Swapmeets, biggest & best?

[martin collins 1]

Many of us enjoy rummaging at Swapmeets in the hope of picking up a bargain or that long sought after kit or model, over the years i have been to some really large ones, the much missed Nationals or the Watford one springs to mind, sadly these seem to be a thing of the past due mostly one assumes to the internet and the shrinking size of our hobby. Are there any large swapmeets left, most seem to be held in small village halls now or has that ship sailed?

[Alan Hilton]

This Sunday 12 th Horam village hall (East Sussex)

[Andy Symons - BMFA]

The Buckminster swapmeets are getting bigger and bigger, 60 indoor tables and usually 20 outdoor pitches too.

[Engine Doctor]

Swapmeets seem to be shrinking and less well attended than a few years ago. Our Club Medway MFC usually have two a year followed by a quick auction and a fly- in. The last couple of years since covid the attendance has alternated from plenty of sellers and no buyers to plenty of buyers and few sellers? Loads of bargins but no takers !  Even in the club some brilliant bargains are offered through the year and members show little or no interest turn up with a new lump of foam . 

I love to rummage through stuff to find that elusive part or  bits to repair somthing but im a dying breed it seems.

The Watford swapmeet was brilliant but judging by what we have to pay to rent a hall for indoor flying its possibly been just to expensive ; plus finding helpers for the day is not easy and big meets need lots of helpers .

Horam seems to keep going and hopefully will keep going for mang years. 

[Cuban8]

Sad to say that swapmeets, club bring and buys and auctions are falling out of favour. Good to hear that the Bucky ones are doing well but of course there is the attraction of being at the National Centre which will attract people from the surrounding clubs or within a reasonable driving distance. Unfortunately, it's a five or six hour round trip for me.

I have a local swapmeet available to me that is quite well supported but only lasts a morning. TBH I don't really need anything, it's really just a modelling jumble sale of mostly old rubbish and the limited parking at the venue is a complete nightmare, so one visit a few years ago was enough.

Always made Watford a day out with my late friend back in the day.

Although not related, I've visited a couple of localish model railway exhibitions which have been well organised and entertaining even though I'm not a railway modeller myself.

Edited November 6, 2023 by Cuban8

[Futura57]

I'm hoping to get to Horam on 12th even though it is a 1 hour + drive each way. I'm on the lookout for rolls of solartex and a 120 2S for my underpowered (ASP108) Seagull CAP232. And anything else which takes my fancy 😉

Edited November 6, 2023 by Futura57

[Robin Colbourne]

The Hampshire Model Flying Association are having a swap meet on Sunday 19 November at Mountbatten School, Romsey SO51 5SY.  Details here:
 

https://hmfa.bmfa.club/auctions-sales

[Robin Colbourne]

I think I got the web page address and description of it transposed in the link above.
Maybe this one will work?

HMFA Swapmeet, Sunday 19 November 2023 Romsey, Hampshire

Edited November 7, 2023 by Robin Colbourne

[Robert Thompson 10]

York Model Aircraft Society are holding a swap meet on Sunday 19 November 2023 at Wigginton Recreation Hall, Wigginton,York. Postcode is YO32 2LL. Easy to get to from the York Ring Road.

Details on the club website, ymas.org.uk or contact [email protected] or see the BMFA Northern Area website events page.

The SwapMeet is from 09.00 to 11.30 and tables are £5.00. General admission is £1.00. Tables can be set up between 08.00 and 09.00.

 

 

 

[leccyflyer]

On 05/11/2023 at 21:12, martin collins 1 said:

Many of us enjoy rummaging at Swapmeets in the hope of picking up a bargain or that long sought after kit or model, over the years i have been to some really large ones, the much missed Nationals or the Watford one springs to mind, sadly these seem to be a thing of the past due mostly one assumes to the internet and the shrinking size of our hobby. Are there any large swapmeets left, most seem to be held in small village halls now or has that ship sailed?

Love a good swapmeet. The huge bring and buy/swapmeet at the Nationals at Barkston Heath was about the biggest one I ever attended. Northwich Swapmeet was always the gold standard in the NW of England and would have dozens of sellers - particularly the engine aficionados would be out in force. Alex Whittaker and Crash Parry's Delyn Model Flying Club swapmeet in North Wales was always a good one as well, though much smaller.

 

Since moving to Scotland I've been to fewer and they have been much smaller - typically no more than 15-20 sellers, if that - but have had some great bargains. My soaring club in Aberdeen has one in the spring every year, which used to be at an indoor venue, but is now at the flying site. One of the other clubs that I used to be a member of, when I was still working, had a larger swapmeet, probably similar size to Delyn, in Kinross. The Glenrothes club has an annual open day, which incorporates a car boot style selling aspect, but again, relatively few sellers.