Swap Meets?
 

It's hard to imagine that the largest retailer is Amazon, larger than Walmart... Times they are a changing and with that trend, what is the future of swap meets? In general, you can find all and more online (ebay and others)...

Re: Swap Meets?
 

I find that the local shows have fewer parts sellers, and more junk that is not car relataed. the exception is the British motorcycle show which has vendors from several states, and the swap meets that are not car shows. Even so, the big one here in CT has gone down hill, and is filled with Chinese tool vendors, small block chevy 2 barrel manifolds, used tires that should be in the dump, and junk like that. The quality stuff seems to be missing, and it may be due to the internet, ebay, craigs list, etc.
As Bob Dylan said "the times they are a changing".

Re: Swap Meets?
 

I went through Hershey looking for some items I needed on my pickup (86 model) and couldn't find a thing, came home and ordered everything I needed on Ebay and Amazon. That tells you something is changing doesn't it.

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Re: Swap Meets?
 

I just got back from the SEMA show in Las Vegas. While there were lots of booths displaying everything car related you could think of, there was a large E-Bay booth where you could use a computer in their booth and buy things. So they are moving into all kinds of sales now!

Re: Swap Meets?
 

Yet, the Turlock Swap Meet put on by the Modesto Model A club keeps growing.

Re: Swap Meets?
 

The Model A swap meet at the Gilmore is also growing each year.

I still like to buy in person when possible, but I know ebay has taken away many sellers from some swap meets.

Re: Swap Meets?
 

Good point, Tom. Also, since eBay came along, now the most often heard phrase uttered by swap meet sellers is, "Those go for $xx on eBay".

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Rarely do any of the "swap meets" that we have here (and they are few and far between) ever have Model A stuff.

eBay, Amazon, and the swap meet here are our friends. And, yes, we still run into "we don't ship to Alaska" stuff all the time.

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I like Turlock swap meet & also like the goodguys, all though goodguys is VERY costly to go to. I think alot of people go to the swaps to find or flip items they have purchased weather its at ebay, craigs list or other swap meets. Its hard sleeping if I know ther is a Swap meet near by. See alot of my old pals & looking for that special find.

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The swap meet in Feburary (1st weekend) in Kalamazoo usually has quite a bit of Model A Ford and Model T parts plus many others. It is usually very well attended especially on Saturday. Sunday is a little slow. A lot of stuff changes hands on Friday during set up.

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Indeed you bring up a subject that EBay can never replace. Meeting your buddies for a hearty handshake and exchanging stories. Friendship is not sold or traded! Wayne

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The Albany Oregon indoor swap meet at the fairgrounds is Nov. 21st, next week. It is put on by the local Model A club and has A parts. It is a medium sized swap using 4 ag buildings and some more outside. I'm going!

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There is still tons of Model A stuff at swap meets. Hershey is, without a doubt, the best for finding what you need. If you aren't finding Model A stuff, you aren't digging hard enough. The Big 3 Swap Meet in San Diego in late February sells out each year for vendor spaces and I always can find goodies there.

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every swap meet ive been to (not many mind you) i always find SOMETHING. Of course i have my list of needs but never hurts to pick up a few spares of things or if the price is too good to pass up (noone NEEDS 2 extra starters but for $5 for the pair it cant hurt :P)

i highly prefer swap meets or auctions for stuff, part of the fun is the hunt and element of surprise at every corner. ebay you just type in what you want and it searches the entire country in .01 seconds...

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Probably the best 'place' today to buy good Model A parts is from a person who is street rodding a restored Model A Ford.

Find such a person and they will be very happy to clean out their garage of unwanted Model A stuff. And, you will be saving good parts from the dumpster. We all benefit:)

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Big one coming up Nov 20-21 @ Moultrie, GA with record number of vendors pre-registered. The Next meet is late Jan-early Feb as usual with another new weekend in April. Still growing. Haggler will be there...

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I think focused swap meets will continue to grow (all model A, all trucks, all prewar, all brass etc). If the material is focused then the seller and the buyers don't waste their time walking and looking at items they are not interested in at all. I think multi make shows like Hershey will lean one way or another (seems to be prewar) to survive in the future. There will always be idiots who bring used tires for some reason.

This buying to flip thing I feel is a limited time thing. There will always be someone who has a lot of money and little knowledge, but those guys are far and few between. Most buyers and sellers know what a part is worth. I personally will not let something go cheap if I am vending, because I can always put it on ebay if it doesn't sell for a fair price.

I did see a number of younger vendors this year at hershey which was nice to see.

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It always amazes me to see old tyres at swaps too.

Way out of date, hard as a rock and hairline cracks and about 2000 kms away from the wear markers and the idiots think they are 80 % tread and a new one is $150 so they ONLY WANT $100 (unfitted unbalanced illegal and useless )...... ha ha .

Over here in NSW, our tips (dumps) are "recycling " centres, whereby they re-sell junk .

Just like a big garage sale.

I reckon about 25 % of our swaps now are just this TIP JUNK brought along, nothing to do with car parts, just absolute rubbish.