Dear Mike. Hi, I read your rant, but have got to disagree.
First, and San Francisco Bicycle Coalition is paying something alike 50,000 dollars to rent half the hall for one day, and this is a big risk for a small local organization that has gone allot of good work, so I don't mind supporting them
If we looked into it I'm sour we would find that the annual bicycle industry trade show in Las Vegas pays a great deal more. Space cost money, and there's no way around it.
VeloSwaps, and events like then are more than about money. They about getting together and seeing old friends, making new ones, trading stories, and (thank God for my old commuter) finding a bar gin or two in the stalls.
Next Saturday I'm going to spend the ten dollars to display my old steel steed, and intend to have fun doing it. I wish you could join us, because we really do enjoy ourselves.
Tom Harriman
San Francisco, Ca.
>From: hersefan@comcast.net
>To: Jan Johnson <picabo58@earthlink.net>,classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
>Subject: Re: [CR]Re: VeloSwap Concorso
>Date: Tue, 07 Nov 2006 00:18:21 +0000
>
>OK - I guess I'm getting cranky as I age, but what the heck, I'll speak my
>mind...
>
>As I understand it - Veloswap is a profit making venture for Inside
>Communications. The outside folks who run the event are wonderfully nice -
>and I've developed a great relationship with them. But that doesn't change
>the fact that the whole deal is about MAKING MONEY for INSIDE
>COMMUNICATIONS!
>
>Now if Inside Communications has a cool bike show, and it is a bonus that
>helps draw more visitors - then it helps the PROFITS of INSIDE
>COMMUNICATIONS. They get vintage bike owners to cover the cost of the bike
>display and maybe even the bike charities get some extra dollars too - but
>it comes off the backs of vintage bike owners. And in the end, it is
>Inside Communications that benefits.
>
>I've always had a bit of a hard time with Veloswap because so many folks
>think it is one huge show intended to help bicycle advocacy groups. That
>is not the primary aim of the event (at least that is what past organizers
>of the event have told me).
>
>Now I'm not saying all this is bad, but to hit a bike collector $30 to
>bring 3 bikes to display at a for-profit show just rubs me the wrong way.
>But then again, I think prize money is frankly disgusting too. I can say
>with some degree of authority that all bike show judging I've been part of
>or have seen has generally stunk and certainly should in no way be the
>basis for cash awards.
>
>Now if folks want to donate some $'s - perhaps a recomended donation for
>folks attending or displaying to go to bike advocacy and charities, that is
>great. But the way this thing is laid out runs counter to everything I've
>tried to accomplish in my own activities.
>
>Now perhaps nobody complained in the past - many people unlike myself are
>quiet and diplomatic and don't want to make waves. That doesn't make it
>OK. Lots of stuff happens in this world that nobody complains about.
>Those that are annoyed simply stay home.
>
>Mike Kone in Boulder CO
>
>
>
>-------------- Original message --------------
>From: Jan Johnson <picabo58@earthlink.net>
>
> > I replied to Mike Kone off-list, but thought I'd post an excerpt for the
>benefit
> > of CR listmembers:
> >
> > Almost all concorsos, Concours, or whatever you want to call them charge
>an
> > entry fee. You can think of it as a 'raffle' of sorts. You pay to enter
>a bike,
> > and if your bike is deemed the coolest, you win 25% of the entry fee
>total. Like
> > most things in life, it's a gamble. But there is a possibility that you
>could
> > walk away with some free money.
> >
> > Also, I have been assured by Inside Communications that after they cover
>the
> > cost of the PVC pipe-and-drape for the Concorso area, and the prize
>money, all
> > proceeds will be donated to a San Francisco advocacy group (like San
>Francisco
> > Bicycle Coalition, for example).
> >
> > Inside Communications does not, I repeat, DOES NOT stand to make any
>profit off
> > of the Vintage Bicycle concorso. They just want to cover the cost of
>setting up
> > the area for the bicycles. I think that is totally reasonable.
> >
> > I organized the Concorso in 2004 and in my opinion, it was a fun event.
>To my
> > knowledge, no one complained about the $10.00 entry fee back then.
>People were
> > just excited to be able to show off their classic bikes to the thousands
>of
> > people in attendance.
> >
> > Jan Johnson
> > Portola Valley, California