I love/hate swap meets!

[egnorant]

I was once just a simple tool junkie. I loved finding that simple tool made the job a bit easier and added some chrome to my life.

Then I come here and discover a bounty of new and different tools that has me questioning my current tool inventory.

Now I am at a swap meet at Texas Motor Speedway with too much money in my pocket and temptation, heartache and yearning are kicking the monkey looking poo out of me.

Missed a $50 Wilton 5" vice, found a cool collection of magnetic tool holder stuff, 4 headed drill presses, A Williams wrench stamped with Pierce Arrow logo, Boxes of Snap-On ratchets, I search through a box of junk to find the 3 BE and circle H sockets.

Arguments with my brother over the better design for a rolling work cart...I got the Kennedy taco cart, he got the no name one with the missing wheel.
$10 Proto 2" combo wrenches bought because it is huge and only $10!!!

Only 2 days left so I will post some picture tomorrow night.

Bruce

 

[ADSR]

have fun, buddy! I would love to be there buying tools!

Get them pictures up!

 

[nine4gmc]

take pics of the booths too, good luck and buy something for me

 

[928'er]

Help is available..., but I'd snag the Pierce Arrow logo'd wrench.

 

[upndown]

I too have become a swap meet *****!! My lady friend and I can't drive by one without stopping, Luckily she's got a really good eye.

 

[davesnothere]

What's to hate?

 

[Outlawmws]

take pics of the booths too, good luck and buy something for me

I read this as "take pics of the ***** too"

 

[mashguy4077]

Its funny that you posted this. I was just talking to a friend of mine about going to one this weekend. I havent been in a couple years, and I am going to be on the lookout for tools, knives, or anything I can resell

 

[RCStocker]

I was once just a simple tool junkie. I loved finding that simple tool made the job a bit easier and added some chrome to my life.

Then I come here and discover a bounty of new and different tools that has me questioning my current tool inventory.

Now I am at a swap meet at Texas Motor Speedway with too much money in my pocket and temptation, heartache and yearning are kicking the monkey looking poo out of me.

Missed a $50 Wilton 5" vice, found a cool collection of magnetic tool holder stuff, 4 headed drill presses, A Williams wrench stamped with Pierce Arrow logo, Boxes of Snap-On ratchets, I search through a box of junk to find the 3 BE and circle H sockets.

Arguments with my brother over the better design for a rolling work cart...I got the Kennedy taco cart, he got the no name one with the missing wheel.
$10 Proto 2" combo wrenches bought because it is huge and only $10!!!

Only 2 days left so I will post some picture tomorrow night.

Bruce

Great scores. I knew I was not the only one who finds great deals. I got a 2" proto last summer for $7. I am not trying to out do you. Texas and Califronai are great for swap meets. I can go to 8 different meets evry week if I haull tail.
We have them on Wed, Thur, Friday, Sat and Sunday depending on which ones you go to. I picked up a Sanp-on short 11 piece combo set several weeks ago for $60 and a set of Metic crowfoot line wrenches for $45. They were not steels but a good buy. So what is so bad about the swap meet? You can make money so what is the problem?

 

[ATC]

I hate swap meets and flea markets because they are always at the crack of dawn. I work nights

 

[egnorant]

The Pierce Arrow wrench is $70.00!!

It says 1/2 on one end that looks more like 11/16.

Bruce

 

[JC23]

Swap meets are like the fine print on contracts - they giveth and they taketh away...

But I loves em!

 

[W650Mike]

I've scored some great deals at Pate over the years. Won't be able to make it this year, so have fun.

 

[Big-Foot]

What's to hate?

All the broken or worn out stuff that the seller swears works like new!

I bought a pair of aluminum cylinder heads from a guy that swore they were out of the box castings. I bring the castings to a friend who built the heads with springs and valves and then bolted them onto the block only to find out that they had been angle milled and the intake will not seat. ****! Have the intake cut to match and bolt it all together. Starts and runs fine until it gets hot and starts to miss..
Bottom line - one of the heads was cracked in the intake port through to the water jacket. That head casting was junk. So here I am with one good effed-up head and an effed-up / effed-up head and an intake that was cut to fit the effed-up heads!

Oh yeah.. This was at the PATE swap meet too.. Held at Tx Motor Speedway now... If I ever get back down there and find that lying SOB I'm gonna shove that head right where the sun doesn't shine...

Going forward - I won't pay more than scrap prices for anything that has the potential to bite me in the ballz and kick my **** again...

 

[egnorant]

Didn't get all the pics I wanted...bad memory card?!?!?!
But got a few.

Segway? no!

I will go after other stuff today or tomorrow...but I did spot a Wilton power hack saw!??!

One booth has tools separated by US makers! All old stuff.

I will send some of the silly and sublime stuff too.

Bruce

 

[Big-Foot]

I remember the Pate swap meet back when it was held on the grounds of the Pate museum.. Man you could spend an entire weekend there and never hit the same spot twice.. Seemed like a few hundred acres of rolling ground with lots of trees in some parts..
It was 1981 the first time I was there and went every year until 92 when I moved north. I've been back to the swap meet a few years ago at the speedway - but it just isn't the same..
I still miss it..

 

[egnorant]

This year it is HUGE! I usually arrive on Thursday and walk what is here with Friday and Saturday as the busy days.

This year, Thursday was more full than I have ever seen it and Today (Friday) I walked hard to cover maybe a third of it.

Bruce

 

[andywander]

The Pierce Arrow wrench is $70.00!!

It says 1/2 on one end that looks more like 11/16.

Bruce

Might be a Whitworth wrench.

 

[Exceller8]

I go to my local swap meet 3 or 4 days a week now. You would think there would be nothing left that I haven't seen, but I find great stuff every single day.

 

[Danglerb]

I hate swap meets and flea markets because they are always at the crack of dawn. I work nights

Drive over after work, sleep a few hours, eat, be there when it opens.