Will swap meets grow this year???

A friend is financing his flathead build by selling off everything that isn't bolted down, most of which is going through ebay. He said one of the guys who bought some of his stuff had spent over 100k in the last 2 months on there. The guy was reinvesting his money in an asset that he didn't see depreciating. After hearing that, I have no hope for swap meets. I'll still be there spending 50 bucks on a track dog and looking for parts, but it will be more like laughing at the crazy prices than anything. I don't kick the tires though, I generally know the going rate, and I won't pay much more than that.

 

Last year I was a seller....finished my project and took all the left-over stuff. Had it priced fairly, sold all of it.
This year I have another project, so I'll be a buyer. I really hope there is alot of 'good' stuff available. I think the economy may favor the buyer this year. Maybe not from a professional vendor standpoint, but from the standpoint of home-builders unloading their sheds and garages for some extra cash.
Ed.

 

I don't know if it will help the swap meets, but I agree, have basically closed down my ebay sales. It was basically a passtime anyhow, but now they take more money at both ends of the sale, disproportionatly so, and I'll give it away at swap meet before I'll bother listing it anymore...................

 

An observation, maybe not typical, but what I experienced. Seven years ago I went to a Good Guys deal in Livermore. I should explain that I have not been active in street rods since 1960. This was the beginning of my renewed desire to join in. The flea market...swap meet...area was awesome. TONS of stuff, lots of vendors. HEAVEN!!
Now, 2008, back into it. Went to Good Guys in Des Moines July 4th. Pocket full of cash. Empty trailer behind my pickup. Headed right to the "swap meet" area.
JUNK and damn little of it. This was unbelieveable to me. Maybe twenty vendors. Half with rusted out two or three hulks that were overpriced by any standards. Parts were almost all rusty junk. All in all it was a tremendous waste of time and effort....drove twelve hours to get there. Luckily, I found my 39 Ford Deluxe Tudor through an aircraft inspection I was performing in the area. After DM, I headed to Sioux City, did the aircraft thing and then saw the 39. Fell in love. Price was right. Onto the trailer and took her home to do a lot of work.
I am planning to head to Good Guys in Colorado 2009. I hope for a better experience.
All in all, I would say that the internet, eBay for example, offers a much wider range of the country and it goes on all year long. Yes, eBay has a few issues, but overall, it's my choice for parts...new and used.
If anyone knows of swap meets worth attending, here in the SW Nebraska/Colorado area, 500 miles radius, let me know. I am back into it big time and building a few more street rods.
What happened to all the activity? I dunno.

 

I sell at every Long Beach and Pomona swaps and have for about 7 years or so. I've been going to them for at least 25 years.
I don't see them picking up myself. I would love to see it go back like it was just do not think it will happen.

E bay sucks yes, but I'll spend 12 hours at Pomona just to come back and find I did better on e bay that day. If you were me what would you do?

Now I only go to the swaps to see my friends, meet new ones and promote my business in my local area. I used to be pissed if I didn't sell at least 1,500.00 worth of stuff. Now if I make 500 bucks I feel like I did very well.

 

In and around Northeast Ohio it seems as thou all of the meets we have gone to lately are loaded with two types of vendors, those who (by their pricing) must or feel they are making a living from swap meets. And the others who we like to call "the garage guys" who always have fair prices and are willing to deal, to actually leave with cash instead of all the stuff they took the time to gather-up, load and sell. We ALWAYS visit the "garage guys" spaces first, and usually leave with at least some of their fairly priced parts. I really dont need anymore: sunglasses,diecast,poorly made tools from the J.A.PAN CO. or sports team sweatshirts

 

Do any of you guys know of swap meets in BC Canada or washington state. I am looking for 1949 Dodge D100 Pick-up parts.

 

i got a vendor spot at pomona a couple months ago, actually brought some decent stuff that i thought should sell, priced it real cheap just to get rid of it, about 25-50% of what it should have been priced at. some 35/36 ford spoke wheels in decent shape for $10 a piece, a few aluminum sbc single 4 intakes for $10-20, pontiac 2x4 edelbrock intake for $60, model a fenders for $20 a piece, a pair of 15x6 6pin halibrand kidney beans for $450 etc etc. i really just wanted to get rid of stuff and get a little cash even if i was loosing $ in the deal. everything was well marked and i was in the space all day and DIDN'T SELL A SINGLE DAMNED THING. i don't usually sell at pomona except for the fathers day show and always do good there, didn't expect to do as well at a normal swap as the fathers day one but still to not sell a single thing really surprised me. the guy across from me only sold $20 worth and the guy next to me only sold one thing, a t5 trans for $75.

got home that night put the halibrands on ebay and they sold for 8something, double what i would have taken at the swap, gave alot of the other stuff away and traded some of it off for stuff i can use.

it's deffinetly a buyers market right now but i don't think there's that many real buyers out there. i really hope the swaps come back because ebay does suck, they take to much money, you never know who you're dealing with and you can't look over the piece in person before shelling out your money. i only buy maybe 1 thing a month off ebay, i'd just rather do my transactions in person.

ebay killed the swapmeets like, summit/speedway/jegs killed the mom and pop speed shops, like wallmart/homedepot/target etc killed the other small shops. i will still always sell at the big 3 and the L.A. roadsters deal but they're more of a social thing than a $ thing which makes it more fun anyways. i hope the swaps make a full recovery but really doubt the regular little monthly swaps will ever be as good as they were before ebay.

