Attendance at Tractor and Engine Shows

[huntingreen]

What have you been seeing this year at your local show. Attendance up or down and what percentage do you think it was off on up. Thanks

 

[Dale S]

Most of the two day shows I went to and exhibited at this summer seemed very good on Saturday and Sunday with spectators but alot of exhibitors would pull out Saturday afternoon.

 

[havvey]

engine shows down tractor shows holding steady largest one was up because of national event. next year is Junk deere (enough said on that) after that i think it will drop.

 

[Anonymous-0]

when are they going to have tinernations and farm-a-littles?

 

[RandyB(MI)]

Here in MI. the two I go to ,Oakly and Buckley, were both up. Oakly set a record this year. And LAST year was John Deere! No worry in this area. It's one of the few "affordable" hobbies left. It's still down to earth,clean and family. It ain't goin' no where.

 

[S. Crum]

From what I heard about the local show this year, the wanabes from the cities have taken over how they want the show to be run. So attendance was pretty much to the flea market area in search of the venerable 'velvet elvis' type stuff. This was always a mixed breed show until a few years ago when the city's thought it would be a good idea to have a featured breed each year. Problem is seems the featured breed is the only welcome breed, so interest has pretty much wained.

 

[Spook]

I went to the Oakley show. I think the show was great, and the exhibitions of old equipment keep getting better, but the number of vendors is way down, it's been going down for a few years. One thing is the fuel cost of dragging stuff to shows, and secondly, people aren't spending like they used to. I talked to a guy selling models and he told me his gross was off 70%. I used to see him at different shows in Michigan, but I guess he quit, didn't see him this year. There was a lot of vacant space in the vendor area at Oakley.

 

[John M]

Some up and some down! One Im going to Saturday will probably be non existant since over the last 3 year it went from about 100 tractors in 04 to 6 last year.(One dya show) One a month ago was probably up by at least 30%.

 

[souNdguy]

Down.. and unfortunately .. not many young people showing up...

Soundguy

 

[Anonymous-0]

I was at the IPM (International plowing Match) in Crosby Ontario 2 weeks ago. It is a five day event for plowing and equipment displays to vendors of all kinds. the attendance for the five days was around 88,000 people. Im sure Rod from Smiths Falls can verify that number for me.Since it was in his neck of the woods.Great weather for the whole show. We had our 4H project tractor there this year that we were selling raffle tickets for and we had a great response on the tractor,it was a 1948 Farmall H We are donating the preceeds to a local hospital in our area. We hope to send them around $4,000.00.Next year the plowing match is being held in Bruce county in Ontario. Hope to see some of the southern YT readers make it up north.

 

[oilburnermike]

The local shows here have seen a decrease of larger farm tractors, ie anything larger than a Farmall Cub, and a huge increase in old garden tractors, predominatly JD, IH Cub Cadets, Speedex, Wheel Horse, and a few of the old oddballs. Cheaper to haul, cheaper to restore and with so many folks now living where keeping a farm tractor might be a problem, vintage garden tractor collecting and operating is really taking off. Originized plow days, weekend meets where guys and gals bearing 1 or custom 2 bottom plows, turn soil for fun. Started as brand specific meets, now its a free for all with anything that can handle a ground engaging implement being welcome to attend. And I agree, its one of the last family orientated hobbies, normaly without the drunks and the issues that brings. I always see kids around at shows, everybody seems to watch thier language as well. Cheers Mike