Hershey is the largest swap meet I attend. I hear rumors of other huge swap meets.... Where does Hershey rank as far as size of the swap meets that are out there? What's the largest?
Im pretty durn sure hershey is the largest. I believe Charlotte Motor speedway is the largest in the South. Those are the two i go to. This was my first time at hershey! What a show! had soooo much fun and spent wayyy to much money haha. but i bet my T will be running in the next week or so! I have been going to Charlotte since i was... 5 or so.
PDX (Portland, OR in April) is the largest in the Northwest.
Be_Zero_Be
What's the big deal about Chickasaw? Never been but it sounds like more T stuff???
i think chickasaw is the largest pre-war meet. I have a buddy who goes annually so i get him to pick me up stuff lucky me!
Hershey is billed as the "Largest and Oldest Antique Auto event of it's kind"
http://www.prewarcar.com/magazine/press-releases/hershey-fall-meet-2012-018378.h tml
Chickasha is a great swap meet for Model T stuff. Been there several times. Last time, I was there, I bought a '20 Model T coupe. Wasn't planning on that, but it happened. Told the guy that was selling it, if I can get the money transfared and can rent a trailer, I would buy it. Well, it happened and is in my stable. Had so much other things to do, I just started working on it this summer. I bought it in '09. Worked on it today.
Hershey is the biggest. Other big ones are Carlisle, Iola, and Pate. The old Pate Swap Meet, at the museum in Cresson, was a fabulous affair. The erratic weather was legendary, ranging from blowing dust clouds to monsoons with mud slicker than snot, sometimes during the same weekend, but the money flowed. When it moved to the speedway several years ago, the magic went away. The Chickasha Swap meet in March is relatively small compared to the biggies listed above, but is wonderful because nothing after 1942 is allowed. It is great for T stuff. I specify March because there are November and May meets in Chickasha, open to all years, that don't measure up. I don't know enough about Portland or Charlotte to comment on those. It's ironic that California, famous for its car culture, has nothing comparable to the big eastern and midwestern meets.
How does the Turlock meet fit in?
The first time I went to Carlisle, I was looking for Model T stuff and I had more Model T stuff than I saw there. Only one Model T at the whole place. It was small. It was all inside the track. Must have been at the fair grounds, I think. That was in the mid 70's. I was new to the hobby then and didn't know about Hershey, which was the next weekend. Didn't have enough vacation time to hang around till the next weekend. The next year, went to Hershey. Got there on a Thursday, and WOW, I couldn't believe my eyes. It was huge in the 70's. Went every year for several years, till I couldn't walk any more. Well 10 yrs later, now ,I have 2 new knees this year. So, look out next year.
I often attend Turlock, sometimes buying and sometimes selling. I do enjoy it but I don't spend much as I see very little of what I am looking for.
When I am selling I find it easier to sell collectables, bicycles, automobilia and yard sale stuff than actual car parts.
I will be there in Jan J 98 & J100.
As for Hershey I WANT TO GO AGAIN!!!!!! Been there twice and wanted to haul the whole event back to Calif each time.
Bill
Speaking as someone who grew up in Harrisburg, Hershey has been traditionally pre-war and Carlisle post-war. You will find 50's and early 60's stuff at Hershey too, but no MOPAR/muscle car stuff.
Hershey is also a great place to pick up petroliana (porcelain signs, gas pumps, etc.) as well.
This was taken with my phone on the way back from the dump station at a nearby campground Thurs morn. I don't know how to make it bigger, but, you can still see the hoards of people making their way into the swap meet area.
Generally, I tell people Hershey has 1930 and older car stuff and Carlisle has 1930 to present car stuff. Of course pre and post war is more correct.
Hershey claims to be the biggest, but it is my understanding that if you factor in all the empty spaces where the owner doesn't show and the ones that are nothing more than just a parking place for the space owner to put his motorhome, put out a card table with the same three rusty parts on it each year, so he can claim to be a vendor, but is really only there to see the swap meet......well then Calisle is bigger. Don't know for sure. Just what I heard. Never been to Carlisle, but with a bad leg, I can say I get tired of walking down rows of empty spaces and motorhome parking spots just to see the three or four vendors that are on a particular row at Hershey. I don't know the solution, but they do have a problem with that.
I do believe I will start in the South Chocolate Field next year. I saw more T stuff there than the others combined.
Certainly it has a lock on the north east portion of the country. Was at Carlisle for (I think) the spring show. Big but not wildly so. Walked it all in a couple of hours. VERY hilly.
For over 20 years the Bakersfield National Swap Meet of pre WW II cars and parts has gown to about 400 Vender spaces and lots of Brass and Rust. I have never gone and not found a part I needed no matter how large or small. Its in April every year.
Hal S,
I used to go to Turlock almost every year (mid'60s to mid'80s). I think I have gone twice in the past twenty years. If you have been to the "In Rust We Trust" swap meets in Sacramento, Turlock is at least four times as large. But I find more T stuff in Sacramento now than I have at Turlock in a long time.
I am pretty sure January (Feb?) Turlock is the largest in Northern Califunny. I think there are a couple in Southern Califunny that are right around the same size and may be larger?
Bakersfield may not be the largest by a lot. But it is all pre-war and by far the best within 400 miles around for model T and brass era stuff. I have done the round trip and meet in a straight 18 hours and loved it! (It is a five hour drive each way for me.)
Drive carefully, and enjoy the hunt! W2