Hershey...How was it??????

P.S. said:
...it did not seem that much bigger than the annual January swap in Turlock.
Click to expand...

I have a hotel reserved at Turlock 2026, just wondering how many days should I allot for the meet? Is it like all Swap Meets where load-in day and the day after are the best.
 
jwmckenzie said:
I have a hotel reserved at Turlock 2026, just wondering how many days should I allot for the meet? Is it like all Swap Meets where load-in day and the day after are the best.
Click to expand...

Friday is the main setup day, and some sales do happen. Saturday is the big day. Sunday morning is decent too, with people packing up and bailing out starting around noon. If you stay, sometimes you see piles of stuff for free on Sunday. Got a free box of Model A distributor bodies once by sticking around on a Sunday.
 
I think there'll always be a role for swap meets because there are three things you can't sell online that do sell at swaps:

- items too expensive to ship relative to overall value (sheet metal, cores)
- items you weren't planning to buy but you're here and you need a spare and the price is right
- items you didn't know existed, so you weren't looking for them, but you'll impulse buy them because you can't get them elsewhere (rare parts, collectibles, ephemera, petroliana)
 
P.S. said:
....... If you stay, sometimes you see piles of stuff for free on Sunday. Got a free box of Model A distributor bodies once by sticking around on a Sunday.
Click to expand...
About 30 years ago I did a garage cleanout of stuff I'd never use. I went to the Pomona Swap Meet. It was a sell it or trash it trip. I was taking something to the trash a guy asked if it was for sale. He spent $20 rather than going dumpster diving.
A couple guys drove from SoCal to Hershey this year. They took a trailer in anticipation of the finds. Turns out they didn't need the trailer and most stuff they wanted was way overpriced.
 
ModelA29 said:
Turns out they didn't need the trailer and most stuff they wanted was way overpriced.
Click to expand...

I think California people have lower market price expectations for parts. There are just more parts available there, and in better condition. If anything, the correct arbitrage is the other way: drive from the east coast to California with a trailer.
 
alexiskai said:
I think California people have lower market price expectations for parts. There are just more parts available there, and in better condition. If anything, the correct arbitrage is the other way: drive from the east coast to California with a trailer.
Click to expand...

People on the west coast say there are more parts east of the Missouri River where the population existed in the A era. But we do agree, the better quality parts exist on the west coast where it's drier.
 
A lot of rust free parts and cars went east in the 70s and 80s. A lot of non car people who grew up not knowing about rust buy their dream car from the east for the cheaper price and generally get a vertical lesson on rust and own a bondo sclupture.
 
I've told them for years to consolidate fields to reduce costs. Review all activities and cost centers for ways to save. Have we shrunk enough to move
Locations?

put pressure on host to help us. We are good customers
Clem
 
The host { land owner} could care less. They can make more money having the park open. That's why the red field had to be cleared Friday.
 
I had a great time digging through lots of boxes of cool parts. I met some wonderful people and spent almost all the money I brought. So, overall, it was a great show. I like to adopt the saying from fishing:

"A bad day at Hershey is better than a great day at work!"

(Only partially true, because I like my job...)

I will say that the Red B lot was only about 30% full this year. I didn't even make it to the back row because it wasn't worth my effort for a couple of vendors (sorry if someone was over there who had great stuff). I took a glance over to the Red C field and didn't go over there because it didn't look like it was worth it. Maybe I missed out on some good stuff...but with only limited time available, I had to make the most of each day I was there and I packed every minute I had.

I'm already looking forward to next year!
 
The Hershey swap meet video will publish this Saturday. I will post a link when it is published.
 
Another great year at Hershey! Except for some drizzle on Wednesday morning, the weather was fantastic and I found everything I was looking for and then some. Many reasonably priced Model A parts to be found. Nothing like treasure hunting for 8 hrs/day! If you have not attended, I would recommend you go at least once and experience the event which car guys have been enjoying for the past 70 years.
 
P.S. said:
Here is the video from Hershey- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AceoCnzD7iI

How many parts can you find that would score highly in the Newton Wells swap meet game?
Click to expand...




Thanks Paul! Neat video enjoyed seeing it. Yes lots of nice looking cars.
There did seem to be a number of empty swap spaces this year and modern vehicles and campers and stuff in the swap area... oh well...
Some of the prices on the Model A's for sale looked reasonable to me, not really out of line.That '29 Tudor at what $14,000 looked like a good buy when you figure what it would cost to restore the car. It looked very nice...


Is Berg's operating again? I'll have to check the internet I saw their vendor space and I thought 'YEAH daddy!!!'
 
Hershey was great for me this year, and the weather was mostly decent. I sold most of what I brought to sell (even a display model). I also found almost everything I was searching for. There weren't as many people as previous years, but the people that were there wanted to spend money.

Mike Francis
Classtique Upholstery
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top