went to the Bloomington gold show in Indy yesterday, what a sad show it was, it felt like I was at a funeral, local car shows have more going on
unless Bloomington gold moves to a bigger market, like Chicago, than its doomed, its not even worth walking across the street to see.

 

Great group of cars and people. Wouldn't miss it. Hopefully it will stay in Indy. It's a nice facility. Cool and dry. Any Corvette show, is a good show, imo. If people don't attend, it will kill it, just like any other event. Everybody needs to support them.

 

It has never been the same for me since it moved from it namesake town of Bloomington Illinois. They should go ahead and change the name to Indy Gold since that is where it is now. I know I won’t make the trip to Indy now. Just not the same and doesn’t seem to have that many of the older Vettes going to the show now. But that is just me…..😁

 

the few cars that were there are very nice, and the people are very nice also, but hopefully it won't stay in indy, people don't attend because indy is way to small of a market with
no other attractions, lets face it Bloomington was a 4 day show when it was at pheasant run, all the big players were there, now its 2 days in indy, that's not a good direction.
and no any corvette show is a good show when you drive 3 or more hours, if all the bigger players don't even show than that must say something, move it back to Illinois or it will die.

 

I went to my first Bloomington in 1978. Last one in 1992. Gold Certified my 1969 L88 there in 1985. Those days are gone forever and will never return. The hobby and the people have changed and its GONE! I stayed at the Holiday Inn every year. Those night time parking lot events were the stuff of legends.

 

You are correct. We had a hell of a run in those days we were young.Corvettes were cheap and the cops for the most part left us alone Except when the smoke from the burn outs set the fire alarm of at the Holiday Inn where we stayed. GREAT TIMES

 

One has to remember Covid. I spoke will several owners of large Corvette vendors while there they were in attendance. All said the same thing could not schedule to attend due one or more reasons. Staff, inventory and not sure there would be no restrictions for the event. I would agree the layout of the show was not customer friendly. Plus the rain on Friday evening and Saturday morning do not help attendance. But at 2PM people were still buy tickets to attend at the gate.

 

I first went in 1991. Also went in 92 and then in 93 after it outgrew Bloomington and moved to Springfield. Still was a great show then. My wedding was planned around the 1993 show. Went to the show Thursday, Friday and Saturday, then got married on Sunday. My wife planned it that way…..car girl fortunately and we are still married. Lololol

 

Moving it to another state and venue will not help bring it back to its heyday. It’s been in four different locations in Illinois and it got smaller every time it moved. I wouldn’t go back to the Chicago area if you paid me. Times change, and people change. Everybody’s gotten older and travel less and it’s easier to sell parts on eBay and the internet in general. Ive been going since 1974, and the judged cars have never been inside, until Lucas stadium. Covid has been the biggest effect on it, but hopefully next year, things will get back to normal all over this country.

 

I was there before it moved to Indy. Should go back to ILL.

 

The biggest problem with these shows I believe is definitely location. I've been the last 3 years and it's rained every time. Bloomington needs to find a place that has plenty of parking, and lots and lots of indoor space for all activities, not for just the cars themselves but also the vendors and the swap meet. A space big enough to drive trucks and trailers indoors so weather is not a factor. It has to be centrally located and it has to have other attractions for the family to enjoy other than just the cars. One place that comes to mind is the Corvette Museum. I'm not sure how much indoor space they have for what I described, but its a place of high interest, and they even have a track all Corvette owners can drive their cars on. Louisville has the Exposition Center that has hosted the National Street Rod Association's "Street Rod Nationals" the last 30 years and Kentucky Kingdom amusement park is even located on the same grounds with lots of places to stay with plenty of places to eat and the Corvette Museum is 2 hrs. south of Louisville. If this place is good enough to host 15,000 custom street rods and vintage cars every year I'm sure the Corvette folks would be pleased. It has to be at a place that is not impacted by weather where ever it's at.

 

This would be the biggest mistake they could possibly make.

People disappointed about their move have been saying this for years, but the fact is the #1 most valuable asset Bloomington Gold owns is their trademarked name, which is associated with their Bloomington Gold Certification.

The fact is the several moves have hurt the show, the advent of the Internet has destroyed the swap, the loss of the auction plus the massive proliferation of other classic car auctions and Internet sales have drained the car sales dry and panic moves like allowing Camaros there has disillusioned many of the remaining followers.

If you remember correctly, Bloomington returned to Bloomington at one point and that didn’t fix anything. A return to the Springfield/ state fairgrounds will not suddenly restore the massive swap and huge selection of cars for sale we had there in the 5 year run.

I don’t believe for a minute a nostalgic return to IL fixes anything. I started going to BG in 1981 and was involved with Bloomington Gold workshops for many years but I don’t know that the real reasons for the shows demise are as easily fixed as some people think. IMO making the show smaller, but emphasizing traditional draws like the swap and the car sales, maybe enticing another auction company, is how they might turn it around.

I also agree that an indoor site that weather-proofs the event is a necessary insurance policy so people can plan to attend without fear of it being washed out, although in its heyday BG had a downpour at some point almost every year. My buddies and I pulled out the $1 plastic rain ponchos when the rains started each year and we cleaned up at our (indoor) swap space. But the die hards of that era are long gone.

 

I agree with your comments. Times have changed and people have changed due to many things. Those years to me were the golden years of Bloomington Gold and we can't go back. Other major car venues have survived and others haven't just like other major businesses. I made the comment about the name should be changed to Indy Gold and made that comment tongue in cheek. There again, I don't think it would matter what it is called, it would not change the the outcome of where it is held or if the actual car show would survive.

 

...my first Bloomington also was '91. Went every year '91-2007. Also went to Indy in '15 & '18 which was my very last year. Loved it in Springfield!!! Seemed like the people of Springfield loved having us too. Was part of the largest(I think)Road Tour ever and I believe that record tour was in '94. I Survivor'd my '74 there that year and having a Survivor car meant you were able to be in the first group out. I remember coming back to the fairgrounds & tons of Corvettes still waiting to get started on the Road Tour!!! Was insane!!! Also loved how Springfield had those very cool BG yard signs all over-even got me a few back then too! They were always neat signs. It'll never be as big as it once was. Too many people into the newer Corvettes, like C7 & now C8 and they're leaving the older cars at home. It's just a much different time now. Plus the cost of the judging too has skyrocketed compared to what it was years ago. I believe I paid $165 to "Survivor" my '74 in '94. I can only imagine what it is now.

 

BG "Survivor" certification 2021 is $575 and "Benchmark" is $1400