The NE Georgia Swap Meet is Saturday, July 4 at the Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, GA.

Last month we had over 245 vendors.

…which, to be honest, surprised me. I figured we were down on the number of vendors, because we didn’t hit the grass pads. And the number of spectators we had was as solid as any this year as well. In talking with vendors during the show, I was surprised at how many said the same thing: “It feels like the show is lighter… but boy, I sold a ton of stuff!” It’s a funny thing to say, but darned if I didn’t have the exact same experience! I sold a ton of stuff. The show FELT lighter, and it didn’t hit the grass pads, but the spectator parking was full, and the tickets said we had a great spectator count and nearly 250 vendors. In fact, it was our second-best, with our March show the best we’ve ever with 302 vendors, while May came in at 245 and April at 227.

I think the big reason the show field seemed smaller is because there were a couple dozen 2- and 3-axle enclosed trailers that simply pulled into their parking spaces, rather than took up space parallel to the walking aisles.  A dozen enclosed trailers and tow rigs parked nose-to-tail would EASILY fill an entire row.

Take up the space, boys! I don’t mind. In fact, I prefer it. It not only makes the show look bigger, but it lets people buy more treasures. I’ve said it before: the thing that makes the NE Georgia Swap Meet unique is that we want everyone to take up as much space as they want, specifically so guys can spread their stuff out. All our shoppers are window-shopping… we walk the rows and we stop when something catches our eye. If the vendors can spread their stuff out, the buyers can see it all easily, instead of walking by and missing it. The more stuff the buyers see, the more stuff they’ll buy. They go home with more goodies, the vendor trailers go home with fewer goodies, and everyone’s happy.

That’s also the reason I keep my spaces cheap—it lets the vendors keep their prices lower, because they don’t need to sell $500 worth of stuff just to break even.

Speaking of spaces and pricing…

Let me start out by saying WE ARE NOT RAISING OUR PRICES! We are still selling vendors spaces at $20, for all the space you want, and spectator entry is still only $5. That’s not changing.

But we are ADDING something; I’ve been getting a lot of requests for reserved vendor spaces, or vendors asking to get in early because they’d like an extra hour to set up. So in the interest of accommodating them, I’m going to try early-entry at another gate for those who want it, at $30 entry for all the space you want. Call it “Premium Entry” or “VIP” or “Preferred” or whatever. This gate is located at the far end of the track, at the staging lanes, and we’ll open it from 6:00-7:00am. Then we’ll open the main Pit Admission gate at 7:00am, charging $20 for all the space you want, just like we always do.

I like keeping our spaces at $20 for all the space you want, but I’ll need to have crew there an hour earlier and have some traffic signs made up to direct everyone, so there’s the reason for the increase in price. If people want in early to get the space they’ve got their heart set on, we’ve got you covered, and for those who want to stick with the General Admission for $20, we aren’t changing that.

We still can’t guarantee specific parking spaces, because there’s just no way to mark them off and reserve them—but for those who want to be set up on a specific row, or on a specific corner, or whatever, you’ve got first crack at it now.

ALSO, and this is important, we will still do everything we can to accommodate everyone who comes in during the General Admission. If you guys want to be set up near a rest room, or the snack shack, or one of the available corners, nothing has changed: we’ll still accommodate as best we can, just like we always have with the general admission. We always have, and always will, work to be accommodating as we can to everyone.  

Loading In… DAAAANG that was better!

BOY that went smoother last month!!! Thanks to everyone for being patient. There was only one guy who seemed a little grumpy that it was taking longer, but out of 247 vendors, I’ll just attribute that to him waking up under the wrong side of the rock or something that morning. Truth be told, I’m not much of a morning person either. But the most important thing is this: Brad didn’t have to run!

I’ll admit, it seemed like it took longer, but when I checked my watch after the big crush of vendors tapered off, it was only 8am… so we still got over 200 vendors in and set up in neat rows in an hour. That’s about 10 or 15 minutes off our normal pace, but still not bad. This is the second month I’ve handled parking the vendors myself (Boy Wonder is working a regular job on Saturdays now), and I’m training the ROTC cadets to do it too…. The month before last, I forgot to put the choke point in where the grass pads meet the big pit area, and that’s where the Bedlam originated. Last month there was a cadet there and were able to send vehicles to be parked two and three at a time, which we ended up increasing to four and six at a time as we got into a groove.

This month I expect us to be back 100-percent to our full, professional standards when it comes to loading a ton of vendors in and getting them set up in neat orderly rows, in a minimum of time… but even on our slow days, we’re a whole lot faster and more organized than any other swap meet.

“What kind of turn-out are you expecting for the 4^th?”

The most popular question of the last two weeks! Now, I’m the promoter, so I’m biased… and let’s be honest, my job is to put a good spin on things, right? Right.

That said, I’ll never lie, and I won’t embellish to get you in the gate, because if you go home disappointed you won’t be back. I’d rather have long-term regular customers, than get you in the gate once and not see you again. Can’t do it that way if you’re tellin’ stories.  

I’m expecting a good show on the 4^th, for two main reasons. The first is that in the past, we’ve had shows on July 4^th weekend where the holiday fell on a Friday or Monday, making it a three-day weekend. Back then our shows weren’t as big as they are now, but the holiday weekend didn’t seem to affect attendance, comparatively.

But the other reason, and the bigger of the two, is this: We’re a morning show. I don’t know about you guys, but all my 4^th of July festivities are in the afternoon and evening. People aren’t having the family cookout at 10am and setting off $1,000 worth of north-of-the-border illegal fireworks at noon. Participants are going to come to the swap meet in the morning just like they always do, be home by two or three in the afternoon just like they always are, and then do all their 4^th of July stuff in the late afternoon and evening. It’ll be just like any other First Saturday of the Month… but with more family, more grilling and probably more beer. And fireworks. LOTS of fireworks!  

