How about AutoFest 2010!

The new date is March 19th-21st, 2010.

Break out of that long cold cabin fever, dust that show car off and help kick spring into gear! This will be the Coachmen Cavalcade of Wheels 50th Anneversary and Fest's 10th so we look to be making this our biggest and best show ever. If you enjoyed the Century Center format wait until we take over the entire building! That's right, every floor, every room, every area will be chock full of Auto-Fest activities in every scale.

We took good notes from August, we'll fix the bad and make the good better so don't miss out. We are working on some VERY special casting ideas to celebrate both birthdays. Official plans and arrangements will be posted soon so keep your eyes open and your tax filings ready!:thumbsup:

The AutoFest team

.......OK now I have to count my change for two AutoFests! One...two...three...four..What did you say gerald? Oh crap...One...two...three...four...

.......OK now I have to count my change for two AutoFests! One...two...three...four..What did you say gerald? Oh crap...One...two...three...four...

This year you'll be there for Bingo, I need someone to steal from.

Hi Gerald,
AutoFest 2009 was my first time to participate in your Event.
So,
Are there now 2 of these each year or will March 2010 be the new schedule for the annual Event??

I'd like to participate in the ADDWC Charity again.

--CadillacPat the UnCustomizer--
Keeping the ZING in CustomiZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v483/CadillacPat/BulletProofWebcopy.jpg

March would be the only one

This year you'll be there for Bingo, I need someone to steal from.

I hide my stuff!

Im bringing priority boxes filled with rocks..... Switcharoo!

Jay

I want to make my first show can you email me all the info anybody!!? please im excited and new. AMAttson89@hotmail.com

I want to make my first show can you email me all the info anybody!!? please im excited and new. AMAttson89@hotmail.com

Just wanted to let you know...if you haven't recieved an email with info,it's not that people are ignoring you. There is no info to email.
The show is 2 months away and this thread is all the info we have.
So check back here or check the AutoFest website.


http://www.theautofest.com/

:(

Wish this was closer to me....I have never been to an event for diecast. Sounds like a lot of fun.

Wish this was closer to me....I have never been to an event for diecast. Sounds like a lot of fun.

It is a blast...ROADTRIP!:thumbsup:

This Just in From Mark Hosaflook himself!

We will have at least two cars made for the show donated by Afdent with complete pad prints. These will go towards PSR and Crunch racing along with trophies. One is a Mustang, the other a Camaro. Our hotel is still going to be the Comfort Suites. The block is reserved as always. Same rate but we will not have a dinner this year so set-up starts Friday morning and there really is no need for Thursday night reservations. Coachmen is planning a 50th Anniversary Dinner and there may be a Dinner Car but that is still up in the air.

This is by NO means a smaller show as we have the entire building this time and not just 2/3rds of the first floor. We have the Hooters Calendar Girls scheduled, Cooter from the Dukes of Hazard and the General Lee and cash awards for over 200 first class show cars. The local remote control club will be running cars along with corporate sponsors and their activities.

The hotel contract is set up again at the Comfort Suites. Same price as always!

We have the Hooters Calendar Girls scheduled,....

Sweet! I saw the pics in the JL page and it would be cool to meet some of them beauties!

http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/showthread.php?t=278710


;)

So our dinner is being forgone for their dinner? Will there be any manufacturer presentations at their dinner? How much will their dinner cost?

Just my opinion but it appears this is turning into the CoachmanFest not the Autofest we all new and loved :cry:

I have to agree with Mike. I do hope the ones that attend will have fun, but for me, Florida is the best in them COLD, SNOWY months.


Just my opinion but it appears this is turning into the CoachmanFest not the Autofest we all new and loved :cry:

It has not been the same scence the ORIGINAL LIGHTNING FEST from the days when it was PLAYING MANTIS!!!(THE REAL JOHNNY LIGHTNINGS!!!)

Just my opinion but it appears this is turning into the CoachmanFest not the Autofest we all new and loved :cry:

My thoughts exactly, I've never had a problem with bigger and better but when it no longer resembles what made it fun for me...

It's sad that Autofest is turning into what it is. Everyone always looked forward to it every year and now it is falling apart. :cry::cry:

If I may here, I feel that the addition of Coachmen is an asset. With the diecast market tight as a drum and the manufactures working hard to stay in business, it is very difficult to put AutoFest on as a pure diecast show.

