Death of the swap-meet rant!!

Just got back from the puyallup swap-meet with a few insights into declining vendor participation. The corvette and high performance meet was always one of the most eagerly awaited opening season meets in the northwest, however due to to some outright bone-headed changes, i heard nothing but gripes from fellow vendors all day long. If you buy 5 spaces so you and your buddies have connected spaces, as you've done for years, you only get 2 passes for the first booth and 1 pass for each extra booth. Wtf!!!!!!!!!!!! Each person must make a separate application for booth space to get the traditional 2 passes, it also makes it nigh-onto impossible to get adjoining spaces as you may have in the past. Extras passes were 18.00 each per day!!! Meanwhile "joe-blow" off the street gets in for 9.00 an informal count showed perhaps 25% fewer vendors than in past years. Now, some of this is expected. Many long-time vendors are getting on in years and aren't up to the demands of finding the parts, hauling them 100-200 miles, unloading and standing on their feet all day. But people! Please! Lets not gouge the remaining vendors at every turn! Swap-meets have always been a valuable way to meet fellow rodders and exchange ideas, parts and perhaps most of all, form friendships that can last for years! Younger guys, drop that f-in guitar hero game and get off ebay! Go meet some of the original "ol skool" rodders before they're gone. And bring money.

 

That does sound like a dumb move by the promoters. Like it or not eBay has changed flea markets as were used to know them.

 

Hershey Fall meet has survived various stupid moves over the years. It feels smaller to me, But continues.

Long Beach did some really stupid things and is much smaller now.

But remember there are always new buyers and sellers coming in. That know nothing of the 'Good old days' and promoters that just don't care about you. They are too lazy or stupid to care, OR BOTH.

Only thing you can do is get together, tell them what you think, and vote with your wallet if they don't agree to get smart again.

 

I dont know if its of the same grpie your talking about, but i went to one of our 'good' swaps on the weekend and it was prob 1/3 down in vendors maybe more. I dont know if it was the heat (hottest day in our state in hisoty) or if the auction site is having a massive impact now. But I hear you, it will be terrible if swap meets go down, I love swap meets more than anything else car related, and have met some cool people along the way. Imagine not having that feeling of going into a swap and walking a million miles an hour b/c you think your going to miss something, or getting a great score and showing your buddies and cant wait to go and clean it up and fit it........................it would be a sad world for me. We have the biggest swap in the southern hemisphere in a couple of weeks, i really hope its not going to see the same downturn in vendors.
VIVA LA SWAP MEET!

 

What I can't stand is guys bitchin how swapmeets are getting smaller and they're the guys who never have a booth to sell.

yer right about guitar frickin hero and other fuckin dumb videogames. My buddy gave my kids PS2 for x-mas and he expected me to be happy about it

Swapmeets rule, more people should unhoard their shit and sell some crap they'll never get to....

-Shiny

 

Online sales are just easier. You don't have to drag your stuff out, HOPING you will sell enough to make back your costs, only to drag it all back home if it doesn't sell. Plus, instead of hundreds of guys looking at your stuff, you can have 10s of thousands. I quit selling at swap meets years ago. I still buy at them, but not even near as much as before because we have ALL heard a swap meet seller say "well I can get 20 billion dollars for this stock chevy spark plug on ebay, blah,blah,blah".

 

choppintops,you miss the point of selling,it's a social interactive thing where you get to meet all sorts of people and Generally,who cares if you don't sell,you get to camp,bullshit,see pretty women,bullshit,maybe sell something bullshit and genrally have a good time and get to bullshit a few people

 

WHAT?! We live in the real world here.
The point of selling is to make money to finance the project you're working on, pay the house note, pay the insurance, pay the kid's doctor bills, pay the property taxes, etc. THAT is the point of selling.
I and many rodders I have known have never spent salary or work money on old cars, just "found" money earned by selling and buying parts at swap meets and on eBay and through want ads, etc.
The sad fact that swap meets have degenerated into social events is not a particularly good thing at all. Sure you have friends you only see once or twice a year at certain events, both customers and fellow vendors, and that's a nice thing but making money for the hobby is why you're there as a vendor.

