Just got home at 1:00pm from the state fair grounds. Hardly any cars. Lots of locals. Found out they have around 600 registered. Drop in the bucket to the 1500 pre registered they said they had last year. Only about a dozen venders total and some of these are for sunglasses, scooters, toys and junk. I got free tickets from the radio station so I didn't have to pay the $13 plus $3 to park. There was suppose to be the car dyno and the engine building contest and so on that not on site. Friends registered didn't even get a activity sheet as to what was going on. Bummer for the day. Guess I'll step down now.
--
Bob the Builder-We can fix it !!

Sure aint the same anymore....anywhere ya go it seems it's less and less these days. Seems like ya have 4 or 5 "up" years...1 or 2 maybe 3 down...6 to 8 are hoppin..1 down..goes full circle.
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Lower Susquehanna Chapter Member of DSRA - DSRA Mid Atlantic Division P.R Associate for Lugnuts 2003 World Tour..Coming to a City near you!

It's the economy! I hate to say this being the conservative libertarian guy that I am, but the economy sucks!

I see this across many market lines and I have NEVER seen so many 45 to 55 year old guys out of jobs.
--
Steve "Jack'Stands" Jack

Those $50 an hr jobs are making way for the $8 an hr jobs. Great...Isn`t it? Self employment seems to be the way to fly anymore.
--
WPoC

Not to disagree with anyone but there a lot of factors involved than just the economy (a factor).

1) Cruise nights. Why pay a bunch of $$$ to sit around in the Hot sun, pay big motel bills and come home tired, sun burned and wore out. It was $50 (just the entry fee......already a member price) to go to INDY if you decided at the last week or so.

2) Vendors spaces continue to go UP.....less profit

3) Newspapers. The papers keep saying the economy is in the 'outhouse' but in the Midlands of SC......unemployment is record low and tourism is Great.......despite the NAACP boycott. (what a joke)..........
The economy is good here.

4) To much diversity...

Shades of the Past has only 1200 cars preregistered. Last year they were past 2000 at this point. They opened their event to up 1964 and most Street Rodders are saying they will not go, pay big motel prices and be pushed out by the 'late models'.

5) Greyness..... or Hairless

Old age is setting in on a good number of rod runners. Business, illness, grandchildren, college tuition and the aging process takes the will to ride and spend out of a good number of past partcipants........My wife and I included.


6) Been there done that.....

Most events are the same ole same ole.
I plan on going to the NSRA Nats in KY but I am tired of the same old place. Same for Knoxville, Tampa and York. I would NOT go to the Shades of the Past but they have a special reserved parking area for 1932 Fords...and my wife never tires of Pigeon Forge LOL.



.







--
Same Wife, Same DEUCE Roadster, Same Job for over 20 years. Must be in a rut. AIN'T LIFE GRAND.....

Remember there are 2 Americruises this year and I think another car show in Colorado this weekend. We are going in the morning. We're not preregistered. Hopefully there will be more than 600 cars tomorrow. Price is a little steep for one day but it might be the last one in Lincoln.
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Mike J
Unchartered DSRA Member
If it ain't broke, fix it anyway...

List me under #6
--


Emil
GCi
http://groups.msn.com/randomrodders
Drive it!
46 Ford Sedan
37 Packard Super 8

I am .......


1)

5)

6)

and a few I could NOT list without starting another NSRA/GG, Brass/Aluminum, Electric/mechanical fan or Steel/tupperware long winded hateful thread.......


Emil.....you MIGHT be a canidate for #5 also.........





--
Same Wife, Same DEUCE Roadster, Same Job for over 20 years. Must be in a rut. AIN'T LIFE GRAND.....

Knew I shouldn't have used my photo as an avitar :(
--


Emil
GCi
http://groups.msn.com/randomrodders
Drive it!
46 Ford Sedan
37 Packard Super 8

money tight right now, If people have any there holding on to it. because they don't know what next week will bring. Also to save any money most people save my cutting out the car shows, attendance is down all over.

