Attendance for this years tractor shows?

[Jason1(Pa.)]

It has been a while since I have been on here. This question may have come up already,but here it goes.
Do you think the high gas prices are going to kill tractor shows this summer? What are all you planning on doing? Are you going to cut back on the amount of shows you go to?
I have noticed that last year most of the shows I went to seem to have gottin smaller and not as many people are bringing there toys out like they used to. Not sure if it was the gas price or just a lack of intrest.
I plan on going to shows that I always go to around home,but as far as going out of state I may cut back if I see no one else is coming to them. As far as venders go I do not know if it would be worth dragging all that stuff around just to load it back up again. Of course some like that as a hobby so maybe they won't car. Who knows?

 

[The Dukester]

Our spring show of the Farmers Antique Tractor and Engine As'sn at Adrian, MI this weekend was noticeably smaller in attendance and number of tractors brought to display and vendors displays.... Lots of reasons for this, late wet spring, weather not the best, and high fuel prices that everyone talks about the main ones. New club museum is an outstanding feature just opened. All members hope for better turnout for fall show in September but with the high fuel prices and general apathy because of our country's and local area economic problems and general world situation no one is very optimistic.

 

[Anonymous-0]

The lack-of-interest aspect is a result of the high fuel prices. It takes a lot of interest to justify spending several hundred dollars to attend a show for the umpteenth time. Really enjoy the "homey" atmosphere at the MM show in Homestead over father's day, but that is nearly 400 miles round trip. The Lacon show is also that weekend and only around 50 miles, so a trip to Lacon appears to be in the cards.

 

[John(C-IL)]

We are cutting back on the number of shows, but not spending any less money going to them.

I filled the Freightliner up sunday, $900 for this summer's fuel. Hopefully that will get us through the show season.

 

[OLD FART]

hi duck theres other reasons that show is growing smaller mostly to do with those in charge or think they are in charge

promotion for that show is nothing with those grounds and facilitys that show should big lots bigger

i am a lenawee county resident so i do know some of what goes on out there

 

[John M]

I missed one yesterday, but heard the amount of tractors were down by about 10%. Showed at one not far from home a couple of weeks ago and the number of tractorswere down, but not much.More engines this year than anything.

 

[The Dukester]

Could be.....I live over in Hillsdale Co. so even as a member I don't know all the "politics". Yes, the grounds and facilities are pretty nice, some of the best in lower state area, the big barn is a showpiece all by itself. I do think they need to organize the "mechanical activities" a little better maybe. Parades and sawmilling about all there wuz this year, pull sled got busted and no grain to thresh I guess.

 

[Jason1(Pa.)]

That is the problem with so many shows threw out the country.. You will see people that show up and are ready to work and have good ideas for a club,but someone will end up not liking them so they get mad and leave. I can think of several people who have restored tractors and were active in clubs and they end up just throwing in the towel and get rid of everything..

 

[Jason1(Pa.)]

One thing I would like to add to my original post is: There just arn't enough new people coming into the hobby in my opinion. A lot of the older guys,just can't haul there tractors around anymore due to health reasons. I can understand that. Take a look around the next time you go to a show and count how many people you see that are under the age of 30 with a tractor,engine,or whatever. I am a younder guy (27 years old) and I have been around tractors my whole life and have restored several from the ground up with very little help. I kind of got into this all on my own. Dad likes tractors,but as far as doing what I do he doesn't. I ask several people all the time why they never bring anything to a show and they will say it just isn't worth the work to get the tractors there. This was even before high gas prices. So I think with the lack of new people and high gas prices you will see a big (or not so big)difference in the up coming years at shows.

 

[buickanddeere]

Hardly anybody left under the age of 50 with a direct link to farming. We've added vintage, cars, trucks, snowmobiles and bikes to our show. Otherwise it's just a few seniors in nearly empty rows of old tractors.

 

[Steven f/AZ]

I've already skipped about three or four shows since December that I wanted to go to. Of course there were other reasons besides the gas price, but that was usually the clincher that made me stay home.

