Swap Meet...Solution?

[raceboat61-S]

Gents,
I have a suggestion......... and an offer to try to make it work. Several recent threads have suggested that difficulty in finding equipment is a problem for most new racers. I am not the typical new-guy racer because I raced for a number of years before getting started again at this time last year. I knew a few guys, who in turn knew a few other guys and thus I was able to buy 3 boats and 4 engines in the last 12 months. But it took a lot of travel. I recognize that others are not so fortunate as me.
I attended a number of races with the sole intent to ask about the availability of certain engines and boats. I even went to an AOMC swap meet at Constantine in 2003 to look for a Mk 20H. Others may not have the time, resources, or persistence.
Here's my suggestion and my offer :
Let me host an indoor outboard racing SWAP MEET here in Zanesville, sometime this Winter or early Spring before the next racing season! I envision it like a smaller cousin of the Experimental Aircraft Association's annual gala at OshKosh.
I have access to a brand new aircraft hangar that is clear-span 125' X 125'. It is room temperature heated and has bright mercury vapor lighting.
The central location of Zanesville would be ideal, I think. Located between Pittsburgh and Columbus, it is about 6 hours from Chicago, St Louis, Buffalo and anyplace in Pennsylvania or most of the lower peninsula of Michigan. It is 8 hours from anyplace in Virginia/Maryland, N. Carolina.
Zanesville Airport is 1 mile from I-70 and east/west artery.....it is 20 miles from I-77 a primary north/south artery.
This venue could be a place where everybody could bring their rigs to buy or sell. Guys with boxes of parts, new castings, accessories, spare safety equipment, trailers, boats, motors, etc, whatever, as long as it is for outboard racing.
We'll treat it like a race weekend, albeit without the race. Let's say 1100 Sat morning until 1500 Sunday afternoon
Part of the problem of searching for equipment at a racesite is that everybody is busy racing. Unless a guy is snooping through every trailer box in the pits it's hard to find the stuff that is really "for sale". Sometimes a new guy is intimidated because he doesn't know who the owner is or even if the stuff is clearly marked for sale.
As part of the Swap Meet we could make it a forum for all of the boat and motor rebuilders builders to bring their latest designs for 'show and sell'. See the new Hot Rod's ! New Tohatsu! We might even spice up some of weekend with seminars and "how to" sessions. For instance, "How to build a wood epoxy gas tank so you can run Top 'O Michigan", "Post-race engine maintenance", "Winterizing your gearfoot", "Changing the jets in your carb", "Magneto timing for beginners", "How to clean out your engine after a blow-over", "Vacuum bagging for amateurs"? Etc.
Buyers might even be able to find an empty rack on another guy's trailer and get their new rig home for free.
My $$ intent is to break even, I want to give back to racing some of what I have recieved over the years. I'll assume all of the monetary risk if it is a bust, and I'll give back any $ after expenses, in the form of doorprizes or refunds.
I can divide up the floorspace into 15' X 20' bays or chunks and charge sellers/vendors a one-time $25 dollar fee for the whole weekend. Spaces would be big enough for the typical 3 boat trailer or a more traditional "home show" booth. Hangar is big enough for 50 vendors. Other adjacent hangars may be available, too?
I would encourage every racing member that attends to bring along a non-racing, but otherwise 'interested' buddy/buddette.
I'd give each local club a free space to serve as a hospitality gateway for their clubmembers, and to promote their club's upcoming races, sell T-shirts, etc. It might even serve as a clearing house for coordinating race dates with other attending clubs.
What do you guys think of this ? While I envision this a Stock/Mod/Pro event, it could go beyond that? Certainly I'd like participation from AOF, NBRA too.
Anyone else got idea's? Is this a waste of time? Feedback and idea's solicited. Thanks for the bandwidth, Mike Marshall, 61-S

[PROPDOC]

Mike,
I think that is a wonderful idea.

[sam]

How will you keep collectors from crashing the meet, driving up prices and taking stuff out of circulation?

[Jeff Brewster 59s]

Mike,
You have a wonderful idea here, one that I have tried to push on a smaller level within our TRORA club to no avail. The Fralick family has the same type of event and has been successful at it from what I have heard. They have their meet in the spring and I have always wanted to go. I will be glad to help you in any way if you decide to have the meet. Count on the Brewster's to have a spot. Dad's garage is getting a little full!

