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Auburn, CA Motherlode swap meet report

Posted: Sun Jun 02, 2019 5:11 pm
by Chris Instness
As previously reported, the swap meet was moved from the grass to the pavement this year due to the grass being heavily damaged by a home show a few weeks ago. Despite that, this was a great swap meet for Model T and other pre-war stuff. Both buyer and seller attendance seemed to be high this year and I saw a lot of deals and interesting item. Glad to see a strong presence of early parts there.

Re: Auburn, CA Motherlode swap meet report

Posted: Sun Jun 02, 2019 7:59 pm
by Wayne Sheldon
It may have been a bit smaller than past years, but was really good I thought. Lots of model T, some model A and other early car parts were there. Many good deals I thought. I saw more brass era narrow nose pans at this meet than I have seen in one place in decades. I counted a dozen of them at least, and came home with two myself! Thank you Erik Barrett. I passed up three good aluminum hogsheads at fifty dollars or less apiece, one with the pedals, weld-ons nicely done. I came home with one aluminum hogshead in terrible condition. A long-time friend was asking ten dollars for it, but let me have it for five. I think I can fix it up well enough to use, right now it will be good to temporarily cover my T's transmission while it waits for me to buy the band linings. I got some wheel parts to complete a set of 21 inch wheels I am rebuilding, and a nice 30X3 front clincher rim. I took advantage of someone wanting to give away several fenders and side splash shields, included a pair of 1916 rear fenders in poor condition, but I can fix them. What made it even better, Another long-time friend (Phil Lawrence, who posts on the forum sometimes) it turned out needed the brackets riveted inside the fender. I wanted to change the brackets to the '15 style, so he and I are both getting what we wanted from them! A couple of the other fenders, I did not need, but I DID need some hardware that was on them. As long as my wife doesn't see them? That will be a win-win-win-win! John Boorinakis got rid of some rusty junk he wanted gone, I got two rear fenders I wanted to fix up, I got some hardware I needed, and Phil L gets the brackets he needed.
I got several other minor things I needed for my runabout. My only parts disappointment, is I was hoping to find a runabout turtle deck in poor condition that I could afford. Layden Butler (I have known for about forty years) had two of them there, but one was a very nice original condition one, would be perfect to complete a near Rip van Winkle runabout short the turtle deck. The other needed some minor repair and wood, was a hundred dollars less. His prices were quite fair (they usually are!), but a bit higher than I could afford to spend right now. So that will have to wait a little longer.
The only other disappointment was the forum gathering seemed to fall flat. Along with several log-time friends, I saw quite a few forum regulars, but missed several I really wanted to see. I visited with Nor-Cal Jay quite a bit. The poor guy got to listen to me rant on a half dozen different subjects. It, however, sure was nice visiting with him and his wife. I also got to meet and talk with Admin Jeff several times. I hope to call him "friend" for years to come. I talked with a few forum folk after the alleged meeting time. It appears a lot of us went there, but all found no one and walked on. I went by three times between 10:00 and 10:30, saw no one from the forum I knew.

There were a few cars for sale, several project cars available, and lots of good parts changing hands.

Thank you Mother Lode Model T Ford Club! Thanks to Erik B, Robert W. A bunch of club members I don't know the names right off, and all involved.

Re: Auburn, CA Motherlode swap meet report

Posted: Sun Jun 02, 2019 8:35 pm
by AdminJeff
I went by three times between 10:00 and 10:30, saw no one from the forum I knew.

I was there all day! What a blast. My best moment was when in front of a group of really “young acting” guys Robert Weitzel said “ this is AdminJeff- he killed all those Russian Hackers on the forums”. Yes, I did that but there’s more to that story.... if you’re reading this, we all lived through it. So no need to rehash all those lies and exaggerations here....

What a GREAT group of folks in Auburn and the Gold Country club here. John Sailor and his son and all the rest of these folks are Gererous to the nth degree with botht their time and Knowledge. even Robert Weitzel’s mom was here helping andselling cactusus.

I scored some serious deals at this swap meet, albeit I didn’t party the night before so I could be there at the government’s recommended daily allowance time of 5:30AM shap!
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Ricardo high compression head -$250 -thanks Nevada Bob!
‘23 rebuilt steering column 4:1 $175 -Thanks John!
Cutouts $2
Generator brush plates$10
Misc signs -$2 each. I think the Ford Service sign was the best bargain I got. Seriously it was $2.

AdminJeff.

Re: Auburn, CA Motherlode swap meet report

Posted: Sun Jun 02, 2019 8:44 pm
by TeveS-Nor Cal
I liked the new location! Maybe a touch dusty; but not down in the hole with no breeze
See you next year.

