Swap Meet Plans
As most of you know, PUMP has had a longstanding tradition of organizing each year a swap meet, where Portland area cyclists of all stripes and colors could meet and trade used bikes and bike gear. This event served both as a social and as a fundraiser event for the group.
This year, the NWTA board decided to skip the organization of the swap meet, primarily because we were not able to find a volunteer/member who could commit the time and energy to spearhead such a major event. In addition, the event has witnessed declining returns for the organization, likely due to the rising popularity of craigslist and other online forums where people can sell and buy used bikes and gear.
For next year, we are currently evaluating whether we want to revive the swap meet. Obviously, much will depend on whether any member(s) step up and volunteer their time to organize the event. If you feel strongly about NWTA putting the swap meet back on the calendar in 2010, we ask you to let us know by emailing the board (directors@nw-trail.org). Also, let us know in what capacity you might be able and willing to help out with organizing and promoting this event. And if you have any good ideas about other events we should organize or attend, this is a good time to let us know, since we will be drafting up our plans for 2010 in the next couple months.
Upcoming Events
- Stub mountain bike night ride (easy/beginner) - 2012-02-09 18:00
- Stub trail building - XC - 2012-02-11 08:45
- Stub Freeride area build day [W.T.F.] - 2012-02-18 09:00
- NWTA Women's Ride - 2012-02-25 10:00
- Stub trail building - XC - 2012-02-26 08:45
Two questions
I have two simple questions:
When and where was the solicitation for a volunteer/member to organize the swap meet posted?
Can someone please post the income brought in for each swap meet by year?
Thank you,
Ryan K.
I'd like to hear the
I'd like to hear the answers to Ryan's questions, too.
gabrielle
"Why, yes, honey, I do love this bike more than you."
Re: Two questions
Ryan,
We never posted a formal call for volunteers, but the swap meet was discussed at various board meetings and from what I understood, the people who were involved with it last year did not volunteer to coordinate it again this year.
Again, if there is a strong desire among our active members to organize a swap meet in 2010 (possibly even early in the year) and volunteers step up to take on that project, we are very open to put it back on the calendar.
~Kris
Thanks, but still one and now another one
Okay, I understand that there is interest in having the swap meet and there has certainly been some discussion going on off of the email list and website between a few of us about it.
Thanks for answering my first question. I still am interested in the answer to the second question regarding the financials of the swap meet. I suppose I can really dig back through emails and try to figure out some of this info. But, I'm really curious about how the swap meet has done financially through the years.
How many participants were there at the swap meet per year? I know this could be interpreted many ways (how many vendors, how many volunteers), but what I am interested in is how many people paid to come to the swap meet looking to buy stuff (that were not vendors, volunteers, or others who had purchased floor/table space to sell stuff) for each year of the swap meet?
Thank you,
Ryan
It is up to us
Please respect the trails and the fact that we have built them in the homes of the wild creatures.
If enough of us come together with the desire for a swap meet to happen, I am sure it will. I personally do not believe it needs to "make $$$". I only attended two swap meets and did not mind paying to enter, but think more people would show if it was well advertised and even subsidized by a business (maybe King Cycle Group for example or a local Brewer) and entry was FREE. If done right (I do not have the answer on what right is however but beer for sale after noon would be kool), it would be a great social, trade/sell fest as well a a positive marketing event for EVERYONE involved. I just know that if it is done (It needs to not be so freaking low key that the only place you hear about it in on this website....That limits the number of potential people taking part) it could be a great success for everyone. Like alot of things I see on this website, I want (even though I do not do it all the time) to cross post it to OBRA... or at the same time hope it gets to BikePortland, but that is not my call. I would love to haggle the price down on a sweet full-suspension 29er from someone who is still caught up in the age of dinosaurs and 26" wheels. :-)
bushman....ron
very good points
Very good points Ron. And the idea of free or subsidized (through sponsorship, donation, or ??) could be an added incentive for folks to attend.
I am interested in understanding what Kris means by "declining returns". Is this a decline in profits through the years or a decline in participation? My initial thought was that it was financial, but then I got to thinking that maybe he was referring to participation. The swap meets that I managed to attend at the Friendly House seemed the same in terms of vendor participation (always appeared that each available table/floor space was taken) and the buyer participation seemed pretty good, usually a line out the door with people waiting to pay the small entrance fee and pick up a raffle ticket. But since I was always just a casual observer (or swap meet volunteer) and not aware of the hard numbers, I can't say that I understand what is meant by this statement and what the trends actually have been.
Before we dive too far into getting one organized, which it seems like there are several people on board with - and for sure we want to spread this work load out (read this as an open invitation to get involved with an event on all levels if you are a reader who has been looking for your opportunity to contribute to positively enhancing off-road cycling in the Northwest part of Oregon/Southwest Washington) - I want to make sure those that are interested in helping have a handle on what the trends from previous years actually were. Armed with that info we can further brainstorm on what we want our goals for the next one to be and how we will meet them.
Ryan
RE: Swap Meet attendance & financials
Ryan,
I don't have the exact numbers or trends in attendance and net revenues, but Amy or (Susan Sherman) might be able to provide you more details.
Probably the best is for someone (you? ;o) to take the lead on this and start a sub-committee to look at all aspects of the event in more detail, including attendance (vendors, buyers, volunteers), cost and revenues, potential venues, possible dates, promotion, sponsorship, etc.
Personally, I think this is still a viable type of event (despite the emergence of craigslist, eBay and the like) and one that we have a longstanding tradition organizing, but we need to make sure the ROI is there (taking in account all the time that gets put in and both the financial and the "social" return). I also agree with Ron: if we do it, we have to do it right, i.e. effective promotion outside the organization and more than one volunteer to do all the heavy lifting .
I'm willing to volunteer organizing this event...
...and Ryan K and Ron, would you be interested in joining me? Sounds like I can use all the help I can get.
Kris, I wished that the board should at least have made a formal call for volunteers before the decision was made not to hold this event. I would have stepped up sooner had I known. As someone who has ridden with PUMP off and on since 1992, I feel that this swap meet is part of club culture as much as a fundraising event.
-vic
swap meet plans
Vic:
I am looking for someone who is willing to invest a significant amount of time to plan/organize a swap meet for Feb/Mch 2010. If you are interested, and it sounds like you are, please send me an e-mail and let me know. I, the club and bicycling community in Portland would really appreciate it.
Thanks,
David Anderson
e-mail: ujelang at aol dot com