<VV> Fan Belt Toss??

[corvairs]

Mark, As you know, you and I have talked this very subject over many 
times over the years. Your observations are correct. Over 5 years ago I 
started to "lobby" the Palm Springs people to move the emphasis towards 
the car show. There is no reason why Palm Springs can't continue as a 
viable event for years to come. But the reliance on the swap meet as 
central to survival will kill that future.

Website selling,  Ebay, even  our (all the vendors) own long term 
success and reputation  (paper catalogs etc.) have contributed to this. 
More recent issues that have not helped are the big increases in travel 
expenses and the higher average age of the Corvair owners. It is not 
wrong to point out that the market itself has somewhat "fossilized" - 
every single vendor of any record (large and small) have been at it for 
20 years or better. There simply isn't much "mystery" anymore involved 
in finding 99% of the Corvair parts you need.

Survival in the future applies to vendors as well as events. If we do 
not change the way we do things we become obsolete. That is not the same 
thing as saying the Corvair hobby has no future. While the one time 
change to the OC may not end up being the answer, we had better (if we 
know what's good for the future of the hobby) not trash the risk takers. 
We also CANNOT ignore the shrinking attendance at Palm Springs, both by 
the vendors AND the attendees.

Perhaps the "solution" will be to leave Palm Springs in Palm Springs 
(and continue to watch it decline) and start a new type of event in late 
Winter-Early Fall somewhere else.

Lon Wall
Former Western Director



Mark Aksamit wrote:
> Well let's face it gang the Corvair world, it is a changing! 
>
> I was recently looking through and reminiscing at the Convention issues of
> years gone by. One major aspect of the Corvair world that has changed is the
> Swap Meet itself. I can recall Swap Meets where you could buy just about
> anything you wanted right there and right then! This is simply not the case
> any more. The convention swap this year was no exception! "Palm Springs" and
> or The GWFBT & SM is evolving into more a car show than anything else! I am
> not really sure we can point the finger at a particular group or individual
> for this change. It is simply is the way it has become. I for one and
> totally opposed to the change but will attend and try to make the best of an
> ever changing Corvair world. 
>
> Cordially,
>
>  Mark Aksamit
>
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