Re: Auburn, CA Motherlode swap meet report

Posted: Sun Jun 02, 2019 11:13 pm
by Nv Bob
Admin jeff your welcome
I shared a both and brought things to sell
Totaly forgot the forum gathering but everyone i know here never brought it up sorry
Againg it was great event and one not to miss on the west coast

Re: Auburn, CA Motherlode swap meet report

Posted: Sun Jun 02, 2019 11:38 pm
by david_dewey
Well, since I don't get here as often as I used to, I didn't know what time we were supposed to meet--at 9 am I asked about pie and was told only apple and peach left, so we had some crumble-apple pie--no lemon meringue thanks to the county food folks and the rhubarb was all gone too-if there was any.
Lots of early stuff there, that was impressive. I bought a suitcase full of vacuum fuel units to make a good one for my '16 Dodge Bros. and a pair of fairly good '15/16 splash aprons for $10--they need some work on the top, but the bottoms look good! Seemed like a smaller crowd, vendors and buyers, but lots of stuff sold; there were 4 rebuilt wood fellow wheels went for $1K--looked like Stuzman's work, but no proof they were his. 12 miles away was an estate sale of T and A parts--lots of good stuff there too, and very reasonably priced. What amazed me was that at 1 pm there was still a very nice '26-27 gas tank for $100 still there!
Another great day, but I missed almost all the furom folks!~too busy looking at/for parts, I guess.

Re: Auburn, CA Motherlode swap meet report

Posted: Mon Jun 03, 2019 10:41 pm
by groundloop
I met my old pal Erik Larson from Idaho the night before, got more coils from him then we explored the town. We found some great deals and met a lot of new people. worth the drive in my opinion. I wish I had been going all these years!!!

Re: Auburn, CA Motherlode swap meet report

Posted: Tue Jun 04, 2019 6:05 am
by CDHing
It was another wonderful event put on by the Mother Lode Model T club. Considering the relocation away from the grassy field this year to the upper asphalt parking area I think it went very well. Easy in for parking and great group of young volunteers waving directions to the buyers parking and clear signage to the exit. I did have one complaint, that the restrooms weren't available this year and that the portable wash station was clear across the lot from the port-a-potty. Other than that I had a wonderful time and I got to visit with many familiar folks and saw lots of wonderful Model T goodies that I don't normally get to see at the other Northern California regional antique car swap meets. It was a bit smaller as an earlier commenter noted but the many quality offerings were still there and good deals were available. I picked up a matched pair of 1920 license plates which, when I got home, I looked up on the on-line 1921 License plate archive and discovered that the number was originally issued to a Studebaker Touring car from Sacramento. I was a bit curious about the police action that was going on in the first isle in the morning. It was an impressive line up of police SUVs and a couple of groups of uniformed officers interviewing a few people. Given this day and age it's nice to have readily available security. Thank you Mother Lode Model T for another successful event.

Re: Auburn, CA Motherlode swap meet report

Posted: Tue Jun 04, 2019 3:44 pm
by Wayne Sheldon
Wandering through the forum thread titles reminded me of another reason this swap meet was fabulous. I saw, not one, but TWO virtually complete sets of the ORIGINAL style Rocky Mountain Brakes there for sale! The price on each set I thought was quite good being about half what the new sets cost. The original style is far and away the better set, and one of the best after-market braking systems ever offered for the model T. I hate being so broke (thanks to my "loving" family!)! If I had a fair amount of money to spend on me, I would probably have bought both sets. I can't remember when the last time I saw two sets at a swap meet was, but it has been about ten years since I saw even one set for sale myself.
Last year, Larry 'original' Smith found and bought a set. He was so happy with getting it he posted on the forum about it, and several people commented about how great it was to actually find and get a set these days.

There was a lot of really good stuff there! And a lot of it did change hands. But I saw both sets still there when most sellers were packing up.

Re: Auburn, CA Motherlode swap meet report

Posted: Tue Jun 04, 2019 4:19 pm
by Chris Instness
One of those sets can be seen in this picture in the cardboard box. The space was ran by Jay who is familiar to many here in the forum.

Re: Auburn, CA Motherlode swap meet report

Posted: Tue Jun 04, 2019 4:57 pm
by Tim Williams
Nice deep sump oil pan

Re: Auburn, CA Motherlode swap meet report

Posted: Tue Jun 04, 2019 5:29 pm
by pre15dale
Wayne, the set of original RM brakes original Smith got last year I sold him. I bought the T stuff from an estate in grants pass OR and there was three sets of those brakes. I sold 1 set ro Larry, 1 set to Kim Dobbins and I still have 1 set.

Re: Auburn, CA Motherlode swap meet report

Posted: Tue Jun 04, 2019 6:21 pm
by Tim Williams
did that Deep Sump oil pain sell?

Re: Auburn, CA Motherlode swap meet report

Posted: Tue Jun 04, 2019 8:34 pm
by Chris Instness
If I remember correctly, the deep sump pan was still there when I left at around 10:45am.

Re: Auburn, CA Motherlode swap meet report

Posted: Tue Jun 04, 2019 9:09 pm
by Kevin Pharis
Pretty sure that deep sump pan belonged to Mr. Accessory of the day, our very own Jay. Look him up and give him a shout

Re: Auburn, CA Motherlode swap meet report

Posted: Tue Jun 04, 2019 9:10 pm
by Tim Williams
I know someone who is interested in it if it did not sell

Re: Auburn, CA Motherlode swap meet report

Posted: Tue Jun 04, 2019 9:59 pm
by Wayne Sheldon
I am pretty sure that sump did sell at the end of the meet. He and I were chatting when someone came up and bought it. Unless there was another one?

