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BUTCH ASKED ME TO POST THIS FOR HIM...

Hi Doc,
 
Here's a photo of our set-up at Columbus, OH.  The show was a good one, with strong sales.  I'll send some BOTW in a day, or two.
 
Butch

I'm well aware of the investment vendors make to attend a show. Instead of getting there on Wednesday and leaving Friday, why not get there Thursday and stay for the advertised times of the show? Same amount of time and money invested.
You guys say to plan to take off work to go to the shows. If a guy is going to take a day off to attend the Columbus show what day would it be? The show is advertised as a Friday-Saturday show. Nearly all outdoor vendors were set up Thursday. Most were gone by mid afternoon Friday. All I'm saying is they should make the vendors stay for the advertised times of the show. If everyone is going home on Friday then why not advertise it as a Friday only show?

Saturday after the show auctions will work. Iowa Gas is a perfect example.

Many of the early buyers are vendors looking to gobble up bargains (bargains being a realative term). A dealer looking to buy for re-sale is self serving. I don't have a problem with that. If someone wasn't making money, nothing would ever change hands. The problem is the attitude all that early trading creates. Guys start thinking they've been there since Wednesday so its ok to leave on Friday. Its a show killer when your vendors all pull out early. Any hobby depends on new blood to survive. Look around at the next show. You'll see alot of grey hair. Truth is there just aren't that many young people entering the hobby. You have to look at the big picture if you want the hobby to survive. The few young guys that show up with 2 or 3 hundred dollars each on Saturday morning and can't find any vendors might not be back next year. Most of us started on a small budget like that.

Amen to the above statement!
<==== Young guy entering the hobby, currently with small amounts of cash in my pocket.
But when going to a show, I'm not likely to take more than a day off work for something like that. To me weekend shows are the best...just my opinion...

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-Dave-
Slowly progressing on a '54 Tokheim 39

ditto the amen on lastgas15 post.... cheese

I agree and have said the same for years....
Too many of these shows are nothing more than family reunions. How do you expect new blood to come into the hobby if a new collector shows up and no one's home? Our's is a hobby with lots of nice people, the sad truth is when it comes to many of the big shows, the only way you find this out is if you can afford to ditch work and make the time to fit the vendors schedules. Wake up and smell the potential!

[This message has been edited by Sinclair Joe (edited 06-22-2005).]

Lastgas Bob you got it rite......Its the health of the HOBBY thats important not the health of individuals, the early birds are mostly resellers looking to add to their "inventory"........and thats ok for them ..but as previous stated it hurts the show (HOBBY) for those that work or have family commitments and can't get there until Friday or Saturday...I wish there was a fair way for everybody to have the same chance.
I disagree with the statement made "most vendors are collectors" Better put they are pretend collectors, most are looking out for themselves first.Sooooo I don't see any changes in the near future.
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REX LOVES LIFE

OK.....Here's my 2 cents worth..... I have been doing the Columbus show for quite a few years. Always enjoy it and stay until around 3 p.m. on Saturday......except this year....here's why. Like a lot of vendors, with the new rules, I arrived on Thursday at noon to find things going strongly. No problem, I set out some things and chatted with my neighbors in the outside spaces. Friday morning at 6A.M. was setting up again. Attitudes were high. No one showed up!!!! Watched the crowd?.....not many people......sold a few things. Didn't get rich.....saw some old friends and by 11A.M. there was nobody coming by to even look....Most of the vendors were shocked at the lack of traffic but thought the truck show on Sunday would bring in new people....Around 4P.M. word came around that the truck show had been cancelled.....Saturday mornings are usually slow at this show but with this news, I decided enough was enough. I packed up, had dinner and left for home at three A.M. I have never pulled out early before but don't feel guilty. Business is business.....By the way, I thoroughly enjoy all the shows. Chip's is my favorite next to Fall Hershey..... Everything is reasonable at Chip's so even if you don't sell much stuff, you can afford to be there anyway.

