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Thu Jun 24, 2004 2:08 pm

just gotta bitch a bit about the past maple grove show.
first, $20 to get in as a spectator? what the f*ck is that about?
second, even though i'm not into drag racing, it seemed that there was really no racing. sure, some cars went down the track, but it didn't seem like the quantity was there. if you went for that kinda thing, i bet you were disappointed. the jet car was boring.
third, the swap was about 80% water-cooled parts. i BARELY filled a backpack with aircooled parts, and spent most of my day walking past vendors because all they had was H20 stuff. that was extremely disappointing.
fourth, 4 split busses in the show. 4. how weak is that? and one left early, and one was ultra custom, leaving 2 that were really worth checking out.
fifth, did anyone else get sick looking at that $7000 pile of shit single cab for sale that rolled in late? that person must really be out of touch, and have no clue. terribly replaced panels that didn't line up, no seams visible (bondoed in), the gas filler door was pop-riveted to the body, rusty underneath. get real lady. that was about a $1500 truck on a really good day.
the show did have some nice vintage vehicles, but it sure did seem like there were WAY too many custom p.o.s.-mobiles for me. the weather was great though.
i really will have to reconsider attending this show in the future, because there really isn't the amount of interesting air cooled things there. it was definitely NOT worth my 3000+ mile drive and entrance fees, even though i did pretty well selling parts in the swaps.
anyone else upset about maple grove?

Thu Jun 24, 2004 2:33 pm

why do you think i get on planes all the time?

Thu Jun 24, 2004 5:16 pm

yep... it sucked.

I'll cross it off for next year.

Fri Jun 25, 2004 4:41 am

obus-out!!! i won't go to that one either next year, thats for sure! very disappointing!

Fri Jun 25, 2004 5:44 am

I'm with you guys. I wouldn't have gone if I hadn't been on the way back from NC and bored. Best thing about it was I got a chance to get some sleep for the rest of the drive to NY.

I won't be back either.

Fri Jun 25, 2004 6:13 am

Maple Grove used to be my favorite show in the area. Not anymore.

Lots of shows in this area seem to lately be making the transition from mediocre, to a waste of money.

Fri Jun 25, 2004 12:23 pm

javabug wrote: Maple Grove used to be my favorite show in the area. Not anymore.

Lots of shows in this area seem to lately be making the transition from mediocre, to a waste of money.

Amen. I'd almost rather just save up and hit a couple of the big shows a year.

Fri Jun 25, 2004 4:57 pm

I agree. Paid $80 to get in with the kids. Racing was lame. Pits were virtually empty. Car show only had 1 Thing. Would have taken ours but it still needed some paint touch up. It was in better shpae even with primer on it than the one there.

I liked Trittle's wrecker boom an a bay window single cab but it wasn't done yet.

I had to mostly buy new parts. Not much available for a Thing or a 62 SC.

Sun Jun 27, 2004 7:47 pm

i hope somebody steps to the plate on the east coast(besides litchfield,terryville, and manassas shows) and puts on a show during the summer months that is worth the price of admission!!!!

Mon Jun 28, 2004 6:18 am

obus wrote: i hope somebody steps to the plate on the east coast(besides litchfield,terryville, and manassas shows) and puts on a show during the summer months that is worth the price of admission!!!!

This may be a bit of a shameless plug, but being involved with HAVOC's Volksfest show in Campbelltown, PA, I have to chime in and say we're working pretty hard to fill that void. We don't have racing, but the swap meet grows every year, and we had just a tick under 200 cars in the show field. Plus display exhibits like commercial VWs, competition cars, and an original 'Herbie' bug this year. We try hard to continually evolve so that each show is an improvement over the previous year.

As for value, spectator admission was $1 this year.

Mon Jun 28, 2004 8:34 am

The New Hampshire VW club show was also the same weekend. I didn't make it up this year, but Jim Phillips reported it was pretty good. This show is nice and relaxed, you can even camp right in your show spot the night before. They had a nice campfire and some live music (Jim, Scott + others? on guitars) on Sat. night. I think most of the air-cooled crowd up here in New England would much rather hit this show than drive all the way down to Maple Grove.

