When major vendors don`t come that is a concern.

I went to my first Nats when I was 13,I think I just attended my last one at 50. I would rather drive 7 hrs to Carlisle than 3 hrs to Columbus.

NO Staff/ INVENTORY - all the stuff you need is on back order.

I think if I were them and had to answer "when can I get this out of stock item" 100 times an hour, I would probably stay home, too. I don't feel it's a reflection on the show.

When you go to sell parts but have no parts to sell, there is no point in paying for the huge space, travel expenses, wages, etc.. That's just good business sense!

Megaparts hasn't been there in a couple years. And I don't think Vans has either

neither has anything to do with inventory

Mega Parts got upset one year when their tent wasn't up until late on Thursday. That didn't give them much time to setup. They vowed to never return to the Nats. That was probably 5 years ago by now. I'm not sure if Van's was there in 2019 or not. Their booth was always packed.

For both Vans and MegaParts its a FOURTEEN HOUR DRIVE. Then a setup. Then sell. Then break down and leave the same day on Sunday. We are all in our 50's or older and believe me it was brutal this weekend. Thurs when I was setting up I swore I wouldn't do this again and I am very healthy (I know I could lose 15lbs). I WILL do it again only because Sat and Sun weather was great. Really wish the show was in October. THATS my kinda weather.

With this COVID crazy sales the shows are a zero sum game. Factoring in the gas, food, motels, tents, spaces, payroll and the losses by not answering the phones and emails I could have saved all the b%^& busting effort and stayed back in the air conditioned shop and sold product. Pretty sure this is why the guys at Vans said they aren't doing shows anymore. But I do like getting out to meet customers and hang out at the shows. And customers get "free shipping" So its still a good thing to do.

And Year One that wasn't there. They just passed out catalogs. They never sold anything.

Dales Cuda WAS there. They were bought out and are now owned (not sure the EXACT financial arrangement) by Richard O'shields and Quirey Quality Design So they were in the gigantic tent in the last row of the swap area.

Indy wasn't there.

Mancini's backed out at the last minute. Maybe for the same reasons as Vans and MegaParts above.

The lockdown of 2020 causing events to be canceled meant people were forced to buy the parts they needed online and it changed the way many people shopped for stuff.

Why would vendors pay large fees for a Vendor space at an event like the Nats when their online sales are booming?

A new part purchase isn't the same as buying something used. Used parts you want it in your hand to see the condition.
New parts are either manufactured correctly or they aren't, the in your hand isn't as critical as used stuff.

As far as the availability problem, a buddy that owns a glass block company was telling me about the problems at the port of LA.
Cargo ships are literally sitting off shore for 4 to 6 months waiting to be unloaded.
His future inventory is just sitting on ships waiting offshore.
The dock workers are so short handed for workers (longshoremen) that ships take forever to get unloaded.
Ships are simply just sitting offshore waiting months before ever being unloaded.

Indy Cylinder Head was there. They were just in a different spot then usual.

Summit and Legendary weren't there but they don't sell anything there anyway...same as Year One.

Makes more sense then what others where assuming

Considering Mega Parts was at Mopars in the Park in June
Carlisle and Chicago in July

And the owners are the staff , and they do a hell of a job for customers


I was surprised they where in Chicago the following weekend after Carlisle

MEGA PARTS is one of the best out there with the reproduction parts. Have always treated me well, I bought something from them at Carlisle that quit working at the Nats and they already had another shipped out before I got home from the Nats. I am to the point of NOT doing business with Mancini anymore.

I will do business with the businesses that support the shows I go to.
Mega Parts
Brewers
A&A

The fact that the Nats has survived for 40 years is due to the patronage of the Mopar die hard. I have been attending the Nats since '87 and only missed the '97 event. The show back in the late 90s to early 2000s was unreal for the number of spectators, cars, swappers and racers. It dropped off during the economic decline of '08 to '09 and had started to experience some growth in '17, '18 and '19. For this year, foot traffic seemed to be strong on Saturday and ok for Friday. Most of this can be attributed to the pent up demand of not being able to get out and about due to Covid restrictions. I was surprised the number of people who were still there on Sunday morning.

