Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums General Petroliana Discussion Dissapointed With Columbus show date

Just got my CTO magazine and I see the Columbus show is one day and one day only, Friday the 19th of June. Why on earth would it be one day and only on a weekday? Why not make the show on a Sunday between midnight and 6 am, That way they could just forget it all together.
Just had to rant a little. Really a sad way to schedule a show.

Is that different from the past?

You could go to Iowa Gas Tues-Friday.

I'm sure a lot goes in to planning these shows such as staff, when, where, costs, and many other things. I am in no means implying that these shows are being set up this way, but it does seem to me that more and more shows are being advertised to/for the retired, super rich, or anyone with tenure at thier work place. Although most jobs in the world take place on Monday through Friday, shows continue to be schedualed during the week. I do consider going to shows like this a vacation, but I can't afford to take 2 or 3 a year. Maybe this is one reason why hunting this stuff down when you do have the time is so fun.

i hear you terry....i think its ridiculous too, i hate the shows that charge you $50 or more to get in the day before its officailly opened to the public.....or how about the shows that are scheduled for saturday or sunday (but all the good buying and selling goes on the day before its even started)....hershey and carlisle shows are packing up on saturday morning usually....with 2 days left in the show...still wont stop me from going!!!

Hershey shows end on Saturday, not Sunday.
I used to wait till Sunday to pack up at Carlisle, but as for sales, I usually didn't sell anything that day. Everybody walking around (families mostly for a day out), nobody carrying anything.
Since Columbus and Iowa are large outdoor shows, they can't control what day people come or leave. Indoor shows can, and they are just trying to cover expenses, so they charge for early vending.
I also keep hearing this argument that nothing is left on Saturday, well nothing should be left on Saturday if you are there to sell. Can you imagine a seller saying "This is not for sale today, I'm saving it for Saturday?"
Some sellers only come for one day, but be glad they came, they could not of come at all.
Running these shows is not easy, the sellers complain there isn't any customers, the buyers complain there is nothing left worth buying.
Shows should not be judged on how many sellers or buyers there are, but on the quality of the things for sale, and let's face it, the good stuff is going to sell early and quick.

I know something about running this type of show, I was the first chairman of the St. Louis Model T Ford show, now in is 30th year. At one time I was setting up at 24 shows a year, I have been at every Iowa Gas and Columbus since 1988. Don't go to these shows looking for a particular item, go to these shows looking for the unexpected. I remember DB at Iowa this past summer showing me a special small Tokheim pump he had found, he was more proud of this small item than some of the large stuff he bought.
One last thing, think of all the faces you are going to match up with the names, this is the best part of the show, even if it is one day.

Jack Sim

This is one reason why I have not attended Iowa Gas in the past is because it is not on Sat. It isnt even on a weekend so I have to take a whole week of vacation to attend and I am not going to burn a whole week of vacation to do that (wife would kill me). I am sure that I not alone. Some of these shows are taylored to either the older generation who have lots of vacation and/or retired; or taylored for vendors only. People who work Mon-Fri and live 4 to 8 hours away are not as apt to attend these shows. You dont see car shows, swap meets, or flea markets occur during the week, so why would you taylor a gas show during the week. I would think you would taylor it to get the most people possible and get the most for your dollar.

Why not have set up for vendors on Fri and charge little higher price for those that want to walk through Fri during set up, then general admission on Sat and Sun with vendors packing up sometime on Sun. From the many swap meets and flea markets I have been to this seems to work the best. IF IOwa gas were to go to this, good chance I could drive 7 hours to attend, and only burn 2 days of vacation and wife would be ok with that.


Guess that is just my opinion for whatever it is worth.

Easy

We go thru this every year. It's all about what your priorities are.
I use my vacation [un-paid] for IG. I see as many collectors as I can fit in going & beat feet getting home on Sunday.

Both Iowa Gas and CTO in Columbus are held on giant parking lots surronding large hotels. There is no way the promoters could fence off the lots and charge people to enter the swap meet.

