A few final thoughts and observations on the 2008 Cronometro Madison Swap...
First, if you havent seen my photos, heres the link again----
http://s89.photobucket.com/
The event was well attended and very uncomfortable and crowded. The crowding was in large part because the amount of floor space used for the swap has shrunk by about half compared with, say, three years ago. So while the event was cramped, there were many fewer vendors than in 2005.
The good news for us vintage types is that the ratio of vintage dealers vs. those selling new merchandise has gone way up over the last few years. One must wonder, though, whether an increasingly vintage-oriented swap can flourish in todays economic environment.
I dont have access to the numbers, so I cant really speak to the events profitability, but those big, long, high-rent spaces taken up by Trek, Specialized and others in years gone by just didnt seem to be there this time. There were no tables that I saw for custom builders, either---an area that has been represented in the past. And the number of brick-and-mortar bike shops seemed to be down as well. As I dont believe that a majority of the attendees were there for the vintage stuff, I cant help but wonder what the draw at the gate will be next year, given so few purveyors of carbon and Lycra.
One of the lovely aspects of this years swap was the display of original, giant-sized cycling posters set up Richard and Laura Kuhlman of BicycleGifts.com. Many of these full-color wonders were in the range of five to six feet in height (and Im told the Kuhlmans have some posters DOUBLE that size). These wonderful Art Nuevo and Art Deco renderings were just so charming and compelling when viewed in person. They perfectly capture the magic and fancy of cycling. While the price tags were as large as the posters themselves ($1500 to $4000 for the big ones), the rate is akin to what one would pay for such works covering other fields (cinema, circus, etc).
If you havent seen my shots of these posters, do check them out, or visit BicycleGifts.com. To have a home with high ceilings and a few of these grand specimens adorning the walls would be better than being whisked away by Ricardo Montalbán to Fantasy Island.
Finally, Im sorry I missed meeting up with Tom Hayes, Richard Cielec and other CR folk who might have been there, and Peter Naiman, who wasnt able to attend. One wise CR chap has suggested that next year we should set up a central rallying point for List Members and friends. A great idea.
Cheerio,
Peter Jourdain Whitewater, Wisconsin US of A
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