Event Coverage Swapmeets turning into yard sales

I went to a yard sale, involuntary, saw a heavy duty engine hoist, with a engine level, and asked the lady how much, she replied 20 bucks, so I paid her. After it was loaded, I was waiting for my GF, and the seller came over and asked me it I was taking the rest of it. "What do you mean", I asked! She took me into the garage and show me a engine stand and several lengths of chain. So I took it all.
Two things that came back to bite me:
1. The lady was selling stuff that belong to her newly ex-husband, I felt a little crappy over that.
2. My GF was really piss, and would never take me to another yard sale.
Well I still have the hoist, chains, and engine stand, but the GF is long gone.

 

I get to swapmeets early, I am in line at Fitchburg Mass (vendor) at 4;00 A.M. almost 3 hours before the gate is scheduled to open. They have to open the gates at 6:00 A.M. because the drive is blocked as is the two lane road to the airport.

 

I don't mind yard sales at swap meets if it isn't too one-sided....I've bought some really cool car related things at so-called ''yard sales'' ...some of the sellers have 'more' stuff at home in that bulky old garage-shed they never go into. I realize it's about making money, and keeping things flowing along as smoothly as possible...I wish times were able to just keep it car related, but doesn't seem to be a ''family-tag-along'' focus anymore...seems like I've heard it's all about ''the experience'' of a yard sale now...and my wife doesn't complain too much at me if she finds something ''she likes'' that leaves me off-the-hook about a few things I might need in the car department.....I just hope it stays at least a 50/50% ratio...and not turn into a Tupperware extravaganza at every table in the future!

 

Household items have been an issue at swap meets in New Zealand for years, but some of our SM's are now stating automotive only. I really hate to see household and craft goods taking up space at swap meets but some organisers just like to take their money and think nothing of it. JW

 

A percentage seems like it would be fair, like 75% of items for sale need to be automotive related (including tools). A handful of old signs and bicycles and shit like that is OK but when you've got half the vendors selling Hotwheels and fake patina Man Cave signs and bullshit, that's when it really stops being worth going.

 

This is spot on-

http://www.hotrod.com/articles/10-p...10154550057876579&adbpl=fb&adbpr=138558591578

 

Maybe spot on & dead center of target too. A good read for sure. Flux

 

Right on Robert
Finally something worth getting out of bed for.
#5 is priceless " the hustler, he's wearing cologne, at a swap meet".

 

and number 11: the invisible guy, none of his shit is priced and his helper hasn't seen him in hours but can call him.
"what part?"
helper "long, greasy, looks like it is missing something"
"i don't know, what will he pay"

 

I started feeling like #3 no matter what I had so I quit!

 

#12, the Know-It-All: When you get to his stall, the Know-It-All is already deep in a one-sided conversation with some poor slob, pontificating on obscure minutia related to sprew positioning when 409 engine blocks were cast. You find something you want and think you’re ready to make a deal. Think again. Nothing is going to stop the Know-It-All once he’s got an audience. You stand politely for a while as he gabs on and on, his buddy hanging on his every word. You try to catch his eye, you move in front of him and wave the part back and forth. Finally you’ve had enough. “Excuse me, how much is this?” The Know-It-All starts and glares at you, then barks out a price you’re sure is double what he really wants for it. But that’s what you get for interrupting greatness. Just put the part down and walk away.

 

DONE THAT!!!!

 

The cousin of the "Know-it-all" is the "Bullshit Artist". He's jaw-jacking with somebody it obviously knows well, you can tell by the conversation over the big game. Ya, ya, ya, ya. You've picked up the part 'cuz you need it, but there's no price on it. The guy is still going on, oblivious to you standing in front of them with HIS part in your hand. Geez! I just want to spend some hard earned cash with you. Apparently you're not interested. Excuse me.
Hello... if you're there to sell something, wait on the customer!

 

The last time I went to the Portland Swap meet one of the few things I bought was a Magnesium worm drive Skill brand skill saw for 40.00 from a vendor who was selling off a bin of construction tools. That was after not finding any car parts I needed because we went on Sunday and won't do that again.
The Tri cities swap meet in Kennewick wa was full of yard sale junk last spring but I did find a lot of car parts

 

#10 is a myth, like unicorns, or the Loch Ness monster.


