Swapmeets are now crappy

[jon goss]

Has anyone else noticed the amount of non car parts in our Swapmeets have increased?
Everything from garden tools to household products, i want to go to a Swapmeet with cars and parts only, if i wanted the other crap I'd go to garage sales. The organisers should limit these events to Auto only. What does everyone think?

[LG17]

I find the extras are often better than the car bits.
I build most of my own add-ons for my tractor and ride ons like turf cutters, blades, rakes, scoops etc and always find the right bits I need for next to nothing at swap meets.

[muttley383]

I agree.
Attended the Goulburn event recently and was disappointed with the actual car parts content.

[Itsme]

Originally Posted by jon goss

Has anyone else noticed the amount of non car parts in our Swapmeets have increased?
Everything from garden tools to household products, i want to go to a Swapmeet with cars and parts only, if i wanted the other crap I'd go to garage sales. The organisers should limit these events to Auto only. What does everyone think?

Limiting to auto parts won't happen, the organisers are out to make money, more sellers, means more people which means more money for the organisers.

Cheers.

[wackyv8]

in response to the topic suggestion , i pose the question , why do you think this is so? is it possible that the sellers pool of cars and parts is drying up ?
i dont like the bric a brac crap either but routinely going to 5-6 swaps per year in victoria for about 20 years , i can say the other stuff has always sneaked in there . good parts are hard to find , but they are out there , youve just got to hunt them out and talk to the people too.

[CoupeKing]

That's what I was thinking - Original parts are dwindling.

Plus there are other avenues to sell parts that you will get heaps more coin for, not as fun though.

[jon goss]

Definitely a money thing as mentioned above.
Could they be placed in a different section of the Swapmeet then so at least we have a choice whether we want to look at Bric a brac or not?

[Sep 97 EL XR8]

Since the rise of eBay the parts are getting less and less. If you watch eBay, you will get just about any thing. I know a few sellers that used to religiously go to swap meets, but now the just use ebay


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[Rallye Sport]

Last one I went to had some hidden gold but mainly HQ-X holden stuff, I reckon you could have built one in the carpark and driven it home.
Don't mind the retro stuff, dragster bikes etc but the automobilia and sign prices are just getting plain stupid.
I'll still attend though, its all about the hunt.

[Sar4890]

I went to one on Sunday. No ford bits for me to buy i came home with a steel esky and a dvd . Some are good but i agree a fair amount are just average.

[ebv8]

all the good stuff goes on ebay, all the crap they can't sell goes to swap meets
if your local tip has a refuse centre they have some gold

i got a malley's metal esky for $5 that I was going to make into a battery box but it was too good so now i use it every weekend, its the star of the party.

[v8ltd]

Some gems still to be found, a good friend of mine went to the last Ballarat swap, he spoke to a guy there that had a bunch of old suspension parts, $25 each. when I caught up with him he showed me the pair of new old stock GT/Landau tramp rods he got for $25

[xisled]

Facebook buy swap and sell has taken over swap meets.

You can sell your parts to a larger crowd from the comfort of your own home.

Why pay someone stand out in the elements when you can take a picture put it on facebook and wait for it to sell.

[OzJavelin]

Originally Posted by xisled

Facebook buy swap and sell has taken over swap meets.

You can sell your parts to a larger crowd from the comfort of your own home.

Why pay someone stand out in the elements when you can take a picture put it on facebook and wait for it to sell.

However .. Facebook (like all selling online) .. you end up with a cast of thousands asking same stupid questions, wanting to negotiate layby plans, saying they will be around and never show, etc .. at least with a swap meet it's usually OldMate shows up will haggle for a few minutes either nick off empty-handed or hand you cash and it's over. If items don't sell then likely they were junk or overpriced.

[XB GS 351 Coupe]

Originally Posted by jon goss

Has anyone else noticed the amount of non car parts in our Swapmeets have increased?
Everything from garden tools to household products, i want to go to a Swapmeet with cars and parts only, if i wanted the other crap I'd go to garage sales. The organisers should limit these events to Auto only. What does everyone think?

Agree 100%, I have recently noted some swap meet organisers are starting to specify Car parts only events.

