I could only go on Friday. We left at the crack of dark, got there about 7:30 its a three & one half hour drive for me, it was cool and overcast and the rain held off till around 3pm. Seemed to me there were a good number of empty spots that vendors had left already. Many were packing up to leave on Friday afternoon. Wasn't looking for anything but did pick up some small stuff, prices did seem high on some stuff. Highlight of my day was walking orange field and when I turned to start up another row I came face to face with Wayne Carini from Chasing Classic Cars. Only got to say hi they were moving quite fast with a film crew in tow headed to one of the spots to film something for his show I guess. Buckeye Buick I worked in Harrisburg in the 90's and ate at the Glass Lounge many times. Hadn't been there in 18 yrs. stopped on Friday for dinner and the food was just as great as I remembered.
I sold the 39 Transmission I took out of the 32 five window ( Coleman Coupe) this winter and replaced it with a rebuilt one I had. Anyway these guys are looking at it and I am telling them it needs synchro's and to be gone through. They ask what I had it in and I tell them the car came from (was built) in Denver and a guy named Don Coleman had built it. Well these guys are from Denver and had known Coleman and the car. Small world! I guess that is my best story for this Hershey. Had a great time as always and good weather.
Set up on Tuesday and was surprised at the number of buyers, Wednesday was good, Thursday was not? A lot of sellers decided to leave early as they felt like they were getting beat down to much and the weather looked iffy. I thought the car corral prices were out of line for the driver quality cars, the exceptional cars were high but you could not build them for the price. The foreign buyers seemed to be bargain hunting and not as friendly as in past years. Friday was ok until it decided to rain and although the rain didn't last most packed up near us. Traffic was slow and bumper to bumper all the way to Richmond. Can't wait for next year.
this thing has nothing to do with performance. when i asked the guy standing on the spot about it all i got was a funny look. its 2 model A carbs on upside down over 2 flanges that didnt even match up that go direct into the intake valves, single barrel carb with a speed control and governor . think "air" LOTS OF "AIR". and a V8 that only runs on 4 cylinders .
I went Wednesday and Saturday. Great weather Wednesday and I walked just about every aisle. Saturday AM it rained then got nice and the judged cars were absolutely amazing. Most vendors had left, but there were a few deals-also fewer piles of junk by the trash cans-sign of the times? I found a lot of vendors wanted solid gold prices for solid iron oxide items. Sometimes, I didn't even try to bargain, there was no reasonable deal in sight. The car corral was quite full and there were a lot of pretty nice cars you could not build for anywhere close to the asking price. I saw an unrestored Packard go for $250K. so somebody was buying. I don't quite get the $1.25 mil price on the 427 Cobra up for auction (ChevyGirlRox was in the auction display tent, I think), but I would have brought the $2-3million dollar Mercer Runabout home if they'd left the key in it. I had a great time-waiting for next year!
I was one of the guy's that traveled 20 hours one way from Canada, Since I traveled that far I was a serious buyer with cash. took a week off(wife also) $500 in gas, $500 hotel. I also was very disappointed in high prices. end up only buying for $300, was ready to spend more than 10 times that. this was a repeat of the last time i went. love the experience but may be my last time going. Got the same reason over and over again (i seen one like this on ebay for $$$$) , price where so high that i didn't want to insult with my offer most of the time. Maybe should stay home and buy off ebay
Last year I went on Thursday and they were predicting rain for the rest of the week. We got there early and hit it hard. Starting drizzling on and off at 9:00 am. Most vendors were looking up at the sky and dropping their prices and I got some SERIOUS deals. I came away with a LOT of parts AND money in my pocket by the time the rain came to stay for the rest of the week at 2:00 pm and almost all the vendors covered their wares. This year the weather was great and the prices went up accordingly. Good thing my list was short. I still got a good deal on the main item I was looking for. I needed a grill shell for my AV8. Didn't see many, maybe half dozen all day and most were either crap or too perfect and a