Here are a few suggestions I have due to a little experience in this.

-Winter doesnt seem to work for this or for boat show's either. Guys seem to pack stuff away for the winter and forget about it until the spring. Who really wants to drag their trailer to Zanesville in a blizzard anyway? The slush and salt on the boats is an ugly sight!
-Fall seems pretty packed with racing and when it ends most guys are broke and not in the mood to spend more after a long season. Plus the upcoming Christmas expense looms close.
-Spring would probably be your best bet for timing.
-I like your idea of boat racing only apparel to be sold. Stick with that, no junk allowed.
-The educational part of the progam may be the best idea yet. Like the Dewald boat racing camp in the past. Young racers could learn a lot before they even get in a boat.
-Most of the time we spend at the races in pretty fast and furious. Events like this would be real enjoyable to sit and enjoy one another.
Good Luck, Jeff

[raceboat61-S]

Sam, et al.
To answer your specific question: "We aren't stopping collectors from snapping up our stuff now. I certainly don't want to try to enforce some arbitrary rule to block another racer's sale. Some racers might really need the money! Bottomline: before anybody closes a sale, it is up to that individual to determine if he is satisfied that his equipment is going where he wants it to go. I just have a place that I can get for almost free, I have an idea that I think might help a few guys. I truly expect that current racers might benefit more than anyone else. I think that others on "hydro-racer net" and many of the current builders/suppliers such as Dewald have already found the best solution to discourage some collectors. That is, they generously offer a discount to a new or old racers. Racing is more important to them than the extra 10% that stuff might bring from someone outside of the sport. However, I gotta' tell you that part of me wants to say that when some otherwise well-intentioned racers on this site start talking about making my Merc 25XS obsolete after I just purchased it this year, to hell with them, I'll sell it any place I can !
To Jeff Brewster: Thanks very much for the insightful advice about the timing of such a swap meet. I think we should wait until folks start getting their income tax refund checks sometime in March. Thanks, stay tuned for the announcement this winter, Mike Marshall, 61-S

[gds]

Yes!!!!!

As a new racer I have found some equipment hard to find. Now to be fair, it is partialy my fault. Because I have not hounded ( read asked ) enough racers to get what I need. I know of 2 people that need A stock motors. Me bein one of them. A swap meet would be great for those of us that don't have the contacts or extra time for major trips trying to track down the equipment we want. And we can possibly help out those racers that are out of room !

[Art K]

I think this is a wonderful idea. I would suggest that the participtants post what there bringing. Would give me a better idea wether I want to drive the nine hours from St. Louis or not.
Art K

[Joe J]

Would it be possible to set aside a space for people, such as myself in California, to ship in a box of parts to be sold?

A trip to Ohio would be tough, but there are people all over the country that would like to help out new racers.

Joe Johnson

[Dick Tyndall]

Outboard Racing Trade Show..........

Mike,
You have a great idea with what you want to do here. I can compare your idea with what the model car/boat/airplane hobbiest's do in Toledo, Ohio every year. All of the big and small manufacturers of model cars/boats/and airplanes gather together at the downtown exposition center ( I forget what it's called, but it is BIG ). They set up booths and pitch their wares. Our model boat organization ( IMPBA ) always had a booth set up to answer questions and to get people to either join IMPBA or to renew their membership. There is NOTHING that sells a product better than to talk to the person or people that make it!!! If you can get the people in our sport that make the boats, props, hardware and other related items to buy a booth and show up it would be a win-win situation for everyone involved. Have the new equipment in one area and the used or swap stuff in another.
Ohio is a pretty well centralized location for the most people to get there from the shortest distance. The Toledo Show is always the first or second weekend in April...........the Canadians are just about coming out of their deep-freeze and everyone else is ready to start having some fun and get their new whatever-they-built over the winter going. I would suggest doing your show in April, also. Let the racer's bring that new boat that they built during the winter to compete for a prize for " Best Competition Hydroplane" or something like that, and get a manufacturer to sponsor the prizes for those things........it gets their name out there. If you put your idea of what you want to do with this in a resume (?) type of thing and send it to some of the people who support outboard racing ( SRP, Dewald, Sorensen, Brown Machine, Runne, etc. ), you might be surprised at the interest it will generate...........
Let me know if I can help.