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Internet ruined it. Ebay, craigslist, and a thousand other websites have what you are looking for. Before the internet you had to search the classifieds, get lucky at a junkyard, or wait for the swap meets. For the sellers, swap meets were the only way to sell stuff. Load it up, lay it out, and pack out what didn't sell. A great way to spend the day, but if only one guy there wants to buy your 32 grille shell, you gotta take what he offers. Put it on the internet and you get what it's really worth. But the internet gave us the HAMB and many other great sites so I call it a good trade.

 

#13 The Drunk Guy-
The guy who started drinking before dawn. He will be hammered and shirtless by 8:00 A.M.
The drunk guy can be spotted from afar by his cut off jeans, work boots, and he will likely have a mullet.

The drunk guy will be selling the following-
Third generation F-body parts mostly Firebird
A milk crate full of junk Edelbrock carburetors because in his words "Holleys suck!"
Some mid eighties 10 bolt G.M. rears
And at least one box of Playboys

 

Robert you nailed it perfect !!!!!!

 

And the turn up late Guy that is only after really cheap stuff, hoping to get a bargain so the vendor doesn't have to take it home (I had friend that was this guy !!). If no
one else wanted it why would the late Guy? JW

 

The sob story guy, he wants to give you $50 for a part worth $200 that you have marked at $100. He is out of work and needs it to finish his project. He comes back at least 3 times and ends up getting it for $75. Which was the original counter offer that he could not afford. No big deal......then later in the day you run into him at his booth and there is your part marked at $200. #5 guy?

 

I agree with some of you ,I get upset when three or four old friends stand in front of the table I want to look at and they shuck and jive for 20 minutes,all the time people have to walk around and the guy doesn't get to sell anything. If you want to talk old times ,find a friggen tree and set down under it and get out of the way.
My daughter used to go with me ,stocked with Rice -krispy treets and sodas ,she usually made more than I did. Most garage sales around here start on Friday now ,I'm hot on them early and get a lot of stuff just because they don't know what they have. Recently a garbage can full of hubcaps, was a full set of 4 for 57 chevys,4 Dodge lancers, and some beauty rings for a Mopar. Bought for $7 ,sold for $156.

 

You never know when you will need a used Kitchen Magician!


Thank God for Hershey

 

We all pretty much just walk past the people selling non auto parts related garbage. But when half of the swap meet is non related, someone has to take the step to let it be known that the swap meet is not a crappy flea market. I'm that guy and I have no qualms about doing it.

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$80 on Amazon with original box. Nice find!

 

Pretty easy to spot these guys' cars at events too, you know the ones, they have mismatched wheels and none of them cost more than $15 each when new in the 80's.
He's the guy grousing about such and such swap meet "ain't for shit anymore" because he went Sunday to a Sat./Sunday meet.

 

He'll have one old Hustler on top of the Playboy pile and he'll put the box right up front to terrorize parents of small kids. His language will get louder and more vulgar as the morning wears on. It'll redline when he wants to kick the ass of the guy who dared question the price of a late 80's Camero steering wheel with the horn button missing.

"We need security over by the torta stand please"


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how about the "we are only here to tell our friends we went" guys. they walk the meet three abreast at a snails pace towing a large wagon behind them. only thing in the wagon is an event sweat shirt and a 200 pack of zip ties. not really looking, just complaining about the prices.

 

Thank you for this post. It reminded me to find out when the swapmeet in devore Cal was coming up. Sept 25th.

 

I agree with everything posted, but, there is the other side, the buyer, who approaches your swap meet display with a swagger bigger than John Wayne, and passes himself off as a person of genus level automotive smarts. I let the fool banter for a while and after he finally exposes his crummy knowledge and profound lack of automotive history I cut him down to size with extreme prejudiced. He finally quiets down and walks away. Have a nice day!

 

Rhinebeck was a flea market at best. I am sure some found parts and got deals . from my perspective as a first and last time vendor,its hard to sell rare speed equipment when you are surrounded by $1 tables,crafts and just shit. It seems it took 48 years to run it into the ground.