Tool Swap Meets? Where?

[jbilbo]

I've seen it mentioned a few times how you can get some good deals at swap meets. How do you find these things in your area?

Thanks for any info,
John B.

 

[jerryW]

Just look around for a weekly or so area swap meet, the kind where it looks like a fiel dfull of garage sales, tag sales, whatever the local term is. Look for a local free trader paper.

dheck for a drive in ther=eater doing a swap on the weekends. Our local swaps are at thr local dog racing track and at a drive in theater.


jerry

 

[hotrod66paul]

What the guys are saying is that at most of the auto,hotrod,or antique swap meets there are always tool vendors or guys with used tools for sale. Check the internet,local publications,car magazines (hemmings) etc,. The Charlotte Auto Fair is becoming one of the largest one in the southeast. Been there many years and cannot see the whole thing in 3 days. With summer comming it's hard to decide which ones to see on any given weekend. Good luck !

 

[carcentric]

Not really a swap meet, but many cities have a craigslist.org site and a Tools section. I've found good used values there.

 

[jbilbo]

Not really a swap meet, but many cities have a craigslist.org site and a Tools section. I've found good used values there.

Based on the Bham craigslist section, all anybody wants to do here is to "get their freak-on" !

I'm looking for new tools but not that kind of tool! Yikes!

 

[kartracer55]

Attalla
Mountain Top Flea Market - 11301 U.S. Highway 278 West

Collinsville
Collinsville Trade Day - Highway 11 South

Cullman
Cullman Flea Market - U.S. Highway 278 & I-65, (Exit 308)

Dothan
Sadies Flea Market - 7990 U.S. 231 South

Guntersville
All American Trade Day - 11190 U.S. Highway 431

Heflin
I-20 Trade Day - 100 Cheaha State Park Drive; Fri, Sat, & Sun. 5 a.m. to 4 p.m.; 256-253-2286

Huntsville
Huntsville Flea Market - 3515 N. Memorial Parkway; Fri, Sat, & Sun. 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; 256-858-8506

Killen
Uncle Charlie's Flea Market - Highway 72 West, Exit off I-65

Madison
Limestone Flea Market - 30030 Highway 72 West, at Burgreen Road

Mobile
Flea Market Mobile - 401 Schillinger Road North

Selma
Selma Flea Market - On Highway 80 Bypass, at River Road

Summerdale
Highway 59 Flea Market - On Highway 59 between Robertsdale & Foley

http://www.swapmeets.com/site/smal1.htm


Most fleamarkets tend to be junk sales. You want to look for automotive swapmeets and such. Call you local dragstrip for info. Raceway Park in NJ has a decent one, but its got junk too. In the past few years they have started getting back to carparts, tools and equipment, but you will still see people selling bikes and lamps from the 70's hahaha. There are like 5 tents full of HF type tools that you can pick up for basically nothing. There is a guy there that sells craftsman stuff brand new for pretty cheap (not asking any questions lol) Eppy's tool catalog had a big display tent for SK stuff.

When the K&N Filter Supernationals comes to racewaypark in June, TONS of big name vendors show up with 18wheelers and displays. There is a big craftsman truck where can basically try out tools and see thier new stuff (they also have it for sale). Lincoln welders had a big truck show up, Chicago Pnuematic had one, Of course K&N, Edelbrock, Simpson, and a bunch of others showed up as well.

Jim

 

[Stuart in MN]

I see a lot of tool vendors at the car part swap meets around here, but they rarely have anything but cheap offshore tools. Along with the guys selling Hot Wheels cars, they take up half the swap meet.

Having said that, for some reason I often find very nice old Disston handsaws at the swaps for a few dollars each.

 

[Jeepguy]

Carslisle car show in Pa is having one next week 19th through the 23rd called the midway its a swap meet and vendor show all in one my company will be there as well as just about everyone from power tools to car part manufacturers and everything in between and that happens about 9 times throughout the summer.

 

[jerryW]

I usually find more at a nonautomotive type flea market. I'll look for the unorganized weekend seller with a big pile of wrenches etc. laying on a tarp or a table and spend a couple of minutes sorting thru all the import ****. That's how I found all the tools except for the aplvmb brweaker bar on my good tools cheap post.

I tend just glance at the tool guy swith them all lined up pretty unless looking for somethinfg specific. Their prices usually scare me! Ltthough I did get a Matco bearing splitter for $15 last month.

It's the fun of finding the pile for one price than getting a price on each piece that does it for me.


jerry

 

[Blacknwhitepit]

I am with JerryW on this one, the regular non automotive flea market is full of good stuff, you just have to look around. I Go thru the **** and find the gold. When you pull the Snap on ratchet out and the guy says $5.00!! and you take him down to $2.00 because you have never heard of this "SNAP ON" brand, you just feel GOOD I search out the guys who just dump old tool boxes and will sell you snap on screwdrivers for 50 cents. Lots of good deals at the flea markets. Some guys know what they have, others don't. Makes for a great hunt.

-BWP