Think Hershey was small this year

one other thing...the PA Dept of Rev makes no friends either. Hawking all vendors for their sales tax. Maybe Hershey state reps need to push for a law similar to TN's "girl scout cookie" law. This allows one time vendors at specific or one time events to skate on collecting sales tax. I display only and will not sell in PA

Couldnt agree with you more Blue!
some steps need to be taken to re mediate what's left of Hershey, or maybe it is just too late and these are the times.....

also agree with MHS that there are too many 50's-60's cars and not enough early stuff. reminds me of the leftovers from Carlisle. In any case, that cant be helped, as many of the folks with the brass just arent pulling it out and bringing it along.
I did observe 2 years ago that the meet had become a signage selling meet. How that transformation came about, I'll never know. The prices on the signs were enough to make one say- WHAT THE H-LL???????????
Guess that is a good thing for the sign collectors, as I did see people buy a few, though mostly foreigners.

In any case, went with my son for the first time and that was what it was all about for me.
BTW Terry, there were places where you could buy a 5. sandwich (barbecue) and a 1.00 wateror soda. I think that is very fair considering the location.
 
greencom said:
That's really sad, hate to hear that. I figure when the Model A's hit their 100th birthday, most will be left to rot...again.
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I disagree, every time I take the Model A out on the road, numerous people will beep their horn, or wave to me with thumbs up, and If you park some where you always have people asking questions about the car, and if its ok to take pictures. I didn't receive this much attention when I owned a 1939 and 1955 Ford. The Model A will be here to the end.
 
1929 said:
I disagree, every time I take the Model A out on the road, numerous people will beep their horn, or wave to me with thumbs up, and If you park some where you always have people asking questions about the car, and if its ok to take pictures. I didn't receive this much attention when I owned a 1939 and 1955 Ford. The Model A will be here to the end.
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They likely will be here forever because everybody can afford a Model A. You need money to get into many of the other collectables. Our group is not envied by the other groups in fact we are mostly ignored. Go to a car show and see who is attracting the most people...the 60-70's group. Wayne
 
Still what a great time despite the fact that things change. Pretty much anything one could want for their A or T model is there. What a nice stretch of weather also.

Came back to see my quality rebuilt shift tower had arrived during the week. Thanks again Brent, for the tip. Will Cronkrite is a great guy to do business with.
 
Hershey was great, model A parts all over, good bargains, found some NOS parts I have been looking for for a long time---went back to my youth buying generators for 5$ each, same price I paid in the 70s, got over 20 at that price
found a NOS 2/3 sliding gear in the box for 20$
got a tool set for my friends 36 Packard for under 100$
bought a complete oper car radio for my 36 for 1//2 what I was expecting to pay for the head control
found a NOS drivers door latch and trunk hinge for my 36 that has been on my list for over 20 years at a price less than 1/2 of what I would have paid
NOS trans countershaft bearing for 1$--in the original box

I have been trying to put together the late 31 police generator and found a NOS water inlet for it

Sold 1/3 of what I brought

our "booth" is a group of 3 people, so it looked like 2 cars parked---then the tables, I think many of the booths /parked cars are a result of "hershey friends" getting together from different areas and sharing a table/display area with shared table watching while the other "partners" walk
 
I agree that there were many empty spaces and I heard some vendors complaining about low sales volume. Now regarding parking for vendors cars and motorhomes, they should be relegated to one spot in the flea market where you can decide for yourself if you want to walk through or not. I'm referring to vendors who park a car, trailer or motorhome in the flea market and put out a table with 5 pieces of junk on it for sale. It's just a ruse for an parking spot. Empty vendor spaces should be noted and made available to other vendors for future shows.
 
It seems like the vendors and buyers are old and the administration is out of touch with how to survive in today's marketplace. Antiquated and outdated business practices lead to failure and this seems to be a runaway train. Maybe time to replace top management and the decision makers. They have lost touch with reality. Wayne
 
As to parking
That would be impossible to monitor and police.
They already have a minimal staff to direct traffic and actually figuring out parking versus
vending, etc would be nearly impossible. If a person had one or two spots and parked next to a display, how would they know? Also folks that have for example four spaces, maybe two workers park and two display or vend. Maybe they could make you declare how many spaces would be dedicated to parking and somehow earmark those decals? Someone having 4 spaces could declare two and that's all that could park there
But, many hobbyist vend right out the back of a truck or van
No real answer to solving the parkers as I see it.
 
