I have a somewhat skewed opinion of trophys and car shows. If a person is entering a concours show, where originality and perfection of a mark is what is on display, well it's nice to be recognized for all of the hard work that is required to attain such. However....I have attended many car shows where owners will show up, display, and when the judging is over, if they haven't been notified of being considered, they pack up and leave early, their whole point was to win a trophy. This is ruining the hobby.
My feeling is that at these generally informal style car shows, participation and a common interest in machines should be the glue that binds us, not awards.
Having restored hot boats, I've attended lots of shows with my rigs where a painter will stack the deck for "best paint" by having 4 or 5 of his top paint jobs trailered there, or I've seen people drive all the way from the Midwest to California to compete for trophys. With enough money, anyone can walk away with a trophy for something, but money people scare away lesser participants from showing....it shouldn't, but it does.
These days, I still enjoy entering various car or boat shows, but I write in bold letters "NOT IN COMPETITION" on the entry forms. Although years back, I've won gold and silver ( first and second place), best trailered, best engine, and people's choice for my work on other people's vehicles , I personally enjoy just showing off my stuff and getting to know some of the people. I never go home disappointed.
