Sunhine Nat'l area meets

[Paul G Bergeron]

eustis debacle

thanks to moderator for not deleting this thread looks like lots of support for both venues . how are we to know where the good parts are free admission to public at both locations much nicer to stay around eustis area and visit amca meet than visa versa. needless to say much confusion many ive talked say that eustis is there choice to set up and vend .wait and see what crawls out of this can of worms good luck to all.paul g bergeron minot maine 7989

[shelbyinparadise]

Eustis

Yes thanks to moderator for keeping two threads open and even keeping the closed Eustis thread on page 6 viewable for those who would like to check facts on what was said and by whom.

There will still be a Regional meet at Davenport Iowa this fall still put together by
local AMCA members and nationwide vendors. Shelby

[Sargehere]

EUSTIS SWAP MEET & Vintage Parts Manufacturers' TRADE SHOW

Most of us already have heard that the AMCA Sunshine Chapter walked away from the Lake County Fairgrounds, Eustis, Florida, site for 2012 after holding an Antique Motorcycle Club national Winter meet there for fifteen or sixteen years.

The move was suddenly announced as a "done deal" at the 2011 Wauseon AMCA meet, where little, printed cards were handed out. This was some stunning news to many of the folks who make up the Antique Motorcycle Club's Summer meet circuit, particularly, the vendors.

Many of the vendors who first heard about the Sunshine Chapter's sudden change of venue had attended the AMCA meets at the Eustis fairgrounds site for many years. They knew the layout, had favorite spaces that they had rented faithfully, year-after-year, and even had "favorite" neighbors on each side that they were glad to catch up with at the annual March meet. They also made sure to finalize their attendance the following year by making reservations with the Sunshine Chapter before pulling up stakes at the end of the meet and heading to wherever they had made plans for the remainder of Daytona Bike Week. With the change of location, obviously those reservations went out-the-window, and it was "square one" time!

The new site (for what was initially reported as a "regional" [read:local chapter] meet, instead of an AMCA national, then suddenly became a National Meet again in a little sleight-of-hand, mumbo-jumbo), is a horse show ring that abuts The Cabbage Patch, a well-known biker bar that sponsors their own annual money-maker, a campground/drunken circus and "midway" that boils like an unwatched pot on an over-stoked campfire for the entire Bike Week festivities. Some have noted that between the Cabbage Patch and the horse show grounds, they're not sure, but don't think there's even a metal fence, just a wooden split rail fence that you could climb through carrying a beer in each hand, if you wanted, making any swapmeet security next door to the Cabbage Patch somewhat of a nightmare.

That's just for starters, but the surprise news hit many of the biggest participants in the Eustis Swap Meet like a 2x4 upside the head, and it didn't take them long to decide what they were going to do about it. I'm talking about some of the biggest and best known names in the antique motorcycle "industry," the fellows who make and sell "most" of the parts that we use to finish, and to keep our decades-old prides-and-joys running.

Six of these fellows were standing together, just kibitzing at Wauseon, when someone handed them all the little cards announcing the cancellation of the Eustis meet as we've all known it and its re-constitution 45 miles away at the Cabbage Patch three-ring circus site.

The discussion that ensued soon resulted in the formation of the Vintage Motorcycle Alliance LLC (a "Limited Liability Corporation"), which, technically, is a new antique motorcycle trade group (something we've never had before) made up entirely of Antique Motorcycle Club of America members of long-standing, and which proceeded from that seed to become the entity which rented the Eustis Fairgrounds site after Sunshine Chapter declined to, and then negotiated with the City of Eustis for public camping in the parking lot at the fairgrounds site,something which was never allowed when the Sunshine Chapter met there, and made plans to hold a Manufacturers' Trade Show in conjunction with the swap meet; what's being called "an old-fashioned, back-of-your-pickup truck-open the trunk of you car," antique motorcycle swap meet!

The Manufacturers' Trade Show will draw the cream of the people who make their bread & butter, and make our mouths water, providing reproduction and reconditioned parts for our old motorcycles, from all over North Amerioca, and elsewhere. There will be demonstrations, of a kind like the New Jersey concern that will demonstrate and display all the different metal finishes they offer: different grades of cadmium plating, chrome and the colors they can provide in Parkerizing. Also wheel makers, tire manufacturers and makers of small, essential parts available nowhere else on the planet.

