I love automotive swap meets. This particular weekend, I enjoyed a meet over at my local county fairgrounds. It's the middle of January, so it was cold and raining, but that didn't matter much. I went to this swap looking for anything and everything Corvette, and I was reminded why swap meets are still among the best places to nurture your automotive enthusiasm.
For me, the best thing about a swap meet is unpredictability. You simply never know what you might find. In my case, I found an excellent hardbound book, The Complete Book of Corvette by Richard Langworth. I got it for the bargain price of $5.
I found my book nestled among the old wrenches and baseball caps of a car guy who was just cleaning out his garage to make a few bucks. Those are the vendors you want to focus on - they always have the best stuff and the best deals.
I also found a professional vendor who stocks a complete line of brand new embroidered Corvette-logo bathroom towels. Who could have predicted that?
Swap meets also offer information and community. For example, at this small regional swap I learned that there's a huge all-Corvette swap and show happening three weeks from now just a short drive from me. Over 900 vendors are expected, including many professional aftermarket suppliers.
Photo © Jeffrey Zurschmeide