Bakersfield, some observations

[speedytinc]

The Bakersfield meet appears going to be really strong this year. There are more "horseless carriage" spots pre sold than "Other" spaces. Our areas are filling fast. The venue reserved another 2 sections of the meet for us. Going to be a great meet.

Sharing swap meets with others is going to be the norm in the future. Bakersfield & Chickasha are cases in point.
It's a great thing that these great meets will survive.

[YellowTRacer]

Just my take. we've been spoiled all of these years, of course myself included. A swap meet is held by a club. They have planned it in a good reasonably priced location, they charge for booth space to pay for the location and make some money for the club treasury. We attend free of charge. All that has been really great! I love the no gate fee. Unfortunately all good things usually come to an end and have to be rearranged, or just go away. The location increases their fee to an unrealistic amount. Don't get me started on that (Fact; in most cases, the local fairgrounds or the likes are run by the county, city or state. The employees collect a salary whether you're there or not, so they don't really need you. If you want to pay the going rate, okay, if not, okay, "we'll rent it to a more popular more profitable entity who will be happy to pay the amount. And bottom line, if it doesn't get rented, easier on us and the equipment, and we still get a paycheck"). Then there's the chairman of the event. It usually starts out fine with everyone full of enthusiasm, vim and vigor but eventually, hard to get someone to volunteer for the chairman's job, lots of work. And enlisting all the helpers needed to pull it off, another tough job. Publicising it etc. etc. the list goes on. So if someone is holding a similar event and you can ride on their shirtales and are willing to pay their fees, go for it! I hate paying a gate fee to come in and look around, but they've found that people are willing to do that and, if the organizer doesn't make enough money running the event, it won't continue. Just the way it is.

[Nv Bob]

Nv gang got space 495
When I last spoke to famoso drag folks they are surprise how man pre sales they gotton Coryell I w field witch is early stuff
But then if your not there setup and in by 7am of the swap day your outsider
Hoping for some drag strip action as well
Maybe next year fast or rpm can do an event

[speedytinc]

WOW. I just looked @ the meet layout.
The wise promoters have reserved more of the meet for us pre war folks.
The meet is about 50/50 now. Many spots pre-sold. (more pre-war spaces sold)
Its going to be a big meet pre-war wise.

[Steve Jelf]

I hate paying a gate fee to come in and look around, but they've found that people are willing to do that...

I'm not. It's one of the reasons I've quit Iola. I didn't mind when it was fairly cheap, but there was quite a stretch when it got out of hand, going up every year. All of this while the "old stuff" for sale steadily got more and more scarce. One of my all-time favorite purchases is the century-old reciprocating hacksaw which I have used often over the years. I bought it at Iola for $45. I would not expect to find such a thing there today, at any price.

[Original Smith]

Why can't the Bakersfield T region, and the HCCA get together again and have it at Bakersfield?

[speedytinc]

Why can't the Bakersfield T region, and the HCCA get together again and have it at Bakersfield?

As I heard it, the fair ground venue with the help of local politicians got greedy & priced us off the property.

[pete eastwood]

Why can't the Bakersfield T region, and the HCCA get together again and have it at Bakersfield?

Larry, it is at Bakersfield, just north of town now!

[Nv Bob]

Many issues why
But nice afew guys are keeping it alive
But putting on a swap most place
Insurance and cost of a place to hold it
Sometime out price putting one on
The other key thing support and service staffing
See those going soon

[TeveS-Nor Cal]

I like the new location! It's a lot closer to me.