Car Show Registration Fees

[moparkid25]

I’ve noticed this year, more shows have went to charging $15 for a registration fee. WTF is up with all of that?! Are we paying for these “custom trophies” that are nothing more than junk parts being repurposed? Any shows where O’reilly Auto Parts sponsors awards they give you the option of what color bowling trophy left over from 1977 you would like!

Now, I’m not saying custom awards made out of old pistons aren’t cool, because they are. They carry a theme with the hobby. Shows like Blanchardville always do something different for awards every year, and I am biased in favor of this show because I know the proceeds go back to the community which is worth the price of admission. $15 for Automotion gets you in for two days, now that price gets you a lotta bang for your buck!

Judging is really becoming a hassle too. I was at the Springdale Church show, and the judge (who not only was a pompous ass, but not as smart as he thinks he is) told me I couldn’t be in the stock class because I have radial tires, and my car came with bias ply tires. I thought he was joking, but he wasn’t. Then he told me my air cleaner lid wasn’t clocked correctly, which it was. He argued with me about it, then had the balls to loosen up the wing nut and turn it incorrectly. Unfortunately for the church I’ll never take another vehicle to that show… I don’t like blowing my own horn, but when it comes to cool cars in Mt Horeb I’m kind of a big deal. In the end, the car that won first place was farther from being stock than my car with radial tires on it.

Maybe I’m just soured because I really haven’t enjoyed myself this summer, or the fact I went to pre register for the mineral point car show ($15 day of, $10 pre reg by 9/1/18), save myself $5, but instead it’s $10 plus a $2.61 convenience fee. Instead of saving $2.39 I’ll just give them the $15 should I choose to go.

Curious what everyone else thinks about the current state of car shows these days?

Topic

[Gunner]

Spring Green upped their price of admission to $20, and reduced the number of awards and the quality (size) of the awards. I did not patronize the Spring Green show this year, for those reasons. Admittedly, it is a good show, but not that good. I don’t see me returning to that show in years to come.

I’m not a trophy hunter, so I can’t speak with any authority about the custom made trophies. I did attend several shows this year that handed out custom made trophies, and I thought they were very well done, and unique. The MATC show comes to mind. I did admire the piston trophies awarded at the Cranked, Inc. car show in Janesville. The pistons were color powder coated and mounted on nice wood bases with engraved plates, and looked really nice.

Regarding the radial tires issue at the Springdale Church Show – just about every car in the stock class was running radial tires instead of bias ply tires

[GTO Man]

I have noticed a definite increase in the registration fees. It used to be a cost of $8 or so for pre-registration and $10/day of show, that has now increased to 10/15 pre-registration to 15/20 day of show. Costs for everything keep going up, just look at food. The only thing that in the majority of cases don’t go up is wages. People have to make a choice where they spend disposable income.

I am more likely to spend more on a show if it is for charitable purposes.

And companies keep complaining about not being able to find workers, raise your wages.

[Gunner]

“I don’t like blowing my own horn, but when it comes to cool cars in Mt Horeb I’m kind of a big deal. In the end, the car that won first place was farther from being stock than my car with radial tires on it.”

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[Merc Man]

You are correct about Spring Green, Gunner. In my opinion, no participant judged show is worth $20. There are professional judged shows that cost that or less than that. Some of the bigger two day shows charge only $25-$30. The original organizer of the show in Spring Green only charged $8 for a much better show. Like you Gunner, our group no longer patronizes this show either.
The one thing these car shows need to remember, is that we bring our cars to provide them with a show, without our cars there is no show. Instead of charging us more to enter our cars, maybe charge a couple of bucks to the people coming to see the cars.
And as far as the “custom” trophies, some of them are thought out, however most look like “scraps” stuck together to save a buck. Plastic trophies are not big dollar items either but, at least it looks like the show appreciates our cars, and us.

[Author]

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