My self and a couple of mates headed to Australia's second largest swap meet, the bendigo national swap in central Victoria over the weekend, been going to the swap for 20 odd years, this is the first time I've walked away empty handed. We've noticed that it is becoming more a Sunday market with what seems like more non auto related items appearing, which is really disappointing. The lack of early parts was also evident, is this the start of these parts drying up. Thommo
went for the first time in years last year, i was impressed. planned to go back this year but i'm flat broke at the moment after just buying a house. i'll hafta start doing some O/T and save for swap meets next year.
Ive been going for around 25 - 30 years, I guess thats most of them, hell, when did it start? The good old Ford parts have been drying up for years. All the kickass and juicy good old parts and cars seem to be traded quietly amoungst people away from the swap scene.....However, I still enjoy doing the big interstate swaps just to be social, talk shit, and stuff -you know what I mean. I did not see you there however, may be at Ballarat in Feb. -H-R-D-
i never missed a ballarat swap since i was fifteen! well once maybe. got my site booked for next year. three down fron the main road on the far side of the runway. i'll be selling some pinstriping, art etc.
HRD, I wouldn't miss out on bendigo for anything, like you said a great social day out, I've always managed in the past to pick up some good early parts, maybe the LA Rdstr show swap wrecked us for good regarding our expectations. You coming over in jan?
HRD is right probably the early ford stuff is traded off site ,and the chances of someone not knowing what they have is rare ,,but we go every year for the social aspect ,stay with an old mate ,its good ,home saturday night ,had lunch on a big table in the hall ,one group were from Adelaide one from Sydney ,,my son said we are lucky both our big swaps are close to Geelong ,,
I have been nearly every year since it started, I was thinking this year was bigger than last. The true early stuff, except for Ford and Chev, cleared up about 10 years ago. Yet this year I managed to pick up a body badge and a front bumper for the Graham and one of my mates turned up a wire wheel. So these thing turn up eventually. I really only go up for the social side and if something turns up I reluctantly put my hand in my pocket. Did anyone see that rough 32 Tourer for 17,500..... Or the 1928 Indian Prince (It changed sites about three times during the swap)
I got a KR Wilson flathead valve assy puller for $10 on the Friday........THATS WAS IT!!! It was very light on this year.....but I wouldnt miss it for the world Didnt see the 32 Tourer, would have lied to though, saw the 32 sedan for 7k, not a bad buy if you wanted one. All I really needed/was looking for was a 12V gen from a 50's Ford for the field windings to convert my 6V chrome flathead Gen......no luck
Drove down from Sydney, my 13 year old son picked up a really nice pair of 30/31 A Model commercial headlights, A model rear crossmember and some SoCal headlamp mounts. Also got some 36 rear wishbones for his A Roadster pickup.not a bad effort. Few pics of cars attached.
This truck was off this planet. Never seen one sooo good. -H-R-D- I might try to squeeze a quick trip over Thommo, we'll see. I have very affordable appearance money fee's!
what mates no anglia or prefect utes for sale there ????? is the stock really drying up ? got to get down there someyear ? have a good day guys mike
I headed down on the Saturday and had a lot of fun. I'm not a swap meet guy at all usually but I wouls say that its probably generational - alot of the old timers are gone or too old to cart their stuff out anymore and the younger guys are trading their parts online throughout the year rather than waiting for the few swaps - much easier to box something up and take it to the post office rather than filling a trailer and driving all the way to Bendigo to sit in the heat for two days! I know some guys that really get off on watching their parts get bid up and up so they can tell stories about the sucker that paid a fortune for some junk - its like a gambling addiction. Couple that with the 'picker' phenomenon and every bastard thinks he's either sitting on a gold mine or storing all the good old stuff in their sheds waiting for their retirement. And don't get me started on collectors, that buy 10 of the same part so they can say 'oh you want one of those, I have 10 perfect ones at home - what's that, no you can't have one!' Sheesh, now I'm depressed.
I still go every year. Easy for me living in Bendigo. I found that most of the Model A stuff that was there, now, seems to be imported parts or complete cars. Thanks for the pic. of our car.
Yes it has for me, no shit, I don't have the same enthusiasm that I once had for swaps since then. Probably shouldn't have ever gone, hell, now I'm going to have to go back on a regular basis.
Hell Nooch, and I was going to ask you if you wanted to come up to Newstead with me in Feb, thinking about it, I here it`s going to be a big weekend on E-Bay that weekend !
Went and bought a couple of patch panels, best deal was when we bought chocolate ice creams Saw a few good items, 2 y-block 6 carb manifolds, one for 300 and the other for 500. Plenty of other stuff but nothing i really needed. The T coupe body seems to be the deal of the weekend, apparently it went in the first minute of friday for $550! And it looked good. Also does anyone know who the seller was between the oval and the stables? He had the grey early ford rims with whitewalls that rancho ben bought?!? He also had a black weiand blower manifold i should have grabbed. Newstead and Ballarat next!
As a vendor at one of the east coasts lagest swaps. I had to face reality this year A-Parts that were 20 years old 20 years ago are now 40 years old and the heard is thinning B- Thiefbay and Crackslist is easier on the feet.
That's what Gareth said but apparently he (Geoff) wasn't that seller...!?! Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad
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