Here is the Easter Creek All Ford Day swap meet, car parts only, and I will be attending it as a seller.

http://www.allforddaynsw.com/swap_meet.htm

[Rallye Sport]

Originally Posted by xisled

Facebook buy swap and sell has taken over swap meets.

You can sell your parts to a larger crowd from the comfort of your own home.

Why pay someone stand out in the elements when you can take a picture put it on facebook and wait for it to sell.

One of the problems with todays society... people would rather hide inside on a device, than, heaven forbid, out in the sunshine talking to real people.

[jon goss]

yep i understand internet has taken a lot of sellers away from Swapmeets but my gripe was about all the other junk creeping into the Meets. Just want to go and not have to sift through all the household and garden crap just to find a few parts. All the other crap belongs in a Trash and Treasure day not our Swapmeets.

[Itsme]

Originally Posted by Rallye Sport

One of the problems with todays society... people would rather hide inside on a device, than, heaven forbid, out in the sunshine talking to real people.

Have to disagree with your comment, Ebay & other online selling sites attracts more potential buyers than a swap meet any day, remember swap meets are few between where online selling is 24/7.

Cheers.

[Itsme]

Originally Posted by xisled

Facebook buy swap and sell has taken over swap meets.

You can sell your parts to a larger crowd from the comfort of your own home.

Why pay someone stand out in the elements when you can take a picture put it on facebook and wait for it to sell.

Very true but most keen buyers will still go to swap meets looking for hard to find bargains.

Cheers.

[2011G6E]

Every year for a long time now I've gone to the Nambour swap meet and the Rockhampton swap meet...they're always a week apart, and it gives me a chance to visit my best friend down at Maleny and stay with her for a few days.

One thing I've noticed is yes, there are a lot of "non-car parts" and antiques, but personally I like that kind of thing and these two particular swap meets have always had this mix...a lot of car and bike parts, but lots of other interesting old gear as well. Especially old toys, which are another weakness of mine.

One thing I do notice is prices. And I blame this on all those "pickers" and "storage wars" TV shows. Previously, people knew it was all old stuff and priced it accordingly. If it was actually rare stuff, it was priced high, but if it was just piles of old car or bike gear, it was priced fairly and people were willing to bargain a bit.
People still bargain, however, now they a sadly large percentage of them have watched these TV shows and think they're all sitting on a gold mine and charge like a bull at a gate. They are also, generally, less likely to bargain...one thing they haven't picked up from the TV shows unfortunately. "What's your best price on this?"..."Its got a price tag on it..."
The best advice is still to get there early and stay there until closing time. Early, you get the best pick of the widest range of stuff (and in Nambour this is easy as it's usually bloody freezing when the gates open at 6am, a time when "normal people" won't even be out of bed. It makes a long day of it, but stay to the end, because there are a lot of people who really don't want to take stuff home, and you can get massive discounts on stuff. I've picked up some great bargains on things doing that.

I still love these swap meets but something has changed.


EDIT: The dump shops comment was a good one. Most places now have these to one extent or another, and prices can be ridiculously good. Just go and have a dig around and you never know what you'll turn up.

[last fairlane]

My gripe is not that the swapmeets sell all sorts of stuff in fact I like that My pet hate is trying to find one I can look on Mr Google and find four or five swapmeet advertisers (search engines) but you have to look at each one to find a swap they seem to be terrified of advertising anyone elses swap except the ones they support
has anyone else found this to be the case

[2011G6E]

Originally Posted by last fairlane

My gripe is not that the swapmeets sell all sorts of stuff in fact I like that My pet hate is trying to find one I can look on Mr Google and find four or five swapmeet advertisers (search engines) but you have to look at each one to find a swap they seem to be terrified of advertising anyone elses swap except the ones they support
has anyone else found this to be the case

Queensland has "Pinkys"...it advertises lots of swaps, but of course organisers have to let them know about it. http://www.pinky.com.au/index.htm

They do seem to be advertised locally more than statewide...understandable given the cost of advertising. The huge ones at Nambour and Rocky do have TV advertising, but I don't know how far it spreads.
Magazines like the venerable "Restored Cars" have a comprehensive listing in the back of them. "Just Cars" used to have it as well but I haven't bought one for a while to know for sure.