Portland Swamp Meat.. Whos goin?!!

today i'm having the same "should have bought it" remorse i had last year. on the plus side i didn't have to sleep on the sofa for bringing home yet another project car

my 5yo daughter just called me at work, though... said "next swap meet i think we should just buy that car and i will tell momma to not be mad because i wanted it"
she's rad.

hope it works

 

My experience has always been the complete opposite. And this year didn't seem to be any exception. Lots of non automotive stuff (quads, off road stuff) plus all the flea market stuff at PIR, and the more traditional automotive stuff at the Expo. Way before the PIR event even came to be, they really made an effort to keep the meet at the Expo (vintage) automotive oriented. In the early years, the room at the back of the main hall (the old building that at the time was the new "good" building), was where all the non automotive things were relegated to. While I can't remember what they called that area "Mom's Closet" or something similar, it was still largely automotive oriented - lots of vintage and period clothing - the type that would often be worn when taking the (restored) Model T out for an afternoon drive. This was kind of the wives/ladies section of the meet. It wasn't too many years ago when you had to state on your stall application that you were going to be selling 90% car parts. If you had Dealer status, you had darn well better stick to the rules or you could lose your status and not be on the list for the next year. They really tried to keep the Expo event strictly automotive back then. And I think they still try to, but with all the online auctions, Craigslist, etc., etc. taking away true car parts vendors, they had to open the event up to the diecast guys, to the Betty Boop and Elvis stuff and the likes. Which yes, to some degree dilutes the intent of the event, but changing times call for changes. I still think they do a reasonably good job - all things considered of trying to keep it automotive. I've never been a vendor at PIR so I don't know first hand what their rules and criteria are to be a vendor, but from observation, I would say they are not nearly as strict with trying to keep it (vintage) automotive only as the Expo meet is.

 

At Expo there was a guy from Deer Island that brought up a flat bed trailer full of stuff, including a few chainsaws. He was told to remove the chainsaws as they were not auto related. He told them to give his money back and he would leave. He was there all weekend. Point being, you can go to more then 1/2 the stalls at Expo and find something "not auto related". Don't know why they picked on him, but they lost and again pi$$ed off more vendors.

I got written permission on swap meet letter head to "walk" my bike to and from gates to ride it down below, didn't want a scene like last year. All was fine.

 

Some of the hamb friendly buys.

 

The Expo Rent-a-cops (Beverage Monitors) were ridiculous this year. The guy next to our booth was selling snickers bars, and they came down and told him to put them away because no food can be sold unless you are a food vendor. Then these bastards went and made the Girl Scouts who were in their Dad's car booth stop selling Girl Scout Cookies! What a bunch of assholes. These were prepackaged snacks, its not like they had to have a food handling license. They were candybars and Girl Scout cookies for cripes sake!

Next, these RentaCops started giving the guy next to us grief because while using his BBQ, because he didn't have a Fire extinguisher in the booth. The worst was when they started hassling this old guy on a Hover-round for drinking a Beer while driving it around the Swap Meet. WTF?

They need to chill the heck out.

 

Had a great time. Didn't get to see everything, didn't find everything I was looking but had a great time with some of the gang. Found some cool junk and got to check out all kinds of old rust.

Here's from my view.

 

Here is a bit more and what I came away with including the chair. It is all aluminum, I am hoping to get it polished or even engine turned if I can find someone cheap enough.

The plaque was something I have wanted to a long time but I just couldn't swing it. I hope to find another some day.

 

not defending anyone's actions but the guys that are the food vendors get cheated out of possible sales and the health department is responsable for all food items sold at any venue. being in the food industry i could go on forever on regulations but ......

 

Yea... I understand some things just dont go the way youd like them and its not a perfect world and all. But... I guess I have selective hearing and sight, because I dont pick up on all the negitivity thats been laid out here about the meet. I see it, I hear it, but it rolls off and I focus in on the cool stuff and positive stuff.

But then, I live a positive, stress free life by design. Im just not into retaining the negitive.

 

the only real negative feeling i have about the swap: i simply can't afford to take home all the rad stuff i want to

put me anywhere there's a bunch of old cars and old car stuff for sale, i'll be happy.

(and next year i'm bringing an empty trailer with me, and going home with something big.)

 

Hi all, I was wondering if anyone has contact details for the owner of the black 1964 Ford Galaxie 500XL that was for sale at the expo center? I'm trying to locate him/her as I have a very interested buyer.

Any help would be appreciated.

Best
Jeff