Johnny Lightning, Greenlight, M2, and any other manufacturer are working hard to stay afloat and cannot make short runs (For a net loss) just to make us happy about attending a diecast event. If times were better there might be that opportunity. Now it just cannot be done.

Mark tried to throw out some castings for us as collectors and we did not purchase enough to make it float. I know the price was steep, but that is what it is going to take to get the production going on the collectable pieces that we want.

Face it times are tough and Manufactures care about us but cannot afford our little wants and desires at this time. Hopefully times will change and we will see diecast companies again willing to sponsor our Fest at a greater level.

Mark Hosaflook is trying to keep things going and expand the show as best as he can. We have always had a 1:1 car show and if expanding that side keeps the show alive and gets us a few castings I say go for it! Something is always better nothing, and AutoFest is way better than nothing.

I will be at AutoFest and I will miss all of my friends that cannot make it this year. I know that they will still be here online, and I can still talk little toy cars with them during AutoFest and after. In the future when the economy improves, AutoFest returns to a more Familiar format, and returns to the end of summer timing things will be great. Until then I’m going to accept AutoFest as it is.

Thank You and I'll step down off of my soap box now.

I wish i could make it but am unable to for obvious reason's

Wow. Well, I may make it. I'm not really sure yet. I started going to the Fest when it was in Chicago and had a great time. When it moved back to South Bend it was still the same show. The same great guys around and I hope that continues. Its going to depend on several things for me to make it to this one. I hope I can but thats a week before spring break for the kiddos and I don't think I'd hear the end of it if I spent all of our vacation money on diecast. haha

A few of my thoughts on the subject.

Coachmen is not an addition to the show, it is a take-over of the show. The events have been moved from the hotel to the convention center for Coachmen. We have to pay to attend the events because of Coachmen. Our dinner is not happening because of Coachmen.

We have always had a 1:64 car show with an occasional 1:1 car show as a side event.

An overrun of castings already planned for production from Greenlight is not that expensive and does not require a 2000 count purchase. Steep does not quite describe the price for the initial offering, that was more of a vertical challenge than the word steep brings to my mind. As far as the second offering that was thrown out to us, half the people on this board complain about plastic based cars was he seriously thinking he was going to be able to sell a plastic bodied car as the pace car to us? He may as well start making some Hotwheels code 3s.

I think the LLC needs a diet.

I wish i could make it but am unable to for obvious reason's

I wish you could too. I missed you last year and would have liked to meet you. Well hopefully some other time.:wave:

Our paths may pass

Sung to the tune of Marshal Tucker Band's Fire on the Mountain


Fest on the way

Took Mark away from his Indiana home
Had dreams about the Fest and started to roam
Six long months on a convention center’s trail
They say heaven's at the end but so far it's been hell
And there's Fests’ on the way, Johnny lightnin' in the air
Classic Gold in them hills and Fest’s waitin' for me there

We were diggin' and siftin' diecast from five to five
Sellin' everything we found just to stay alive
Zamac flowed free like the whiskey in the bars
Bargins' was the big thing, Looking for your car is the star
And there's Fests’ on the way, Johnny lightnin' in the air
Classic Gold in them hills and Fest’s waitin' for me there

Rob’s Dancen’in the halls were the evenin' treat
Empty blisters and cardboard lined the gutters of the street
Deals were shot down for the sake of fun
Or just to hear the noise of Adam shown’ his guns
And there's Fests’ on the way, Johnny lightnin' in the air
Classic Gold in them hills and Fest’s waitin' for me there

Now my widow she weeps by my grave
Tears flow free for her man she couldn't save
Shot down in cold blood by that diecast car that carried fame
All for a useless and no good worthless claim

And there's Fests’ on the way, Johnny lightnin' in the air
Classic Gold in them hills and Fest’s waitin' for me there
There's Fests’ on the way, Johnny lightnin' in the air
Classic Gold in them hills and Fest’s waitin' for me there

Waitin' for me there

A few of my thoughts on the subject.

Coachmen is not an addition to the show, it is a take-over of the show. The events have been moved from the hotel to the convention center for Coachmen. We have to pay to attend the events because of Coachmen. Our dinner is not happening because of Coachmen.

We have always had a 1:64 car show with an occasional 1:1 car show as a side event.

