Event Coverage Swap meet versus Internet

You guys don’t know how lucky you are to have swaps like you have,it’s a fantasy world to a lot of non US car and bike guys!
Just stating facts. And try our fuel prices!

 

Went to Hershey. Was my first time. Found stuff expensive, and didn't find everything I was looking for like prewar hand brake assembly. Spent lots of time and money to get there, but did mange to buy about $500. Cost of going far out weighed what I bought. Would I go again - yes. I find lots of stuff "locally" on kijiji (Canada's Craig's Kist). Prices are typically very good, but lots of driving. Have purchased stuff on eBay as well for good prices, and so far no hassles, but I drive to Canada/US border to pick it up. I see it as all part of the journey and not the destination.

 

Hershey may have 9000 spaces but there are less and less filled
Every year. Yes age is taking it’s toll. It seems all the younger people at Hershey are from outside the United States. They spend lots to get here and they are buying. I still think it is the best!


Sent from my iPad using H.A.M.B.

 

Internet is good for selling small and "expensive" items, where the shipping cost becomes a small part of the total. Swap meets are good for items harder to ship or so cheap people don't want to pay the shipping AND what the item costs.

 

Some people would rather look at pictures of cars on the HAMB rather than actually going to a car shows. Women go to stores to shop. Men go to a store to buy what they need. I had to explain to my daughter that I go to swapmeets to shop. Somethings you don`t know what you need until you see it and you can`t pass up a good deal either.

 

A friend and I had been going to Iola for 20 years and always enjoyed it, but then they started making "improvements". They weren't.
We saw posters advertising the Jefferson swap meets and decided to do that one twice a year. We've made out like bandits every time we go. I figured that I saved enough money on the things I needed to pay for the trip. I also find a lot of goodies at the dollar tables. The campout with my friend is a bonus.
It is about an 8 hour drive each way for me, but it is the closest good swap meet. I'm looking forward to April when they have the next one .

 

Different mentality at swap meets now. Nobody gets there early. The earliest ones are vendors scooting around on carts. It used to be, a buyer had part numbers and a tape measure to make sure they where buying what they wanted. Now, they depend on the vendor to tell them if a part is correct for there car.

 

It is a lot because of the way my job keeps me out of the loop, and not having a big friend network either, but I almost never even know about any swap meets around here until after they're done over with. If I knew beforehand, I might make a few of them.

That's one thing I like about internet shopping, it's there when you are ready. I've bought a lot of stuff off of eBay, a few things off of Craigslist, but they were there at that time, I had the money, and didn't have to plan an entire day to go looking around. Now don't get me wrong, I love to pick through rusty piles of junk just as much as anybody. It is better to actually put your hands on a part and look it over, something you can't do with internet shopping. Time is a commodity just as money is, and I don't like wasting either. My usual problem is I have one or the other but not at the same time!

 

I have to disagree with no one getting there early.. at our local swap meets, we get there before the gates open, shop and socialize for a few hours, then head home. The one thing, well, a couple things that get me, it's a swap meet, do ya really need top dollar for that used part? lets haggle abit. and, do ya really need to sell all the kitchen gadgets from the 60's, 70's at the AUTO swap meet?

and to keep with the reason for the post..... I like to buy from both. I'll search the internet for a part I need, go to the swap meet to try and find said part, haggle to get the best deal, buy and bring home. if I can't get the best deal, or can't find the part, I order from the internet. The thing with the swap meet that you don't get with an internet search... walking along an isle and see that widget that you didn't know you needed.

that's my .02 cents

BigMike

 

Swap meets are like hunting on a farmer's back 40. You have an investment in gear to get there, you have to get up really early to get to the spot, and it takes lots of walking to MAYBE find your prey. Never know if the prey is gonna be top quality, but you get to see all sides before you shoot. Or, you might go home empty handed.

Shopping the internet is like going to the grocery store. You know the steak is on the shelf somewhere, it's gonna be wrapped up nicely in plastic, you give them your credit card numbers, then you take it home. Hopefully it's nice when you unwrap it and go to install it (on the grille).

I don't shoot deer, so my hunting is done on County fairgrounds for rusty old car parts.

 

As a vendor - by far not a professional one; I've done Englishtown back in the '90's (Spring and Fall), and Charlotte once (last Spring). Sitting for two or three days and people watching, you kinda get a vibe of what's selling by what's walking past. Some years I've done very well, others barely "covered the rent" as my uncle used to say. Always had a great time though, seeing old friends and making new ones.

Another thought to consider though, and I'm in this particular category - is when a collector / hoarder / old timer passes on, someone is left with their stash. Hopefully the person in that position is somewhat knowledgeable in what all is there, and doesn't call the first scrap man in the phone book. That means that those hard to find or rare parts are, and will be made available again at some point. The classifieds here are a great outlet (target audience). I have way more than I'll ever need, and parts for vehicles I'll never own, so they need new homes. Whether or not the future car culture climate will appreciate or have any interest in said parts will remain to be seen, with regards to swap meet offerings.

 

Your right about the FB market place but I have had success on there(wife's account) sold my 31 chevy coupe and several small items for fair prices, rarely find stuff at swap meets that I actually need, more of a social thing.

 

I used to sell whenever I could at swap meets. I found out that what I bring is usually not what people wanted. When I brought junk, it sold... the good stuff, even at half the price of what I saw on ebay, did not sell well. I took stuff to get rid of it so now I have very little stuff to sell so I just go to swap meets to look and possibly buy.
I love to go, even if I don't need anything. Its like a treasure hunt. Unfortunately, the swap meets around here are very rare, only a couple or three a year. I wish there was something like a Hershey near me.
I buy off the internet if I see what I need because the things I like rarely show up anywhere else. I don't sell there anymore since ebay changed their format and made it such a hassle and expensive.
To me, a swap meet is like a walk in the park to a nature lover, its just fun to look and talk to car people.