 

I hit the Turlock swap everytime its in town (California). I havent bought anything. The venders that I needed parts for were ridiculous. If I am at the swap with cash, I want the parts there. I tried to buy a bullet cap for my wheels and the guy only had one. He handed me one and a business card....I handed them back and walked.
The last time we went the only deals to be had were on rusted old Flowmasters for the work trucks.
Maybe some of the hoarders will start to sell off the stuff thats just taking up space.

I know I go with the intent to buy. I hope it turns around.

 

Geez-the economy sucks right, if you did not notice. If you want to buy/sell/etc you need to do it all. Watch garage sale ads for anything car related listed, eBay and copy cat sites, local craigslists, even ads in papers. I made some real scores off free craigslist and sold at swaps. You can just sit and bitch or go and hunt. Some times the hunt for a super deal is almost as much fun as finding what you are looking for.

 

last year I only did three swaps as a vendor... I like to do six or more but gas prices were too high to justfy a long haul.

Next year I hope gas prices will make it easier to go out and vend...

 

Well everyone swap meets are getting smaller!!! I went to my first ever swap meet this past weekend and last year the whole place was full and this year there was maybe half! But on a good note people are buying. I sold over 400 dollars worth of stuff out there so it was a major plus. All i had was some left over model A stuff and there are people looking!!!

 

I think there will be more good stuff to buy at swap meets because of ebay fees and their new PayPal requirements. I know we'll still sell at swap meets, and we usually do pretty good.

 

I think that as people get more familiar with Craigslist, you'll find more hot rod/vintage parts on there. The benefit of CL is that although you don't get national coverage -there's no shipping and you insist on CASH. You can still dicker around on the price, and of course you have a restricted audience, although Craigshelper seems to be easy to negotiate - just not sure if you can LIST stuff there - maybe it's just for looking and shopping.

Local swap meets should continue to do well, it's just that if the economy is felt to be depressed, a lot of sellers won't bother to pack up to drive a hundred miles or more just to be dissappointed with the paucity of buyers. I've bought some pretty good stuff (mostly high-dollar tools and equipment from guys that got laid off) in the past six months - all off of Craigslist - or word of mouth from guys out at the airfield or the donut shop car meets. I feel bad, because my bargains are someone else's heartache - but at least if I buy the tool or part - he can make a house payment or buy some groceries. If we can just hold out till the Nanny Government puts us all on 'the dole' - then there'll be no more sadness, no more grief....just strawberry fields forever....

dj

 

I have been doing swap meets for 30 years, texas and oklahoma,i hav seen a decline in buyers for higher dollar items, but the guys around me selling junk stuff at 5 -20 dollars, doing great business. A few items i dragged to swap meets for 2 years sold on craiglist in one week, so i think the internet is hurting the swap meet business but j.m o

 

I made alot of money on Flea-bay the last 8 years....(Not in car parts but remote control helicopter parts....hey its what I know and there WAS a good market fr it) the last 6-8 months I havent sold a thing....quit buying to sell...mainly due to the fact that the risk factor went WAY up....before I didnt have to worry about a helicopter not doubling its money as parts....but I noticed that I was getting less and less money for my effort and time...las deal I did I cleared $400 on a $3000 deal...which effectivly means I was in the hole for listing and shipping time that it took...(350 auctions total)

I hung it up...E-bay fees are darn right blood sucking and the helicopter market is so narrow I dont have anywhere else to go...

Now swaps on the other hand...I've done great at...I had moved three years back and had to liquidate alot of my stash due to space constraints (got around to selling all this crap about 6 months ago)...I was there to clean out, and clean out I did...so much in fact that I was pissing other sellers off around me...I as selling stuff by the pile, if you wanted one part it would be $40, if you were willing to take the whole pile it would be $20...

Bottom line I think the smaller trinkets and lower cost parts are where its at as far as making money at a swap...I'm seeing less and less big ticket items being carried around a show than the $5 or $10 peice...

I hope the swaps get better as I dig going to em...heck if anything to hang out with good friends and make new ones...

The one thing that really pisses me off is being at a swap and talking to a guy about a part and him telling me (or others) "well I could get $xx.xx for it on E-bay" Pray-tell why the hell did you bring it here then? maybe cause you didnt want to bother with the fees, aggrivation and shipping of said part? nuff said...