An overrun of castings already planned for production from Greenlight is not that expensive and does not require a 2000 count purchase. Steep does not quite describe the price for the initial offering, that was more of a vertical challenge than the word steep brings to my mind. As far as the second offering that was thrown out to us, half the people on this board complain about plastic based cars was he seriously thinking he was going to be able to sell a plastic bodied car as the pace car to us? He may as well start making some Hotwheels code 3s.

I think the LLC needs a diet.

I thought I posted about this already but it may be buried by now so I'll try once more. AGAIN, it's not that Coachmen is taking over it's more like die-cast has fallen off so to make up the space I'm filling it with other items until we can get rolling again in 2011. We all knew that it was too shart a time to go from August with the record number of castings to March without a hitch. Maybe I should have held some back for March?

I take offense to the thought I'm lying about minimum orders. I copied the event team with the guidlines and those are in fact what we were told. It felt like a kick in the gut after 10 years but they ALL hade price hikes and they all increased minumums. Instead of being softer on the minimum numbers I'd get replies like........offer LESS variations. Well when you have 2000 of the same thing how does that help? The camper was very expensive and very exclusive, there was no plastic base (yes the camper is) and the minumum order was out of range. I tried M2, again a non plastic base and those orders fell far short but the price was in line. They just don't carry the same following yet for some. I don't remember EVER offering a plastic base car. Can somebody please post where I offered a plastic base car for 2010

GreenLight will be at the show this year, go ahead and ask them about their minumum order guidlines. Coachmen is not having a dinner. It's too hard to put the show on and have a dinner for them, especially when you set up until 10:00. We are not having one because no manufacturer has new NEWS since August.

Why pictures of the two PSR cars and awards are not posted, I have no idea. Are they anything like the past nine years....no way but hey I thought it was all about the people? I sent them out by e-mail to the gang but I can't find them anywhere. I will gladly forward them to you Cal if you want to help. GreenLight will be on hand, the PSR track, slot racing, ADDWC charity auction and the grand hall in the hotel is free tables for all and will be set up for first come first served. Tom Lowe to my knowledge isn't even getting back into die-cast yet so again how is Coachmen the heavy here? Tom isn't even scheduled to be at the show with anything because....they don't make die-cast. I have special passes for those who attend Friday night at the hotel for swap and sell to make up the cost to attend this new format and until 2011 it was the best I could do.

Coachmen will in fact NOT be part of the 2011 show so please let's not keep kicking that dog. Coachmen didn't set any prices, didn't tell them to increase minimum orders and didn't take your dinner away. They are not keeping anyone from doing a Warehouse sale, not charging for tables or anything negative. They offered the same format as August and a way for the die-cast group to get in with drastic discount. Coachmen is not the enemy.

Sorry you guys aren't happy about the news but you only need to walk down the aisle of your local big box to see what the problem is and it sure ain't Coachmen....plastic base or not.:)

Glad to see you post and clear things up ......

Glad to see you post and clear things up ......

I will be there :hat: I got my room booked and the vacation time put in.
I am in for the long haul, I know the time is not good for allot of those that were part of FEST in the past, and the Diecast market has fallen some, but things will get better, and FEST should be able to go on in 2011 and eternity.
Mark, don't be let down by this, I am sure this event will still be fun for those able to make it (I'm gonna have fun!!) and we all can then focus ourselves for the next AUTOFEST. South Bend here I come:thumbsup:
Hey who has Pics of those PSR cars? lets get em on here!!

Mark Thanks for all that you do for Fest.

Mark,

Looking forward to being there on Friday and Saturday. Sorry about not being able to be there on Sunday but you know why and you know I would if I could.

FYI....

For anyone that has NOT been to one of Mark's events (AutoFest or Coachman), please know that Mark is one of the most hard working guys you will ever meet. He and the others that have supported the AutoFest for the past years have worked very hard at doing the right things to get companies involved. Nothing in life is FREE and Mark has worked with some of the best companies to get the products that collector's want.

With that said, in current economy, most of those companies are having issues of their own with their factories costs going up (raw materials) and in the past where a normal run of die cast 1:64 cars would be 25,000 peice run, they are now less than 6000 or 8000 total production. Where overruns use to be an option due to over production, that option is no longer available. No discounts....infact they now most charge a premium on special runs.

I hope everyone that has attended the AutoFest in the past will come out and support Mark and the many of us that do this for all the right reasons...having fun, meeting people that like having fun together and in the process we can even help some people that really need our support (charity Auctions - ADDWC).