NIGHT OF FIRE! Saturday, June 27

If you guys are looking for something great to do this weekend, head out to the Atlanta Dragway for their annual Night Of Fire. Jet cars, Wheel-standers, Pro Mods, Gassers and heads-up racing. Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for juniors, 5-and-under are free. Time trials start at 10am, big fireworks show finishes the night at 10pm. It’s one of the best events they put on annually. For more information, check out their website at www.atlantadragway.com

Fall Commerce 2-day Swap Meet and Auto Auction, Oct. 16-17

We’ve added a pair of 2-day swap meets to our calendar—Spring and Fall Commerce. Besides the two-day swap meet, we are working with Four Seasons Auto Auction to run a vintage and collector car auction in conjunction with the swap meet. Registration and viewing preview will be on Friday, the Auction will be on Saturday. We are currently the 4^th largest swap meet in the South East, behind Charlotte, The Turkey Run, and Moultrie… I’m planning to grow these two-day events to move us up the rungs.

A cruise and “something for the ladies” at the show?? Oh boy…

Keep this under your hats, but I’m trying to work out a deal with the city of Commerce that’s gonna be cool… if I can pull it off.

I’m not planning on opening up swap meet spaces to vendors selling jewelry, purses, antiques or non-auto-related arts-and-crafts (metal art, auto prints and posts and the like are obviously encouraged!); I’m still 100-percent committed to keeping it a true enthusiast swap meet. BUT, the Tanger Outlet Malls are less than a mile away, and there are several shops and antique stores right on the other side of the interstate… it’s time to start using that to our advantage. And I’ve got a plan to make that happen. Hopefully I’ll have something a little more concrete to tell you by next Saturday….

Bud’s Garage Radio on WDUN Radio

The NE Georgia Swap Meet is a founding partner of the Bud’s Garage radio program, now in its third year, heard every Saturday at noon on AM 550 and FM 102.9, and can also be heard via internet at WDUN.com. Host Bud Hughes and co-host Tim DiPasquale (owner of Tim’s Auto Upholstery in Gainesville and Duluth) talk about all things automotive, from racing to hot rodding to tips for your daily driver. After the show, keep the radio dial where it is and listen to the Saturday races.

Bud shows up to the show most Saturdays, and given the radio show is automotive-oriented, shops and enthusiasts might want to swing by his rig and talk about the show… you never know what might come out of it!

New Project… aaaaaalmost here.

For months you’ve all read about my daily-driver ’61 Suburban that got whacked by a 180-pound 8pt buck a year and a half ago

I’ve had NuTech Soda Blasting in Jefferson strip and prime all the replacement front end sheetmetal, doors, and everything required to convert it from barn doors to a tail gate, etc., and was going to do the chassis and body, then while the body was being ironed out, rebuild the chassis with components sourced from JPs Muscle Cars.

I’ve also always loved ’60s factory 4x4 trucks, and just came across a ’62 Chevy K-10 4x4, long-bed step side—exactly what I like. I bought a ’76 Power Wagon 4x4 about two years ago, and we’ve grown to hate each other.

I’d planned on running up to Virginia to pick up the truck a couple weeks ago, but my buddy’s tow-rig developed some issues, so it looks like I’ll be making the trip after this swap meet. It’s a bunch of rust, held together by holes, but all I really need is the running gear, the chassis, and the cab… oddly enough, running my own swap meet seems to have put a stock-pile of parts for these trucks in my shop. (I’m only half-joking when I say building this truck is the best way I can figure to get some space in my shop! Running my own swap meet is like an arsonist owning his own match factory.)

In the meantime I found a good bed with a very little bit of rust, and looks like it never hauled anything more than hay bales its whole life. Funny enough, that one’s down in JP’s neck of the woods. It’ll be coming home in the next week or two as well. Once it’s home, NuTech will be getting a fresh batch of bits to blast, and I’ll make up a list of replacement sheetmetal I need to get from JP’s… It’s pretty much a given that I’ll need left and right side floors, inner and outer rockers, cab corners and body braces, and fortunately his vendors manufacture those things. I figure I’ll save a bundle in shipping by picking it all up at the swap meet.

 NuTech Soda Blasting is in Jefferson, GA: call (706) 367-8107, or check out their website at www.nutechsodablasting.com.

JP’s Muscle Cars is at 113 Hammond Drive in Monroe, GA: Call (770) 207-9570 or visit their website at www.jpmusclecars.com.

Email reminder list

Our email reminder list is up over 4,300 names, and we’ve got almost 2,700 people following us on FaceBook (North East Georgia Swap Meet). These are the two best ways to keep up on what’s happening with the swap meet. Our FB page is set up so you guys can post on it if you’re looking for anything specific, or if you’ve got something specific to sell. Please take advantage of it! There’s nothing I like more than facilitating people doing business and swapping parts, so I’m very happy when guys find stuff through the Face Book page.

If you’ve got any friends who would be interested in our swap meet, please forward this news letter, and tell them to shoot me an email to sign up for it. We’re adding 100 or more new names every month.

2015 Dates—Mark Your Calendar!

July 4

August 1

September 5

October 3

November 7

December 5

Fall Commerce 2-day swap meet and Auto Auction

October 16-17

Written by Brad Ocock 

(706) 424-5035

brad56@windstream.net

www.georgiaswapmeet.com