swap meets are fun?

BUBBAS IGNITION

BUBBAS IGNITION

Well-known member
Just spent three days at the Marion co Hoosier swap meet with my friend Walt from Grumpys hot rods etc.
Had a great time and we could write a book describing people.

1-The guy that picks up everything you own and fondled it. when asked what are you looking at , he states "41 Ford stuff" and I say it's ALL 41 Ford , he walks away and says he hasn't got his car yet. Jeez I drug my fat butt out of a chair for this...???
2-the guy that's is looking for a xxxvfgdrterhj parts number and isn't sure they ever made it. oh well ?
3-then there's the guy that walks up asks a question, knows what he wants and buys it ...my favorite guy for sure......

Swap meets are certain to teach you marketing skills etc and there should be a book written about them.
I will add more characters later, feel free to add some of you own....:eek:
 
Don't forget the omnipresent gal in shorts, high heels, carrying a little dog that would be less than a mouth full for a boxer.
 
I love a flea market. I learn so much about marketing, hot spots on the table for sales and people. When things are slow I read people's hats back to them. Most don't know what the hat sez.
And I love the guy who asks for a better price. Sez I on a $35 dollar item, "I can only go to $50 bucks becase it is not fair to you to go any better." And for the jerk, I actually remark the price tag ...
 
It goes the other way too. One year at Hershey I picked up a pair fog lights with the price tag on them. When I tried to pay the vendor he said ''Oh I can't take that for 'em, that's what I paid."

Shadetree
 
They ask "whats the core chg on this one"after picking up just about every thing on the table,all the while giving the impression there going to buy something then they say oh i have one and i wanted to know what its worth!!! and walk away. ken ct.
 
This months Hot Rod magazine has an editorial on buyers and sellers. Some guy kept coming back looking at a taillight lens. After a bit he asks how much and the vendor says $5. He says will you take 50cents? The vendor says let me see it. After it being handed to him he proceeds to smash it on the ground. The potential buyer says, "Hey, I needed that." The vendor says I just got 50cents worth of entertainment out of it. I can't say I am not guilty of anything, especially asking the price because I have one like it, but some people really do make insulting offers. Like they say it takes all kinds.
 
With us the deals are when we are unloading as i like to make expenses early.
Second day usually mark up the price and always have something on the table priced at 10 times what its worth to create conversation.
 
Clem Clement said:
I love a flea market. I learn so much about marketing, hot spots on the table for sales and people. When things are slow I read people's hats back to them. Most don't know what the hat sez.
And I love the guy who asks for a better price. Sez I on a $35 dollar item, "I can only go to $50 bucks becase it is not fair to you to go any better." And for the jerk, I actually remark the price tag ...
Click to expand...

Clem Clement .................
I like that ! A guy asking for a better price and you giving him a better price, for you ! Then telling him, "but that's too much". Pretty clever !
MIKE :)
 
I was looking at a couple items that totaled 36 dollars. I asked the seller if she wanted to deal on the price. She mentioned something about 28 dollars and I said sure I will give you 28 dollars. Then she said "I can't do that. I don't go below 10%" so she did a swift burst of math and came back at 25 dollars so I said deal, paid her, and walked away shaking my head. To be fair to her, her eyes seemed pretty glassy.
 
Sounds like our experiences are very simular. I have just about stopped taking anything to swapmeets here in Ne., as the people that attend these meets want it all and want it all free. Never mind the initial cost to purchase, restore or just store it. Then add the time to load the trailer, expenses for the 200-300 mile trip each way, motel and food. Then to arrive and have alot of people that are just there to entertain themselves for the day and have no interest in buying and likely own nothing worth mentioning beyond their driven every day modern car. Chickasha is about the only swapmeet I have attended in the last 3 years that was worth the effort and that was a grueling trip that I can not make every year. Rod
 
My general experience after ten years of doing swap meets is that you can generally sell something for your asking price....to the guy who actually needs it. Everyone else who expresses any interest in something is generally just looking for a great deal on an item (or items) that A) they might possibly need in the future or B) they want to buy cheaply to resell. I try to price everything fairly since I'm there to sell and really don't want to load it back up at the end of the show. Attitude is 90% of each deal for me.....a smile...some nice conversation about the part....a little backround on how they want to use the part....a suggestion for a slightly better deal.....this works wonders.

I love to chat with folks but the guys who want to tell you their life's story about every car they had, while a crowd of prospective buyers is picking up your parts and looking your way for a price.....making it hard to shuck the storyteller in order to conduct some business.

I also love those rare moments when the hard bargainer (who recites every reason in the book for depreciating the value of your item) says he'll think about it.....after you spent 10-15 minutes with him....and wanders off. Another customer comes right up and forks over the dough for that same part. Then, when the original dude comes back up an hour later and asks you if you're ready to come down on your price....and you get to tell him that the part is gone/sold! I love to hear them grumble..."I should have bought it before..."

Also, I have removed certain parts from view when I got sick and tired of someone beating me down on the price, telling me they'll think about it. Then when they come back, the part is "gone". Sometimes it just doesnt matter if a particular part sells that day, ya know.
 
Heh heh he Lawson reminds me of the dog that chases the cat & is surprised when he catches it doesn't know what to do next. heh heh he
Sorry bud
Now to the rest of the story. We to a swapmeet saturday & was looking at a early ford spoked wheel but the part covering the drum was short on the lip almost flat. I asked the vendor what it was for & he says I think a ford. I said I don't think so & go next door get a wheel & bring itback to show said vendor the differance on the part that covers the drum. he O ok & turns away. Go next door & explain to that vendor why I borrowed his rim. He laughs & sez that guy has a whole set of ford spoked wheels at home. End of story know who you are dealing with trust no one.
 
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