Event Coverage Death of the Swap Meet

I think Denny is right and the guy is a shit starter. I'll just guess he's ghosting us now.

 

I get what you’re saying. My wife is a glass artist and “art” markets have turned into flea markets as well. It devalues your items just like a house is worth less in bad neighborhood. Then you get less artist who want to pay so less show up and more people expect something for nothing. Our swap meets have become the same way unless it’s one that has rules and a separate area for people selling bracelets and cricut tumblers.

 

One of the things I hate is when they take the time to label it and then don’t price it. I don’t even bother looking or talking to them most of the time. I have missed some great deals with this approach, but I figure I don’t care

 

I look at people like this the way I look at people who join car clubs thinking "cha ching"..............Built in customers.
YRMV

 

Betcha a donut the seller doesn't care if you don't stop. A serious buyer will stop to inquire.

 

Did somebody say DOUGHNUTS!

 

I have the same problem with the swap meets in our area. Almost all of them are turning into flea markets, selling clothes, trinkets, toys, etc. with very few vendors selling auto-related stuff. Not what I want to see at a swap meet.

 

It's not limited to swap meets. We do have the same problem up here with gun shows. Too many vendors with trinkets, jewelry, honey, beef jerky & sausage etc.

 

I’ve been going to swap meets for the last 30 years or so. Motorcycle and cars. Several are meets I go to every year for the last 25 years. You see the same venders “selling” the same rusty shit every single year. I wonder every time I see them why they bother. It’s not about selling stuff as it is “show and tell”. Most of these guys won’t haggle on price either. The last meet we were at, Little Truckdoctor picked up an intake for a SBC, it was marked $100, he offered $80 and the guy didn’t even counter offer, just started bitching. Oh well, continue to haul it around and show it off.

 

So this dude with 6 posts in 6 years (5 of which are in the calssifieds) comes here to complain about not being able to sell stuff at swap meets and leaves?

 

I attended the annual Portland Swap-meet for years, and always had a great time at that event. The Race track was my favorite because of the variety of everything and it was always interesting, and yes it was not always just strictly automotive, it was everything that was in peoples collection's of junk and treasures and a whole lot more.

I used to go this cool little threshing bee down in Toledo Washington for many years, sadly it doesn't exist anymore, the gentleman that owned the property passed away.

What was unique about it was, that it had this little section of a swap-meet/flea market, where you would see things that you would not ordinarily see at other events, and it was always interesting to me, because you never knew what you would see.

It was out in the country, and it was relaxed, and it was a lot of fun for the family's that would show up, I always found something of interest to buy and bring home.

Granted, the element of a truly focused, strictly automotive oriented swap-meet is getting to be more rare, but the little events such as what I have posted here, are still worth my time and hopefully for others that are reading this thread.
Thanks from Dennis.

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That's what happens when those shows are put on by guys who do them for profit vs. clubs that put them on and only care to break even, and not there for huge profits. We run an extremely tight set of rules, and have people stroll the aisles looking for vendors who don't adhere to the rules. They will be asked to remove anything on their tables that they were told wasn't allowed, and if they have a lot of off topic items they can shut down and leave, and lose their table rental.
Consequently the quality of the shows goes up, and the number of people walking through the doors also goes up. And the waiting list for vendors wanting tables is 12-40 people hoping someone doesn't show and they get a table!

 

Geez. One would think that this poor deceased equine stock has been tenderized sufficiently by now.....
Well at least it made "Featured Thread" status.

 

Was it any good?

I have not made the 3,000-mile trek in a while, and need a good report before I do it again.

 

I haven't been in a few years, only an hour and a half away. Had some great finds up there over the years. Always a good time. Flew out to the LARS & swap meet twice and found little to buy.

 

Same, less the different distances.

I used to hit Stafford all of the time when I lived in CT, and had family in Stafford Springs and Ellington.

 

Fortunately I don’t care either way. If there is no label I usually do ask and often buy. It’s the seller that takes the time to put a description on it without the price that I don’t understand or ask . A serious seller will price their stuff. Apparently you fall into that category. To many times the seller is to busy bs’ing to get their attention.

[QUOTE="Truckdoctor Andy, post: 15563090, member: 292228" It’s not about selling stuff as it is “show and tell”. Most of these guys won’t haggle on price either. Oh well, continue to haul it around and show it off.[/QUOTE]
I totally agree

 

I’ve had a couple experiences in recent years where I came across sought after items that were not priced. Walking up to them, I assumed that they were gonna be too expensive. But very pleasantly surprised when I heard a nice number and began the reach for my wallet. One example is the set of five Lyon wheel covers for $250.

 

The unpriced stuff at a swap meet never bothered me, if I'm interested I'll ask. As a vendor it always pissed me off when some jerk on a cell phone askes me the price of something, I'll jack the price up just because the the guy is rude.

 

No, I let those stay. But again, it didn’t hurt to ask.

A thing that does irk me though is when a seller doesn’t have something priced and asks for an offer. But they act insulted if my offer is too low.

 

LAR

 

Amen. Anymore, when somebody says "Make an offer" on an unpriced piece, I go low. Really low. Many people don't value something enough to price it, and will let it go cheap. But you always have those dudes who see themselves as a clever trader who can beguile you into a higher price. Getting you to go first is one of their conjuring tricks. Those are usually the guys who get "insulted."

I wonder, are they really insulted, or just annoyed that you are impervious to their voodoo. No great loss, as I rarely reach an agreeable price with that sort anyway.

 

Five bucks.

My standard offer.

 

Those same guys will be heard grousing about not making any sales and are more than willing to lay blame on any number of reasons.

 

Carlisle Spring 2025 is next week.... Fall 2024 was not bad, found what I needed in 1/2 of it.

 

I'm down to Hershey only as a vendor, if it fits in the van it goes, I ran out of good stuff years ago. Low ball bidders usually wander around with two or three friends. Always entertaining when they find something of interest and make an offer. Most times it is a piece of crap, and I'll accept the lowball offer. This is followed by hysterical laughter from the bidders buddies, who sometimes are stuck helping drag the lump away.

 

I don’t have a problem with stuff that isn’t priced, quite often there booths are loaded with stuff. It’s the guys that take the time to label it and not price it that annoys me. Why bother, it’s like you are only there to show it off.

 

oh my God. it seems like this situation really sucks. I still need to get off my ass and start selling off this accumulation of shit that I've had for sometimes 50 or more years. unfortunately there's no ford stuff that I have left. I think the oldest thing I have now is from the late 40s... and that's a pregnent packard door shot out decades ago as target practice...

oh yeah. I forgot about the 32 Buick hood that need some TLC...