Many well-known names have signed up; one is Tom Faber, manufacturer of some pieces that restorers of vintage Harleys almost can not do without. Another is Tom Feesler, owner of Replicant Metals. Tom makes an awful lot of sheet metal for bikes, Harley and Indian and many others, that date all-way-back: fuel tanks, fenders and toolboxes among them. He is scheduled to be set up in his location familiar to Eustis attendees, right side, just inside the main entrance. Another one signed on is Dale & Matt Walkser's Wheel Through Time Museum; they'll bring a few of their tasty restorations down from Maggie Valley, North Carolina.

Another well-known restorer and dealer in small parts, Bruce Palmer III, will be there. His attendance was almost mandatory. The horse show ring is a muddy (when wet), dirt floor edifice, making the site non-ADA compliant, and nearly-unnavigable in the kind of power chair Bruce uses.

Here is a list of some of the vendors already signed up:

http://www.vintagemotorcyclealliance.com/vendors.html

That is the address of the Vintage Motorcycle Alliance website.
These fellows are serious about this. The swap promises to be a low-stress, old-fashioned trading session, Friday and Saturday, and simultaneously with the Manufacturer's Trade Show will be something completely new to antique motorcycling. Old motorcycles are invited for participation awards only, in an old-fashioned "display." No stress, no B.S.

There is really no direct competition with the Sunshine Chapter's formal judging, as the Vintage Motorcycle Alliance meet at Eustis will be Friday and Saturday, March 9th and 10th, and the AMCA judging is scheduled for Sunday, March 11th, by which time the VMA sponsors will have hatted up for Daytona to fulfill their plans for the remainder of Bike Week.

[shelbyinparadise]

Well put Sarge, Florida people are seeing what is wrong with the idea of being next to the Cabbage Patch bar and campgrounds on opening weekend of bike week and the word is spreading. Shelby

[shelbyinparadise]

tfburke3,

I agree with you on the censorship!

If a member here asks a question, other members should be able to answer it.

You may have to look at the caimag forum to read about the latest censorship that just happened this morning, I was told this morning that the National Board had pulled an ad I had placed a month ago for the Spring issue of Club Mag on the last days before starting to print. An ad for the Volusia County Fairgrounds swapmeet taking place the same days as Silver Sands a few miles down on 44 was published, but my add for the Lake County Fairgrounds was pulled. Enough Bull**** of staying out of the local disputes by the National, Move over Charley I may be next. Shelby

[LouieMCman]

Why not just give the new meet venue a chance? Why all the nay saying before the event ever happens? What are you afraid of, greasy long haired beer drinking bikers wearing black? Just maybe it will work out , maybe not but who knows? Why would this club advertize for your meet? Would you advertize for theirs? I'm just tied of all this BS and yes I will probably go to both meets just to see which will survive....good luck to both.

[Sargehere]

Why not just give the new meet venue a chance? .

Louie, I respect your opinion, but how far do you travel to attend the Florida meet? How long you been comin'?

After decades of holding "The National Winter Meet" at almost a different site every year, Sunshine Chapter finally found a good one. I thought Sunshine Chapter had finally come to their senses (no such luck, apparently) because The Eustis National meet was in the same location for sixteen years.

People's reservations had already been made for Eustis, 2012, MANY before the 2011 meet was even over. People, and I'm talking about the itinerant vendors, the guyz and girlz we depend on for so much of what the meet is, who travel the AMCA meet circuit year-after-year, had reservations they'd made at favorite, familiar motels, and people have favorite restaurants they always ate at while in Eustis, a bustling metropolis, right next to Mount Dora, Florida, and Orlando. Their meet site reservations for "favorite" spaces had even been accepted by Sunshine Chapter for the 2012 meet before the 2011 ended!

Then, at Wauseon, 2011, the vendors are handed a card telling them the site has been moved, done deal,to 45 miles away to a muddy horse ring? There are no major chain motels within "miles," and no restaurants, either, except the Cabbage Patch beer bar? And that's not getting into what a PITA and the fear factor that holding a bike swap in Volusia County entails.

