Death of the swap-meet rant!!

Yes. I've always been a poor-boy and the swapmeet has taken the place of all the junkyards that have closed up around the Chicago area. And, you can't keep parts-cars in most urban areas. Hell, some areas even limit your right to work on a car at home.
There are still several really good meets around here.
I go to sell my leftovers and buy inventory for projects and to turn a profit to support my habit. The socialization thing is one the key attractions, too. Usually better than most cruise-nights and car shows because Swap meet people usually are wrench-turners and hot rod builders, not hot rod buyers. No offense, we need both in this hobby. Buyers usually fund my next car.
The internet is just the next logical extension of all this. I have done 100's of deals on Ebay and Craigslist and never been burned. I did make a couple of mistakes, but they were my own fault.
There is one thing happening at the swaomeets that really pisses me off. And, it turns off buyers. That is the "vendors" who pack up and go home as early as noon while buyers are still paying to come in the gates. But, I don't care what millionaires are chasing a ball around on teevee in the afternoon. I'd rather DO something than watch something. ENUF

 

"Joe Blow" has to shell out nine bucks for a swap meet? Most I ever go to you don't pay a nickle to get in. No wonder they're shooting themselves in the foot.

 

The local swap meet that I vend at has become my vacation home that I long to go to.I socialize with people that I only see once a year and make money to boot! Can,t argue with that....Ebay does however give me an extra income year round to buy what ever I need.Bought a box of switches yesterday for $20.00 and sold 3 for over $240.00 Gotta love it.

 

Death of the swap Meet??? Add Chicagos CHEVY-VETTEFEST to the list!!!!!!!
Last year I needed some chrome trim for my 59' Biscayne, so I headed off for this show which in my memory had always been about 70% used parts swap...Not anymore!!! I couldn't even find any USED parts for a 57' chevy, let alone a 59!!! They had some new parts and rechromed bumpers but NONE of those used parts to replace those part's that your missing.
I would of been in the right pace if I had needed any used vette parts, or new vette parts, vette clothes, vette leater jackets, vette sungl***es, vette bed sheets, vette restorers, vette services, or any other vette ****! They had plenty of non car parts vendors, and other **** that I didn't need, and a FEW cars that I enjoyed looking at. (53' vette nomad recreation) But After the admission fee and about $20 to park I felt genuinely RIPPED OFF!!! They should have a disclaimer;
***CHEVY VETTEFEST***(no old chevy parts here)...

 

For me the swap meets are about the comradery. I can always set on my but and sell stuff on CL or Ebay but there's not much fun in that. I started going to the swaps 25 years ago cause it was a place to unload lots of the stuff I had been ac***ulating over the years. I lived out in west Texas where there aren't many good swap meets so it was a 300 mile drive to a decent one. I sold a **** load of stuff the first few years and turned around and bought lots of stuff I needed for current and future projects. My spare part inventory now is down to a few older engines, some good old factory hi-po parts, and some decent aftermarket hi-po stuff. All of which I hope to have time to use before alshimers or arthritis sits in. Both seem to be sneaking up lately. I have come up with a few new products that I can sell at the swap meets now to help pay some bills and finance a few parts for the projects but I still take quite a few old parts with me just to have some stuff to help others out. I price them cheap enough to sell and still let buyers jew me down. I still keep lots of parts at home. never know when a local buddy or myself might need that old starter, manifold, flywheel, block or carb. Its gotten to where what I do take to sell, I have one good one at home to keep. Besides, gone are the days when I care to spend days loading up heavy greazy parts and having to unload most of them again when I get home.I also have a wonderfull wife that goes with me to sell while I go out and search for the 'bargains'. Like the NOS looking rochestor 2bbl with no idle circuits and a big vac diaphram hanging on it sitting by a pile of drills, tools, and wenches and priced at 25 bucks. So if nothing else, when I decide to hang up the wrenches, finish cleaning out the old parts stash, I will still have the new, clean, light weight stuff to go sell so I can still get out and shoot the **** with other like minded old codgers and maybe give some advice to the young up and comers to keep them interested. I'm supprised to hear about the admission fees that some swap meets are charging buyers. All of the swaps I go to there is no admission fee and usually free or reasonably priced parking fees. These swap meets are all run by local car clubs so they aren't trying to get rich off of them. Hopefull it will stay that way around here.

 

I used to be into ham radio and went to a lot of "hamfest" or radio swapmeets,their just about gone now.Ebay and greed have killed a lot of stuff like this.Everybody likes to get a good deal or sell their stuff for a good price but when you get that worried about makin a buck on your hobby you'ed probablly be better of at work.

