Art & Inspiration What's a Better Motivator: Shows or Swaps?

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What's a Better Motivator: Shows or Swaps?

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I like em both, for different reasons. Going to shows is great to see all the stuff assembled and in action. Going to swaps is great to find the parts to fit my imagination. Sometimes they will each give me new images of projects I should build.

I can see car buddies at swaps and shows. Sometimes it's the same people, but I find it odd that some guys I'll never see at the other place.

 

Hands down, part swaps.

Looking at cars is fun, but much of the time I go cross eyed looking at them for long enough. I like hunting through parts and finding that one oddball thing that I've been looking for or would be cool on my car. I remember my dad taking my little sister to Carlisle swap meet when she was a little kid and telling her to look for a pink steering wheel while he rummaged through parts. She is still looking for it today at age 19.

 

Both are enjoyable but I find the nature of the swap meets more motivating. I can stop with a hot cup of coffee and see what friends have scored and get excited that I might find something cool or get energized off the idea that they are getting some work done.

The indoor winter shows are generaly so packed that I end up seeing a few cool things but spending most of the time trying to not get stepped on or knocking over someone.

If we stop to talk to a friend it might include a "hey did you see that..." but most likely it will be more along the lines of "it's fucking packed in here" and "fuck it's cold outside" and part ways back into the sea of people

 

Depends on the format. I gave up on static parking lot shows years ago. A cruise or TROG like event is all I am interested in "show" wise. (I actually think these types of shows are the best bet to interest younger people in hot rods.) However I am always up for combing through rusted junk and greasy treasures.

Edit: Of course heaven is an old junk yard you can still roam around.

--louis

 

I think this past year has been a little fickle. I usually get some ideas from big shows like G.N.R.S, and those usually come from cars parked outside the buildings, as well as vendor offerings. It's really great when you see an expensive product online, or in print, and you see it in person only to realize the product, just isn't quite the good fit you first thought it would be. I already had my projects' direction figured out last G.N.R.S, and with my mental punch list proceeded to strike out at the L.A. roadsters fathers day show swap meet. In hindsight I may have struck out at both of these shows, but what did happen was they made me think more about my project. As a result I have spent more time on the H.A.M.B, and elsewhere online, researching and looking for parts. I guess these past shows pushed my motivation along via osmosis, and the combination of the two offered the same amount of useful content. Does this work? Well here I am and another year has passed, my little deuce's body still sits on a body cart. I have made three changes to which drive train to run (settling on a 401 nailhead), and I now have just about enough parts to make my frame a roller.

 

As I am a swap meet junkie, they get my attention first.

Most local shows around here have a car mix leaning toward anything but traditional rods. It's not worth going if you can blow through it in 30 minutes. The bigger ones (Pigeon, Knoxville, Newport) are the only exceptions.

 

Swaps are fun to get you going. A lot of the fun in the hobby is the hunt. However nothing gets me going better than hearing cars run and see them drive. "Living" events like the TROG and the hot rod hill climb are becoming more and more popular for a big reason. A parking lot of cars isn't nearly as interesting as seeing the cars being loved and driven. Even on the restoration side of the hobby the Glidden tours and similar events are always more fun than any judging meet.


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I go to both But, if you want real Motivation get in a real Hot Rod of a friend's and go for a ride. Be it a Coupe, Roadster or Door Slammer nothing moves me more than Noise, Motion, and the smell of burning Rubber. Now that gets me Motivated!! The rest is just bench racing and B.S. with your buddies.
The Wizzard

 

i would have to say both, one for the parts and the show for the ideas.

 

Swap meets for me. They offer the thrill of the hunt and more opportunities to engage with people. Funny thing, I can enjoy shows for only so long before my eyes start to glaze over, but I can look at piles of rusty crap for days.

 

Swap for me. I make many more connections and enjoy. But I agree shows like TROG dirt drags etc are freakin great.


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I love the swaps. When I was younger I would scowler the area piece by piece hoping to find that exact part I'm looking for. I would love to have a nickel for every time I said "boy that's a great deal" but I don't need it.