 

I used to love swap meets but the fact that there aren't that many around without driving long distances and they are basically flea markets anymore forces me to look elsewhere. I've had great success on forum classifieds.

 

I prefer swap meets but, sometimes what is needed only found online - does not matter if a vendor at a Antique Flea Market or a monster car parts swap ya never know what you might stumble on - sometimes finding stuff that you never needed until you see it - at swaps fun to talk to people and just people watch the unique ones - flyer is for a location where a long time swap was held, and then disappeared and now hopefully will finally come back to life

 

Looking at the above poster brings some thoughts to mind. They probably charge 25 bucks or more for a space for vendors. So, they have to charge guys going in to buy? Kind of like car auctions. They hook the seller for what I consider a hefty commission and then they have the gall to add a buyer's fee too? Not this dude.

 

John Wells still has a swap meet at his Vintage Torque Fest and Iron Invasion car shows. Both of these swap meets are ran by the Tim Butchers car club. They really try to keep them all vintage car parts and don't allow in the Beanie Babies, Chinese tools and Chinese electrical supplies that seem to be at most swap meets now. And to be honest, if the Tin Butchers had not stepped up and offered to run these two swap meets they probably would be gone. In helping John run these shows we have found that the swap meet guys can be a big pain in the ass compared to running the actual car show. THANK YOU Sam and the Tim Butchers!

 

I want to put pen to paper as well .

 

Lets be honest....people who put these swap meets on do it for money.

 

Well, it's a lot of work and a lot of people involved too, a few guys may be happy organizing something small for free but when you've got a hundred guys organizing it all and cleaning upp the mess left afterwards you may have problem getting enough people to do that work for nothing.

 

if you get to the swap meet early you can get the deals as well. that is hard work to gather up all the cool parts that everyone wants. those parts did not walk over to his space by themselves. I used to be that early guy getting the deals, then I sold them all on ebay for guys who do not live where there are 10 swap meets a year withing driving range.

 

I got to Hershey early (7:00) and was surprised and very disappointed that most vendors were still closed. It was still slightly dark still as well.

 

I have been going to swap meets for over 50 years, both as a vendor, and as a buyer. Yes it costs money to go, but that is the price of doing business. I used to go to about 20-25 swap meets a year, but I only go to 2 a year to sell at, Fall Carlisle, a bust, but only 10 miles from home, and Lincoln Speedway, formerly at Latimore Valley. That swap meet is more like the old days, early parts, and good people. It took me a while to adjust my thinking, I am getting old, 79 this year, and times have changed. I am on kidney dialysis now so I am somewhat limited in my travels. I went to Hershey 2 days, and I went back to Connecticut, a 5 hour drive to go to the Fall Out car show and swap meet. About 500 cars, ad quite a few vendors, who were happy with the sales for a 1 day meet. I got to visit with old friends, and bought a few items in the swap meet. After all these years of wheeling and dealing, remember, it is the people that matter, not the parts. You can buy more parts, but when you lose friends, it hurts.

 

My wife used to ask , " what are you going after?" I always told her I'd know it when I saw it , that was what was great about the swaps , always a surprise . Box on a table at skips about 20 years ago , young man said , if you can tell me what it is it's $5 ( it was labeled $15) It was a NOS aftermarket 4 way flasher still in the box , jeweled red light and all ,probably my favorite find ..

 

Shopping at home on the net is both fun and rewarding but you miss out on elephant ears, corn dogs, expensive Coors light and kettle corn.

 

And schlepping an eight foot long bumper on the shuttle bus!

 

It seems on here lately some want gold for their parts.

 

I have been selling parts now for over 30 years....and yes the internet has taken over....most of the time these people are too busy or too lazy to travel to the flea markets....between gas, parking, and entrance fees they think they are loosing money....but I say look at Fall Carlisle and Hershey....so many vendors at one spot....how can you not find something you are looking for....and yes the vendors have to pay rent for their spots ..$420 for me at Spring Carlisle, two trucks (about $120 in gas)....but look at how many people are there walking around....plus they see my parts (mostly stainless trim) and they tell their buddies and friends to check me out....I gave out over 1,000 business cards this fall....to me that's future sales....yes its easier to sell on the internet, but for my merchandise they want to see it and hold it....before they buy it....

 

Kind of an inverse to that one, I used to go to the Antique Motorcycle Club meet at Dixon with my buddy (RIP) who was somewhat of a legend in the V-twin w0rld, one of those gifted thinkers that could envision stuff and then just build it, and it would work- complete engines, transmissions, and Sportster heads that really made them thump. So we're walking thru the swap, and see this vendor with a fish on the line, wanted $250 for this custom widget and was telling this whopper about Columbus bringing it over on the boat and it was so rare and blahblah.. Alan had a great poker face, and watched and listened for a while, then he says "turn that thing over- it's scratched on the back". Vendor's face goes blank, fish says huh? "Hundred says it's scratched on the back". Vendor is a clam- fish turns it over, and there's the scratch. Alan says, "I made that on my Bridgeport in 1974, and my shop kid knocked it off the table and scratched it, and I tossed it in the scrap bin- somebody must have snatched it from the scrap". No more Columbus storytelling

 

I like both but it seems i only go to swap meets for the exercise any more.