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Automania in Allentown


TAKerry

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Is anyone going to this event this coming weekend? Its within an hour and half drive and I have thought about doing so just because. Not really expecting anything but its a day out of the house. Has anyone been there before and is it worth going to, or just another flea market with tons of cheap tools?

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4 hours ago, TAKerry said:

just another flea market with tons of cheap tools?

Bingo!

If you're just looking to kill a day and spend $10 admission looking at tee shirts, miracle car wax, chinese drill bits, and wire connectors it will meet your expectations. Finding actual old car parts...............Not so much..........Bob

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AutoMania. I think it’s worth the trip. What else can you do in late January?  If the weather permits, there will be several vendors (hearty soles) outside. The doors open at noon on Friday- expect a line to get in.

There are enough antique car parts to make it interesting. The doors open at 8am on Saturday.

 

Check out the museum across town. America on Wheels. Nice place well worth the visit.
 

Or you can wait until March and drive to Hamburg, PA. 

Edited by greenie (see edit history)
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8 hours ago, Dave Mellor NJ said:

Or Cowtown in NJ

What happens in Cowtown? Surprisingly its less than an hour from my house but I cannot remember the last time I have been there. Sorry in advance if I offend anyone, but Going to NJ is not high on my list, LOL.

 

I was working in NEPA for about a year and travelled through Hamburg on a regular  basis, I had heard about some kind of swap meet/etc there. I have thought about it as well, just havent made it to date.

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2 hours ago, TAKerry said:

What happens in Cowtown? Surprisingly its less than an hour from my house but I cannot remember the last time I have been there. Sorry in advance if I offend anyone, but Going to NJ is not high on my list, LOL.

 

I was working in NEPA for about a year and travelled through Hamburg on a regular  basis, I had heard about some kind of swap meet/etc there. I have thought about it as well, just havent made it to date.

I've been to the Cowtown swap meet many times and always enjoyed it. Full of real antique car parts of all kinds.  I;ve found some really great stuff there!  When I lived i Baltimore, it wasn't too bad to get there. For a few years, our Son lived in the Cherry Hlll area so a chance to visit him and get to the swap meet made it easier.  At some point it was relocated from the livestock auction site (hence the name "Cowtown") to a nearby fairgrounds.  Still, a great swap meet and worth thinking about.  It's been a few years since I've been there but it's on my list for a return visit again. 

 

Actually there is a separate forum on this site dedicated to Swap Meets where they can be advertised/promoted and then reported on. I'd sure like to see more use of that forum.  Would make it a whole lot easier to decide whether to go or not if we could get some photos and more reporting on them.

Terry

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Ok, the list of upcoming AACA regional swap meet events is listed in the current Antique Automobile.

 

In March we have Hamburg, PA on March 5. A great indoor/outdoor event. I believe there is a small gate fee. Parking is free.

 

On March 11, there is another indoor/outdoor event at the Howard County Fairgrounds along I-70 in central MD. Parking and gate are free.

 

On March 24-25, there is an indoor/outdoor swap meet at the AG Center in Westminster, MD. Free parking, small gate fee.

 

And then Sunday March 26, there is the “Cowtown” swap meet - actually at the Salem County fairgrounds near Woodstown, NJ. This is in a very rural part of NJ- not all that far from the Delaware Memorial Bridge. Parking and gate are free- but they might ask for a small donation at the gate.

 

All of these events are worth attending. March weather, on the other hand, can rear its ugly head.

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Hopefully somebody will post photos from the Allentown event so we can see what's it's like.

Terry

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I don't know if I would drive far, depending on what you're looking for. I was there yesterday (I go just about every year because I live in the neighboring county) and I would say it's a typical mix of guys selling new tools and supplies, some others selling model and toy cars, a few oddball sellers like a guy selling wine and another guy selling honey, some guys selling parts, a lot of which seemed like 50's through 70's stuff, and a few others selling automobilia collectibles. If you're looking for early parts you will find a few items here and there, but not lots of it. If you don't live far away it's a way to spend a few hours and you always have the chance of stumbling onto something you want or need (I did buy a few things) but if I lived hours away I probably wouldn't make the trip. I don't move fast, and I was there just a couple of hours total, which included making a double round through the isles to be sure I didn't miss anything as well as eating lunch, going to the restroom, etc. Just my thoughts 

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