Just two weeks after GNRS Pomona comes the Sacramento Autorama, or as I like to call it, “Sac-O-Rama”. This show is usually one of the classier Northern California shows, and with the falling of the San Francisco Rod & Custom Show, it’s the biggest indoor Hot Rod and Custom show in Northern California, at least that I’ve attended. For us, normally this show is a good excuse to get a nice hotel room and stay up in Sacramento, a city that, aside from shows, I’ve never really gotten to know very well. Sacramento is like Northern California’s LA, except for without the industry and money. In years past we’ve stayed in a hotel right down the street, and there’s nothing quite like waking up, strolling down to the lobby, and grabbing a cup of coffee while George Barris is eating oatmeal in a track suit at the table next to you. This year, however, with the tight economy, and the added stress of having two shops open, we didn’t get the hotel room, and I was stuck doing the show by myself. Vending solo is not just tough work, but emotionally exhausting. I’m lucky enough to work with people that I love, specifically my wife and Mother-in-law, and without them along, vending is just work. I’m still fortunate that it’s work with a beautiful backdrop, but it’s work nonetheless. I headed out on Thursday after class in San Francisco, and…
February 2011
Pomona is always a great way to start off the show season. Everyone has had a few months to prep their car and square away all of the little details that they’ve been neglecting, and the fact that Pomona is a primarily an indoor show makes people step up their game just a little bit more. For my wife and I, however, GNRS is a show that pushes us to our limits. We vend at car shows and run a shop for a living, so while everyone else has been taking time off and vacationing, we are just a few days off of our busiest time of year when it’s time to take on Pomona. Wiped out of merch from Christmas, and with me in my first week classes, our trip to Pomona is always challenging, to say the least. This year was no different. With two stores open now, we spent the few days before Pomona arranging someone to be at each shop, and stretched the little inventory that we had to fill each location. I’ll spare you the intricacies of our loading, because I’m sure that it’s as boring to read as it is to write. I will add, however, that because I had class during the day and we had to pack between two shops that are about an hour apart, we weren’t loaded up until 10:00 at night. We left the Bay in a hurry to…