Some came simply to look and see what they could see.  Others, came to sell, sell, sell.  And then there were those, that came with the intent on buying every great deal they could snag …  Yep, it’s the hopes and dreams of the 2018 All Hobbies Swap Meet attendees.

I never know exactly what to expect on Swap Meet morning.  I’ve spent weeks prior digging through the hobby shop storage area, finding, sorting, boxing items to bring to the swap meet.  I always, always, always feel like I’m not bringing enough.  Thursday I brought home an easy truck load.  Friday I brought home another truck load.  Saturday evening, yet another truck load came home with last minute items.  I loaded up the wife’s car full to the max.  Sunday morning, I loaded my truck and was off to the Swap.

Nathan and I unloaded as we said good morning to everyone who was already there.  This was about 7:15am and there was already a line of sellers waiting for entry into the Veteran’s Hall to set-up their spots.  Kat and Oliver showed up with their car full of goodies at 7:40 and we made quick work of unloading it all …  I looked at the tables as we prepared to open boxes and I was shocked!  3 tables, approximately 24 feet of boxes and bins stacked two and three high!  We had NO ROOM to display anything!  As the clock ticked towards 8:00am, when the buyers would be released into the hall, we started moving boxes behind the tables, to make a little room….  And then, the unthinkable happened.

An aggressive buyer and reseller made us an offer on the whole lot.  Stating “Don’t open anything, I’ll take it all right now”.  WOW!  We had a quick Team/family meeting (life tosses me many teaching/learning experiences for my boys and this was a good one).  On one hand:  We had a quick sale, a large amount of money, and could go enjoy a day off.  On the other hand:  We could continue setting up and sell our fantastic items at super sweet deals to as many buyers as possible.  Giving our customers a positive, fun experience along the way …  While it was not an easy decision (I second guessed myself a few times) the we decided to politely decline the offer and  have some fun.  Nathan said it best “Dad, it’s important to give a lot of people great deals today”.

So then we scrambled to get things set up just as people were coming in.  It got busy for us, like it always does, the first hour going by like a flash.  People know to hit the JPH tables first, yep the deals are that good.  It always helps when you are greeted with a smile as well, and find interesting items …  We had plenty of them!

Speaking of which, this year seemed to be the most well rounded as far as items for sale swap meet wide.  Still very heavy on R/C airplane items, as is expected when hosted by an R/C airplane club (the Wine Country Flyers).  But, this year there was more R/C car tables, more plastic model tables, more train tables, even hot wheels and die cast …  There was simply a lot to see and a lot to buy.  It was really nice!

Buyers were treated to plenty of free parking this year and the usual thrifty $3.00 entry fee.  They were not disappointed in the offerings or the deals.  I’m always pleasantly surprised at the amount of items that change hands during the swap meet.

Things started to slow down around 11:00am and I took a quick walk around the hall.  By this time, the tables were getting empty and there was not as much to see.  But it was great to say hello to anyone I missed greeting earlier and find out that most all the sellers were happy with how the day had gone so far.  When I made it back to our tables, the ebay buyer stopped by again and asked about taking all that was left in one shot.  This time I was ready, we haggled out a great price for him and closed up boxes and bins.  It was the first year I didn’t bring anything back to the shop but a few empty plastic totes!  Very nice!!

A big thank you goes out to everyone who attended the 2018 All Hobbies Swap Meet!  Without all the buyers and sellers, this event wouldn’t be as great as it is.  Thank you to those who came from far and near to enjoy the camaraderie of our R/C community.  And to the Wine Country Flyers Club members who made sure the event was supper smooth, thank you!  This is a volunteer event, and this year had the most help yet.  Thanks to Adam for putting in so much effort all year getting things ready for the big day, it’s always a pleasure working with you.

One last thing to all:  Please, please, please spread the word on how great this event is.  Both now, and again leading up to next year’s event.  We need even more people to attend, both as sellers and buyers so this event continues to grow.  If you have any feedback, I’d like to hear it:  [email protected]