 

Sounds pretty much like my daily life. Like I said, I did it hardcore for years. Met lots of cool people, and a few assholes. If I'm there to sell, I'm there to sell, the comrodery is a bonus, but honestly, you can get that at any cruise night without loading up all your crap. Hell, I can go hang out at my buddies tattoo shop and get that without loading up all my crap at 2am.

Even the original poster said "Now, some of this is expected. Many long-time vendors are getting on in years and aren't up to the demands of finding the parts, hauling them 100-200 miles, unloading and standing on their feet all day." Yea, I'm not an oldy, but I'm not a youngin either, but the sentament is there.

 

I dunno,if it's money you want I wouldn't waste time or fees on ebay,there are better outlets for selling parts ( prewarcar.com etc ) but what i am saying is Selling is not just making money,if that is all you're doing then you dealing with a really small market segment in world and if you aren't selling much then you are not working hard enough. Selling doesn't involve just standing there and waiting for the cash to roll in,Selling is one the hardest jobs in the world and some can sell and some can't. I find ebay selling to be chore made worse by all the little fees that have snuck in over the last few months and not very enjoyable at all, which is why I like interacting with real human people at swaps and it's always worked for me.

 

Damn latte sippin oil burnin tupperware drivin sleepin in snobs anyway..... The good 'ol greasy rusty shit swap meets start next saturday! Gotta face it , it is getting tougher to get enthused about going when they pull bonehead moves like that. I myself and several friends didn't go this year for some of the reasons you mentioned. We will all be there next weekend though when the good swapmeets start.

 

Moultrie yesterday was as big ever. From the number of loaded wagons everyone did good.

 

Lookin at this from the sellers viewpoint I can tell you that selling is not what it used to be. Buyers have become beyond resonably cheap. I sold at Iola swap last july, had some good stuff with variety. Put my prices where I should have sold everything. Lots and lots of people, mostly walking by without even looking at the spaces, What are you doing here? The ones that did stop poked around a bit and then offered 50 cents on the dollar at best for what little they were interested. One example. I had a rebuilt big block chevy starter. Never been installed, I had 50,00 bucks on it. Guy picks it up, looks it all over, asks all about it, then offers me 5.00 bucks. What, the fricken core charge is 25, I wont be back to sell. Just not worth the time and money. As much as we hate it, ebay does me much better than the swaps. I do love to go, and I love the hunt, but if other vendors get the same crap I got. Why bother.

 

lol were you mad because ps2 is like 9 years old??? maybe should of asked for an atari. haha

 

What ruins the swap meets for me is the generation Y "I don't give a shit" attitudes. I don't care if your hat is on backwards, you have oversize pants with your underwear up to your chest, gold chains, peircings, blah blah. How you look is up to you. Not my call. Just treat others with respect. If your truck has plastic balls hanging from the trailer hitch, and a sticker in the window of a kid dressed like I already said grabbing his crotch and flipping the bird, it says a lot about your mentality. What ever happened to respect for others? Don't try to impress me with how offensive you are. 2 years ago at Carlisle a guy grabbed a shop manual out of my hands I was looking at! Yeah I wanted to punch him and would have 10 years ago but I let it go because its only a book and I was there to have a good time, not get locked up. I still go every year with my dad who is getting on in years, we have a good time shopping and looking (more looking than buying). I guess I am just disgusted with people's attitudes. I know there are lots of good young folks out there but the few ruin the image for the many. Just don't get me started about the counter help at Advance Auto.....

 

Ebay and other online site can never really equal a swap meet for those surprise scores you talk about for years. I'd venture that everyone here has found something great where they didn't expect it. One that jumps to mind immediately for me was a set of five matched '29 Chevy wheels plus three Model A wheels and a full compliment of wide five rims and drums. I found them at a yard sale. The seller was an older dame who mainly wanted to sell real Tupperware and old clothes. The car stuff was way in the back, she wasn't strong enough or interested enough to haul it clear out front. And it was $5 for "that pile of greasy junk." Not exactly Shaft's Big Score but totally respectable. I've found a lot of others, but it's early and I haven't had enough coffee yet.

