[berettafan]

I kinda thought that the weak showing at hershey was indicative of the impact the internet has had and a second meet would simply mean travelling twice as much for 1/2 the stuff.

[dweymer]

How about a concours car show and a swap meet at the same time. It would allow it to be more of an event. Give prizes to the winners based on peoples choice in different catagories.

[Patrick3000]

Originally Posted by dweymer

How about a concours car show and a swap meet at the same time. It would allow it to be more of an event. Give prizes to the winners based on peoples choice in different catagories.

x2

I also have a some stuff and would welcome another opportunity to unload some extra parts.

[Jazzbass]

Originally Posted by dweymer

How about a concours car show and a swap meet at the same time. It would allow it to be more of an event. Give prizes to the winners based on peoples choice in different catagories.

I think something like this might work better, too. Make it more of a fun, get-together event. Swap meets are, for the most part, a novelty any more. Places like this board, Pelican, and eBay create a year-around "virtual" swap meet for those who really want to unload parts. So who does that leave for your target demographic? People who:

a. are too lazy/busy to be bothered selling stuff online
b. have big stuff that's hard to sell online (hoods, fenders, etc)

I think the days of the big, everyone drive from around the country to one place type swap meet like Hershey are all but over. I know I'll never go again. But a local meet that's 15-30 minutes away and allows for socializing within the club? Yeah, that's do-able. Make it in May sometime when the weather is going to be nice and everyone wants to get their cars out for the season.

[turbo23dog]

Add in a BBQ grill for burgers or brats and you got a really nice GTG.

[VaSteve]

I like the combo concourse/swap meet/hang out thing more than I like the swap meet idea. Gives an opportunity to meet/greet and buy/trade something if we want. While I had fun at the last Potomac one, it did only take about 15 minutes to walk the whole thing.

Chris is right, though. If you watch Rennlist, they do a lot of pre=trading. People sell all the big stuff before hand an deliver to 5 or 6 people at Hershey. I've heard that most of the hard core Hershey guys swap all the good stuff before the sun comes up. I'll still go this year since I like seeing the whole production and I add to my hat collection.

[onboost]

berettafan: I agree with you.. not mention.. people just aren't going to run-around for various swap meets when they can get most of what they want from the web these days! As far as handing out event schedule. We've done that every year at Hershey..


Vicegrip: You are correct, the Potomac meet was the longest running swap within PCA and it predated Hershey which was originally the Mechanicsburg swap, then moved to Ski Roundtop, and finally evolved into Hershey.

- Dan Rowzie ran it for many years, I helped Dan out quite a bit with it and eventually took it over.. just about the time that we had the sniper running loose.
-The next year Dulles Motorsport had leased the front of the building to a U-Haul Rental Co.. that didn't go over well and they were planning to sell the building..
- We missed a year as we had no location that would accommodate us.. and frankly the club as whole seemed uninterested in the event
- Secured Rosecroft for the next 2 yrs but event participation never picked up again.. many I asked said it was because of gas prices, time and effort to haul to an event, and trading on the net!


VASteve: The idea of the timing of Potomac's meet was to be the last of the season before winter sets in..

OldTee: You are correct the largest vendor at the last Potomac swap was DC auto.. they're out of Rocky Mount, NC. Contrary to your statement, the event was advertised in several editions of DV, as well as Pano.., we even took flyers to Hershey and Steve and the crew included them in the package that was given upon entry! There was nothing secret about our event other than the fact that the membership did not support it well.. After the move from the Dulles Motorsport location, then a one year hiatus because no one volunteered to help out finding a lot, we finally got Rosecroft. However, it just never caught on again..

In case you hadn't noticed.. many swap meets have disappeared over the years and these that remain have seen attendance drop. including Hershey which I have personally attend for over 25yrs. It has quite a bit to do with the internet, ebay, Pelican etc.. why haul parts hundreds of miles when you can post pics and the biggest hassle is boxing and shipping? I favor the meets, but it is what it is.


MLIN: old idea

dweymer: Not a new idea either.. we've always done a show with the swap meet. The 356 guys usually had the most cars present.. at the last couple of meets the attendance was very low. Oh, and how about the crowd that shows up at 3:00pm wondering where's the show?


Hey so where were all you enthusiastic P-car guys a couple years ago? I mean, great ideas, though most of the comments are a re-hash of what was previously done.... as that's how swap meets go. Not that there is anything wrong with that. I'd love to see our swap meet be revived, we had some good times in the years gone by.


Paul V.
"Retired" PCA Potomac Swap Meet Chair

[BeerBurner]

I'd be interested in attending if I was available.

But I agree, there might be a better turn-out if it was billed as a get-together with other events, including a swap meet.

BB.

[Dvb0415]

Thanks for everyone's response. I like the idea of the concours. Perhaps a low key one.

But one more question. Do you need to have vendors or is there parts, etc floating around to justify not having vendors.

[call911]

Originally Posted by onboost

Vicegrip: You are correct, the Potomac meet was the longest running swap within PCA and it predated Hershey which was originally the Mechanicsburg swap, then moved to Ski Roundtop, and finally evolved into Hershey.

Paul V.
"Retired" PCA Potomac Swap Meet Chair

Just an FYI, the remnants of the Ski Rountop meet still exists every year around the third weekend of September in the form of "German Swap Meet" or something to that effect. I went in 2007 and it was actually pretty good. 356's, outlaws, 914/6GT, 911's, 911RS, fair amount of parts, manuals, some vintage VW's etc.