Is the cost of some cars shows keeping anyone home

junkyardjeff · May 08, 2009, 09:59:58 PM

I like to pre register at events that give a T shirt to everyone that does as they are usually over 100 miles from home and kind of makes up for the gas and I wont have to buy one when I get there and can spend a little more in the swapmeet,well a show I like to attend changed things and raised the enrty fee and its not going to be worth it to attend anyomre. It was 20 or so dollars and if I pre register they gave the T shirt but now its 40 dollars with a T shirt for the weekend but I could pay for one day at 20 but would have to buy a shirt so I doubt I will go this year,I dont want to sound cheap but the show is over a 100 miles from home and its not that big so I will stay home that saturday and do something locally or go to a junkyard and scrounge for parts. I know its getting expensive to put on shows but its nothing like a Goodguys show as its a local car clubs event at a hotel but the two other shows that are a little distance from home are the same price as last year so I will pre register with them and have fun at those shows.

zzford · May 09, 2009, 07:08:53 AM

Jeff, in this economic climate, I cannot afford the price of admission to alot of shows. Plus, unless it's a benefit car show or something like the Goodguys or a NSRA show, that is FOR the car people, I have a very hard time having to pay for admission. Maybe I'm just cheap, but I view charging the car people to put money in my pocket as akin to charging the Rolling Stones to play a concert. There is NO SHOW without the car people, we are the entertainment. I don't know, it just * me off. Fred

junkyardjeff · May 09, 2009, 08:43:55 AM

I hate to be a tight wad but I am not going to pay much more then 25 dollars to pre register for a show and they better give a T shirt since I usually only attend on saturday,40 dollars for a show that is in a hotel parking lot is just way too much and then if I stayed all weekend at the hotel it would be a couple hundred more and thats just a big waste of money. The shows I will be going to this year will allow tents to be put up so if I stay the night it wont cost me any more,I will be hanging out at the local cruise ins more this year.

phat rat · May 09, 2009, 09:09:15 AM

It doesn't matter who is putting the show on, a local organization or a national one, the object is to make a profit. If you've never been involved in putting a show on you have no idea of the work and pre show money layout involved even for a small show. Advertising, trophies, music, door prizes, grounds, etc all need to be acquired and paid for. Then of course you have the weather to contend with especially with a one day show, bad weather equals poor attendance. I agree that $40 for a show in a hotel parking lot ( cruise nite style?) seems high. But if enough people that normally attend that show stay away it won't be long and it will cease to be a show. Once prices go up they seldom go down.

enjenjo · May 09, 2009, 09:23:23 AM

I know the local cruise night just about got cancelled this year because the insurance went up $5,000. Luckily someone stepped up with the cash.

Crosley.In.AZ · May 09, 2009, 09:55:22 AM

Out here travel of 100 miles is nothing to accomplish in most cases.

It is 70 miles one way for me to run the drag car at Speed World.... Firebird is closer to me , but i can get more runs in at the Speed World track.

I do agree the costs are something to watch now....Economy is still in the tank for me. I want to go to Speed Week at B'ville in 2009... that will not happen unless something good happens.

unklian · May 09, 2009, 05:18:37 PM

Hopefully, fuel prices won't go crazy like they did last year.

Charlie Chops 1940 · May 09, 2009, 08:41:35 PM

Everything else is wonderfull now, so who cares about gas. It went up $0.25 here earlier in the week, Has plummeted $0.03 in the meantime. Paid $2.24 for bottom grade today. Has doubled in price again since last fall.

Topsterguy · May 10, 2009, 05:46:38 PM

"Greedyguys" have always made it REALLY expensive to register for their shows if you're not a "member", but as of this year they pretty much doubled the membership fee for Canadians from $40us to $85us! That's just for the membership and to get their magazine - you still have to pay a hefty registration to get into the events! SO, you take that plus the fact that our dollar is worth .20 less than theirs again and it gets pretty pricey! Considering all that a lot of guys, myself included, are doing more smaller shows etc on this side of the border this year. The way I see it, the majority of the good times are travelling to and from the events with a bunch of hot rods pals anyway!

Mikej · May 11, 2009, 04:00:04 PM

I would rather buy gas than go to a show. I don't have to clean the car as often either. People can't see all the bugs at 70 mph. The only show we are planning on going to is in Lincoln this year. Memorial Day weekend. $20.

HotRodLadyCrusr · May 11, 2009, 04:27:04 PM

The cost to register to get into an event is a minor cost of the whole weekend for me. Hotel and gas effect me much more then whether a show charges $20 for their event or $50. Since fuel is almost half what it was last summer I will spend less in fuel cost therefore will have the ability to attend more events spending the same amount as last year or less.

I am making wiser choices on which events to attend depending on whether the area hotels have increased their rates higher then acceptable in my book. I don't see myself attending the NSRA Nats in L'ville again and one of the main reasons being hotel expenses.

There are MANY great events out there to chose from now that blow away NSRA and GG as far as vaule for your $$. I'm attending one this weekend in York Springs PA called the Jalopy Showdown. $10 gets you and your car access to the event including camping for the weekend! Hell I spend that much on lunch. I'll spend $100 in fuel & tolls each way, eat a couple of hot dogs roasted on the bonfire and have a kick butt three day weekend for $200. Can't beat that with a stick!

I am also networking more. Hot rod folks from all over the world stay at my place when there is a car event in town therefore I have invitations to stay at many friends houses all over the world which helps with hotel expenses. I'm heading to the GG Spokane show in Aug and am sleeping at the home of a HAMB pal and his wife. Four nights of no hotel room expense sure helps pay for alot of fuel.

Also, there is a core group of a couple dozens of us that travel alot to different events. We sleep 4-6 folks in a room when we can. We can stay at a nicer hotel when split the room many ways. I went to the GNRS in Jan, stayed at the Sheraton in a suite for less then $100 for the whole 5 nights we were there.

Will I stay home because of costs? No way, I'll just make better decision for myself on where I'm going to spend my money.

Lots of choices in hot rod land nowdays.

junkyardjeff · May 11, 2009, 10:40:43 PM

I will need to watch where I go this summer since hours were cut this past winter and I still have not caught up yet so 25 dollars is the most I will pay to enter a car and I think I will only got to a few,even though gas is cheaper I will stay closer to home and hang at the local cruise ins.

rumrumm · May 12, 2009, 08:15:59 AM

I will be going to GG Des Moines and probably the Nats in Louisville. I was planning on going to Lincoln the end of this month but I have a conflict that week. I might go for one day but I won't be driving the street rod. As far as local shows, I will most likely go a couple times a month. Our town has a park and cruise the last Friday of each month through September, so I usually attend those if I am in town. I did not get much cruising in last summer due to my appendectomy so I intend to make up for it this year.

WINGNUTZ · May 15, 2009, 01:59:03 AM

Denise hit the nail on the head... last year I spent over $4,000 on fuel alone and I was very selective where I went.

Except for 2 long distance runs I hit 2-3 events a week in Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Missouri!

All these events cost significantly less than most GG and NSRA events which allowed me put that money in the tank and travel to more events.

I am going to be more frugal this year because I started a new business and it'll require more of my time and money for the next few months.

Other than that... I refuse to park my car if I like a particular show no matter how much it costs!

junkyardjeff · May 15, 2009, 09:58:20 PM

I will probably go to the show I was complaining about and pay the 20 dollars for the one day instead of pre registering for the weekend and still spend 40 dollars since I will buy a T shirt,there is another show a little closer to home but will decide at the last minute on which one I will attend.