Oldsmaniac

Seems like tradition and haven't seen the Carlisle Swap thread posted here yet. I wonder what the turnout will be for this Fall swap next week? Spring is busier than Fall swaps and people say swaps are dying but the Spring Carlisle was in my opinion pretty good as far as vendors. I do remember when the car sale area was so packed that sellers were waiting for spots and as cars were sold they would announce over the P. A system that a spot just became available. When I was a kid there was a progression from fixing bicycles, building push go carts from trashed baby buggies, building *** powered model airplanes and then getting your 1st junker of a car before you could drive. I would say the youth today is not following this path for the most part.

joe_padavano

I'll be in my usual spots inside Gate 3 - NA64-65 and NA108-109. Planning to arrive Tues afternoon and leave Sat night. This past Spring was actually one of the better Carlisle swaps in recent memory, but despite a lot of people, few buyers. Fall seems to be going the way of Summer Carlisle - dwindling attendance from both vendors and buyers. Some big vendors like TP Tools have stopped coming to Fall, which is ironic since they still go to Hershey the next week. On the other hand, Eastwood was back after a hiatus. It's still part social event and part swap meet for me.

Giftman23

While it may be true that interest in the hobby is waning, in my opinion it still only takes 1 “score” to be hooked. The maniac and I have been combing the spring/fall swaps for 12 years now, and there are few things that can beat our olds treasure hunting adventures. Recently, we scored “Oldsmobile ductwork” which were 67 W30 reproductions OAI scoops, NOS 67 cutlass/442 Quarter Panel chrome, and a nice 72 455 dual snorkel air cleaner. Also, you can hit Fusick, Legendary and Tri-City and save on shipping costs....There is always something to see. We seem to always find deals, whether we need them or not. I can’t wait....

OldsAl

A friend and I are going and leave Tuesday am. I hope it’s decently attended as it’s a long haul to PA from the west coast. I normally go to Hershey and we decided not to do both with the 2-3 days between (never understood why they couldn’t be a day apart) .

joe_padavano

For some reason, Hershey won't let vendors in to set up until 7 AM on Tuesday.

OldsAl

It’s a strange decision on Hershey’s part as I bet they would have a lot more venders go straight there from Carlisle.

joe_padavano

Yeah, you would think.

Kennybill

Which one is better, Carlisle or Hershey?

joe_padavano

Depends on what you are looking for. Carlisle is more 50s-up, musclecars, street rods, and aftermarket performance parts. Hershey is AACA, so factory stock stuff, very few post-war speed parts, and still surprisingly few musclecar parts. I think the majority of vendors at Hershey are selling 1920s-1950s parts, and pretty much all stock stuff. Of course, they are very different events. Hershey attracts virtually everything automotive related. You'll definitely see vehicles you never knew existed. And if you DO find a part for a musclecar, chances are it will be relatively cheap because it's in a pile of stuff that someone brought and has no idea what it is. The exceptions are Corvettes and Mustangs, which have a growing constituency at Hershey. And Hershey is MUCH larger than Carlisle, plus there's the big AACA car show on Saturday.

For me personally, I tend to find precious little at Hershey that I need. I definitely find more stuff at Carlisle. Unfortunately, Fall Carlisle is shrinking. Spring is still a great show, and this past year was better than several recent ones.

Oldsmaniac

Just got back from a beautiful weather day at Carlisle after we skipped it yesterday due to showers, which I heard kept a lot of vendors closed. Well as thought, attendance was down as far as vendors. I found this out early when I was told I could park inside the gate at the top of the hill. This has never happened for a Spring or Fall event as long as I have been attending these events! Oldsmobiles were very scarce in the car coral and parts were a bit more scarce too Oldsmobile wise, but with most of the regulars there. I made just about all of my purchases from Fusick and dropped off the front and rear 67 bumpers for re-chrome at the Trim-City tent. To my surprise the price was the same as 2 years ago, 625 each. I will pick them up at the Spring swap if they still have one. LOL! Hershey swap seems to be holding its own but time will tell when I go next week!.