Cuda Junction Blog

We had a lousy attitude heading down here, thinking that the state of the economy would be effecting swap meet attendees and buyers.  Last year was bad, how could this year be much better?

We were pleasantly surprised that people were out, spending money and having a good time.

I don’t know how the car corral did, it seemed that there was not much activity out there, many cars went back out on the rigs they came in on.

Still a problem, long areas of vacant spots, vendors vehicles filling spots, and flea market crap.   No serious swap meet vendor wants to walk passed numerous booths filled with tow vehicles, fishing poles, neon beer sign people, empty spots, metal decorative foo-foo signs, jewelry peddlers, blue goo and sham wow guys.   Those vendors need to be relegated to their own area, not amongst the auto swappers.  I understand that the promoter is trying to find anyone to fill spots, and the swap meet, period.  But as a shopper, I do not want to walk through all that crap to find what I am looking for. 

Promoter, take a page out of the Portland Swap Meet play book and designate areas for trinket and BS vendors, do not make car part vendors wander through all that crap.  It would make the swap meet a much stronger event.  They do not call it Hot August Nights for nothing, and people do not want to wander through row after row polluted with crap.  If they want to wander through the trinket vendors, fine, but they do want to wander through a bunch of crap to potentially find their items.

The drama continues with the Hot August Nights Swap Meet.

Tom received a call last night from one of the promoters of the event held at the Livestock Events Center in conjunction with Hot August Nights.   This person stated that the business license requirement for those selling used items (such as used car parts) had been waived for the swap meet this year, not sure what future holds. 

There are still spaces available, would we like to attend?

This sounds like scrambling to put a show together to us.   I suspect the swap meet is going to look sparse this year, which of course will disappoint those that come looking for what they want and need.  Who wants to pay admission to walk past a bunch of trinket vendors?  You can get that downtown. 

Hopefully they will try to group the swap together if the showing is going to be thin.  Last year, you had to walk past many unoccupied spots to get from space to space.   Not only does this not afford much shade, it sucks to walk around a half empty parking lot.

Part of me wants to support the swap, it has been good to us.  But another part thinks someone is behind the demise of this event, and it is a shame that it has come to this.

While wandering around the Turlock Swap Meet, we saw flyers for a Hot August Nights Swap Meet to be held in Tahoe.   Really?   My first thought was the former HAN swap meet promoter, who moved it to Sacramento, had moved the location closer to HAN.

Other folks speculated that there were other things underway, but there was a fair amount of speculation.

Darlene fired off an email to the source, John Sweeney, who operates the Reno Swap Meet, now held for one day at Arco Arena in Sacramento, the Saturday before the Western Pacific Events Reno Swap Meet.

John answered the email promptly that of course he is still holding the event in Sacramento.  He is catering to private venders and not so much the corporate entities.  Reports from attendees is that this event has been very well run and continues to get bigger.  With all the challenges with the business license situation at the HAN swap meet, reduced attendance, and the fair amount of empty booths at Reno, we have been considering attending this swap meet.  The allure of a one day, no drama show is compelling.

So, back to the new event in Tahoe.  In doing a bit of research, it would seem that Western Pacific, who operates the Reno HAN swap meet, is adding a swap in Tahoe the weekend before the Reno swap.

Supposedly, a letter is going to come out to previous years vendors outlining what is happening with the county and the business license for people selling used items (like used car parts).   I am thinking the promoters are offering this alternative swap meet in California, which will not require the business license, in attempt to lure vendors down to the venue.

I wonder if it will catch on in Tahoe (and the promoters can suss out the business license situation) or will people continue to migrate to the Sacramento event.