to buy 5-10 items annually and most are acquired through Mathews/Aumann, private sales and to a lesser extent ebay. So collector/buyer count drops. 10-20 years ago there was only one auction house and no ebay, shows were the only way to buy or see good stuff. Vendors can't sell the majority of what they can find at shows b/c there are not too many "entry" level collectors that attend national and even regional shows. Most entry level guys buy at local auction, ebay, swap meets, flea markets, ebay?. So vendor count drops.

I did not go to Columbus this year but have seen a decline or a sense of stagnant growth at Iowa, Columbus and other shows over the last five years. Please do not misinterpret, I love the shows and wish they would return the their former glory but I just see them on the downswing for the aforementioned reasons.

okoil,
I agree with most of your points on both the state of the hobby and the shows. However, in my opinion eBay has had a much bigger impact than you acknowledge. I've been collecting about 11 years and have been on eBay nearly as long. I estimate at least 3/4 of my collection was purchased on eBay. This is mainly due to ease of access and better pricing on eBay for most items. Granted, eBay is fraught with dangers if buyers are not careful. In addition, many high end collectors don't have the time or inclination to search the internet and prefer the traditional shows and auctions. That said, I don't think you can overestimate the impact of eBay on the hobby.

I think some of the prices at the shows have something to do with it as well. Granted the economics of a show are totally different, you have to pay for hotel, gas, space, etc so there's bound to be an "in person" premium. However, I typically see items prices 2, 3 even 4 times as much as any collector on this board would pay, especially for common stuff. I always come home with a few items and I love going to the shows, but its getting harder and harder for any kind of collector on a budget to find stuff at the shows. I've seen the same items from certain vendors dragged to the shows for 2-3 years and they still haven't sold, and I don't think the economy or gas prices has anything to do with that. There are many vendors that have perfectly fair prices on their stuff, but there's a lot who have prices totally out of whack with what most of us would pay for an item, and I think that scares people away or sends them to ebay.