I’ve been attending the Portland Swap Meet for more than 30 years. It is billed as the largest auto swap meet on the West Coast.
In the early, pre-internet days, walking though the swap meet gates was like dropping into an Alice in Wonderland hole with no idea what magical things you would find inside.
Collectors would wait all year to offer their cars for sale at the swap meet. I brought an Isetta home one year. (I did this year as well, but under slightly different circumstances, as it is a $5 figurine.) I sold a 1968 Plymouth Roadrunner (a 383 with a 4-speed) another. I once found a triple-carb setup for a Devin I was restoring.
Most important, there was always a vendor with lots of classic sports car advertisements. I was his biggest client for ones that featured Alfas.
But things are different now. First, nearly all of the iron is American. I saw only one foreign sports car the whole day, a restored Fiat 124 Spyder.
Most of the space was taken up by parts for classic American cars.
I didn’t see a single vendor with any Alfa, MG, Triumph or Maserati parts for sale.
There were few literature vendors, presumably because there is so much stuff for sale on eBay there’s no need to haul it from show to show.
With the proliferation of online car-selling venues like Bring a Trailer, there’s no need to wait until April to put your classic up for sale.
Also, given the search functions of the internet, the swap meet alternative — which is wandering aimlessly up and down aisles — is not so appealing.
Although the Portland Swap Meet has been decreasing in size year by year, I’m sure it still has a couple of decades ahead of it.
What a swap meet does offer is the opportunity to meet fellow enthusiasts in person, something the internet can never match.
I went by myself. I took Portland’s Max light rail out to the convention center and cruised around on my mobility scooter. The weather was nice and everyone was in a good mood.
I’ll go again next year, but for the entertainment factor, not with hopes of finding something I need.
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My first Portland swap meet was in 1978. Sold a car in 1981 in record time. I remember if you were late you were stuck on the freeway for a hour or so. I still find good stuff now like license plates, license plate frames, and some parts for Chrysler and independents that the brand x guys have for cheap. Yeah it’s different now. Bob’s stuff is still cool, Logan’s books is still around, but this year I saw no restored gas pumps, restored juke boxes, little neon, few literature vendors, and more “garage sale like” stuff than swap meet treasures. At least parking now is easier.
Well, unfortunatley the internet is killing everything. I have been attending the New York International Auto Show in Manhattan since 1978. The show is actually put on by the the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association (Greater New York being NYC, Long Island, Connecticut, and New Jersey). Although this show attains tremendous attendence every year, it is expensive for the dealers to mount exhibits, so they would rather you experience their cars through “social media”. As a result, there are only half the brands there now that there once were, and not too many American and European brands at this point. The ones that you can reliably depend on to exhibit their wares are the Japanese and Korean brands. There is nothing like climbing in and sitting in the cars at the show in person – social media cannot duplicate that experience. Still, I will be there on Wednesday, April 23rd. I cannot miss it.
Glenn in Brooklyn, NY.
I became an Oregonian when I went to Beaverton from Coeur d’Alene to buy a 7X Hudson engine for my Father in January 1973. The trip wasn’t very fruitful, but I was amazed that the greenery was everywhere despite the calendar saying it’s winter. Schools weren’t any more expensive due to reciprocity of tuition between the states, so a transfer was arranged. I didn’t know it at the time, but my residence became the go-to for all my Canadian relatives and friends who became die hard Portland Swapmeeters. I recall coming home one night in early April of 1979(?) and having the driveway and yard plugged with pickups and trailers and cars with tied down open trunks of merchandise they intended to sell or swap the next day. Every flat spot whether floor or couch was occupied by sleeping gearheads. By previous submission, my bed was in my Father’s possession and the other bedroom by his best friend. It was not popular with the wife/girlfriend du jour, but getting a room away from it all usually became the balm of calm. Now, in my dotage, I appreciate those years as some of the best bonding experiences only comparable to the military or wild land firefighting. I would also give a particular body part to collect all of those who have passed for one more weekend of greasy fingers and obscure finds of Terraplane grille bars etc that we all showed to the group over what was usually the first Bar-B-Q of the year while laughing at the use of “eh” by my northern relatives and friends. We have traded our soul for convenience while over seeing the ascension of mediocrity.
The Hershey and the Carlisle show parts vendors are hurt by the Internet. Hershey still is a great show with a wonderful AACA car show the last day of the meet. Spring Carlisle is a great way to get the antique car. Hobby started in the east. Carlisle has several shows during the summer devoted to particular Car marks. Ford, Chrysler, GM. Import Cars And the Corvette show. The fall Carlisle show is the week before Hershey. It makes a great combination of the antique car season. Irregardless of the Internet the shows are wonderful place to meet old friends
Keith, sorry to have missed you at the swap meet although I was right across from Bob Ames. The internet certainly has hit bookselling but despite all the negativity we actually did a little better this year than last. I renewed and will persist as long as i can. Hope to see you there next year.
Keith…I arrived at 3:00pm on Saturday…usually prime time…and it seemed like it was shutting down. I’d say it is 25% of it’s former size. Used to spend all day there and walk for miles and miles. But this time it only took me an hour and a half to see all that I needed to see. The competing swap meet next door at PIR must merge with the PSM for anything to survive. I showed a car for sale there for the last several years…just to help the show…since I rarely ever got a nibble. But I skipped that this year. I reasoned it wouldn’t be around in two years, much less 20. Sad.
The Portland International Raceway (PIR) swap meet seems to grow each year in proportion to the decrease in vendors at The Portland Swap Meet. The news from EXPO, the facility where the Portland Swap Meet occurs, indicates they wish to maintain connections with current shows, but the direction they appear to be headed, as a sports and trade show venue, does not bode well for a traditional automotive swap meet. PIR will continue to grow, but only with sellers that can handle outside space. Those needing inside, covered space may be priced out of attending as vendors and attendance decrease. That will most likely end what we know as the Portland Swap Meet.