Done that swap several times. It's a 6 hour drive and didn't sell much so not worth going back. But that's how swap meets are now .
I went to the cedar rapids swap for 25 years or so, haven't gone in a couple of years now. seems like it was dwindling and not worth the 5 hour one way trip. I did find some really great stuff there over the years. And that is where i found my lawn mower!!!!' https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...he-cedar-rapids-swap-was-a-lawn-mower.466562/
Yes we know you got tons of good stuff. We could see you carrying all our vintage Iowa goodies out the gates and back to Minnesota. Pretty much every year! Almost made us think about going up to your Twin Cities Roadsters swap and showing you how it feels when out-of-state guys pillage all your good stuff.
haven't been there for years .used to be all around race track and around all the buildings. not so anymore?what is it like now.
Last fall and last spring for that matter it was pretty much rained out. Just a handful of vendors outside and the same guys with their same stuff in the same place in the only inside building.Which was not full. I don't know why I go each year, but I do. Probably cause it is only 1 hour away. Rumor is that the Spring show may not be anymore. Anyone confirm that?
hi.asked this morning about how big the swap meet is anymore. used to go to the spring and fall.is the racetrack not even full?dont wanna drive all that way if it is small now. can someone that goes please post.thanks
The last one I remember where the weather didn't screw it up I'd say the track (and east side of building) was about 2/3's capacity. I very rarely miss one but I'm only 45 minutes away.
My brother and I will be going. The last fall was really small, but there was a threat of a big rain storm which did come through about 10AM. Last spring was kinda small too, but I don't know what caused that. I think the internet has something to do with it, but I hope not. I'd like to see this meet continue indefinitely, cause I love swap meets.
The spring swap meet is hosted by the local Model A club and the fall swap meet is hosted by the Antique Automobile Club of America. Both swap meets used to run for two days, Saturday and Sunday. The membership is getting old and dying off and replacement members are in short supply. The clubs are finding it tough to man the swap meets with their available members so they switched to one day only. Some of vendors stopped coming when it went to one day as they said it was not worth the travel, set up and tear down time for just a 9 hour swap meet. It can still be a decent swap meet but it is a mix of old car parts, wore out stock car parts, some new sped parts, junk motorcycles, lawn mowers (and all of the cool lawn mowers end up in Minnesota!), Chinese tools and toys. There is a guy that usually sets up inside with new and reproduction Tri-5 Chevy parts. There are still good finds there but you need to sort through the other junk to find them. And anymore it is getting tough to find a swap meet much less a real good one. I have not bought anything there for the last few years and it has become more of a social event for me to catch up with people I only seem to see at the swap meet.
Even on the rain-threatened swap meet last fall I was able to fill a pickup truck in 3 hours. I brought home plenty of parts to make it worthwhile. I never knew about the shortening to one day issue, because I'm never there on the second day. Any serious swapper is there when the gates open. If he shows up on the second day expecting to find rare parts he is fooling himself.
A little windy but good, vender turn out was up and prices were good I found a fuel cell a pair of model a headlight lenses a gas pedal with cables and a pair of 2 piece front wheels stamped Sears & Roebuck on the back
...we need more pics.. ...here's some pics from 2016,..this has always been a good swap...hope it keeps going.
"Any serious swapper is there when the gates open. If he shows up on the second day expecting to find rare parts he is fooling himself." I agree but I mentioned the loss of the second day as it kept some of the long time vendors from coming back. The vendor count has been dwindling for years.
Maybe they should promote it better. I live 45 minutes away and I'm just finding out about it Sunday night.
I bought a decent 40 rear fender, 40 standard headlight doors, NOS flathead chrome plug wire looms, a repro 32 rear floor, some old Ford hubcaps, and I was this close to pulling the trigger on an OK pair of 32 coupe rear fenders for $250.
As for promoting it, I don't remember ever seeing any advertising anywhere for this meet except for a few fliers handed out at some other swap meets. Never any radio, newspaper or other advertising. Us regulars just know the approximate weekend and look up the exact date on the Hawkeye Downs website.
Agreed, took some serious net searching for me to confirm the date. I only spent $3 on myself but loaned (I hope! lol) my sons/grandson about $230 for their mostly OT purchases. These are the only hamb friendly pictures I took.
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