Event Coverage The Pomona Swap Meet Is Dying A Slow Death

Here in Phoenix we have a monthly swap at the Glendale Community College. Usually gets a good turnout. As the temps start to go up the swap starts earlier. Sometime O Dark Thirty.

 

The Phoenix College swap used to be a good one. They still hold that? Also the Mesa Community College swap was decent, but it's been at least 20 years since I've been.

 

In Texas we have two major ones-Pate in N. Texas (Dallas) and S. Texas (Conroe). Both draw bunches of vendors and parts types. I don't do Pate anymore, but Conroe yes. Costs $45 for a single small space at Conroe, $2. entry fee, and forget eats and drinks that take gold only. I sold at Conroe last year, totaled up it cost me almost $100. to do it--and I was there to sell, so I gave really good prices on my stuff. To sum it up, wasn't worth it. I came home and just gave stuff to a few friends, sure felt better than my swap meet experience.

 

Save your gas.
H.A.M.B. *Market* *Place*

 

Yeah, I'm sure shipping parts is cheaper. But not by much, especially if the parts are larger.

 

Please do keep me/everyone informed I have never been to the Redlands one or the one the riverside corona model T club throws. Until you mentioned them I was unaware of them existing. Like I said in my original comment they all could use a little advertising.

 

Yes, first Sunday of the month

 

QUOTE
"Another thing and maybe a silver lining... currently there are 2 or 3 threads on the first page of the main board about scammers. They are rampant online. Hitting Facebook and Instagram. I know of one that controls their own page of "model A/early ford parts for sale" just so they can scam more people. I've seen them make their own fake web pages.(which I brought to attention here)
I could go into heavy detail. But I won't. but I will say, that as someone who makes a living selling online. I've seen a significant down turn because of this."

Hey, Hitchhiker;
I wish you would, maybe a different thread, although I'd guess that it'd get locked/disappeared due to the necessary content to explain adequately. Since I don't think like this, much isn't apparent to me. Although I also won't sell online because of it. & the other usual govt/corp-created issues now.(Read: I'm not a business, nor interested in doing or becoming one. Nor "social-media" for similar reasons). Paypal helps the scammers, & govt; & while I'd rather not, it's almost easier & cheaper, to destroy the stuff & then scrap it. ;( . I'd like to get my outlook changed, for the positive.

& I still like swap meets, at least to see n buy. Selling, not so much.
Marcus...

 

This photo says everything you need to know about the decline of swap meets. I wouldn't go across the street to buy imported billboard caps and crappy tin signs, I guess I'm not the only one. This is the same crap that is EVERYWHERE now.

 

Judging by the price of the hats they are not officially licensed products. I'm surprised the Harley Davidson people aren't all over the seller. Harley as well as others go to great lengths to product their logo/trademarks.

 

Bootleg scammers.

 

Seems like most swap meets are in decline.

 

To quote Bluto from Animal House --> "Did we give up when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? ...NO!!! " Get out there and hit the swapmeets!!!!
I go to swapmeets for the social aspect --> hang out with friends and see cool stuff & cars. If I find something, great. If not it was still a good day and we still go to lunch.
Comments about the Jan. 2024 Pomona Swapmeet--> I went and it was COLD (for us Californians) that day. This vendor turn out is typical on extremely cold or hot days. Remember, the Pomona Swapmeet is held 8 times a year. If the weather is not favorable to me on that day, I'm skipping and will go to the next one. I'm sure others think the same way, both buyers & sellers.
The swapmeet rows are numbered "backwards" at Pomona. Rows 1 - 12 are on the opposite end of the buyers entrance and are typically spotty to some extent. So the vast majority of the buyers are starting at row 30.
We showed up at 7:00am. Line to get in was very short. We finished up at about 11:00am and headed towards the exit, which is right next to the entrance. When we were leaving, there were 6 lines of 30+ people deep each line waiting to get in the gate. Lots of buyers when the weather warmed up that day.
Are the Pomona & Long Beach Swapmeets perfect? No, but I will keep going and supporting theses swapmeets.

 

BIG TURLOCK, CA SWAP THIS SATURDAY & SUNDAY. STANISLAUS COUNTY Fairgrounds

 

Here is what I have learned from
the past 3 years promoting
and trying to create a new
pre war swap meet in
The Verde Valley of Arizona:

For any automotive swap meets held
in California & Arizona (at least)

They have to be hosted at a privately
owned venue with facilities and
adequate room for growth that
is not primarily a retail business
or a casino or a shopping center.

State and Municipal facilities
primarily serve their Public
so a health or weather related
emergency will result in cancellation
of other scheduled events on
short notice.

The private facility has to be
in or relatively close to a major
metropolitan area so vendors
and the public have access to
food - fuel - accommodations.

The private facility has to be
designed to accommodate large
vehicle and traffic amount.

The private facility cannot be
controlled by a car club or organization.

Here is an example of
The Perfect Venue




Jim

 

My 2 cents. I have gone to swaps for about 25yrs. I have stopped going recently because of multiple reasons:

1) The quality of items has decreased
2) The price of items have drastically increased
3) That pic above (Vendors selling non related stuff)
4) Honestly... I do not "Need" much anymore for the projects I have. I used to make a list of what I am looking for or need. Now if I do go it is just to see what is around and what catches my eye while there.
5) I do not have much in my stash to sell anymore due to not going and buying much anymore.
6) family- I got teens now and they are both active in sports so I spend a lot of time on that (Lame I know Ha)

 

I was at the Pomona Swap a couple of weeks ago. (first time in years!) Yeah it wasn't the same as years past, more vendors selling t-shirts, hats, various crap. But they have always been there. I couldn't find the dude who always yells "car covers, car covers" I miss him. Haha I'm starting a T roadster build and found a set of Model A frame rails for $90. The parts are getting harder to find but they're still out there. And if you own a Chevy lowrider or bomb parts seem to be endless. We even saw a guy who had junker Chevys and he was sawzalling the rear package tray out of one for a guy who was waiting right there! I asked him if he had any catalytic converters. Hahahahaha

 

Oh, the "Car Covers, Car Covers" guy was there!!

