Duane M. Evarts,

Guitar Show Organizer

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The Douglas County Guitar Show was born out my frustration of just wanting to sell a couple of my old guitars and other music related gear. Because some of the items were heavy, oversize or delicate (or all three!), I determined that eBay was inappropriate for a number of reasons. Likewise, inviting “looky-loos” to my house from a Craigslist ad was also undesirable. Finally, I thought - "The Mile High Flea Market", it's not too expensive to sell but it's not really marketed to an audience of musical instrument buyers. And of course as an outdoor venue there is always the concern of wind, dust, rain or searing heat. It's just not really the kind of environment that serious musical instrument buyers, sellers and traders would consider.



So I started researching guitar shows throughout the US, thinking I could just find a local show and go sell my gear. Here is what I discovered.

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Event                                                    Sellers     Admission
Guitarlington, TX - booth      $475.00      $15.00
Chicago, IL - booth                    $420.00      $15.00
So California - booth                $400.00      $15.00
Bay Area, CA - booth                 $400.00     $15.00
Nashville, TN - booth               $350.00      $15.00
So. Carolina  - booth                 $325.00      $15.00
Central Coast, CA - booth      $200.00      $10.00
Tempe, AZ - outdoor                $195.00      $FREE!
Brookdale, NJ- table                $175.00       $10.00
Ohio Guitar Show - table          $95.00         $8.00

And many, many others… you get the idea.



 

The picture was clear not only was the Rocky Mountain region severely

 

unrepresented, as guitar shows go, but the price to be an independent or private vendor at one of these other shows for only a few items was simply cost-prohibitive. My research further determined that there hadn't been an event specifically promoted as a "guitar show" in the State of Colorado since around  2006. I couldn't believe that in the entire Rocky Mountain region there were not enough musicians to support a low-cost, mid-sized, community-based, safe, fun, family-friendly, guitar show/expo/swap/collector type event at least once a year.

 

 



I invite you to participate in Colorado guitar show history by supporting this event as a vendor, attendee or sponsor this year and hopefully in the years' to come.