I agree with Bob... I took off 2 days with no pay and spent $90 for a room and got there Thursday at 4:00pm to find the show has been going on since Wednesday. I liked the way the Hoosier show done... Sat. morning set up and over around 2:00pm and all done in 1 day. People don't need 5 hours to set up or 4 days to buy something. Lets make these shows shorter. The setup day is done so people can buy between each other before the public gets in there and that's why you see 5 hour set ups.
My opinion is to bring what you want to sell on a Friday night... get to the show sat. morning and set up and sell for what you need to have out of your items... if someone thinks it's a good deal then both people are happy. Over at 2:00pm and you pack and drive home.

I like this Post.
It represents both sides; vendors as well as collectors viewpoints. By most peoples standards, I feel I would be considered an armature collector. With this in mind, I have recently decided that if I want a shot at some of the nicer stuff too, I cant show up the day off and make it worth my while. I will have to take-off work, drive the distance to show up and watch you unpack your goods the day or evening before as mentioned. I give you vendors allot of credit to do these shows. Travel, setup...sit in the heat for days looking at the likes of me, then teardown and go home...regardless of how much people think you make. I couldn't do it for money alone, and I don't think all do. I will have to admit that I also wish there were more younger people entering the hobby.

Regards,
Kim

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Who has not read about a TAG/GARAGE/ESTATE SALE, & showed up a 1/2-1hr earlier than when it starts ? OR showed up the day before when they were getting it set up ?

How many WAIT till the end of the sale hopeing to get a DEAL on what is left ?

At ANY SHOW,
IF, it don't sell the 1st day, it PROBLY won't be sold WHEN THE SELLER goes home [unless the seller takes LESS than what he paid].

This can go ON & ON......BUT you can't make EVERYONE HAPPY !
Just like EBAY can't stop EARLY SALES !!
db

Day one: buying and selling. Day 2: drinking beer. Day 3: drinking beer and glueing empty composite cans to your friends rental car.....Priceless...LOL

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Hubba: GAS GEEK , OIL FREAK and humble moderator

Is that Gulf globe in the picture a raised letter cast globe?

Yup. The one was anyway. Those are in Walt Fieger's display.

There were 2 or 3 cast Gulf globes at Columbus in varying conditions.

Later . . .

Jim

I would like to hit on something said earlier in the thread. Attracting new blood is a key component to this hobby. That being said, one serious problem that I see at the bigger shows is INFLATED prices. Not only does a person have to take a day off, they also must spend some serious coin for merchandise. I know the vendors have expenses and don't begrudge them of that, as I've been on both sides of the issue. IMHO, I think a larger percentage of those selling are more in it for the money that genuine collectors themselves. Not trying to tick anyone off but that is my take.

A few thoughts on Columbus: I enjoy the show very much, and do everything I can to attend. I get to see a lot of friends, and some of the best petro stuff the hobby has to offer. I've always had a good time, and found nice pieces for my collection. Wouldn't miss it for the world. That said, I have to disagree with the above statements that seem to indicate less supervision and adherance to the schedule would make for a better show. Most people work Monday-Friday. I know more people would attend if the show was a weekend show - Friday A.M. set up (not before), have the 'show' on Saturday, with room-to-room on Friday evening and Saturday. Vendor spaces are open all day Saturday. Cap the show off with a Saturday night auction - if that doesn't suit the auction house, no auction at all. Does the show really need to be any longer than that? Every year, in an effort be the 'earlier bird', vendors show up and leave a little earlier, and the show sucks for the guy who can only get Friday off (if that) and has to drive 10 hours to get to the show. Also, this year some vendors apparently left the show early on Saturday to go to an auction somewhere else! Add to that an auction house moving their event up from Friday (as in previous years) to Thursday, and it's not a weekend show anymore. I just think the show would work better for everyone with the parameters were set as above and enforced. Have it all in black and white in the vendor agreement and the show advertisements, so there's no misunderstanding. To be fair, it's not only Columbus that has this problem. At every show I attend I hear the same complaints - "the show was supposed to start on _____, and everyone got here on ______". What's frustrating is that all this would be so easy to remedy with a little - well, a little discipline.