Missing Vendors?

[markha]

So.. we are out for Halloween Weekend and there seem to be a lot of vendors missing. Sorry don’t know the names, but all these are missing... tri-trip sandwich place, short bus ice cream, couple t-shirt places and then the ice cream truck that used to drive around. Correction, ice cream truck just showed up, but still missing a lot for Halloween. 

 

So... what’s changed? Is it just too hot or is BLM charging too much now for the vendor permit?

 

Edited October 28, 2017 by markha

[dunefreak]

I've heard the BLM has made it more and more difficult for vendors. 

 

Beefy Boys sold their trailer and setup. I didn't see the short bus ice cream truck this time either.

 

It's too bad Dumont doesn't have a private strip of land like Glamis for vendor row. 

[sand chick]

This was GTP Off Road's last trip out on Vendor Row and the rumor that I heard was that the other small parts truck was done as well (But I am just repeating hearsay)

 

BLM has gotten stricter on what can and can not be sold on Vendor Row. It has affected several vendor's businesses.  

 

The guys that bought the old Beefy Boys food truck ( they haven't decided on a name yet) did a tremendous job on their first trip out! Their food was good, good sized portions at a great price. I hope they are just as supported as Beefy Boys was in the past!

 

There were numerous vendor's missing from the past years. Hog Heaven hasn't returned for the last two years. Grandpa's Ice cream disappeared two years ago, as well as a couple of shirt groups, including Racin Dirty and Big Belly Crew. I remember back in the days when Vendor Row was full on both sides.... 

 

Vendor row seems to be dying more and more every year...

Maybe that Amazon Drone Delivery Service will hurry up and get Dumont on it's area...   (sarcasm)

 

It is a ton of work just to make it to vendor row and then when you are out there, you are working from sun up, to well after sun down. Set up, tear down and helping customers. 

 

This year the missing included: 

The Short Bus Ice Cream

For Life t shirts

SPK Offroad

Jerico something, they sold a variety of items, flags, lights, t-shirts

The RV Rental and T-Shirt place

 

The only vendor's this year were:

GTP Off Road (last time, we are done vending)

DuneMart

California Casuals

Desert Bling

Baker Ice which now owns the old Beefy Boys truck

Another ice truck, but they were intermittent 

Dirty Mindz

and 

the curly fries and corn dogs place (I don't know their name)

 

 

As for GTP Off Road, it takes a tremendous amount of work to go out there and vend. They have to break down the entire show room and load it into the trailer, haul it out there, in years past, either Mike or Adam would have to make two trips, just to get the vending trailer to the dunes, this year, I was able to drive it out. Then unload everything and reset up the show room when they return. They have to turn work away the week before any vending trip, just to get ready. GTP Off Road is a two person small business (I only help out and have a full time job.) The guys are wanting to concentrate their time on more shop work, improving further their customer service, product inventory and turn around time in the shop, getting rides ready for those big holiday weekends.

 

 

 

My own personal opinion, and not the opinion of GTP Off Road (I am only a hired hand)

There were numerous trips where we spent  more of our time out on vendor row watching people walk by, then helping people out. We are duners ourselves and truly enjoyed being able to save people's weekends and be there when they needed us. That was where the joy was in it, duners helping duners. If we weren't vending, we would have been duning. They did not excessively mark up their prices just because they were on vendor row, they kept their prices the same as in town.  I heard it frequently,  "buy it in town or on amazon, the prices are over marked just because they are out here." If the vendors aren't supported, they won't keep coming. They can't stock every nut and bolt and part, and bring it out, they wished they could have, but it's impossible. I hope that another parts person or operation steps up and fills in the gap.  

 

 

Edited October 30, 2017 by sand chick

[RzrDonkey]

A big thanks to GTP  for saving my weekend by having a tie rod for a turbo on hand. Sad to see the vendor all leave but if the blm makes it difficult for them to be able to vend and the business isn't there to really make it worth while I understand.