 

I love swaps, but they're nothing like years ago before the internet. I used to do trade shows, did racing, hotrod, musclecar posters & related stuff. After the rise in popularity of the internet attendance and sales tanked. And the poggers and beanie weenies started taking over. Imagine being at a sports collectibles show and more than half the slots selling beanies, pogs, perfumes, beads and other chinese crap. Many of the CAR swaps have gotten the same way. Promoters don't care, as long as they get their $$$ and fill tables/spaces. But one exception was the Billetproof show last June in Davisburg. Traditional parts ONLY. It was very good. I did a lot of looking and ended up buying one piece I needed. But I noticed the ebayers were there - I get a kick outta watching some of 'em, like little busy bees buzzing here, then there, snatch this, grab that, and they're off. Probably had the stuff listed at twice what they paid for it before nightfall. Lots of sellers know it, and I think that's why a lot of them hike their prices up so high. Maybe a "trade only" swap would work? I got lots of stuff I'd be willing to barter that I won't be using but sure don't want to toss it, and don't have time or patience to list on ebay.

 

Im tired of hearing how much someone would get if they put it on ebay everytime i question a price on something. i just ask em why they bothered dragging it to the swap if thats the case? these days we like to count the amount of times we hear the ebay word said at swaps!

 

a 'close group' of us-guys 'sat up at the BIG spring FORD MEET @ ohio state fairgrounds [4 buildings--10 acres/ under roofs 'they said'- so weather was not an issue!] from the second meet til about the 7th meet. WE ALL SOLD 'STUFF', AND HAD A GREAT TIME!
[set-up nite was a BALL!] then 'the promoting club' ORGANIZED-THE-MEET,and the 'thrill-was-gone'! yep-space prices went UP and RESTRICTIONS BEGAN-TO-GET-REAL-HEAVY!
SO we did day-trips instead of making an overnite, JUST TO KEEP AN 'EYE ON THE SCENE'.
our VIEW is that the BIG-TIME VENDORS were getting all the 'consideration', so WE GAVE UP on that show! [ did hear that 'politics in the club' caused them to get 'organized'. ] HAVEN'T been back for 6 years!

the michigan state fair winter meet was last weekend--DIDN'T EVEN MAKE AN EFFORT! $10 PARKING, $7 ADMISSION...got better places to spend $$$, in-our-delicate-econamy!

as a buyer/ spectator...did hershey--several times, ONE WAS A 'MUD' EVENT, plus a carlisle all-car meet back in the 70's, really enjoyed myself.

in the 80's did carlisle corvette meet w/ my brother several times, well organized-[ your admission ticket was a 'chance' for a 'decent-restored covette' if you were there sunday at 3 p.m, seems like they gave away a GM, FOMOCO, MOPAR, a 'FOREIGN CAR, A KIT CAR-- PLUS A CORVETTE at 'their featured meets!']---BUT BACK TO CORVETTES those corvette restorer's were asking/ getting LARGE $$$ for their 'stuff'! ['HE' DOES THE 'BLOOMINGTON MEET'--money is not a concern for him--he's building a bloomington gold contender! NCRS is his 'thing'] GOT-FINANCIALLY-'HUMBLED'-REAL-SOON- i was out of my 'element!'

buzz walneck/ WALNECK CYCLE-TRADER MAGAZINE has been 'doing' bike meets/ twice a year just off I-75/ between deeeeeeetroit and toledo, for a several years. the 'feller' has stuck his 'neck out'---often wondered if 'they've' ever showed a profit!

the GAS CITY, INDIANA----DUCKTAILS swap meet used-to-be small, low-key and reasonable prices![ haven't been in 6 years]---BUT WAS AN ENJOYABLE VENUE---combined with the 'cruise' on-the-other-side of the event! PLUS the james dean event 10 miles away in FAIRMOUNT--SAME DAY SAME TIME!

truth is there is an abundance of 'stuff' in southeast michigan 'worth-THE-effort' but no REASONABLE VENUE, for either vendor or buyer! A WORTHY PROMOTER WOULD HAVE A NIGHTMARE PUTTING-ON-AN-EVENT IN-OUR-NECK-OF-THE-WOODS!

[the re-occurring 6 year 'theme' a result of losing day-shift status, having to work week-ends!]

FIGGER----THIS YEAR---- 'MEETS' IN-OUR-NECK-OF-THE-WOODS WILL BE A TRUE BAROMETER OF OUR ECONOMY!

just my $.02---- [not-even-worth-puttin-your-in-your-pocket!]

red ryder

 

I feel the same way about Ebay as I do walmart, we have sold or soul for the root of all evil.........money, the fun has been taken out of swapmeets and our hobbie, hav'nt seen much at a swapmeet in at least 7or 8 years . Now excuse me I need to check my bid on ebay..............YOUR THE WINNER YOU PAID MORE THAN ANY ONE IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD . ???????????????????????

 

I Built a few cars out of the swap meet in socal when I lived there and its sad to see what has happen to Pomona and Vets swapmeet in long beach, but it is to be expected as greed sets in and the money grabber are trying to make a living at them.
I moved to the midwest about 8 years ago and I have gone to some of the swapmeet here and they are not to bad yet but we will see what it will be like this spring now that no one has much money for toys.