LOT of money. Was looking for a '32-'34 Ford commercial grill. My buddy asked me what I was exactly looking for. I told him, "32-'34 truck grill in good but a little beat up condition. No rot, but I want the dents and dings. Preferably with the top already filled and I want it in black with patina. I'll settle for a car grill, though." The next aisle he pointed out a '32 car grill that was EXACTLY what I told him I was looking for. Got it for a good price too, but had to haggle seriously and was walking away when the guy called me back and said okay to my last offer. Also found an original set of steel rain gutters for my '31 Tudor in very good shape. Wasn't even looking for those. Sure as heck beats the aluminum repops that suck and take about 15 hours or more to bend and fit with much cursing. Wasn't even looking for those but could not pass them up. Only pair I have ever seen and on mock-up they fit perfectly. Score. Bought a bunch of other smalls, but nothing to talk about. Sad that it is only once a year. Can't wait for next year. I'm doing it two days next time. Andy
Thanks Mark, that is the photo of the meet IMO. He had a great time loading up the stuff that came home. Bob
The "high prices" thing wears me out a bit. I ask less than what I see/paid for the stuff I've had to get for jobs over the years, or what I think is a friendly price. The other side of the table seems to think they're duty bound to offer 1/2 as if they feel like a "pawn star" or a "picker" and that I should be as duty bound to allow profit. That was what I observed from behind the tables for 3 days. Even my friends next to us that were selling single digit stuff got arguments for a $3 part! "...how about 2?" Seriously? Car prices this year went from ridiculously low to ignorantly high. The best deal in the meet, perhaps in the country, was on that 42 Olds fastback. $12,500 was the asking price and the car couldn't be painted for that today. The chrome bill had to be 1/2 again as much, the interior couldn't be done for that. It's pictured in one of the posts above. Seeing "Sold" on the winshield I simply remarked "Uh, ya think?" Hershey is the place to find what you never see on C'list or evilbay. It's the place to meet folks from around the country you don't get to see otherwise. It's the place to learn more about what you already have or what you aspire to. I'm not selling next year at all. I'm not willing to argue over $5, or take $200 for a $1000 transmission, or hear that the distributor in near perfect condition is incomplete. No shit Sherlock, would you like a $500 cap for it as well at my $75 asking price? Even though the items I did sell went well it's not worth the 36hrs of bullshit to get them there. It used to be different. There was an unspoken rule about manners and respect for your fellow vendors/seekers. That's fading fast, and it seems to be the old salts that are the most rude lately. After decades of respect I get insults in return? Last but not least, I get an "...I'll take it" from a guy on the 40 Stude. "See you in the morning..." was his response when I told him the owners accepted his offer. I guess he didn't say which morning. After several calls I swear he said "...him again..." during one of the few answer/hangups. If he reads this at all I have a public "Go fuck yourself" he can read too. Your word used to be something of value, yet now it seems like a punchline to a bad joke. No matter, I won't change a bit since it's served me and mine well for a lifetime. The rest can live in the misery they like to create around a special event and an even more special life of vintage iron. Sucks to be you...
We left central mo at 1:00 tuesday morning and arrived in harrisburg around 5 in the evening. About 15 hours of driving. Turned my gps tracker on, and we walked 5.3 miles Wednesday, 4.4 Thursday and 3.5 feiday before it started sprinkling. Happy to say I saw every booth. Didnt buy much though. Prices were out of line. I was surprised at the number of foreigners. I bet 10% of the public weren't speaking english. As I walked past a booth, the seller yelled at the top of his lungs, "We need a translator, anybody speak French?" I came away with a set of blc 682-j's for $60. That was prob my deal of the week. Bought a arctic cat minibike frame for $50. Dad collects oil filters that fit 56-57 chevys and he got a really cool wix oil filter display stand. I was looking for vs57 mcculloch supercharger brackets for my sbc, but didnt find any. Bought a passenger door for my A, but had to pay too much. Its a hell of a swap meet, but I think I will pass on making it an annual pilgrimage.
