Luray Pre War swap meet

[Terry Bond]

Whose going this year?  I'm finally able to make it!!! Will be just spectating but might take a space there next year if I can.  I've seen pics and had first hand reports that it's really a neat pre-war focused event, which is really a welcome addition to the calendar.  If you are going, throw in a few old spark plugs for my collection and let me know-

Terry

[trimacar]

I'll probably be there on Friday...a small meet with a focus on Model T, and some other oddball parts, with the chance to grow into a really nice swap meet....easy to get to, easy to park, and great friendly people.....just be aware it's not very big at this point, but it seems to be growing!

 

The other plus is it's just down the road from Luray Caverns, the car collection there is worth the trip.  You can just sort of sneak into the collection, pretend you're buying some fudge and just wander in, no need to go through caverns (although they're fascinating too!).  The car collection has some real prizes, and hasn't been touched for decades, you'll see some early brass there that "is to die for"....

 

Terry, if you go, let's try to say hi there...David C.

[Terry Bond]

Will try and get there early Friday.  I'll be with a friend from our local AACA region.  He's been before and has talked me into it.  Besides, there is some additional antique hunting to be done in the area once we've seen everything in the swap meet.  Might be back in Sat Am too.  Send me a PM with your phone # and I'll text you sometime after we get there.  Have been to the car museum there, some great things in that very old collection.  Enjoyed the episode when American Pickers visited them and got into the back room.

Terry

[Guest Mark McAlpine]

I gather you're talking about the Mid-Atlantic Pre-War Swap Meet in Luray on May 16-18.  How large is it?

[Terry Bond]

Luray was great.  Got there later PM Thursday and caught some vendors setting up, found a few goodies, then waited eagerly for the early Friday adventure to begin.  The location is great, the weather was darned near perfect with only a few sprinkles mid morning, but not enough to even cover some of the stuff.  The smell of breakfast cooking on the grills at the VFW was enough to wake you up easily.  We jumped from one vendor to the next as they came in and opened up. Some sold out of the back of their trucks, others right from the trailer, others put up awnings and set up tables, but the vendors all came to sell, and that they did.  The customers were there to buy, and they seemed to be doing that too.  I saw boxes and arms full headed out of the field all day long. 

 

This was my first visit - work kept getting in the way, so with that no longer an issue, I wasn't going to miss this.  It's a small event.  Maybe 25 or 30 vendors coming and going.  A couple of new ones for Saturday.   There were vendors opening up as late as PM on Friday too.   The field is large enough to spread things out nicely.  Not a lot of walking is required.  It's real laid-back and we felt like there was time to visit with vendors and old friends encountered in the market.  I need to say one thing about the vendors - they were all so eager to share their wisdom and experience.  You could have come in there a complete novice on Model Ts and left feeling like you could easily put one together.  A whole tech session was held while Morris Cameron sorted through a box of transmission pieces explaining how they worked and what look for when inspecting the parts.  Yes, he bought the entire box full of stuff.  That seemed to happen all day.  My good friend Andy Ott bought a whole box full of aftermarket accessory shock absorbers for Model Ts.  There were at least six different types in there.  We had fun later trying to sort everything out and figure how the operated. 

There were brass lamps, parts of all kinds, tools, accessories, and one vendor, had a great selection of new reproduction Model T and A parts available.  There were people from Iowa, Michigan, New Jersey, Florida, Tennessee, and I'm sure a lot of other places.  It's always fun to find great stuff and I don't think anyone came away disappointed.  Yes, I added some fantastic brass stuff to my collection of lamps, and some literature,. a couple of great porcelain license plates, some items for my "museum" and some spare parts for my T.  The event was indeed heavy on Model T stuff, but it was a pleasure to see the event keeping true to its theme- pre-war!  There were no Taiwan tools, no beanie-babies, no silly toys, no yard-sale junk, no "crafts" and no modern items there at all. 

The hospitality was fabulous - the club and the VFW both welcomed everyone and made us feel right at home.   I'd love to see this event grow, and I know that I'll be back again next year, and will probably take a few boxes of stuff with me to set up and sell. 

 

If you love good old fashioned swap meets with good old stuff to be found at bargain prices, you will want to join me there next year too.

Terry

 

Edited May 20, 2019 by Terry Bond (see edit history)

[Terry Bond]

A few more pics, more coming later when I download from my phone.   First pic is certainly a thorn between two roses - obviously I'm smiling because of the great pair of brass lamps I bought.  Oh, that's Natalie and Janice Weaver.  Nat is the editor of the Model T Ford Club International magazine.  It was great to see the national club so well represented.  AACA had a great showing also - past President Chuck Crane was there along with myself, and nearly every one of the vendors was an AACA Hershey regular.  I even met one brand new member who had MGs home in the garage!

Edited May 20, 2019 by Terry Bond (see edit history)