Event Coverage Another one bites the dust (well starting to)

Just received a flyer from the Iola WI Swap meet folks. Seems this year to fill the voids of the overpriced swap spots they are adding a new "Flea Market" area to the swap meet grounds. Taking a portion(starts this way) of the once auto related swap spaces areas and letting in antiques,household goods,crafts, glassware, artwork and jewelry. Great Right? That ought to bring out more customers to buy our CAR related parts.I disagree with this completely. Instead of lowering entry fees and swap spots this is their answer. In my opinion this is the start of the end to this once wonderful CAR event.

 

I'm afraid many of the swap meets have turned into flea markets with a few car parts being offered. HRP

 

We still have two good swap meets in the Houston area, although both have the bullshit vendors mixed in

 

Sign of the times. Anyone who coughs up the cash for a vendor space can sell post-holes if they want to.

 

Just wish I could find out about a swap meet around BEFORE it actually happened.....

 

I have gone to the Iola swap meet every year except for 2 since 1978. Once the Old Cars Magazine people let it go it slowly went down hill. The land for the camp ground was donated, and they still mow it for hay every year, but the camping fees still go up, with more restrictions every year. Next they replaced the tractor pulled wagon shuttles with old fucking school buses, that an adult doesn't fit into and expect us to get our parts back to the campground in a fucking bus. No one that has gone there for years is happy with how it is being run now. Must be run by bean counters instead of car people. It will be gone in a few more years, or be a very small insignificant event.

 

I quit Iola and Jefferson years ago.
Both were awesome pre-internet and maybe 5 years after most everyone was on it.
When I came to the conclusion I could make more money AND save on all the costs of swapping it made no sense to make the drive.
As a seller it was obvious other vendors were not bringing their best parts to the swap

 

Well, at least the various car clubs get to fill out the last day or two of the event, helping out w/the fees. Due to, I gather, almost no vendors staying on sat/sun? Kinda pointless to go there as a "club" event, w/o the vendors.
Marcus...

 

Happening everywhere, the englishtown NJ swap meet has been half yard and household junk for years. Now even worse half the spaces on one side of the meet are no longer available, being leased to someone and so even less spaces with parts to shop. Luckily it is still there and I still have 3 or 4 others within decent driving distance in the spring and summer. Going to be a sad day when they close down, but the good thing is ebay fees have gotten so high I think more stuff is taken to the meets now.

 

Same thing here in the Pacific Northwest. It seems if you want to buy a old chain saw or lawn mower its getting to be the place to go.

 

You have to get your parts somewhere, the wreckers don't let you in to browse so you might as well go. I guess it is something like fishing; you never know when that treasured piece will show up.

 

I have that Cedar Rapids flyer and I never saw that. The track was over 60% of the whole swap when the event was hopping.What bugs me is it will still cost the same to get in to buy or as a vendor with over 60% of the vendors gone.Then they wonder why attendance of buyers is down. Then fewer vendors and the downward spiral goes on.

 

No disrespect but you guys don’t know how lucky you still are.

 

I got the same Iola flyer and I also was kinda bummed. If they keep the flea market stuff cordoned off from the rest of the show, I guess I'm OK with that, I like flea markets, I just don't want them mixed in with the swap vendors. They also talked about "health and wellness" vendors, no idea what that's going to be but it sounds dumb.

I've been to every Iola since I was 12 and I'm sure I'll continue to go. Gene Winfield is scheduled to come again so that's cool. I'm sure if the new vendor stuff doesn't go over well, they won't do it again, same as the bands they tried to have. It'll never be like it was before, but if we all quit going, they won't have it at all, and in my opinion, that's the bigger tragedy.

 

Last year at Iola I counted 15 weed wackers for sale in the swap meet. A definite marker of it's demise.