In closing, I will be set up on Saturday and I will be selling slot cars as I normally do. Come out and have some fun!

Jeff

I take offense to the thought I'm lying about minimum orders. I copied the event team with the guidlines and those are in fact what we were told. It felt like a kick in the gut after 10 years but they ALL hade price hikes and they all increased minumums. Instead of being softer on the minimum numbers I'd get replies like........offer LESS variations. Well when you have 2000 of the same thing how does that help? The camper was very expensive and very exclusive, there was no plastic base (yes the camper is) and the minumum order was out of range. I tried M2, again a non plastic base and those orders fell far short but the price was in line. They just don't carry the same following yet for some. I don't remember EVER offering a plastic base car. Can somebody please post where I offered a plastic base car for 2010

I don't recall ever calling you a liar or implying you lied about minimum orders. I know the minimum order for a custom car from Greenlight is 2000 and that it costs alot, I'm pretty sure Kevin quoted me $14k. I was merely pointing out that they also offer to do overruns of already planned castings that are of a smaller quantity and less expensive and you can have them customized so that they are not like the regular issue car. And I believe my comment was about plastic BODIED cars not plastic based cars.

I don't recall ever calling you a liar or implying you lied about minimum orders. I know the minimum order for a custom car from Greenlight is 2000 and that it costs alot, I'm pretty sure Kevin quoted me $14k. I was merely pointing out that they also offer to do overruns of already planned castings that are of a smaller quantity and less expensive and you can have them customized so that they are not like the regular issue car. And I believe my comment was about plastic BODIED cars not plastic based cars.

What plastic bodied car did I offer? You mean the plastic camper section? Make that out of metal? GreenLight already addressed that issue.

Anyway. An overrun was not an option after two other attempts failed and the fact that the manufacturers could not tool it in time. You may ask GreenLight yourself at the show if you want as they will be there. I heard the usual....Holidays.....schedule not set.....China New Year Shut Down. Then I heard...we need a break.....too short a time.....wait until 2011 from the other half. You don't like the format, that's fine. I remember telling you myself the schedule would change for March this year and it wouldn't be the same as the past year. 2011 will be drastically different from 2010 as well. If you don't like cars, bikes, collectibles, don't come but don't blame Coachmen or the price BEFORE you come to the show.:)

EVERYONE has changed their habits and practices in the current economy.
The folks that still have money and a job are being MUCH more cautious with it. If it is business as usual for you at work during the last year then you are one of the lucky few that have been unaffected. Sales of luxury items (diecast, full size leather clad SUVs, vacations) are WAY down. This means less production, more headaches, and financially sound behavior for those still in business. The reluctance of a "BIG NAME" diecast company to commit to something that will be rushed and most likely expensive is completely understandable. I'm sure their heads are spinning trying to stay afloat.
I attended my first FEST last year. The format had changed a bit from previous years but from the enthusiasm of the attendees I could tell it was/is a special event. Thank you Mark et.al. for putting it on, I enjoyed it thoroughly. Change is inevitable and perhaps accelerated in these times. Like any business, Autofest must make all attempts to roll with the flow and do what it takes to stay alive. I regretfully will be unable to attend this event. I met some great folks last year and was looking forward to doing it again. Best of luck to the folks that get to attend and hang out together, smoke cigars, and talk diecast. For those that do attend, don't forget to help out the involved charities, in all this market mayhem their intake suffers. Last but not least, if you go, share pics here!

What plastic bodied car did I offer? You mean the plastic camper section? Make that out of metal? GreenLight already addressed that issue.

My mistake, I mistook the M2 offering as one of their "Clearly" cars, which are plastic. I have been corrected, all apologies.

Sounds like fun wish it was in the summer so we could attend good luck hope you have a great show this year

How about AutoFest 2010!

The new date is March 19th-21st, 2010.

Break out of that long cold cabin fever, dust that show car off and help kick spring into gear! This will be the Coachmen Cavalcade of Wheels 50th Anneversary and Fest's 10th so we look to be making this our biggest and best show ever. If you enjoyed the Century Center format wait until we take over the entire building! That's right, every floor, every room, every area will be chock full of Auto-Fest activities in every scale.

We took good notes from August, we'll fix the bad and make the good better so don't miss out. We are working on some VERY special casting ideas to celebrate both birthdays. Official plans and arrangements will be posted soon so keep your eyes open and your tax filings ready!:thumbsup:

The AutoFest team