Hershey Questions

[sconnors]

Hi fellow Ford Barners,

Planning on heading to Hershey in October and am going from Wed-Sat. Having never been I was hoping people wouldn't mind sharing their experiences both good and bad, tips, etc. My girlfriend is also very curious to know what to expect. So I told her I know a whole bunch of people who have attended and hopefully they'll give us the low down!
Thanks in advance for sharing....
Scott

[noboD]

The best day is either Wed. or Thur. But don't miss the race car certification on Fri. Or the car show on Sat. Bring T shirts, sweat shirts, sunscreen, umbrellas, and snow/mud boots.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Be in shape to do a lot of walking and be sure to bring a cart to haul your goods around. Bring drinks and snacks, or pay the price.

If you see something a lay it down, it won't be there when you return.....and that's if you could even find the spot again.

[ronn]

If you don't buy on Tuesday, much of the bargains are gone on weds. Dealers buy from each other on Tues.
for large items, I write down the spot after paying for the item and come collect everything at the end of the day. Never had a vendor that wasn't agreeable to that as long as item is paid for.

If not looking to buy much, then weds-friday is the time to walk and yes, you will walk your feet off and feel it in your hips...............

[juke joint johnny]

If Your Girlfriend will walk around there for 4 days without Complaining !!

She's a Keeper !!

Make a list of things your looking for.
Great Show You will enjoy it. bring comfortable shoes & Good Luck

[skidmarks]

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A nice place to buy and sell. The aaca runs a tight ship and keeps alot of the riff raff out that turn up at most of the non aaca meets.

This spring at carlisle was a tent full of house hold vacuum cleaners. You wont see that at hershey but you will see some of the rarest of rare automobiles

[skidmarks]

If you need a hotel room call now. You might find one

[Roadster62]

My girlfriend went to Hershey in 1977, The Year of the Mud, and said it was a lot of fun as she walked up the muddy hill to our flea market spot. I proposed that Christmas Eve. 2014 will be my 45th in a row, it is the best week in the year for me. Start a Hershey fund so you have mad money to spend, there are far more hotels and motels that there were in the past. Get there Wendsday, or Tuesday if you can. I let people drop off parts at my space for day storage, you don't want to waist walking time going back to your car with parts. Get a show program with a map of the flea market, or print out one, make that two, and make notes as to were you want to go. I may buy a cell phone, I can see were they may come in handy at a place like Hershey. Bob

Originally Posted by juke joint johnny

If Your Girlfriend will walk around there for 4 days without Complaining !!

She's a Keeper !!

Make a list of things your looking for.
Great Show You will enjoy it. bring comfortable shoes & Good Luck

[Jon-Ohio]

If you've never been to it, it can be a bit overwhelming. I would advise downloading and studying the overall map and the individual field maps to see how the rows and vender spacing are laid out and how everything goes together.

Hershey Field maps and other useful info:
http://hersheyaaca.org/fm_information.html

Lots of walking- easily three days worth if you take your time. Plenty of good ole junk food vendors to clog your arteries. Some times you can get in traffic jams waiting to get parked - especially if the parking fields are muddy from rain. You can buy vendors directory(recommended) at the various free entry points.

If your staying outside the Hershey area and driving in , it's best to use I-81 and get off at the SR 39 south (Hershey exit) - it's about 6 miles more or less to the Hershey Park / Giant Center complex where it's at. The US322/422 routes from Harrisburg can really get clogged with traffic in the morning so I would avoid them.

Wish I could go but my feet and legs can't handle it anymore
Hope this helps - Have an enjoyAble time

Jon in Ohio

[WTSHNN]

Hershey is so big and so well attended that every person has a unique experience that may offer you a slight idea about expectations but literally cannot give you a full grasp of the event.

Here are my pieces of advice.

Be prepared to walk. I've never used a pedometer and there are a lot of tall tales about distances involved but expect to walk several miles each day. Comfortable shoes and a bottle of your favorite pain reliever will make it more enjoyable.

It is going to rain. You're going to get wet. Invest in a good quality raincoat or a very nice rain poncho before you get there. Regardless of what the forecast says; bring it with you and keep it with you.

I've gone on Tuesday with disappointing results (not a lot of vendors set up selling, real high "first day" prices etc). I've had incredible finds and deals every day of the week. My experience; the day of the week doesn't have too much of an impact on deals or quality. Differs from what others have expressed but that is mine.

