MVPA Convention (2018) - Louisville, KY

[M813rc]

Reloader64, Pawnshop and I were there all three days and missed most of the SS folks, it seems.

Good show, we picked up some good swag.

Cheers

 

[papabear]

Reloader64, Pawnshop and I were there all three days and missed most of the SS folks, it seems.

Good show, we picked up some good swag.

Cheers

Awe Man!!! We came in Thursday evening and were at the center most of Friday and today. Gotta retrograde to Georgia tomorrow morning.

Sorry we missed you.

 

[M813rc]

Sorry we missed you.

'Tis mutual, sir! We just didn't manage to bump into each other.
Not having Dave/MWMules there to sit with at his booth when my knee needed a break didn't help. That seems to be a spot that the SS folk gravitate to during the shows.
And Dave, you were missed for more than your 'hanging out' spot!

Cheers

 

[MWMULES]

2nd show this year I missed, but was still hoping to get there Thursday evening and even had arrangements to move in that evening. At the last minute Thurs AM my transportation was nonexistent, so it was a no go. Still have the new WI show in Aug , still not sure if I am going to it and the KAMO in OK and GA rally both in Oct which I am locked into both of those.

 

[simp5782]

I passed a good many 5tons and 715s going north on 65 in Indiana. Looks like it was a good turn out

 

[papabear]

So....am I the only one that took any half-@ssed pics?

 

[67Beast]

I passed a good many 5tons and 715s going north on 65 in Indiana. Looks like it was a good turn out

The M715 headed north on 65 would have been most likely me as we headed up 65 to Indy and then up 31 all the way home to Michigan. I was traveling with a buddy who was pulling his M37 also.

 

[67Beast]

Had a pretty good show. I had my 67' M715 there and my buddy brought his 52' M37 down. I had the opportunity to film a segment on military markings with Bob Redfern for Military Collectors TV and I wandered around a bought all kinds of goodies. Including a propane sim fire kit for my Ma Deuce. The only downside was that some azzhole decided he wanted one of my replica 1911s from my display and stole it right out of the holster sometime Friday afternoon. I was a little disappointed that someone from the military collectors circle would do something like that as the public didn't come into the show until Saturday.

 

[surplusyes]

We had a good time, picked up lots of accessories for our vehicles, gave away our tables when a surpie dealer bought our stuff, all left happy. Seemed show was one of the most sparsely attended. Taking summer off for travel, Gilberts our next show. Kilroy chapter did good job, great vehicle display we took lots of photos.

 

[papabear]

Had a pretty good show. I had my 67' M715 there and my buddy brought his 52' M37 down. I had the opportunity to film a segment on military markings with Bob Redfern for Military Collectors TV and I wandered around a bought all kinds of goodies. Including a propane sim fire kit for my Ma Deuce. The only downside was that some azzhole decided he wanted one of my replica 1911s from my display and stole it right out of the holster sometime Friday afternoon. I was a little disappointed that someone from the military collectors circle would do something like that as the public didn't come into the show until Saturday.

I saw those two trucks and was impressed!!��

I had my eye on a small piece of commo gear but had not been able to reach an agreement with the owner as of Friday evening. Saturday morning I decided to pay his price but someone had pilfered it just like your 45��

 

[67Beast]

I saw those two trucks and was impressed!!��

I had my eye on a small piece of commo gear but had not been able to reach an agreement with the owner as of Friday evening. Saturday morning I decided to pay his price but someone had pilfered it just like your 45��

Yep I saw you guys and was going to say hello when you where over by our stuff but everytime I was either talking with someone or you guys were talking with someone. Oh well till the next time.

 

[papabear]

Yep I saw you guys and was going to say hello when you where over by our stuff but everytime I was either talking with someone or you guys were talking with someone. Oh well till the next time.

See....I just KNEW we should have taken someone's advice and had some sort of identifying garb/badge etc. I would have tried to at lease say howdy to everyone I could identify.

 

[M813rc]

Seemed show was one of the most sparsely attended.