 

I started going to swapmeets with my dad 40 something years ago, I've been going as a vender or buyer for 30 years. And I will say that I've visted with alot of friends and I have never negleted a customer, nor have I been negleted. And yes you can sale and buy on the internet, I have bought plenty myself, But theres nothing like finding a Haldibrand V-8 quick change that you where looking for to put under your 29 highboy while walking thru mud and water up to your ankles at the OLD PATE SWAPMEET which was an adventure in it's self and hearing the story about how the guy selling it and two of his buddies were going to build a dirt car in the early 60's and how they all were drafted, and it had been in his dads barn ever since, I have alot of stories like this , its what adds a little soul to our hobbie, I have bought, sold, given stuff away and have had plenty of fun doing it and can't remember anyone getting mad ?????? But hey thats just me......... Maybe thats the reason al gore invented the internet for people who don't like to visit.

 

I probably tromped around in that same mud at the "OLD Pate" in the early/mid 70's. That was an ins***ution for Texas car nuts of all kinds. My buddy and I would load my 57 Panel full of stuff that we had to sell, take enough cash to pay the space fee and away we went. Sell a few pieces and go buy a few pieces with the money.
Around this area the guys (clubs or promoters) who put the car shows and swap meets on are getting hit with higher fees every year. The fairgrounds sees the February one day swap meet as a way to make real money for the fairgrounds instead of just as a filler that brought in enough cash to pay that months light bill in years past.

I go just to look for the odd pieces, Bs with friends and fellow car nuts and just have a good day out looking at car stuff. usually I drag home something I need and several somethings that I don't really need but they were too good to p*** up.

 

WTF is a ps2??? some intake manifold.or what,why would a kid want that????? LOL

 

I think it is some kind of stereo they are selling hoping that people like me will get rid of my 8 tracks.......

 

I've been doing swap meets for over thirty years. Never went to a meet where I thought they did something stupid, because I don't pay much attention to what they do.

I don't see swap meets dying. I see them growing. Changing? Not a lot, but whatever, I'll grow with the changes.

All that I attend have been expanding over the years. I don't see people that sell stuff I don't want as any intrusion on what I sell, or shop for.

If they let me in, show me a space, I'll handle the rest. It's their deal, so if they want to put artificial boundries on their dooin's why do I care? If they require advance registration, I do it. If they limit my spaces, what's the diff? I might have to get up earlier in the morning to outsmart them but I'll adapt to any restrictions, short of them closing up, then I might just to have to put on a doon'ns of my own! I'm not into telling anybody how to run their business, figure if they make a business decision they must have a reason.

The only limits I pay much attention to is what time the gates close so I can get out before.

If it was my place and some people wanted to hog a lot of the spaces in a row, I just might be inclined to limit that too, it would be my right, being it would be my ball game and I was holding the ball.

I set up in three or four local meets each year. I have no complaints about any of them, if I did why would I bother? I take my truck and trailer and all of the stuff I can load up. There's a lot of stuff to be had, to sell, but I just let the young guys do that now that I'm retired.

I have a large umbrella on a base and always take three extra lawn chairs. Friends stop and talk and have a brew. I always have a couple of kids stop and ask questions about carburetors, hot rod stuff and I always take the time to listening to their thoughts. I make new friends every year. If you want to whine about the economy, stop by and I'll chime in. Politics? , The price of tomatoes? , Is the truck for sale?, Have I seen any of this or that? How I did the R&P steering on the jalopy? Whatever, I'll draw you a picture if you want. Where is the AC? It can't be seen, how'd you do that?, etc. I'm full of listening and answering.

I somply know ahead of time, even if it rains, that, I'LL HAVE A BALL!!!
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I'll see you'all at NSRA PUEBLO, VMCCA-CANON CITY, THUNDER IN THE VALLEY-FOUNTAIN, OUTLAWS-PUEBLO (three times), TOYS FOR KIDS, FRIENDS OF PETS,, etc. this spring/summer!
.

 

PS-2 = electronic babysitter. Almost guaranteed to add 15 lbs. and two pants sizes to a ten year old in six months.

 

i was there,there were a lot of vendor spots empty, even one enclosed building was unused this year, i've lived here ten years and this is the slowest i've ever seen .at least it warmed up,it was freezing cold on thursday. i expected it to be somewhat slow because of the economy,but not this slow. I did buy all my wire loom and electrical connectors from the guy just inside of the gate, as i've done every year for almost a decade. he was out of realistic looking dog turds though, had some of the most real ones i've ever seen, I always buy some every year for pranks. i really don't care much for ebay eithier, at least at a swap meet,you can pick something up and look at it. ever try to measure something on ebay?

