100bikes
Wore out three sets of tires already!
I have been attending the various versions of these swaps over the years,
plus Copake and a host of other mid-west swaps.
This year, I made it a point to attend both as an observer (and buyer....).
Exploring an upper mid-west show(more later on that)
Very interesting conversations and some pretty valuable insights.
I spoke with people I have known over the years, and some random vendors
as well, both at ML and Monroe.
These were casual conversations, rather than a more "survey" type
research.
ML offers the collector everything you mentioned.
Very nice to see a group held together by a strong, common interest.
The other side is that there is very little in the way of locals or general visitors
to the event. Hence, little in the way of outside money.
I did see muscle bikes/Stingrays. That represents a certain age demographic and was
important to see in a collectors show.
For the guys who swap for a living, the best events are the ones with lots of tire kickers.
The more random people, the better.
The event is pretty much done Friday afternoon. Work/week day schedule, outside
without a real evening orientation(lghting or events) will continue to make this a
pure collectors swap. Not a bad thing, just my observation.
Monroe is another level of swap.
Very few could match the scope and venue.
Easy in, casual and organized.
Close to 300 vendors in my view.
I made arrangement to help a friend unload, and was able to wonder the
grounds on Saturday, after the work was done.
I ran into a retailer I have known for a number of years. He does a number of swaps, and his comment was
"This is great. This (move in )is so casual"
As the place began to fill, you could sense the scale of the event.
I had been to Ann Arbor as a vendor a number of times, but have missed
the show/swap since the move.
Vendors made their way to one of the three buildings and the array of outside spots.
Some on their own, some guided by a volunteer in a 4 wheeler.
The weather cooperated and the outside sites filled.
The array of goods and level of "sophistication" of the sellers was across the board.
Junk tables and boxes with used parts and pro level displays of vintage goods.
Very new to extremely old.
Some of the bikes were showing hours of work to get them ready.
Others, well not so much.
Prices of goods ranged from dimes in some cases to a conversation I overheard walking the
show on Saturday bicycle sold for over $4k.
Lots of people, babies in strollers and dogs.
People test riding bicycles on the grounds.
All really good signs for an event like this.
My personal opinion as (usually) a vendor these all represent "new money", rather
than trading dollars with fellow collectors. (my focus is bicycle books and ephemera currently).
The bottom line is just that. I invest a lot of time, energy and $$'s into attending these events.
While it is not to make a living, I do like my hobby to pay for (most of/some of)itself.
The displays, coral and juried events were right on the money.
Well displayed and well executed.
Some of the most interesting comments were about the change from the days in Ann Arbor.
One vendor thought the new location was growing, and this year looked good.
He, and a couple others lamented the "kinda wild" and "great sales and prices" times in AA.
Seemed like bigger crowds, the able to draw more easily on a larger urban area.
One with a large college community.
His sales volume for him was significantly greater in those days.
More people buying more stuff.
Today, fewer buyers, being a bit choosier, but buying the nicer things.
The general feel is there is a "slump" across the bicycle industry as a whole and the collectors and
enthusiast side in particular(our group).
Generally flat to falling prices and too much product chasing too few buyers.
Tighter money and covid carryover were also mentioned as having impacts on both of the events.
BMX
What I didn't see at ML was a significant BMX offering, which is a hot category now.
Monroe had s number of vendors with some quantity/quality offerings.
Although it isn't my category of collecting, it was great to see what
was there.
On the other hand, to me the array and depth of goods didn't feel representative of the
volume and $$ involved in (as I see it) BMX vintage market right now.
One thing I found a bit telling were the vendors I expected to see(as they had med-large
offerings in the past) at ML were not there, but did have displays in Monroe.
Am curious about that?
Both wonderful events, each with their particular orientation and feel.
And I'll be back to both!
plus Copake and a host of other mid-west swaps.
This year, I made it a point to attend both as an observer (and buyer....).
Exploring an upper mid-west show(more later on that)
Very interesting conversations and some pretty valuable insights.
I spoke with people I have known over the years, and some random vendors
as well, both at ML and Monroe.
These were casual conversations, rather than a more "survey" type
research.
ML offers the collector everything you mentioned.
Very nice to see a group held together by a strong, common interest.
The other side is that there is very little in the way of locals or general visitors
to the event. Hence, little in the way of outside money.
I did see muscle bikes/Stingrays. That represents a certain age demographic and was
important to see in a collectors show.
For the guys who swap for a living, the best events are the ones with lots of tire kickers.
The more random people, the better.
The event is pretty much done Friday afternoon. Work/week day schedule, outside
without a real evening orientation(lghting or events) will continue to make this a
pure collectors swap. Not a bad thing, just my observation.
Monroe is another level of swap.
Very few could match the scope and venue.
Easy in, casual and organized.
Close to 300 vendors in my view.
I made arrangement to help a friend unload, and was able to wonder the
grounds on Saturday, after the work was done.
I ran into a retailer I have known for a number of years. He does a number of swaps, and his comment was
"This is great. This (move in )is so casual"
As the place began to fill, you could sense the scale of the event.
I had been to Ann Arbor as a vendor a number of times, but have missed
the show/swap since the move.
Vendors made their way to one of the three buildings and the array of outside spots.
Some on their own, some guided by a volunteer in a 4 wheeler.
The weather cooperated and the outside sites filled.
The array of goods and level of "sophistication" of the sellers was across the board.
Junk tables and boxes with used parts and pro level displays of vintage goods.
Very new to extremely old.
Some of the bikes were showing hours of work to get them ready.
Others, well not so much.
Prices of goods ranged from dimes in some cases to a conversation I overheard walking the
show on Saturday bicycle sold for over $4k.
Lots of people, babies in strollers and dogs.
People test riding bicycles on the grounds.
All really good signs for an event like this.
My personal opinion as (usually) a vendor these all represent "new money", rather
than trading dollars with fellow collectors. (my focus is bicycle books and ephemera currently).
The bottom line is just that. I invest a lot of time, energy and $$'s into attending these events.
While it is not to make a living, I do like my hobby to pay for (most of/some of)itself.
The displays, coral and juried events were right on the money.
Well displayed and well executed.
Some of the most interesting comments were about the change from the days in Ann Arbor.
One vendor thought the new location was growing, and this year looked good.
He, and a couple others lamented the "kinda wild" and "great sales and prices" times in AA.
Seemed like bigger crowds, the able to draw more easily on a larger urban area.
One with a large college community.
His sales volume for him was significantly greater in those days.
More people buying more stuff.
Today, fewer buyers, being a bit choosier, but buying the nicer things.
The general feel is there is a "slump" across the bicycle industry as a whole and the collectors and
enthusiast side in particular(our group).
Generally flat to falling prices and too much product chasing too few buyers.
Tighter money and covid carryover were also mentioned as having impacts on both of the events.
BMX
What I didn't see at ML was a significant BMX offering, which is a hot category now.
Monroe had s number of vendors with some quantity/quality offerings.
Although it isn't my category of collecting, it was great to see what
was there.
On the other hand, to me the array and depth of goods didn't feel representative of the
volume and $$ involved in (as I see it) BMX vintage market right now.
One thing I found a bit telling were the vendors I expected to see(as they had med-large
offerings in the past) at ML were not there, but did have displays in Monroe.
Am curious about that?
Both wonderful events, each with their particular orientation and feel.
And I'll be back to both!