[FL&WVMIKE]

Originally Posted by dean from bozeman

As I drove westward on my way home I stopped at a turnpike oasis. As I turned off my truck I noticed four gray haired men getting out of their vehicle. Three of them could only walk in short steps and with decided limps. The trailer they were hauling had tables and rusted parts sticking out from under a tarp. I surmised that they had visited Hershey.

The day before as I sat in my swap space (actually part of Gary Johnson's) I noticed that approximately 90% of folks walking by had some or all gray hair. I also noticed that directly across the aisle there were four empty swap spaces. Looking around I noticed several huge RV/Motorhomes with the "mandatory" card table of parts.

Putting these observations together it dawned on me that at Hershey you get an excessive amount of walking for an aging clientele with a dwindling return (fewer parts per swap space). This does not bode well for the future of Hershey.

My suggestion would be to grandfather in those who have had swap spaces for years but now treat that space as a private parking lot. Perhaps dedicating the Orange field for these "card table RV's" would clear up hundreds of swap spaces for those who use 50% or more of their swap space for the selling of parts.

Another suggestion would be to eliminate empty spaces. I understand that gas prices, personal events, etc. could keep a person away for a year but if a space was not used for two years in a row the person should lose that space. By the way, I don't know Hershey's rules but I imagine that there is something like this on the books.

Though it is comforting to go to "regular" swap spaces and have known neighbors, I wish that Hershey would condense the active swap spaces. This would make the overall experience more productive and less of a survival ordeal.

I look forward to reading other input.

Dean

P.S. Let it be known that God willing I will be at Hershey every year I can. I do hope that our favorite gigantic swap meet lasts ad infinitum.

DEAN ...............
I have not been able to go to Hershey since the 70s. I noticed the same thing then. There were people, who had their RVs parked in the spaces, with a card table, out front, with a sign that said, "Take A Business Card".
I figured that these were AACA "big-wigs". This was, at a time, when spaces were really at a premium and hard to get.
I was very disappointed in the AACA for allowing this to go on.
From the thread, it seems there were a lot of empty spaces. If they could be combined, there might be more room for customer parking.
MIKE