I went 2 years ago for the last time. Many rows of motor homes with a card table out front with 2 or 3 parts for sale. Not worth walking up that row or the next, etc. As for prices, this stuff is limited in quantity, and people looking for a special part should be glad they found it. As for ebay and craigs list and other mediums, many people prefer to shop with their computer.
Hershey was always an event for me, as I started going in 1970 with my father. It is a 6 hour drive, the hotels are expensive, and I dont have the stamina I used to have to do all the walking.
People complain about prices, but look at what restoration cost. I have a coupe for sale in the sale section, but no interest, probably because it is not cheap. But it would cost $50,000 to buy a car and restore it to that level, but people still want prices from days gone by.
The model a hobby is evolving, and we are all getting older.
 
I started this thread, because I had not gone last year ,but I have been going since the mid 70's and had not seen it this small. But I will still go as much as I can ,you get to see parts and cars you do not come across at local meets . Do think I may get a kart next year to ride around ,so i can see more .
 
Hershey for me; never has been on my "to do" list. Just too far from the west cost! :) I was looking at some photos on the MTFCA forum wondering were all the people were?
We have the big swap meet in Portland Oregon and several smaller ones within 3 hour or less drive.
Our Portland swap meet has been fighting people buying a space and using for parking with the card table setup but keep a pretty good handle on that.
Besides I still can spend less buying parts on ebay then the trip would cost and don't have to have the big bucks in my pocket for a one time shot. We have a booth at the Portland meet, so get to spend part of what I make on other cool stuff.
Now Chickasaw (spelling?), that I would like to go to. :)
 
redmodelt said:
Hershey for me; never has been on my "to do" list. Just too far from the west cost! :) I was looking at some photos on the MTFCA forum wondering were all the people were?
We have the big swap meet in Portland Oregon and several smaller ones within 3 hour or less drive.
Our Portland swap meet has been fighting people buying a space and using for parking with the card table setup but keep a pretty good handle on that.
Besides I still can spend less buying parts on ebay then the trip would cost and don't have to have the big bucks in my pocket for a one time shot. We have a booth at the Portland meet, so get to spend part of what I make on other cool stuff.
Now Chickasaw (spelling?), that I would like to go to. :)
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I like to see the parts I buy and EBay does not afford that privilege. Hopefully the administration will realize people are not happy and will make changes. Either that or maybe the administration will change which would be better still. Wayne
 
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For me, an important part of attending a swap meet is social. Catching up with people I haven't seen for too long and in some cases learning again why I have avoided them.:D
At Hershey a couple of years ago, I expected to meet nobody I knew. WRONG!
While reading the sign in the window of a very nice Model A, I had to lean around a guy in front of me to see. My wife went around and poked her head inside. When she looked up, she saw the guy in front of me was a guy we had seen only about 4 weeks earlier in the Australian outback.
Hershey was an experience I'm glad I had but I don't think it will happen again for me.
 
One thing I was surprised to see in the Orange field....Halloween decorations not having anything to do with the car hobby.
 
car coral pics
 

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Wick said:
One thing I was surprised to see in the Orange field....Halloween decorations not having anything to do with the car hobby.
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I thought there were too many flea market type spots. This is only my second year and I only go on Wednesday. was good for me as I got rear fenders and bumpers which are a pain and expensive to ship. I am young enough to cover the area (my Iphone said I did 10 miles Wednesday...WOW!). Got to meet Dave Rehor and Flop. Was a good day.
 
Mitch//pa said:
Less or more whatever... It's an amazing experience if you never did it..
I really enjoy seeing people buy and sell rust for top dollar...
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They dont call it rust anymore....Its called "patina"
how else would you get rid of that crap you wouldn't use on your restoration? ;);):D
 
Well, this was only my 6th time. I went (again) and took my wife and ten year old son (again) and we had a great time AGAIN. I didn't cover as many fields as I might have alone, but I covered more than if I stayed home. I shook hands with at least 15 ford barbers and HAMBers (Some will remember, some will not!). Maybe you're right, and because of eBay, Old Hershey is fading away, but we still take our kid to "Field Days of the past" to see the steam engines and threshers, because it's cool and everybody ought to go at least once. This year I noticed a lot of kids pushing 'Granpa' in his chair up and down the isles. My son is already talking about Spring Carlisle and the next Fall Hershey, which is good: somebody's gonna have to push my wheelchair around there someday.
-Roger.
 
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