Amherst died last month. The new owners shot themselves in the foot. It was a slow and painful death to watch. I think it was premeditated.
Skipped Carlisle this year for the first time in many. We used to set up Spring and Fall to buy and sell, have a great time and would come home with cash in our pockets. Best remembrance was a year in the late 70's or early 80's when we took in thousands in sales for the weekend event. Now paying for 4 spaces, fuel, food and more leaves us all owing money for the weekend depending on how many of us go and share the expenses. Having that weekend open this year, I decided at the last minute to set up for 8 hours on Sunday at one of our local public market Garage Sale Sundays for $30 and brought home more profit than I did the last few years at Carlisle.
fee-bay has been killing a lot of flea market type shows - why leave home when you can push a 'buy it now' button? Most recently discussed, among friends, on a similar note is lacking race day crowds & participation in racing venues. Why leave home when you can race at home with your video racing 'simulator'? A sausage on a roll is cheaper at home, too
I stopped going about 5 years ago. Owning a 31 chevy has always been a challenge to find parts. Carlisle used to have a lot more old stuff. Now it's full of collectables, mops, glassware and other junk. I finally found my garnish mouldings on eBay for cheap and I didn't leave home. Sent from my XT1254 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Old thread, but I still go, not as religiously as I used to, though. It's still a fun day out, looking at old car parts for something you need or want. how can that not be fun for a real car guy? If, or when these events go away, it will be a very sad day for us.
I think the $10 entry, $10 parking fee and $8 sammich are the last thing stopping people from participating. That's cheap entertainment. Priced a theme park, sporting event or concert tickets, parking and food lately? $100+ for a decent seat, $20+ to park... Swap meets have been down for years. Sellers are holding most of the valuable/demand items for themselves or listing them nationally on ebay in hopes to bottom fish top $, while trailering out their less desireable and common "junk" (that we already have multiples of). Some of the enthusiasts up in age can no longer take on a new project (time and space) or walk 5 miles anymore. Much of the younger generation grew up shopping via keyboard and are not interested (or too out of shape/lazy) to walk a swap meet.
I haven't gone in a few years but a carload of guys from the area went. They all said this was their last year. Too bad.
Last fall I went to Fall Carlisle Lakeland in Florida. Much smaller but some of the locals who obviously had never been to Carlisle, PA describe it as the biggest swap meet around. I actually liked it. Parking was free, cheap to get in and I had a great day wandering around. I did spot a decent set of bumpers for a project I am helping a friend with back in New York. On my way out I was able to score them at a great price. Kind of how I remembered the original Carlisle in the 70's and 80's.
the state of penn sales tax dept is a major cause, they act like NAZI"S, we stopped going to any event in the state of penn, due to the horrible methods of the penn state dept of revenue . if the sales tax collector thinks you owe you must pay on demand. they will seize all of your stuff including your car , truck, trailer, parts on the swap meet field. the state of penn deserves to lose . they state of new york has a 17 page application for a temporary sales tax permit, cause me not to go to the new york car shows.
Yes it still is a fun day out of the garage but this fall was bad, bad, but i did have good day for what I saw. One can only hope that spring will be bigger and better.. And if we stop going it may be no more.. Lets make Carlise great again.. we should put that on a red hat..
The Jalopy Journal