I'll be at both sites, too. Ya hafta go to the horse ring for the judging on Sunday, when Eustis will be over. But I sympathize with your opinion, Louie. It will be interesting.

[LouieMCman]

Sarge, I've been a sunshine member for over 20 years and was at the meeting where the Eustis meet was proposed and voted on. I've discussed this before, at the vote NONE of the officers voted to have the meet at Eustis but was out voted by the members, I don't recall seeing you there. So I know the history of the meet pretty well, I also attended all the crappy meets in hotel parking lots before Eustis. I'm not happy about how the meet got to be moved, it should have been voted on by the members. There is a solution for the Sunshine Chapter if the concerned people run for officers and then bring it up to the members to have the meet where the membership wants it. But I'm also tired of hearing about how bad the meet is going to be before it even happens. And the main critics just happen to be promoters and sponsors of the meet at Eustis. Let's just see what happens we don't have long to wait now......

[MeanGene]

Just curious- doesn't the Sunshine Chapter have regular meetings, and allow their members to speak? As it's been said that the officers made this decision without a vote of or much (if any) input from the chapter members, it would seem that the following chapter meeting would have had some very spirited discussions? I'm the Prez this year of the local car club, and if myself and the other officers moved our annual car show without the input and permission of the membership, we would all be sharing a curb by now- let alone that it just wouldn't be right- don't you guys ever have meetings?

[Sargehere]

Sarge, I've been a sunshine member for over 20 years and was at the meeting where the Eustis meet was proposed and voted on. I've discussed this before, at the vote NONE of the officers voted to have the meet at Eustis but was out voted by the members...

What did you say, there, Louie? It's contradictory, I mean. Who are you saying, who took the meet away from Eustis; the officers, or the members of Sunshine Chapter?

I also attended Sunshine Winter National meets held years ago in motel parking lots; I know that I remember one held outside on the parking lot of a motel in particular, and I remember one held on a grassy area next to the highway that runs past Cypress Gardens. When they found Lake County Fairgrounds, I was impressed, relieved and thankful. That was before my health took a turn, and I dropped out of chapter participation.

I had nothing to do with the move from well-known, well-liked and familiar Eustis. I'm just a national member observing the show, like everyone else.

Eustis is convenient to "everywhere." The Cabbage Patch is on SR44 about midway between the cities of New Smyrna and Deland, I think.

[shelbyinparadise]

Breaking News, A meeting has just been announced for Saturday, March 10, At Sunshine Chapter National Meet 1 pm est at the Silver Sands Arena. The meeting is with the National Board and the officers and members of Sunshine Chapter of the AMCA, informal, but with the main topics are Local Chapter issues. For all intrested parties in the future of the local chapter, let your feelings be known, and you can join / rejoin the local chapter at the meet before 1 o'clock.

I view this as a very positive step from the National Board to reach out, and it is up to all us members to let our voice be heard in an even exchange of views before the April meeting. Please do not let this chance pass to be heard. Shelby

[MeanGene]

Let me get this straight- the Eustis meet is Friday and Saturday only, and the AMCA judging is at the other venue on Sunday, which would have let folks attend both events if they wanted to- but the meeting where you would be allowed to input is Saturday only, at the new venue, so if you want a chance to input, you would have to skip out on the Eustis event- or you couldn't input. And that's supposed to smooth things over? And why couldn't it be on Sunday, so everyone involved could attend if they wanted to, without forcing them to skip Eustis to do it? Can you spell "stacking the deck"?

[exeric]

What's the problem? Silver Sands isn't that far away from Eustis.

[junkyarddog]

If your a vendor it is a problem. You can't just run off and leave your booth not attended for the afternoon. You don't haul 1,600 miles and miss business.
Jim Rowin
Omaha, Ne.
Member #11938 expires: 1/2015

[exeric]

If your a vendor it is a problem. You can't just run off and leave your booth not attended for the afternoon. You don't haul 1,600 miles and miss business.
Jim Rowin
Omaha, Ne.
Member #11938 expires: 1/2015

Would you go to the meeting if it was at Eustis ?