Like Tom said, don't ever think "eh, I'll think about it and if I change my mind I'll come back for it." You will either be unable to find the vendor or the item will be gone. The time to buy is when it is in your hands. And never put it down. I have literally seen a guy holding a part, set it down while contemplating whether to buy it or not and someone else leans it, picks it up while simultaneously handing the vendor cash and walks away.

Leave the heavy items at the vendor's spot if he'll allow you (they almost always do after you pay), each vendor has a sticker on the ground with their spot number, I take a picture of it with my cellphone so I don't have to worry about writing it down incorrectly. All the light poles in the fields are numbered as well so write down a nearby pole number so you have a way-finding landmark.

I've never bought a map or a vendor index and have done more than OK. Those are helpful if you know you need to get to Vendor XYZ cause you're picking up a part that only he has but otherwise half the fun is finding the hidden Model A gems buried in a box that says "T-Bird parts."

Don't walk the car corral during the day. The vendors will start to close up around 5 or 6 but the cars in the corral almost always stay there overnight. It is well lit so I prefer to concentrate on the vendors while they are open and do the corral later.

Lots of good greasy food vendors set up but they naturally have bumped up prices. If you budget for it no big deal but if paying $5 for a hotdog isn't in your wallet then you might want to bring some snacks from home.

Have fun. Be prepared to see things you have never seen before. You'll meet a lot of good people but don't be offended if they don't stop and chat with you for a long time...everyone is in a rush to get in as much as they can.

-Tim

[Roadster62]

Great advice on the Car Corral, that is an after dinner walk tradition for us, who can afford to buy anything sitting there anyway? A good handtruck sure makes shopping easy. For the last three years I've used a three wheel baby carriage, the ones that moms that jog use? Cut the material off and add a large milk crate and you have a great cart, they fold up and don't take up space in the car. Bob

[gpits68]

In my experience , have a cart , and if you see something you want , get it for you might not be able to find the location later . Been there done that .

[peters180a/170b]

$$$$$ in $20.00 , $10.00 and a couple of $100.00 bills ... just in case your girl friend after the second day wants to go home... Airport is in Harrisburg... not to far of a drive...l.o.l.

[Tom F OHIO]

Originally Posted by Roadster62

My girlfriend went to Hershey in 1977, The Year of the Mud, and said it was a lot of fun as she walked up the muddy hill to our flea market spot. I proposed that Christmas Eve. 2014 will be my 45th in a row, it is the best week in the year for me. Start a Hershey fund so you have mad money to spend, there are far more hotels and motels that there were in the past. Get there Wendsday, or Tuesday if you can. I let people drop off parts at my space for day storage, you don't want to waist walking time going back to your car with parts. Get a show program with a map of the flea market, or print out one, make that two, and make notes as to were you want to go. I may buy a cell phone, I can see were they may come in handy at a place like Hershey. Bob

I remember that year in 1977. Mud was up and over the running board of a Deusenberger for sale. He had it at his spot.People were walking around it and splattering mud all over from walking.

[Bruce Adams]

FWIW your girl friend can go ANTIQUING and such as there are lots of shopping opportunities my wife goes to after dropping me off at 9 AM.
Earlier thatn 9 AM I find mostly booths with blue tarps covering the sales items.
Same thing on Tuesday, Vendors not at their booths while chasing after other vendors a day early.

[bikejunk]

I stay in motel about 1 hour away in Adamstown pa,rooms are like 50 bucks,good places to eat,and their is a lot of antique shops their so if she doesnt feel like cars she can spend a full day looking at antique stuff .

mud is only a problem at Hershey where they have you park your car= all blacktop now

[swo4rd]

Make a list and prioritize it...then take a lot of cash...like Pete says...$$$$$. You will most likely find every part you ever needed. But keep focused. You might wind up with a new girlfriend.
Swoff

[Arlen]

Bring rain gear and pray you don't need it. Umbrella isn't enough. Get the real rain gear. Also bring a light coat and gloves. It's cool in the mornings. Bring a pocket of quarters so you can buy a delicious cup of apple cider each morning and tip the bathroom attendants.

[nhusa]

Originally Posted by Arlen

Bring a pocket of quarters so you can buy a delicious cup of apple cider each morning and tip the bathroom attendants.

A quarter to P?

Is that like a quarter to 2?

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by nhusa

A quarter to P?

Is that like a quarter to 2?

Yep, they get you coming and GOING.