It's those kinds of surprises that make swap meets great. No online sale can match that. You didn't know you needed a new shift knob--but that one there is so damn cool you're taking it home.

For me it's that random factor that makes swap meets kick ass and puts them way out front of online sales.

And it's a mistake to downplay the social--or at least the face-to-face value--of a swap. At least it's a mistake for me. I've vended for many years. I have a reputation for oddball stuff. At the swaps around here, guys look for me to see what kind of weird stuff I've managed to drag out of America's garages and barns since the last show. I'm not the guy you go to for 6-71s or stroker cranks. But a killer old air scoop, matched window cranks, brodie knob, valve covers, or dash knobs, I'm your man. And fair prices, I'm also your man.

Me, there's room for both swaps ad the online stuff. But I never look forward to turning on ebay like I look forward to pulling into a fairgrounds with a loaded truck and a stuffed money clip, ready to buy, ready to sell, and ready to hear some stories, tell some dirty jokes, have some laughs.

Damn. And here it is, February. Warm summer days are a long time away.

 

Well not for nothing,,let us not forget some of the Vendors now in attendance at these swaps.. I have run into far to many of this new breed that thinks his "hot at the moment" parts are worth your soul ( no pun intended ) along with everything else in his spot,he won't haggle is as arrogant as hell and has comments like ......."i can get this much for it all day on ebay so "...... its a 2 way street as the whole online car hobby is what has really changed/ruined alot of things...look at all the folks in teh classifieds with post like "if you ship it I'll take it " and its a goddamned motor..the price is great but its 500 miles away,,yet everyone wants what they want and it brought to them on a silver tray. Many people buying parts are clueless as they are new to the whole thing and only have 1/2 a grasp of what they read so. Few if any go to junkyards ( least most of them are still reasonable ) We always go to the Motorcycle swaps and about 10 or so years ago you started seeing the high price guys with the additudes ( of course there were the regular guys everyone knew already ) but more and more the guys who have some $$ to invest,,grab up shit then go to swaps to just cash in...it is about $$ but only cause the internet has made it so. Exposure the more people see,,like advertising and they all wanna be cool like in the magazine,,so the guys with the "more money than" are gonna get the part and every time they pay crazy $$ that same 20$ part keeps getting worth more.. Looking the the classifieds at some parts from 06-07 what they were going for,,now that the focus has shifted to the "next cool thing" they are worth a fraction of what folds paid for them then.

Swaps were fun looking for what you need,seeing something you never knew existed even exchange of info..like everything else things have changed,,,or culture is blind

 

You are 100% correct in my opinion. Unfortunately human, social interaction is dwindling and being taken over by the ever-advancing electronic media. Too bad.It was way more fun before.

 

Just got home from the Tri-State Swap in Denver. Lots of vendors, millions of shoppers, prices higher than hell and not much fun shoulder to shoulder, jammed up tighter than a nun's ___. I miss the good old days. Picked up a few needed items, at top dollar, got one bargain from an old timer who knew it was a bargain. Won't be going next year, I get much better deals (figure cost of travel, motel, food) on ebay. Social event? Nobody had much time to talk about anything. I mean it wasn't horrible but it wasn't much fun either.

 

I've never been very happy with the online shopping thing. I like swap meets ,I think it has to do with the face to face,up close ,and hands on the item, deal. There is no thing better than the feeling of discovering a part or piece in a vendors booth,being able to pick it up and carefully look it over,then make up your mind this is the exact thing I've been looking for.
I've also meet a lot of great people over the years this way.


..............Jack

 

There ain't no substitute for touchy feely!

After a few internet 'surprises' you get to appreciate being able to inspect in person before you hand over your money. And try and ship (and pay for shipping both ways) something back bought over the internet and get your money back.

It's the browsing at swap meets that's fun when you're a buyer - never knowing what gem you're going to find next.

As a seller it can get kinda sucky.

 

Went to Witchita Friday, tons of vendors, tons of buyers. But e-bay is killing the quality of the parts and the fun of going of going to swapmeets, seeing old friends meeting new.