So for about 15-20 years ago when I see those great deals that I don't need, I buy and sell. I have found it supports my hobby and gives me more buying power and there nothing more fun than bringing home a pile of junk.


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Turlock swap is one of the best. I guess if you are building a car or looking for a part can't go wrong with the swap. If you're looking to see what others have done, GNRS is fun.

 

ignoring the motivation aspect of this post if they were both the same distance away and I could only go to one it would ne the Roadster Show hands down. I actually go to swap meets for bicycle parts, antique toys, miscellaneous old junk, and things to resell. haven't bought a part for a project in years.

 

hmmm -thought thread was about motivator to get stale project moving along?
for myself it is a two edged sword - love finding the needed parts, and some stuff that is just Cool whether needed or not. but, seeing the work done to nicely finished rides at a show gives me that personal challenge to get the ball rolling again

 

Shows are much more social for me than swaps. I know I have walked right past people I know at bigger swaps without even seeing them, because they have told me about it later.
Then again, I go to a lot of swaps and come home with a truck load of stuff, and other guys have been at the same swap, and say "there was nothing there."
Shows are much more relaxed and social for me. I think hot cars are cool, so the mix doesn't bother me. Nice is nice, and junk is junk whether it's a muscle car or a "traditional" hot rod. I have zero interest in looking at an ugly, unimaginative, poorly put together, cookie cutter car just because it has a flathead in it, so the mix doesn't really matter to me.
As far as motivation, I think shows play a bigger role that swaps. When I go to a swap, I'm not really looking for ideas, I have already developed them looking at stuff as shows, as well as magazines and other sources. When I go to a swap, I already have a shopping list in mind and know what I am looking for.

 

Getting your brain/body moving can be hard at times. Both swops an shows are fairly good,but often I think the guys you hang with,if your lucky enough to be in a car club or just a few car nuts is always great too,an high five too all you hoodlums. Any buddy with dirty fingernails an at lest one black nail is going to be help if asked most of the time. Merry Christmas

 

I only go to car shows that have a swap meet and then ignore the car show.

 

SWAP MEETS!!! love buying car parts, can't wait till I get home to put the part on

 

I do both of these events. My usual m.o. is to set up in Turlock Friday. Do the swap until just after noon on Sat. Hop on Southwest Sat. evening. Go to GNRS Sunday. It gets wilder when I have a car entered in GNRS. The car goes in the show on Thursday. Fly back to Sacto. On Friday set up in Turlock. Saturday I vend until noon, load up head to Sacto. to fly to Burbank. Get up Sunday, go to GNRS, load the car after the show. Head home Monday. Nothing to it. I d not need an event to become motivated, I always am.

 

I have been to LSR and to PATE. PATE the fun runs out when the money does.

 

Swaps for me as my boys and my father and I enjoy the hunt.

 

I do alot more swap meets then shows. Even when My Dad and I used to go to the Nats North in Kalamazoo, we'd spend more time in the swap meet.

 

Swap meets have far more draw than a show. It has been a year or two since I've been to a car show, and when I attended it (it was a small local show) it seemed to last forever. I've got a couple of local shows I'd like to attend and participate in and with a little luck I will participate in those this coming summer. With one show I will see lots of people, both friends and family members and that is the draw and the other is similar.

 

Man, I can see I gotta start working on my HAMB street cred!

 

How about a must attend 2017 swap thread!!!!!!


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If I had the choice of a show or swap I'd pick the swap every time. You can always look at photos of the show cars.................looking at photos of parts you missed out on just isn't the same.

 

I've decided recently that I like Shows more, but really the Car Club shows, not the big indoor shows.

Club shows you see guys with cars they drove in to get there ranging from beaters to polished street rods and everything in between. Seeing all those cars and their builders hanging out, eating burgers, and checking out each others' work is a bigger kick in the pants for me to finish my car than finding another part for another car I'd like to build or find a place for on my current build (now that I've got everything I need, of course).

 

For me, it's car shows, the people, the events, motivates me to get ready for the season as that's what I enjoy. I've been doing this for 50+ years and I enjoy the social part of the hobby.