OBSERVATIONS FROM DECATUR, TX SWAP MEET

[Rat Rod]

Decided to head out to the big swap meet in Decatur, Texas today to have a look around.

This swap meet averages about 3000 vendors and it's the first swap meet of the year. Fortunately the weather was nice today.

Here are some shots I took of things that interested me...maybe you'll find them interesting too. :wink:

http://s103.photobucket.com/albums/m130 ... =slideshow

 

[mikesbikes36]

awsome pics ....so did u buy anyhing ?

 

[Rat Rod]

I was tempted on a few things, but everyone there must have the History Channel because the prices were high. :shock:


This one was cool, but the kid wanted $50 for it...and the last thing I need is another bike without wheels. :lol:

Then there was this one....loved the twin top tubes, but the owner was nowhere to be found...

And then there were these...the guy said $450 each for the ones with wheels and $350 for the frame and fork. :shock:

And then I asked this guy how much for the Ghost and he said $1000 and I kept on walkin'. :lol:

And I really wanted to drive home in this, but he was asking $15,000....and I left my cowboy hat, mustache and red satin shirt at home. :mrgreen:

 

[yoothgeye]

Man, even not buying anything that would've been a great trip. While watching the slideshow I was thinking "I bet I could get one of those beehive springers there!" then I read your follow up... nope.

Loved the rat rod with the front license plate "CHEAP" on it... I bet it wasn't.

Loved the variety.

Why didn't you get the Specialized racing BMX?

 

[Rat Rod]

I think by that point I was starting to get junk drunk and was just hoping I could still make it to the car...ha ha.

That was about 15th row of stuff and my 6 year old kept saying..."When are we going home?...When are we going home?" :?

I think we were there for about 4 hours total.

 

[Rat Rod]

Some of the prices on the cars was hurting my brain a little.

I was trying to imagine spending $35,000 on this...

 

[HotRodRob]

Some of the prices on the cars was hurting my brain a little.

I was trying to imagine spending $35,000 on this...

:shock: I think I better get mine re-appraised. That is just crazy!

 

[Rat Rod]

Another observation....half the population apparently purchased an OCC Sting-Ray chopper at some point.

I felt like I was tripping over them ever 20 feet.

The other thing that was funny was that there were TONS of people there in those off road golf carts driving around looking at stuff. Kind of reminded me of the Pixar movie WALL-E. :lol:

 

[yoothgeye]

Another observation....half the population apparently purchased an OCC Sting-Ray chopper at some point.

I felt like I was tripping over them ever 20 feet.

I'm interested in the price range on them there, since all mine (rideable, but just for cutting up) were for chump change, 3 of them free.

 

[Rat Rod]

They seem to be all over the place...some show up for $25 and some as much as $150.

Not sure what anyone actually pays for the things.

 

[dragnusa]

Its surprising what people think any of the factory chopper bikes are worth

 

[B607]

Higher prices...no deals. That's what you get when everyone in your state is working! I'll bet prices are still reasonable here in the rust belt this spring. Gary

 

[outskirtscustoms]

Yeah here in the rust belt there are some deals to be had. Luckily I got a two friends who have bicycle honey holes just waiting for me to get some cash. One is great prices and pretty average tank bikes, Columbias, few Sears, JC Higgins, exc. A garage and one room of his house FULL. The other is the high roller's area and prices are "If you have to ask you can't afford it" But REALLY NICE stuff. Way too nice for Rat Rodding. This guy has more quantity but much more quality too. A 3 car garage packed to the rafters, 2- 20'x20' mini-barns full with lofts, bikes in the side yard, bikes in the back yard, Haven't been in the house or basement yet but I am told they are full too. And he also rents another storage space I have yet to see but he says his garage is only the tip of the iceberg. And just one of his sheds would give Mike and Frank a heart attack. Colson, Elgin, Ben Hur, Batwing lights and sirens as far as the eye can see. I try not to drool every time I visit him.

 

[Fahrrad]

Some of the prices on the cars was hurting my brain a little.

I was trying to imagine spending $35,000 on this...

Darn, that was the going price for a decent restoration at Pate this last year. 25-30k for good, 10-15k for what is in the pic.

 

[jerrykr]

looks like swap meet prices are sky high!

still wish I could have gone over there tho....

did you check out that '57 Chevy Smoker?

 

[NewOrleansFlyer]

Folks have been watching WAAAAYYY too much American Pickers, and Pawn Stars, and Storage Wars, and whatever. They see themselves as those TV guys who find something and buy it cheap, and then turn it for a ridiculous profit. We know Pawn Stars is "seeded" with people and items. Pickers is not reality, just non scripted. You can pick up decent rat rods for $20K...and drive them away. As for the guy with the Grey Ghost...obviously he doesn't make his living flipping muscle bikes. I can't wait until all these shows go off the air and things settle back down to normal......leaving us folks with the real addictions to fight amongst ourselves for the good stuff... :mrgreen:

 

[gcrank1]

Worst part is that this shows the dollar aint hardly worth snot..........and then I gotta go to the grocery store and get gas on the way home too.........

 

[Rat Rod]

As Gary stated earlier...things aren't as bad economically here in Texas as the rest of the country so folks aren't as desperate to sell stuff.

An example is the guy who carted 8-10 high dollar fully restored gas pumps and a table full of restored oil cans along with the 4-5 rusty cruisers and a frame/fork set to the swap.

You set all that stuff out there, sit there all day long and ask top dollar for everything and don't sell a single thing.

Now...maybe I could have said, hey I know you're asking $450 for these complete bikes, but I'll give you $200 cash for one. More than likely he would have told me no thanks and would have just carted all the stuff back home at the end of the day. To me, that would just be a big waste of time and effort and I'd just as soon list it on Ebay.

I think some people just like showing off their junk and talking to people and aren't really all that concerned about making any money. That's fine if that's what you want to do, but it makes going to swap meets no fun for the buyers.

 

[yoothgeye]

Some people need the money but aren't willing to sell, so weird.

I pick up a lot of things people have thrown in the garbage, especially the night after a yard sale. I am all the time picking up stuff that has a price tag on it that would have NEVER sold for that price, and they end up throwing it away? Isn't a little money better than none?

I found a TV, probably 15", had a price tag of $30 on it, found the bag with manual and remote too. I put it in the Jeep and gave it to my friend to use in his girl's play room. Seems to me the people would've been better off getting $5 for it than having to carry it to the curb.

At my yard sale I had an old 19" Magnavox I'd had since high school, lost remote. A guy asked me about the TV, I said $4 and I had cash and that TV flew out the door, I didn't have to pick it up and move it anymore! haha

 

[streetpirate]

its the same deal with all the overpriced collector cars on craigslist... somebodys wife is telling them to sell, so the put it up for sale with a huge price tag so they can say they tried.