 

Car swap meets were great in the old days, very sad to see them end this way. If you have an eye for it there are non automotive items you can buy and flip, you just have to know more than the seller. Bob

 

First you have to ask yourself. How many items have you bought and sold off craigslist. How many items have you bought and sold off the internet (E-bay). Swapmeets have to survive someway. The way people do business is changing if you haven't noticed. And it change a whole lot more. But you already know this. I resist change, I still don`t have an I phone or E`mail yet(use the wife`s when needed). I do attend a fair amount of swapmeets. I buy maybe at the most 1 item a month from the internet.

 

The internet has killed swap meets, why would anyone hold on to the "good stuff" until Hershey or another large meet when you could sell it on line for what it is worth or more? Yes, eBay isn't wat it was years ago, but it is the way a lot of stuff gets sold. You can even overpay and wind up saving money, no more weekends away, gas, motel, and meals, just hit that Buy it Now at three in the morning and you got that part. Bob

 

Forgot to mention, the loving hand of the govt is also involved, esp w/swap-sellers. At least in MN, IIRC, you get 1 (ONE) swap w/o taxation issues, the rest you're supposed to declare, same as if you run a licensed business; = required cost-basis. Meaning w/o (proper) receipts, your cost basis = 0 (ZERO), therefore everything is 100% profit. Now cough up the GD taxes. You get to sign paperwork prior to entering said swap, that this is your only ONE for the year, which swap promoters are suppose to keep for govt inspection. Giving you the opportunity to commit perjury on top of it. Gee, thanks... ;( .
Marcus...

 

The tax deal killed it for a lot of vendors at a local show. Bob

 

the last time i was at Iola was in 2017 , i counted 27 snowblowers in the swap area....so it is officially a flea market

missed last year do to health reasons , going back this year. why not, it's only a 4-1/2 hour drive , two tanks of gas and two nights at the econo-lodge for us. and the food at the Crystal Cafe is excellent

 

Yep, the tax issue has been one of the major issues with the Cedar Rapids and other swap meets. The average Joe doesn't want to deal with it so all that is left are the "professional" cheap tool guys.

 

I haven't vended at a swap meet for many years. Not worth all the work and grief. The last several times I've attended a swap meet, I've bought little things, or something just to say I bought something. Jefferson is about a 2 hour drive from my house, and it is a $50 adventure if I only buy a Big Bar, breakfast, and a sandwich at lunch time. Sitting at home on my computer that $50 buys actual parts.
The only thing doing a swap meet usually does for me is get me out of the house for a day. I guess that is the main reason I go to them. 100% car parts probably isn't as much of a big deal for me, as long as there are some car parts there. Gene

 

I'll always go to the local swap meets that I go to every year just to see the people I get to see once a year and remember all the ones that have pass on over the years. Had some truly great times with them. Bob

 

I love it all , cars , antiques , collectable , work clothes .I have made money on them all !!!!
I have a house full of antiques and colletables .I have found plenty of cheap collectable car parts from people that deal in china and porceline at antique markets , most just want it gone , not their thing .
I have been to plenty of car only markets and only bought a coffee and lunch .
Threir is more to a good market than car parts only jmo

 

I think that's true; Ebay etc. sales have impacted swap meets everywhere. But it was still worth it for me to fly over from the UK for the fall Jefferson swapmeet in 2017; Not least for the pleasure of meeting up with some HAMB people there. I couldn't do a US swap last year due to some health issues. But I will be flying over again to visit the Iola swapmeet this July. WRT to snowblowers and such on sale at swapmeets; I just walk past them and keep looking for the good stuff.

 

We have set up at Canfield, Ohio for close to twenty years. There has always been the problem junk tool venders, women selling dolls, etc. The spring event is always packed. Dave & Ed have done a great job of keeping costs down. We don't go there to make money. It's more about getting away for a couple of days and having some fun with old friends.

 

I quit going to Pomona for this exact reason. Too many vendors selling cheap Chinese tools, toys, and other snake oil crap.

 

The Cedar Rapids swap this year(2019) may use part of the track but, is adding more area near the car corral. The fairground board keeps raising prices for everything all itemized. To turn on the track lights is $600.
I agree, if WE don't continue to go to the swaps and give feedback to the people putting them on, there won't be any swapmeets left to go to.


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