Jay also had one of the sets of Rocky Mountain Brakes. I think he still had those when he was packing up to leave.

Re: Auburn, CA Motherlode swap meet report

Posted: Tue Jun 04, 2019 10:18 pm
by Dan McEachern
if Jay's sump is not available, I have some. Dan

Re: Auburn, CA Motherlode swap meet report

Posted: Wed Jun 05, 2019 9:20 am
by Tim Williams
Sent you a PM Dan.

Re: Auburn, CA Motherlode swap meet report

Posted: Wed Jun 05, 2019 5:05 pm
by Philip Lawrence
As a member of the Motherlode Model T Club I just wanted thank all the fellow club members that came out to to help set up on Saturday and those that worked Sunday to make this event such a success.

The swap meet is and has been a very popular yearly event with participants coming from out of state and from throughout Calif. It is in fact the premier model T / old car swap meet in Northern California!

As the internet sales have impacted the antique car hobby, swap meets throughout the country have suffered in low attendance by both venders and buyers forcing many clubs to just give up on trying to host a swap meet. Many once popular meets are now just distant memories.

As the members in our own club are getting older, more and more are unable to do the work necessary to set up and work the swap meet. That along with the fact that younger people are not interested in coming into the club or the antique car hobby to provide the "young blood" to keep this hobby from slowly dwindling out of existence is making hosting an event like the swap meet harder with each passing year. This is totally my humble opinion.

The truly guiding force of the Motherlode Model T Club swap meet for at least the last twelve years or more has been our current president Gary Krezman. Gary works hard throughout the year on the swap meet. Meeting with fairgrounds officials and club members to be able to plan the next years event. It is an on going yearlong thankless job.

I wouldn't even try to list all the 101 tasks it takes to pull an event like this together and Gary does it year after year! So Gary please except my heart felt thank you for all of your years and countless hours of dedication and hard work in making the Motherlode Model T swap meet a success.

Re: Auburn, CA Motherlode swap meet report

Posted: Wed Jun 05, 2019 7:48 pm
by Wayne Sheldon
Phil L, If you can think to, please tell Gary Krezman "thank you" for me!
It is not just our hobby. I fear for civilization as we know it. I may have helped build the internet (my fingerprints are all over its foundation), but I do not like what it has become. eBad and hundreds of other sites cannot really replace human interaction. Sure, I can find the parts I need there. But I cannot interact on quite the personal level that one does at a swap meet. At the swap meet I picked up quite a few pieces I will use for free, not because I am a natural cheapskate and truly broke in recent years. But because people older than I are needing to downsize and wanted to give away non-valuable parts rather than scrap them. Because of family issues, I haven't been able to be active in the clubs for several years now. I do hope that situation will change soon. In the meantime, the few swap meets I do get away long enough to attend let me visit with old friends and meet some new ones.

Way too many people today do not know HOW to interact with other people. Too many businesses teach their employees to NOT give decent customer service (my wife was fired from the last two jobs she had because she solved public's problems instead of kissing her boss's @$$). Lying has become so endemic that most people expect it everywhere, and it daily seems almost NOBODY but ME is REALLY MAD ABOUT IT!

Where our society today is headed? No society can long survive.

The internet was supposed to become a wonderful tool for all. Our forum represents that. It was not supposed to become a virtual world for everyone to hide away in.

Re: Auburn, CA Motherlode swap meet report

Posted: Thu Jun 06, 2019 12:43 am
by jsaylor
Phil. I share you comments. We put in long hours Saturday and Sunday. I love every minute of it. I suppose one day we will be out there pushing the line marking card in our electric scooters.

Re: Auburn, CA Motherlode swap meet report

Posted: Thu Jun 06, 2019 10:06 am
by AdminJeff
wayne sheldon wrote:
Wed Jun 05, 2019 7:48 pm
The internet was supposed to become a wonderful tool for all. Our forum represents that. It was not supposed to become a virtual world for everyone to hide away in.
Amen to that!
Philip Lawrence wrote:
Wed Jun 05, 2019 5:05 pm
he fact that younger people are not interested in coming into the club or the antique car hobby to provide the "young blood" to keep this hobby from slowly dwindling out of existence is making hosting an event like the swap meet harder with each passing year. This is totally my humble opinion.
I beg to differ a little here...there are still a few of us “younger” folks getting into the hobby. I know my Redwood Region club has them, and I saw a few in Auburn. The more we drive these cars and introduce folks to the hobby, the more may jump in one day.

Just yesterday I was literally chased down by an old broad in a motorized wheelchair in a Walmart parking lot (it must have been comical to watch that unfold from a distance. At one point she was gaining on me...)
and somehow I got myself and my T roped into doing a wedding gig in September. I’m sure I’ll meet a ton of younger folks there and introduce them to the hobby including the bride and groom.
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All I could think about on the way home was “wtf am I going to wear to that?”

The takeaway? Drive these cars and talk to people! It’s up to us to get them interested.

AdminJeff