[csh12M]

Swap Meet

Hello Mike,

I also think this is an idea that has some merit. As somebody mentioned maybe Sorenson or Bowman might even want to build a brnad new boat with the intention of having it sold their. I agree with Jeff, early spring is the best time. I pack everything away in the fall and would hate to pull it all out for one weekend. The end of March or beggining of April would be good. I am not sure how big it would be the first year, but I bet it could grow and become a large annual event. I do not think I would discourage the collectors or antique guys. Actually, I think I would try and get them to turn it into a meet as well. I would love to meet and talk with those guys, and a lot of us active racers are looking for some antique stuff to restore. Maybe we could divide the space into to halves, active race equip. and antique equip. This would also help insure a financial success in the first year. If it happens the Sutherland will be their with some stuff to sell.

Thanks,
Dean

[Andrew 4CE]

This is a great idea... our club has been doing this for atleast 10 years (on a smaller scale of course). It does help new people find equipement and people who want out a place to sell it. The local go-kart clubs do this every year too and rent out a hockey arena to host it in.

I would suggest an information area where clubs/race associations could setup a small booth and sign people up on the spot. Racers could then also ask the questions they want of the association face to face.

Also I'm sure the air field has an air cadet club or something. They could setup a BBQ stand and sell food or something. Good PR.

I'd like to go. Coud motorhomes be parked at the airfield somewhere for the weekend?

[Steve Johnson]

We should all make an effort to do this on a local level as well.
77G

[raceboat61-S]

Swap Meet is a "GO"

Gents,
The responses have pretty strongly favored having our Outboard Racing Swap Meet this coming Spring. I'm going to take the ball and run with it! A number of you have come up with some great ideas to make this a fun and rewarding event if we get decent participation. Over the remaining Fall and Winter months I will be contacting manufacturers, engine and boat builders, suppliers, sanctioning organizations, and racing clubs to gain support and to deconflict with other Spring events. As many have suggested, I will try to select an event date sometime in the next 30 days so that people can make plans for it. I am shooting for a late March or early April swap meet. It will be open for all who are interested in outboard racing but vendors will be limited to sell only racing items, supplies, equipment that directly supports racers/homebuilders.
To answer a few questions: Yes, Andrew, there will be sufficient paved parking spaces for motorhomes. One good thing about airports is that we have acres and acres of ramp space. Yes, each participating racing club will have their own "free" space for "club only" promotions/sales and to provide a venue for providing information and recruiting. Yes, Antique Outboard Motor Club members will be welcome to buy or sell. Yes, I hope AOF and NBRA folks come, too. Region 6 is primarily APBA country but there are a number of super-enthusiasts that belong to more than one organiztion. Yes, we may have a boat manufacturers "beauty" contest. I'd love to see some of the new boats side-by-side. Yes, there will be food/drink vendors. Yes, I will work with the two national chain motels that are located one mile from the airport to give a discount for accomodations. Yes, there will be a large test tank outside of the hangars to demonstrate motors. Yes, this is an all-weather event. Heat, lights, hoses and water for road grime clean-up! I might even be tricked into revealing the location of "my" private 190 acre test lake, nearby ?
Now, keep those ideas coming ! Thanks to Dan at Hydroracer.net I'll be making my donation, for sure ! Mike Marshall 61-S Zanesville, Ohio

[raceboat61-S]

Stock/Mod/Pro racing swap meet, 2-3 April

Gents,
Put 2-3 April 2005 on your calendar. We have the Swap Meet site confirmed and the April 2-3 date seems to be the best. It is after WinterNationals but early enough in the season to allow folks to wring out the bugs and work out early race set-ups before the serious summer racing season starts if they buy your rigs/equipment. See previous posts for details and if you have some constructive ideas, please share , here.
More details to follow. This will work if we get everyone to support it like it was a race date ! Start talking to your new prospective racers and lock-in the date.............2-3 April 2005. If it is a success we'll make in an annual season kick-off event here in Region 6. Mike Marshall, Raceboat 61-S

[kws]

i think its a great idea kudos to you for doing it

Sam i have the same concerns but if you look at the buy-sell here most is already on ebay where they ( meaning collecters and that sort) can bid against racers on every piece easier than driving to ohio