i like going to car shows as a participant. 25$ is an amount most would spend to buy something for our cars that we don't even need [fuzzy dice, fancy valve stems,,do not touch signs, and many more]. by the way, i have all those things that i do not really need. guess i need them. anyway, i enjoy sharing stories and info with the people who come to the show. i have an old yellow convertible nicknamed spongebob. i have collected just about every spongebob stuffed animal character and i display them around my car. the kids love it all. at yard sales/flea markets/thrift stores i collect every spongebob toy i can find if they are cheap enough, and i give them away to the kids that come by.the smiles from the kids and the thank yous from the parents are worth paying to be able to sit there and do that. car shows afford you an opportunity to interact with other car people, share stories and get advice and info you can't find elsewhere. people love to talk about " the car they once had" or the one their parents or grandfather had.we get to educate people about old cars or to learn something from them. i agree with some of the negatives about some shows, so you have to pick ones that you like.i have never been to a show you cannot leave when you want to. if that was the rule i would not go unless it was important to me to be there. the last show i went to cost $20 to enter and i got back way more than that in goody bag stuff.last week i went to a car display at a local auto repair shop, free t shirt,mugs,othe trivia,food,and a $20 gift card to walmart. like anything else in life, you see what you want to see and you hear what you want to hear. dig! by the way, i am still looking for a Mrs Puff figure. capt den