 

Swap meets are what you make of em.

Go in with a bad at***ude, expect a bad day.

I figure swap meets are a lot like those speed dating things where people rotate every 5 minutes. Sometimes you get a bad match between seller & buyer & goods. But hey, there's always another booth, or another customer, depending on your perspective. So why let few bad apples ruin the bunch???

Personally selling is very hard. The only way I can do it enjoyably is to force myself into carney-barker mode and sorta run with the character. Whether or not it's a good selling day, it won't be a terrible day cause customers will catch onto fun and throw it back at ya. I feel sorry for those guys that withdraw into the corner of their booth and grimace all day. I also sell the **** out of sub-$20 items that my quieter friends can't sell........

 

NOTHING compares to a good Swap Meet. Hands down my favorite part of the old car hobby is prowling the swaps looking for stuff. The swaps in Arizona are nothing to write home about. I went to one yesterday and did not find anything but enjoyed walking it no matter. I REALLY miss Jefferson & Iola though. I wish there was something equal to it out here. Pomona is fun but it is pricey by the time you drive 6 hours to get there, hotel, food, and money for the meet. Wish I could do it more often though. Still does not compare to the swaps back home........

 

well i did go with a good at***ude, my wife was feeling better,so she got to go, it was nice out, I spent about 30 minutes talking to an old WW2 vet while she found a bathroom, got served a corn dog and funnel cake,by a dopey looking guy in a pink floyd T shirt, for some reason he kept beating on his grill.

 

here's my link, did anyone else see the grin and bare it bare metal VW? nuttiest thing i've ever seen. but very cool. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=332737

 

Nah, I wanted Pong! hehehe

-Shiny

 

We may have been twins separated at birth, absolutely my thoghts, view, experiance at swap meets in the last 35 years!!!

 

G***erlouie that means.......Hey, thats just me and G***erlouie........ Oh by the way I love your signature......and MY wife told me not to be talking alone in the shop because I WAS wrong

 

Yep. As it is with ***, the worst I ever had..............was wonderful!

 

I posted a while back about weather or no swap meets will grow or not this year. I have noticed that they are getting smaller but guys are starting to come down in price a little because they are scared that they might not last and then nobody will buy there stuff and they will be SOL.

I am 24 years old and have been into cars for about 5 years but i dont like ebay and i try to find the best deal for my buck, i dont make alot so i have to go to swap meets plus they are fun to go to with your buddies and who knows what you man find.!!! I think people will go but it will be less and less.

 

Eh I'll throw my 2 cents in. In my opinion, Long beach and less so Pomona are places to buy catalog type parts with no shipping/taxes. Not many 'rust' parts at LB and even fewer deals.

I like it all and have bought plenty of stuff from new parts guys, and i'm glad to pay less than retail.

My heart lies with seaching through the used parts, I just wish more were guys cleaning out the garage rather than pros(read that as cheaper!)

I like long beach and go nearly every month, but I *love* Pomona! I don't go as much as I'd like but every time I do I feel like I'm a kid at the carnival, it's too much and it's great!

 

i've watched the swap meets get smaller for many years.

Several times I've heard a seller say he can sell a part for more on ebay that being offered at the swap meet.

 

As a retired old guy I really enjoy going to old car swap-meets as a vendor but the only problem I have is being able to go to the head when I'm by myself!!!
As for ebay I was getting to many ripoff dudes and we even had a problem with paypal, so I no longer deal with them..... that's it!

 

As a swap meet promoter, I can give you a little insight into maybe why they are making it less easy for guys to go in on multiple spaces together:
At my show, in years past it's been First Space $20, each additional space $10. The idea was that if a guy wants a second space to leave his trailer hooked up to the truck, it costs him $30 total for that convenience.
Then I get 6 guys going in together, getting six spaces for $70. If each of them bought one space for $20, that's $120. Instead, I lose $50 because they went in together. And it's considerably more if those guys, as individuals, bought two or more spaces to keep their trailer hooked up.
In the new economy, we can't afford to leave $50 on the table any more than you can.
-Brad

 

Been doing hobby meets over the winter and my sales have been up for most of them. I'm expecting I can sell just about all the cheap stuff I want this summer. High end stuff, not so much. I'll save that for eBay.

 

thats what i have been running into i was at a swap meet that has 3000 vending spaces and out of thoese 3000 82 percent of them said they were saving the good stuff they had for ebay and looked at me as if i was stuiped for thinking they would bring their good parts to a swap meet seen lots of von dutch hat vendors and chinese toys and blanket vendors