 

Just got back from the Toowoomba Swapmeet here in Oz. A few years back it was run over three days, Friday to Sunday. For whatever reason they decided to cut it back to 2 Days, but get this, they dropped Sunday and run it on Friday-Saturday. Talk about a lesson in how to screw up a good swapmeet, most people work Fridays, so attendance is down and a lot of people don't make the effort on Saturday coz they figure all the bargains went on Friday. People used to travel from all over Oz to go to this swap but it's now only a shadow of its former self.

 

Socializing at a swap meet???

Nothing I hate worse than a vendor gabbing with a friend (usually the next door vendor) and ignoring me...the customer. I'll give him about thirty seconds to wrap it up, and if he doesn't, I move on to the next vendor. As a buyer, I don't have much time to wait on Mister Vendor to decide he's ready to sell something. Most of the socializing should be between the customer and the vendor, and that should be cut short when the next interested customer walks up to the booth. When I'm a vendor, I'm there to sell or I wouldn't have spent the $100-$250 it costs to do it, and not to mention the huge investment in time. If I want to socialize, I'll go to a cruise-in.

 

ya know, it's true and sad at the same time that our hobby has just turned into a money maker instead of a hobby but i guess thats life. i went to the nashville swap meet last weekend, scored a few parts(29 ford NOS right front fender. and a dash bezel for my chevelle)but met a very interesting fellow there by the name of bill akin. talked for about an hour, which you cant do on a computer. but was invited to his house and got to see his collection which included you name it almost everything under the sun. but the highlight was to get to see the three restored late 50's early 60's indy cars and offy engines he has along with the gurney,westlake, miller engines and parts he has. unbelieveable!! and also while i was there i bought 5 strombergs from him, 2 still in reman boxes untouched. one thing to be said about swapmeets versus internet ie: ebay is that alot of people do this as a way to make extra money to finance builds and dont report earnings from this. at a swapmeet it's cash and on ebay theres a record of what you did. think about it.from what a friend told me, ebay sent him a email wanting him to become a store instead of an indivigual selling because of volume he does and in the email they sent a detailed list of everything he had done since he joined ebay,not good in my book. it's a paper trail people. but as most have said already i'd rather go to a meet and search out parts and people for info and friendship.dont want to be part of generation y. thanks for the thread

 

I remember in the 80's and earlly 90's going with my dad to swap meets and spending the day, getting there an hour before it opens to be in line to get in and walking around the meet several times and seeing and buying things you did not see the first time around. My dad would have me take stuff back to the truck so he could keep moving and looking. Those are some great memories back then, my dad would show me different things and it was part of my hot rod education. I have sold items on Ebay and bought things there to, but it was alot funner looking around other peoples stuff and finding those great parts. The swap meets we have that are still going are not as good and they keep bumping the prices up for vendors and lookers.

Jon

 

The great part about the swap meet is finding the piece you weren't even thinking about.
To search online, you have to have some idea of what it is you are looking for. Online is all about the search words. At the swap meet you just happen to catch a glimpse of a piece of aluminum sticking out of the box under the table. You weren't looking for a 1925 wonder widget, but man is it cool, and at $5, who could turn it down. I have found some realy neat stuff at swap meets and flea markets.

I will continue to go.

Oh and for the "There are never any (insert favorite brand here) parts vendors", did you ask any of the vendors about carrying a certain brand or make/mark?
Heck if there really aren't any of those type of vendors, why not become that vendor?
If your answer is because there just isn't a market, you just answered the central question to your gripe. Step up or quit complaining.

 

The Nashville swap meet proved to me that great, well-run swap meets still exist. Long live Nashville!

 

i love the swape meets but a lot of times you have to resort to the internet to find what you need weather it be craigslist,ebay,or classifieds

 

Don't come to my space because I will mostlikely be doing just what you hate. I will give you your due attention but I come to have fun if possible. It's not all business to me. Sometimes I sell enough to pay for the weekend,sometimes I don't but 9out of 10 times I have a good time. I usually go to 2 swapmeets a year. That is the only time I have away from my job. I try to enjoy it. Me and my lifelong buddies had 56 spaces at Pate last year. Between us we might have paid for them. Friendship- priceless.My .02 TP