Everybody has an idea about how to get the economy back on it's feet. But nobody will listen to us. so in the mean time we'll have to wait it out.

now i know why my honey do list keep getting longer.
--
awsum34

Nothing better than a good friends,good beer and street rods

"despite the NAACP boycott. (what a joke).......... "
I can't believe that they still call it the NAACP. I thought it would be the NAAAA by now. I can fit into a lot of those categories, especially the part about paying big bux to sit around and see the same old cars. I don't plan on going to too many shows this year, would like to hit a few farther away.
--
phil


It's not a NOMAD, it's a Yeoman!
Not an engineer, but I DO drive a train.

We too are burned out on sitting on blacktop all day to let someone pick your car apart.
the club put on a poker run last week,we went 130 miles,had a good time and had a cookout at the end,what a god time.
as for the economy,I don't know,we are winter texans(snow tur**)and a lot of people didn't go last year.can't be the economy all retired people.
but i do know I would rather drive it the look at it!
Russ&Irene

Gadsdon last weekend was $15.00 entry, $48.00 for room. 500 cars, 275 venders. All in the shade. Explore those smaller runs.
--
Skip http://photo.starblvd.net/skipper

Well ended up being about 1200 cars total! I saw local cars that I've never seen before so most of the out of towners were not there alot of Iowa and Colorado cars a few from Nevada and Az. Attendence was good I was there for 8 hrs. and they still had people lined up to get in when I left! Vendors were way down because of price the dyno was there alot of cars were dissapointed at hp at rear wheels! Had a 57 chevy 900 hp with NOS alot of 300 hp. and afew in the 500 hp range! But overall not to bad a show!
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Mike,Charter DRSA Member

We had a good time in Lincoln. Met up with several of the guys from the site. Some very nice cars. Quite a few nice nice 35 & 36 Chevys. (masters)
Goodguys in Des Moines next weekend.
--
Mike J
Unchartered DSRA Member
If it ain't broke, fix it anyway...

Amen to that! Give me a local driving event anyday, (hmmmmm, seems I do drive my rod everyday just about) with a few of my buddies and I always have a better time and more fun then sitting by my car or trying to walk miles and miles worth of row after row of mostly belly button rods. I also don't do car shows unless it's a benefit event and I have nothing better to do, i.e. cruise with buddies or the family or watching a NASCAR event.
True, money does place a part in staying closer to home then in years past as does my health but neither are the main reason for opting out of the NSRA/Goodguys events. Besides, me thinks they have made enough money off of me all these past years anyway.
--


Emil
GCi
http://groups.msn.com/randomrodders
Drive it!
46 Ford Sedan
37 Packard Super 8

I'll tell you the reason that Americruise sucks, and, the East one will also. The group running it, Special Events, is horrible. They took a perfectly good, all for charity event in Bloomsburg, (they forced the fairgrounds to have the show promoter sell the event to them) and ruined it. Two years ago, they had no vendors, because they jacked the price up on the vendors, and, wanted a certain percent of profits. They had hardly any cars. They doubled the price of enrty. They no- longer were for charity, they are FOR PROFIT. Terrible entertainment. No activities, like the poker run that used to be so popular. In fact, they didn't even hold it last year, because no- one pre- registered. They are a tarrible promotions group. They are ruining events, and, harming our hobby. They want $50 to enter Americruise East. For that price, it better be one hell of a show.
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Director Of Entertainment/ Recreation
Dipstick Street Rod Association
Lower Susquehanna Chapter

were we at the same show?? there were over 1200 cars most of them were high quality cars. i watched several cars on the dyno and every time they fired one up the spectators came running, the engine building contest was great i watched them put a motor togther in under 20 minutes.
as for vendors that was down from previous years but with the best vendor in the USA right in lincoln, Speedway Motors, what more could you ask for? and the museum at Speedway is the best car museum ive ever seen bar none.
i may not have driven as far as you but my 180 mile drive from Des Moines was well worth it.
thanks for the soapbox, i will get down now

Ron you are right about the museum at Speedway it would be worth the drive from anywhere it's awsome and I've been in it 3 yrs. in row and it has had new stuff each year! As far as vendors I now 1 of them at made it to the show and he said they doubled the price for a space this year! But we here in Lincoln don't have to worry anymore because it will not be back! But that's fine because next year it will be Back to the 50's,DesMoines Ia.and last but not least Kansas and maybe Springfield, Mo. in the spring if the 36 is done!
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Mike,Charter DRSA Member