Sales for this year was ok, but far from any records. I feel that the only reason that the show was as successful as it was this year was the fact that there is so much bottled up frustrations of not being able to get out and support the hobby.

The show has no organization after all of these years. The most frustrating fact is that you attend the event and you never know what your entering into. I spent $4,267.72 for a frame tent and show up to find a pole tent which was $2581.42 in 2019. I did not even get all of the side curtains and thankfully we had EZ-Up curtains and tarps to cover the areas that were still open. I paid for 34 spaces at $95 to find out that we could not use the last two spots on the row, yet it became a parking lot for golf carts and ATVs. The Port-a-John that we rent for the weekend was not cleaned out from Thursday through Sunday.

So I am very much on the fence as to our direction for 2022 for the event. I know of another large vendor who shares the same concerns. The swap meet is down approximately 18% in the larger section of the field. I would say that the smaller side is down by maybe 10%. The midway this year was basically Rick Allison, Indy Cylinder Head and Layson's with a variety of guys selling items like sunglasses, decals, billfolds, etc.

To have so much invested into the hobby, I hate to see any event falter. It is not good for any of us. But at a time, you have to determine what is best for your efforts. I am sure that the Nats will continue as it has for the past years. It may be smaller, but it will continue to be the social event that it is.

The one thing that I do know is that the Bowling Green event will be looming in the back ground and will be steadily eating into the attendance of the Nats in all areas.

The problem with the Bowling Green event is traffic,,,, in or out of the complex.

One lane road going in or out will make it very difficult to grow to any size with any chance to compete with the Nats or Carlisle

Its a very nice complex once in,,,,just a major snafu to get in ,,,UNLESS something has changed when I was there a few years back for an NHRA thing


Im planning on going to the MATS in Vegas next month and am real curious as to attendance for both vehicle and foot traffic

Vans sold their truck. Shame their spot was always full and usually bought off of them. Year One hasn't brought anything but catalogs then CDs to the Nats in years. Harden's was always a good vender but they've been gone a while now.

You forgot about the young ladies selling pictures on the Midway , well let’s just say I was a little surprised honestly

Especially with all the young kids running around

She asked if I had car in the show - I told her , nevermind - LOL - Invited her to The Mopars In The Park next spring , she likes her Mopars


Nicole Lynn was her name





Not complaining, just a little surprised

Vans is done with shows, they decided last year that it is more lucrative to just sell online, the expenses were too much for them when they can make more just sitting home...

Yes the ingress/egress of the Bowling Green facility is always an issue, that is why I stay at the RV park attached to the event. I have gone to the NHRA Hot Rod Reunion there for a decade and love the facility! It will fill up quickly, and expanding the event will always be an issue...

They have the LS fest there the week before…. The Mopar show will always pale in comparison numbers wise to that. Had 30,000 people there for it in the past.
I have heard race registrations are pre entry only, i just entered. Not sure if that is true or not, but if it is, a good way to “ size” the event how they want to.
I was there last year, what a blast. Liked it better than Norwalk actually.

Vans has not been to Carlisle, Nats and other shows in years. Mancini has not done any shows other than the Nats since 2015 and they too aren't doing shows as they do not have the staff and do well enough with internet sales. Many others are done with shows just doing internet or don't have product anyways. Legendary I heard paid for space but did not come as they have no product and are back ordered almost a year. Other vendors have folded or sold out. I heard the names of 3 that have passed, one being Art Toys and Hobbies. Many sell the same product so I would think that sales for those that did come will be much greater. Better get use to this hobby dying, as the new guys are not into the old cars as they are way to expensive and the new modern muscle is much better and faster than the old. I went to Carlisle this year and was surprised by the number of new cars out numbering the old by a large number. Also, what's up with all the trucks parking in the vendor spaces at Carlisle, many aisles were 1/4 full of vehicles parked with no vendors. I guess they have to park them somewhere, but I don't remember it being like that in year's past.