I understand the problem of getting enough time off to go to one of these, but believe me, there are four people in the 30s & 40s for every "older generation" attending these shows.

For those looking for 1 day shows,
MASS GAS
METRO PETRO
NORTHEAST GAS BASH
MASON DIXON
GAS STUFF.COM (John Mancinos show)

These are all held on a Saturday or Sunday and are 1 day shows.
Be at the Gate at start time, do your shopping for a few hours and head home.

We have been asked repeatedly about "why not a 2 day show". Because it is always the same, VERY heavy buying in the first few hours of every show, There is really nothing left worth staying another day in most cases for the sellers.

I can only speak for the East coast shows I have attended, Prices always seem to be "Priced to Sell", So I encourage anybody, especially 1st time swap meet goers, GET THERE EARLY, the good stuff, reasonably priced, DOES NOT LAST LONG. And once the sellers make there money and get rid of a bulk of their stuff. They, just like You, NEED to get home too, for work and Family

A couple more weekend shows...
Ohio Gas. Its been a few years since I've been to this show but I believe set up is Friday afternoon (no selling allowed). Swap meet is Saturday followed by an auction.
Chicagoland's (Peotone)....Set up and early buyers starting at noon on Saturday. Swap meet on Sunday. Theres also an auction on Friday before the show, that isn't affiliated with the show. Some guys are there for the auction on Friday and early buyers on Saturday and then head home.

As for Columbus....It used to be billed as a Fri-Sat show, or Thurs-Sat show. By 11:00 AM on Friday the place looked like a ghost town.
I don't have as much of a problem with the show days as I do with show promoters not requiring their vendors to stay through the advertised show dates. I'm not talking about vendors leaving a few hours early. Vendors were leaving with a day and a half of advertised show left. The vendors (correctly) say there were no more buyers. The buyers that had to work during the week knew very few if any vendors would be there Saturday or even Friday afternoon so they didn't bother going.
Going to a Friday only show is a step in the right direction. I do think Saturday would have been a better choice though. Could be they get a better deal on the hotel on Friday.

Hi Friday is OK with me- I have always - along with most of the other inside vendors-always stayed for sat morn- Business done on sat was about ZERO- they tried a truck show on sat morn- this brought out some people- were all lookers - Only advantage to sat was that i was able to find a few bargains as other vendors packed up-Attendance at Shows this year should be interesting- I saw a noticable drop off in people at end of last year shows- this was at the start of the economic meltdown- before the botton fell out- Just remember
93 % of the people are still working- Sounds much better than 7% unemployed- Just my 1 cent- (used to be 2 cents)Don

I like one day only shows. There just doesn't seem to be enough foot traffic to justify more than that these days. Have it on one day then go home to enjoy the family.

It looks like the only thing they have done is drop Saturday.Which nobody was there anyway,It looks like thursday setup and show fri.It states in CTO room to room and show and tell 2 nites.
jw

Two more one days shows that weren't mentions is "It's a Gas" show, the first show of the year, every year held every year for about 15+ years at Columbia, Missouri.

The other show is a great one day show. We all arrive on Friday, get a motel room, go to the home of the promoter to see his collection and drink his beer, then by 7:00 am Saturday morning we are set up and selling, by 1:00 pm the same day we are all on the interstate heading home. This the Evensville, Indiana show. And with one expection has been going on for almost 15 years. Great show, great promotor. I have seen sellers come from as far away as Georgia to set up for only 5 hours of selling. This is what this hobby is about, just getting together and shooting the s....

Jack Sim

Iowa Gas and Columbus both have the potential to be great shows. There is always good stuff for everyone. I agree, it all depends on where your priorities are. I haven't attended every single show but we ALWAYS leave Iowa Gas with something good. Columbus is usually right up there. We get to Iowa on tues and Columbus on Wed. Even if you can't make it on Friday every year, It is worth going at least once.
-Kevin