The Stafford swap meet was a disappointment

I'm in. If I'm invited.

 

how big is the lake compounce swap meet compared to stafford and thompson? never been.

 

"Guess it has gone downhill I made some good scores there in the early eightes."

Really? 30 years ago...........Really?

 

O/T Its now NCSC (new capeway sports comittee, but they also run Nema and Nesc events from what I understand. Gonna try southwick for the Ama national to watch. Chuck

 

Got free stuff (model a cowl and firewall and some cool stude pieces) staying home! And no toxic headache!! Ill give fitchburg a shot though...

 

I did ok this year. I got some OT Jeep stuff, a nice set of Guide-style headlights with turn signals for the A, and a few odds and ends.

You just never know. It's close enough for me, only about an hour away.

2 Years ago, I wanted a receiver hitch bicycle rack for the Jeep. Didn't see a single one. Bought a new one. This year, I had to see 4 of 'em.... :|

That's how the ball bounces.
Pete

 

I found a few thing there this year, granted you have to weed though the junk to find what you want. I ended up grabbing valve covers, timing cover, water pump and a fan for a 302 project I'm working on. I also found a LH marker light housing for my 1950 as well.

Reinbeck NY has a pretty good swap meet as well, I think that one is coming up in May. There are a lot more older items and far less junk.

 

Tons of Chevy shit no real car stuff

 

I went and wasn't expecting much but,I thought it was better than past years.

 

i bought 2 perfectly good hot dogs. OK maybe they weren't perfect, but they were good.

 

Amherst, and go Early! By 8:30 its been picked over!

 

Its a good opportunity to get out of the house after a long hard winter, I always bitch about Stafford but I truly like it.

Pete-

 

That's what I thought. Less lawn tractors than usual although the American Picker wannabees were out in force.

Still, I picked up some small stuff I needed so it was worth the trip. Saw a couple of interesting vehicles in the car corral too so I took pics and sent to friends on the hunt.

 

Cryptic,

Maybe not quite as spread out but close to if not equal amount of stuff. Enough to keep me looking for 5 hrs or so on my first trip last fall and I didn't hit all the spots. Worthwhile trip and found more there to meet my needs than I had at Stafford or Thompson the last couple trips to them.

Success at any meet depends what anyone is looking for at the time. I seldom find what I need most at the time but usually pick up a good deal on stuff I'll be using down the road at any of the meets. Have had good days at all and not so good days at all. Spare time and money available on any particular weekend has a bigger influence on my decision to attend than what the particular venue might be.

Ed

 

We dragged a Bantam Altered project up there for the car corral -- expected nothing and got it.... Walked thru the the swap with the checklist of Stafford Must-See Items: Storm windows , snow shovels, snow blowers, weed wackers, porn, broken dirt bikes and twisted quad parts, monster 4x4 tires, rusty cragars, shop shelves and huge warehouse lights, trans am hood scoop, kitchen sinks, countless STINKY fires in rims and washing machine drums...... and saw all that and way more !!! Ran into lotsa friends we haven't seen since the fall, met some new ones, and had lotsa laughs !!!

Another good thing came of it...ran into a friend that we've done lotsa buy/sell/trade with and my partner Johnny bought a kool falcon econo van from him last night....so you never know if ya don't go.....

 

SOUTHWICK = JoJo Keller

Ahhhh The good old days, Before adulthood !!!!

 

since when isnt it a disappointment? we stopped going 2 years ago. costs a rediculous amount of money just to get in the door and there is nothing but garbage.

 

Boy, I was complaining about paying $85 for Thompson, $95 for Stafford is too much... Think Compounce was $45 to vend last year? Ebay looks better and better...

 

been vending lots of years...Stafford is hit or miss...we set up on sat (pre reg)...place was dead all day sat....not the norm...lots of early deals during sat set up...folks trying to recoup upfront fee's...Sun was nuts...i think there was a lot of holdouts watching the weather...they decided early sun to load up...took anything loose and handy....lots of trash...found lots of reasonable stuff though...had to do some sifting....it's all in the presentation...if it is presented as a pile of crap,i just walk by...if it displayed neatly and with resonable care,i'll stop for a peek...so i guess the bigger pic is...with the current economy....people will try and sell anything....you may see the same thing happen at all the other venue's...not defending it...just putting into perspective and throwing in my 2 cents..for those who follow my thread,there may be a tour the weekend after easter ...stay tuned...have a most joyus easter....thanks

 

Stafford is $40 per space pre pay...$50 day of the event...

 

I remember you saying you wanted to do a car show.....Why dont you put on a swap meet? Hebron Lions Club Grounds would be a great venue.......

 

Jo Jo keller! OMG!

David Rudnicki, Tony Larusso, Bettencourt......Those were the day...then I got a high school girl friend and pussy ruled!

Pete-

 

I totally wimped out. Stayed home for 2 days and worked in the yard raking and fertilizing. Made her happy to have my help for the weekend.

Saved money too.

 

I went to Maple Grove raceway flea market in PA. sat and bought a new set of B&B alum. race car valve covers for 75 bucks , 8 new Manley stainless exhaust valves for 35 bucks, stainless 1/2 inch fuel pipe with fittings from pump to carb. for 2 bucks new thermostat housing for 2 bucks. You pay 5 bucks to get in and park. They're loaded with almost any part you can think of. Last fall I bought a set of Hoosier Drag Slicks with lots of rubber left for 50 bucks.

 

I complained but ya know I will go back next year. It's like Charlie Brown with the football you keep thinking the next time it will be good. Also, it beats working in the yard.

 

There were two of us. Me and my son. $10 each, $7 for a sausage sandwich and $6 for two dogs spent $33 there. 4 hours of walking sore feet and nothing really good. Tons of stuff that was litterally junk leftovers. I'm sure there was some good stuff,but not much of it...

 

That sucks. I went to a pretty craptacular swap meet last weekend too, spent a total of $10 and $5 of that was to get in. Lame.

 

Nice. I didn't hear about that one, and 2 of my friends stayed over.

I'm not sure about your moral though...... I think mine would be "Stop dating bimbos."

 

"csimonds" and I gave up on Stafford and Thompson 10 years ago....still went for the last 9 though!
This year I said "eff it" and we skipped them both, Compounce is 100x better. Headed to Carlisle too.....Mecca.

Like to be "invited" too!