TOPIC: How was it done before the Internet??

Since I started the 'hobby' (Perhaps obsession is a better word??) only recently, I've always had the resources of the internet on hand to help. I found my first 'glassic on Craigslist, And bought it sight unseen, paying with paypal.

It was missing some critical hardware, which I PROBABLY could have replicated- But I found and bought another boat of the same year that was beyond salvage to 'borrow' the parts from. The boat was in New Hampshire- I'm in Tennessee- There is probably no way I'd have located it without the internet.

My custom craft came to me via the internet as well- It's previous owner lives a few miles north of me on the same lake, But we connected through the Glasspar owners assn page. I'd have never met the guy, or found the boat, without the internet.

Most recently, I brought home a Lake N Sea... It was mostly intact, after going over it, I found it was only missing hinges from a seat, and, unfortunately, the cool cast dash Lake N Sea emblem. Now, Where in the world would I come up with THOSE?? The internet, of course...



A week ago, the emblem was sitting in Ohio on an old boat in the weeds behind a boat store- Rotting away. Now, thanks to this site, and the help of a fellow enthusiast, they're at my house waiting to be used to restore my otherwise complete boat.

So- How WAS this done before? I can't even imagine!

-Andrew

Monthly newsletters in U.S. snail mail & swap meets were the two sources for Antique outboard purchase in the North east since early 1980's.

.. Course the fiberglass fever got started about 10 years ago around 2000. . Inboard wood boats had the ACBS show circuit & their RUDDER magazine. Outboard wood & al boats were slowly traded via members.

..Other regional ads were the weekly swap papers , sometimes free or 35 cents, come out on a Tuesday or Wed , know as PENNY-SAVER, WANT AD DIGEST , or even to this day in MAINE called UNCLE CHARLEY's.

. Great place to SELL stuff on the high end market was "HEMMINGs MOTOR News " out of Bennington , VT. Mostly vintage car stuff , but had a non - car section in back . I sold a very rare 29 Indian outboard for $1,000 mid 80's this way , calif guy called on kitchen wall phone ,one night to upstate New York ., & I had to seperate upper & lower unit for the 75 lb weight limit of UPS & two boxes went to Calif.

I used to run wanted ads in every little advertiser within 200 miles of me. Posted flyers on grocery store bulletin boards.

In the early 90's I published an advertiser that competed with Walnecks Cycle Trader - but came out every two weeks - had some success but printing and postage costs killed it.

Of course going to swap meets...

It took a lot more hustle and time. This is instant gratification compared to then. But in a lot of ways it was more fun then. Finding an item or part was a real triumph. Now it's routine.

Forums have made "clubs" unnecessary. We're in constant contact now, no waiting for a club magazine or mailer. But the flip side to that is the loss of personal contact. Show and meet attendance is way down.

I'd say that Craigslist has had the biggest effect. It was too expensive to advertise a lot of items in papers - but people throw things on CL all the time 'cause it's free. That's a real boon to us.

So you get more things more quickly - but is it as much fun?

I dunno.

Peter
in Denver

For conducting research on the history of boat builders I would (and stil do) go to library's, state and local historical society's, archives, and museums. Lots of paging thru old newspapers on microfilm. I ask questions at the local cafe of anyone sitting there. County courthouses have unbeleivable records for factual corporate information if you know what to look for. These types of records are still there in big books - most counties have not digitized them. Legal research can be helpful. Bankruptcy records. Tons and tons of leg work with phone calls and letter writing just to find out if a certain library and archive might have something related to the topic. Lots of miles driving here and there. Genealogical research can lead me to descendants of company owners and other personnel.

I have hired professional researchers to dig for stuff when I physically cannot get to a location. Just did that this winter for some research in Florida on a boat builder of interest to me.

For parts and pieces, yup, swap meets of not just boaty stuff, but snowmobiles, autos, campers, flea markets, antique stores, vintage boat gatherings, newspaper ads, newsletters, etc... Lots of leg work.

Yup, the computer and Internet have made things simpler, but there still is a great deal of leg work. The Library on this site is an amazing asset.

Andreas

The simple answer is, it wasn't done - at least by the average Joe.
And it wasn't done for humble crafts such as fiberglass boats and cheap automobiles (Fords, Chevys, Dodges).

It was mostly a hobby for the rich and delegated to high dollar wooden boats and super cars.

Or it was all custom work - hodge podge boats and cars with bits and pieces from many different boats thrown together to make one boat either for economics ot STYLE.