I am a newbie to Hershey, but my general observation after comparing it to other swap meets I have attended regularly for 25 years is it looked like a mall full of teenagers with no cash, that is nothing being bought. I am used to being in swap meets and seeing masses of stuff being dragged out any way possible, carts, shoulders, two people carrying stuff either end, etc..in two days I saw maybe handfull of people actually carrying stuff out. Either the prices are just crazy which stopped anyone from buying stuff or most people are there to hang out and get their walking excersize. Most likely a little of both. I loaded up best I could, mostly smalls for spares for the 47 caddy, wanted to find a pair of 37 buick running boards for one of my cars but no such luck. I went with friends who have been attending for decades and a lot of the stuff for sale they had seen for sale for years by the same vendor. That means the price is too high. When I sell at swap meets it is stuff I want gone and dont want to take home, I think a lot of the vendors must be doing this for a living and not to clean out the garage. Other than some smaller stuff I negotiated on prices on everything I bought, and the vendors were fine with it. One vendor got really offended when my friend made a lower offer on a piece of T inside window trim he could use even though it was so rust pitted there wasnt much left of it. When I sell at swap meets I expect buyers to haggle, it is part of the fun of the experience and prices are adjusted accordingly. I actually considered going to Hershey to sell, but after seeing how much stuff was actually moving I will pass on that and probably pass on going back for awhile. The parts for sale for the most part looked the same as the stuff normally for sale at the local swap meets. Even if I was building something oddball enough that I had to find parts I imagine the prices would be crazy anyway. Looking forward to Bristol CT and loading up big time!
Yeah, how is it that they have a swap meet that covers upwards of 75 acres and don't have a way of hauling parts? Acreage estimate may be off, but it's huge! Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
I can remember Hershey in the grass field days. My buddy and I carried a engine hoist from the back lot until a young enterprising youth offered to haul it in his radio flyer. We happily paid him $20 and helped him pull it. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Like everything else it was better in the "old days". Still the best thing going today and 20 years form now, this will be the "old days".
I still think I got a deal on the NOS 1928-29 Sedan/Touring Right Rear Fender at $150.00. Stepped up and paid $200.00 for a 1931 Vicky cowl because it had the hinges I needed, NEVER saw any other hinges after I bought it on Tuesday. Half the stuff we brought sold, and I can't think of one negative moment other than the rain on Friday. See you at Hershey 2015! Bob
Bought a passenger door for my A, but had to pay too much. Its a hell of a swap meet, but I think I will pass on making it an annual pilgrimage.[/QUOTE] If the door was so overpriced,Why did you buy it? No one forced you to.
I walked the grounds for four days.Tuesday was the best for me . I was looking for pieces to make art work mostly and items to flip along with vintage camper stuff.I collect old battery hand held testers and got a nice brass one .Got to talk to a bunch of nice people with Scotty campers.The 63-64,s were out in force!!. All in all I did quite well.Learned the hard way if you want something,BUY IT NOW,it will either be gone or the vendor themself.Meet some Hambers,Mike Roman etc. Weather held out real good.Camper pulled like a dream There is so much to see and you can learn alot about all kinds of stuff.Got to watch some of the racecar runs then got back to walking.I always find something the 2nd time around.Ive been seeing that goofy guy with the cart walking around there for over 25 years and always say hello.Heres some of my pictures.
great fun! met some fellow "hambers" flop, banjorear scarrylarry. i found some neat stuff for my car, a nos sector shaft for the steering box [i thought] $5. A nos steering sector for a 33 chevy [might be for my model] $20, a whole steering box/column/wheel for a 32 four door [parts might interchange] guy was asking $150 i asked what his best price was and he said $50. i also bought two DIFFERENT steering wheels from the SAME vendor that had them both marked 33 chevy. they were marked $40 and $35. i asked him what models they fit, and he said he did not know but said i could have them both for $40. i found a nos preheater switch for my oliver super 55 for $5. i sold a set of 59ab heads to a couple guys from mexico, some caddy parts to a guy from sweden. i also sold a grill shell for a 37 chevy pickup that i left on the field LAST YEAR that appeared back on my spot this year.
this was Bruce experiencing a bad case of death wobble after i pushed him as fast as i could. the wheels would oscillate so badly it would almost stop the wheel chair. View attachment 2736740
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