Swap Meets?

MicroMetal · 01-17-2010, 11:10 PM

Anyone have experience going to Motorcycle Swap Meets? There is a Motorcycle Show/Swap meet that is going on near me that cost $12 to get into.

I am looking for some saddlebags and a new riding jacket, any chance I might find something at one of these or are they a waste of time?

I saw billboards for this event http://events.benningtonbanner.com/a...expo-swap-meet On the highway, but I can find little info on the web. Seems like it might not be worth the entrance fee if they aren't even advertising it well.

Lurch77 · 01-18-2010, 03:01 PM

I've been to a few shows that included swap meets. Depending on the show the swap could be nice or not. Some smaller shows don't have very many vendors, and thus little to look through. Some other shows are huge and have endless selection. For your link, being the "20th annual" sounds like it gives it some credibility. The small shows tend to dry up and go away due to lack of vendors.

juanitotheclumsy · 01-21-2010, 02:59 PM

Like any flea market, deals depend on several factors: Number of vendors, amount of merchandise for sale, number of buyers, general desirability of what you are looking for, and luck. Especially luck. I usually consider swap meets and flea markets as entertainment, not guaranteed bargain-hunting. If the entry fee is more than you want to pay for entertainment/education alone, then maybe you don't want to gamble your $12.

MicroMetal · 01-21-2010, 11:01 PM

Oo looks like they have some nice custom bikes on show

http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbc...0307/-1/LIFE02

maybe ill grab the camera and check it out.

point · 01-21-2010, 11:05 PM

I've stopped going to them. They have always been a waste of the admition.
Lots of bikes parked outside and usually just junk from the vendors

MicroMetal · 01-25-2010, 09:05 AM

Confirmed. I went there and 90% of the stuff was T-shirts and leather jackets. The jackets actually looked nice, but they were all black and not the style I wanted.

As far as motorcycle parts and accessories, it pretty much looked like a rummage sale for old harley's. They even had service manuals for harley's, but the manuals were for really old bikes, like shovelheads and panheads.

Funny thing was the billboard ad had a sportsbike in it, but pretty much the entire thing seemed harley centric, with one or two victory motorcycles.

I didn't stick around for the bike show, so I missed any custom bikes they had.

So im thinking $12 wasted.

Lurch77 · 01-25-2010, 09:25 AM

Yeah it is hit or miss with those shows. I went to a vintage Jap and Euro show last summer. The swap meet had mostly junk. The stuff that was in OK shape, the owners thought they were sitting on a gold mine and priced accordingly.

MS_Steve · 01-26-2010, 09:47 AM

Swap meets can be hit or miss, depending on what you want.
Most vendors think very highly of their stuff, and price it WAY above what I'd pay for the product.
But I made my 1st ride down to Daytona last year, and was amazed at some of the deals and prices of things on the last weekend of the event.
I'm guessing, they'd prefered to sell at a slight profit, than to drag it back to where ever they lived. A lot of the great buys were not at say, Rossmeyers HD extravanganza, but at small shops / events / watering-holes with vendors set up to accomodate the come-and go crowd. But Rossmeyers had some vendors with some good deals also.
My only gripe was, I bought 95% of the stuff I needed / wanted prior to heading to Daytona... and it's a somewhat hearty ride from NY.

MississippiSteve

mmcarter17 · 01-26-2010, 11:20 AM

Swaps are 99%HD junk. Most are what you make them.(like a ceramic show with the lil woman) The 124 would kill me unlees half went to a charity, and then i get a reciept and take the entire amount off.

01-17-2010, 11:10 PM	#1
MicroMetal Verified Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Albany, NY Posts: 92	Swap Meets? Anyone have experience going to Motorcycle Swap Meets? There is a Motorcycle Show/Swap meet that is going on near me that cost $12 to get into. I am looking for some saddlebags and a new riding jacket, any chance I might find something at one of these or are they a waste of time? I saw billboards for this event http://events.benningtonbanner.com/a...expo-swap-meet On the highway, but I can find little info on the web. Seems like it might not be worth the entrance fee if they aren't even advertising it well.

01-26-2010, 09:47 AM	#8
MS_Steve Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Mid-Mississippi Posts: 460	Swap meets Swap meets can be hit or miss, depending on what you want. Most vendors think very highly of their stuff, and price it WAY above what I'd pay for the product. But I made my 1st ride down to Daytona last year, and was amazed at some of the deals and prices of things on the last weekend of the event. I'm guessing, they'd prefered to sell at a slight profit, than to drag it back to where ever they lived. A lot of the great buys were not at say, Rossmeyers HD extravanganza, but at small shops / events / watering-holes with vendors set up to accomodate the come-and go crowd. But Rossmeyers had some vendors with some good deals also. My only gripe was, I bought 95% of the stuff I needed / wanted prior to heading to Daytona... and it's a somewhat hearty ride from NY. MississippiSteve

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01-18-2010, 03:01 PM	#2
Lurch77 Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Northeast Wisconsin Posts: 1,436	I've been to a few shows that included swap meets. Depending on the show the swap could be nice or not. Some smaller shows don't have very many vendors, and thus little to look through. Some other shows are huge and have endless selection. For your link, being the "20th annual" sounds like it gives it some credibility. The small shows tend to dry up and go away due to lack of vendors.

01-21-2010, 02:59 PM	#3
juanitotheclumsy Verified Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 82	Like any flea market, deals depend on several factors: Number of vendors, amount of merchandise for sale, number of buyers, general desirability of what you are looking for, and luck. Especially luck. I usually consider swap meets and flea markets as entertainment, not guaranteed bargain-hunting. If the entry fee is more than you want to pay for entertainment/education alone, then maybe you don't want to gamble your $12.

01-21-2010, 11:01 PM	#4
MicroMetal Verified Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Albany, NY Posts: 92	Oo looks like they have some nice custom bikes on show http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbc...0307/-1/LIFE02 maybe ill grab the camera and check it out.

01-21-2010, 11:05 PM	#5
point Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Vancouver British Columbia Canada Posts: 435	I've stopped going to them. They have always been a waste of the admition. Lots of bikes parked outside and usually just junk from the vendors

01-25-2010, 09:05 AM	#6
MicroMetal Verified Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Albany, NY Posts: 92	Confirmed. I went there and 90% of the stuff was T-shirts and leather jackets. The jackets actually looked nice, but they were all black and not the style I wanted. As far as motorcycle parts and accessories, it pretty much looked like a rummage sale for old harley's. They even had service manuals for harley's, but the manuals were for really old bikes, like shovelheads and panheads. Funny thing was the billboard ad had a sportsbike in it, but pretty much the entire thing seemed harley centric, with one or two victory motorcycles. I didn't stick around for the bike show, so I missed any custom bikes they had. So im thinking $12 wasted.

01-25-2010, 09:25 AM	#7
Lurch77 Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Northeast Wisconsin Posts: 1,436	Yeah it is hit or miss with those shows. I went to a vintage Jap and Euro show last summer. The swap meet had mostly junk. The stuff that was in OK shape, the owners thought they were sitting on a gold mine and priced accordingly.

01-26-2010, 11:20 AM	#9
mmcarter17 Verified Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 53	Swaps are 99%HD junk. Most are what you make them.(like a ceramic show with the lil woman) The 124 would kill me unlees half went to a charity, and then i get a reciept and take the entire amount off.