This summer I plan to go to one show in ND the third weekend in July (Crosby, ND - http://www.crosbynd.com/events.htm) and I plan on going to the WMSTR show in Rollag, MN (http://rollag.com/) this fall. I have skipped a lot of shows for several years and have decided that this year I will go.

The price of gas has really kept us home the last few months. We used to go for drives on the weekends to see some new scenery or explore the southwest of our beautiful USA, now we usually take one day of the weekend to go shopping and that's it besides commuting to work.

 

[JK-NY]

I'm sure it will have a negative effect on attendance and displays. I imagine some people wont want to trailer things as far from home with gas and fuel as high as they are. I am planning on going to my usual shows but I dont have a trailer so dont bring anything along. In fact I may take in a show I've never been to - the weekend after next. I think that it is correct there may be less people interested in antique tractors as time passes - alot of the collectors are getting older and most younger people dont have a farm background so they tend not to find such things interesting.

 

[RayP(MI)]

Well, Our local rabbit club had a large show this weekend, participants (rabbit count) were down by a quarter to a third. Suspect the $4.00 gas was a factor.

 

[Dan-IA]

Well I ain't the social type, but I am 29 and farming. Seems there's a fair number of us out here in the sticks.

 

[buickanddeere]

Ratio to the general public and total number?

 

[Spook]

I plan on going to more shows, because I am retiring, and I will have more time. I know of several people who do the old car thing, (Woodward dream cruise) and tractor shows. I think these things overlap. One thing is a little worrisome on that issue is the people who inherit a old tractor and sell it as soon as they can. Also, the heirs seem to think any old tractor is "rare". Maybe they have been hoping for more money.

 

[Eric SEI]

I only go to local shows, and I will continue. But I am a spectator so my costs aren't much, and I'm not looking at anything over an hour from home.

I will say that rows of old tractors just don't cut it. After the third row of good looking Ms and Super Ms they start to look the same. Threshing machines and sawmills and cider presses and ice cream makers and washing machines even add some variety.

What I want to see is a farming show, not a tractor show. A lot of people would be interested in seeing how life used to be. Make it something for everyone.

 

[Wesley Stephens]

I'm 26 and farming, but I also have a full-time job off the farm, so it's hard to find time to get to shows, even though I have always enjoyed them a lot. All of the equipment I have that could be taken to a show is raggedy old stuff that I'm trying to farm with, not nice looking stuff, so I don't try to take it to shows, but I'm sure that expensive fuel is cutting down on the amount of stuff that is exhibited.

 

[Steven f/AZ]

(quoted from post at 18:42:21 05/18/08)What I want to see is a farming show, not a tractor show. A lot of people would be interested in seeing how life used to be. Make it something for everyone.

If I would have taken up farming, like I wanted to, I would currently be using 40's and 50's equipment to do it on a smaller scale (320 acres or so). I would also invite anyone who wanted to work their old equipment to come on over and go for it - set up a gate and charge $1 for admission for anyone who wanted to watch...

Someday I hope to retire, move back to ND, and farm with my old stuff...

 

[Nebraska Cowman]

If you want to see something a movin' and a goovin' you want to come to our show. We will have 3 corn shellers 2 or 3 hay presses, a Case threshing machine, Maybe a horse-power grinder,ice cream maker, rope making, dynamo, several power and more hand grinders and hands-on displays running all day Saturday and tractor Olympics on Sunday. And that's just the farm part. The Museum will have all kinds of demonstrations too, quilting, spinning and weaving, bread baking, butter churning, etc. We don't mess with no damn tractor pull, Who wants to watch tractors do that?
Heritage Days Show

 

[Wesley Stephens]

That does sound a lot more interesting than a tractor pull.

 

[02XLT4X4]

I will probably go to a couple shows/pulls to watch, but spending 2-3 weekends to get the pulling stuff on and ready and then burning $5/gallon gas to get anywhere isn't going to happen.

We have a small show and ride locally that I can drive the tractor to and goof around for two days on less than 10 gallons of gas, I am thinking that will be about it.