I was amazed to hear at the show that MVPA membership has dropped below 5000. (Later read it in the Supply Line too)

When I joined, the membership stood at something like 12,000 but was declining, and had dipped below 10,000 a couple or three years later. I had no idea it was in this bad a shape. I would guess that maybe this is the reason the event appeared sparsely attended?
The first one I attended was in Little Rock many years back, it was jam packed with folk browsing the vendor tables. Was this because in a smaller venue everything was closer together/narrower aisles (in my memory, it was pretty tight), or because there was the same percentage of a much bigger club attending?

It's a shame, because this was a very well put on show (well done Kilroy!) in a splendidly roomy venue.

Cheers

 

[M813rc]

See....I just KNEW we should have taken someone's advice and had some sort of identifying garb/badge etc. I would have tried to at lease say howdy to everyone I could identify.

We (reloader64, Pawnshop, and I) have put our SS user names on our show nametags the last few shows, but I'm thinking that isn't obvious enough from any distance for SS folk to recognize each other. I remember seeing 67Beast at the show (now that I've seen his photo above) but didn't know at the time it was him.

Cheers

 

[67Beast]

We (reloader64, Pawnshop, and I) have put our SS user names on our show nametags the last few shows, but I'm thinking that isn't obvious enough from any distance for SS folk to recognize each other. I remember seeing 67Beast at the show (now that I've seen his photo above) but didn't know at the time it was him.

Cheers

I'm big and ugly and hard to miss once you know me. Ha Ha. The funny thing was Bob from Military Collectors TV was like, "I expected you to be older" which is funny because being in my mid 40's, at times I do feel young at these shows. Which is why I feel the decline is happening, the older guys are dying off and the younger generations have no interest in it.

 

[papabear]

I'm big and ugly and hard to miss once you know me. Ha Ha. The funny thing was Bob from Military Collectors TV was like, "I expected you to be older" which is funny because being in my mid 40's, at times I do feel young at these shows. Which is why I feel the decline is happening, the older guys are dying off and the younger generations have no interest in it.

That's a hard thing to understand. At the Georgia Rally and a couple of other thingys I attend, it seems that most of the folks are considerably younger than I and some of my friends are. They seem to have an almost fanatical devotion to the hobby.

I do agree that... let's say one generation below me is still keeping the hobby alive, but beyond that...it seems the hard core interest is just not there anymore....of course there are exceptions...but not enough.

Maybe another factor is availability?? I'm finding that WWII stuff....especially smaller vehicles are getting hard to find and much more expensive to acquire....actually...Korea and Vietnam Eras as well.

As far as some of the older fellers, I think the mental desire and drive is still there....but the body doesn't agree....or cooperate!!

Oh....and speaking of desire....I desire an M29 Weasel!! I probably can't get into or out of it....but still....that desire thingy.....

 

[MWMULES]

One of the reasons I have heard for poor attendance is that folks don't want to go back to the same place they were at just a few years before. Or at least several friends from both coasts gave me that reason for not going this year. It was the same with the Topeka convention and it was smack dab in the middle of the US, lot more folks at the first than a couple years later at the redo. I don't even remember when an east coast or northern chapter hosted one (other than Ohio at Cleveland and Dayton) it has been awhile as my 27yr son was in high school.

 

[mkcoen]

[/COLOR]
Maybe another factor is availability?? I'm finding that WWII stuff....especially smaller vehicles are getting hard to find and much more expensive to acquire....actually...Korea and Vietnam Eras as well.

When I joined ('09) there was a big feeling that the MVPA was Anti-Cold War era and National really did give off that vibe. Now that there's a bunch of current issue stuff like HMMWVs and LMTVs out there maybe they'll put some effort into recruiting those owners and get away from just an emphasis on '40s/'50s era equipment.

 

[Lionel]

I kinda got that vibe at the last one in Cleveland. Seems that the emphasis was on the WWII stuff (understandably), especially the jeeps. If they don't embrace the younger guys and their current conflict stuff, the hobby dies.

 

[papabear]

I kinda got that vibe at the last one in Cleveland. Seems that the emphasis was on the WWII stuff (understandably), especially the jeeps. If they don't embrace the younger guys and their current conflict stuff, the hobby dies.

I think you and mkcoen have hit the nail squarely on the head!! Also (unfortunately) the VFWs, (at least here) are suffering the same fate. The WWII folks didn't want to accept the Vietnam Vets because that wasn't a "real war" and now the same with the present war Veterans.