Hazetguy, you might want to try this show instead next year...

-Stan

Mon Jun 28, 2004 9:12 am

I went to Maple Grove a couple of times in the late 1980's. I was going to school in PA. I thought it was a really good show back then. I dug up some photos recently. Its too bad its gone that far down hill. Looks like I won't be going back for a visit.

Mike

Mon Jun 28, 2004 8:21 pm

i have yet to make a campbelltown show because every year i have something going on. always wanted to make it cause i hear it is good! someday...

Tue Jun 29, 2004 8:50 pm

Java's right-- CAmpbelltown show is excellent. Good job.

Wed Jun 30, 2004 4:12 am

The Campbelltown show is wonderful, you are doing an excellent job with it. We made it last year and really enjoyed it.

Wed Jun 30, 2004 10:08 am

Thanks, all. We're already working on next year.

obus, get with it! You're missing a good one. :wink:

Wed Jun 30, 2004 11:48 pm

Yeah, Campbelltown is the best of the NY/NJ/PA shows.
Not quite up to Litchfield or Terryville standards, but very close.
Nice Venue, cheap to get a swap site, plenty of room, well organized, friendly volunteer staff. The more people who bring their cars, the more cars there will be at the show!

Its a self fulfilling Kharmic thing...

Sat Jul 03, 2004 9:21 pm

Well see this is what kills the shows. YOu cant sit here and b%$ch and say well I am not going to go because no one else is now. That is the exact reason they are dying out. Instead why dont you try and hep the problem. COntact the people who put it on and give them some feedback maybe see if there is anything you can help with if you are that passionate about it. All this does is subract you frpomthe occasiona and maybe take some more people with you. SO the show gets worse and they have less o a turnout and have to charge more and then less people show up and then bitch and it is one big vicious cycle. Same thing is happening with Atco. NO one ever helps to resolve it. We just decide to stop going and contribute to that problema nd making worse fr future show goers.

Kevin

Mon Jul 05, 2004 12:25 pm

i've been going to maple grove on and off since 1985. this one was by far the worst, as far as air cooled stuff (in the swaps). the promoters are in it for the money at a show like this (my opinion). as long as people pass through the gates, they are satisfied, no matter who shows up. i don't think feedback will help too much, because the water cooled scene back there is taking over, so there will always be a crowd. but if you're gonna charge $20 just for a spectator, you better make damn sure that you have enough for people to do, or people will not pay it the next time the show is held. like i said, the drags were way down, and the swap was mostly water cooled parts. the show had alot of cars, but i hardly ever look at those anyway. so the people who came for the racing will probably have second thoughts next time, vintage enthusiasts may reconsider, and people who may have dragged the family along may not want that big hit to the wallet next time, etc...
atco has sucked for years, and even when i lived back there i wouldn't go. hot asphalt surface, swap in the dusty dirt, super custom stuff seemed to be the rule rather than the exception, no shade, etc. haven't been there in years because of personal multiple poor past experiences. i know people who live back there who are die-hard show attenders and they won't go to atco, even though they live nearby. if someone gave me a free pass to the show, i still would not attend.
now it seems that a show like litchfield that is really not profit driven and is low-key has constantly growing attendance. no super glitzy full page ads in magazines, no 4 page color promotional flyers mailed out, just low key promotion, good experiences by attendees, and positive word of mouth over the years has helped this show grow into a great weekend experience. i have no troubles justifying the multiple thousand mile trip and cost to go to this show. heck, i'd go even if it was raining.
in the end it's the people (attendees) who make the shows. if the people are driven away by high entrance fees or bad experiences, then that will be the demise of a show, not because people bitch about it here.

Fri Jul 09, 2004 9:20 am

javabug wrote: Thanks, all. We're already working on next year.

obus, get with it! You're missing a good one. :wink:

What is the date for Campeltown next year? Is there a website link from this year?

thanks