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View Poll Results: Attendance poll for a ct swap meet in april

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  • I would attend a spring swap meet

    9 90.00%
  • I would Vend/ sell at a spring swap meet

    2 20.00%
  • I would not attend a spring swap meet

    1 10.00%
  • I would not vend/sell at a spring swap meet

    0 0%
Multiple Choice Poll.
Results 1 to 8 of 8
  1. #1
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    CPBA april swap meet

    Well were kicking around the Idea of having another swap meet in the spring and one in the fall

    A place for new england boaters to come out and sell/swap parts set ups and just hhang out and get to know one another

    At last weeks event I met great guys from other parts of the sport, forged freindships and bought and sold some great parts

    The big question is do we have enough support for 2 per year like the car guys do it?

    No doubt we a smaller group, but we also only have this one event where car guys have stafford, thompson, lake compounce, lebanon valley, etown the list goes on and on

    This our chance as boaters to have our very own place to do our boating specific thing!
    President :
    CPBA
    Connecticut Performance Boating Association

  2. #2
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    Oct 2005
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    The next one should be in the spring. Do that one and then decide as the summer goes...... if another one in the fall will be successful.

    Signs and flyers. Flyers at the West Marine and all other boating stores are good. You can even offer them a free space to bring stuff. If they are going to be there they will talk it up to all their customers. Who cares what they bring as it will be all new stuff and won't take any dollars from the used swap meet venders.

    Flyers at the marinas also.

    Announcements on all boating web sites.

    Small square wood signs placed only on the day of the event at the bottom of highway exit ramps will draw lots of people interested in boat stuff but not on forums or not a part of any group.

    You can put a sign on the highway that day right by the exit ramps and they will stay up for at least that day. Can't put them up in advanced but around here you can get away with a small clean simple sign like 2 ft square for a day and when it's over remove them.

    Also public access TV will run the ads for free on a channel here that many watch.

    You can get into CT events website and post your dates for the show and they will appear to people looking for something to do.

    Craigs list ads, place a bunch of marine stuff separately for sale and have your tag line announce the dates and what it is.

    Dunkin Donuts has cork boards for posting flyers.
    If everyone down loaded a flyer and made copy's, then posted them everywhere the the turnout would be ten fold.

    That's the easy part. The hard part is getting vendors and people to bring stuff.

    Sometimes if your looking way into the future and want this to last you may need make it easier and less expensive in the beginning for vendors to come.

    You need them to build the reputation of a event worth going to each year.

    You got to get all these people in gear and get them to want to come down even to build momentum. Financial success may not come to you the first two years but it will come once this thing starts snowballing. Sacrifice now to reap rewards later.

    People and product first money second for the first few years.

    The date of the event has to be the same each year and not conflict with other events.

  3. #3
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    I agree that a spring swap meet would be a better time of year. This time of year(oct) the season is about over and the boat feaver has subsided a little, I know I would be willing to spend a little more cash during prep time and early in the season. By fall the boating budget is about used up.
    (mine is anyway)

  4. #4
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    Lots of great ideas by JLC above. One that strikes me the most is that the parts DON'T have to be "hi perf" to be interesting and/or sell! At this past one I bought a partial roll of shock cord (to tie down outboard) as well as 3 braided lines and 2 t-shirts. We also got a great deal on a Merc V6 aluminum flywheel, single pro trim switch, Merc 200 centersection and gearcase, and Merc HD bearing carrier. A fine mix of hi-perf and "regular" parts and accessories. We were looking for more...wiring harnesses, steering parts, bilge pumps, etc. All that stuff will sell if it's decent and priced right.

    John

  5. #5
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    All great input guys!!
    Thanks for posting and trying to help out its much appreciated

    Havibg the date the same every year would be tough because the days of the year dont land on the same dates ie 20th on a sunday
    Might be a 22nd on a sunday

    But certainly to keep it close or maybe just the 2nd sunday in april every year would work out

    That way people can plan for it

    Pricing is already cheap, car swaps are $65 to $75 for same size space so we basicslly dold them for half price

    Admission is usually 8 bucks we cut it down to $5 use of a location costs money and we have to at least recoup it.

    So we already feel as though were giving a half price deal to people, ive been going to automotive swaps my whole life, in the eighties we paid $45 a space to vend that was over 20 years ago.


    The signs at the exit is a great Idea! Like that one alot

    We did facebook invites this last time, over 1000 went out

    I also did CL adds, we didnt have the man power for all the marinas and shops we would have liked on such short notice but if we plan early we'll get more of that done

    Keep the Ideas coming!!!

    We will bring up every topic at CPBA BOG meetings over the coming months
    President :
    CPBA
    Connecticut Performance Boating Association

  6. #6
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    Thanks to those are participating in the poll

    Its going to help give us much needed input on the april date, set up, location of spaces etc

    Its only going to get better w more value each time!
    President :
    CPBA
    Connecticut Performance Boating Association

  7. #7
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    I would like to see it in may as i am still snowmobiling most years in april others may also .
    dom

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by nh bgblock View Post
    I would like to see it in may as i am still snowmobiling most years in april others may also .
    dom

    Good point!

    Hope you at the ct river run in october though still!
    President :
    CPBA
    Connecticut Performance Boating Association

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