 

Car cover guys...used to also yell $20 bucks! $20 bucks! Before inflation. I think they're $35 now. There are two brothers that sell the car covers, at different areas of the swapmeet and one brother brings his wife. I've seen them at the swaps for years..theyre hard working folks.

 

Pate was not as big as it normally is, but I think weather had a lot to do with it. A lot of vendors left on Saturday. Prices were all over the place. Things were selling, especially the more expensive items like engines and cars. Outside of weather it was a good meet.

 

I have good luck selling on hamb but shipping has gotten so expensive that people dont want to buy

 

We set up at Portland EXPO this year and did pretty good, hell I even sold a 6x2 set up for a Y-Block!
Things would of been better if folks would of not just walked (and dodged the scooters & bikes) at PIR and also shopped at EXPO . I think they are doing what they can to make things better at EXPO, I guess only time and turnout will tell...

 

I sold some relatively heavy parts to a guy a while back. I was concerned about the shipping cost. He said he’d send me a label, just take it to the post office. He used Pirate Ship. A box of transmission parts from NorCal to Virginia (?) for $14. I was amazed.

 

Last meet that I participated in. Had gone regularly since 1978.
Made great friends, buys and what an education !
Everything has a shelf life

 

I have done the Pate Swap meet for 40 years, this is the first year I did not renew, space rental is $60. Charging $10 for people to park. More and more none auto related stuff for sale, bunch of signs and that kind of stuff. Scooter rentals are the major business, sometimes can hardly get by an aisle with 5-6 of them blocking your way. Use to be just about everyone that came by your spots was carrying something this year didn't see much. Also has got so big people get tired and skip rows. Like you after spending 3 days out there and selling at good prices it cost me $100 . I am going to stick to a couple smaller ones at $40-45 spaces.Plus I am pretty much past the point of needing anymore stuff

 

Non related parts and trinkets have killed the swap meets around here.

 

At that time 2008, the cost including the time of going to the swapmeet started to overshadow the return .
The good times were over.

 

When I lived in Cali 15 years ago I would go to the standard "Pomona Swap meet" multiple times a year. As a Ford man, I very rarely found anything worth a damn. Lots of (what I referred to as) "Big Block Chevy Bullshit". What I meant was shiny billet tri-5 stuff, bomb stuff, repop muscle car sheet metal and bumpers, and just like BBC shit, it was all crazy expensive (especially for a broke college student). Seems like it was groundhog day every 3rd isle with the same repeat garbage that I had negative interest in. On top of all that random household crap that is at every non-automotive related swap meet. It took me a few years to realize the only "Pomona Swap Meet" worth going to was the fathers day LARS. Granted I'll agree it's not as great as it once was, at least I'll see stuff on most isles I can find prewar stuff. The long beach swap meet is kind of the same thing with the Model T meet is the only one worth going to as the "HIPO" meet is mostly VW stuff at least from what I remember.

As far as swap meets going down hill, I'll take a play out of the current generations gripe with the used clothing market.

Resellers.

Now I know we have all bought something and have resold it because it either didn't fit, we sold the car it was for or we fell on times where we needed the quick cash. The problem people now more than ever are making selling parts their main source of income. Which is fine to a point. The problem I have is when I sell a guy something for a fair price (or he gives me a sob story about how its going on a sentimental project to get me to lower the price) and then the next swap meet i see it just as I left it in his booth or its on Facebook Marketplace the next day for double or 3 times what I sold it for. And some noob pays that crazy price for it which then fucks the whole market for regular guys trying the build a car. So now, everyone has to ask the crazy high number so they don't leave money on the table. But then they don't sell the part most of the time because most people can't afford say 1000 bucks for a set of pitted up flathead cylinder heads when they can buy a new set for less. I know thats kind of a bad example because there area plenty of heads that aren't repopped but you get it right? No one wins in that situation except for the one-in-100 guy who can find an unsuspecting sucker with deep pockets. Kind of scummy if you ask me. The resellers were the latest notch that really kicked the prices into the stratosphere, the firsts being car tv shows and ebay.
It really goes hand-in-hand with Ebay. A fantastic example is Y-block marine manifolds. If you go on there to look for those they range in price from 400 bucks for a bare intake to 1800 for a complete one. And as someone who has been wanting one for a long time i can tell you that at this moment the ones you will see on ebay have been there for YEARS. No one is buying them. Why would they? The market for a y block powered boat is tiny. But people see those outrageous prices and then think theirs is worth something similar. It's not. No one is running that set up on a street car unless they are willing to halve their HP to have a low clearance engine in say a track T. And the sellers on there won't budge on their prices because apparently the real estate to store them is cheap enough to keep them forever. But i'm happy to say, just bought a really nice one for 200 bucks a few weeks ago on CL.

Wow that was a ramble. Or was it a rant? Perhaps a Ran-ble. or a Rambt. IDK.
I guess in conclusion, i"ll quote Robert Williams
" ....the old Fords; that's a wealthy mans' game now"

Oh well, I guess that's what overtime pay is for.