OK, not to start any issues here, but I need some parts and want to attend one of the Corvette shows that features both professional and private vendors. I realize that the invention of the internet has reduced the number of people who attend and have tables of parts for sale. Given that situation, what I want to ask is this:

Which of the many Corvette shows/meets/events/etc., would be the one that has the most vendors where I could find the most parts for sale?

Only caveat: I am in South Florida, so somewhere East of the Mississippi would be nice, but the truth will set you free, so wherever it is, I will try to go to the next one.

Cheers,

Richard

 

The two biggest are Carlisle in Pennsylvania and Bloomington in Indianapolis. Carlisle in August and Indy in a few weeks.

 

Thank you very much. The Carlisle one seems to be fit my schedule best, so I will check it out!

Cheers,

Richard

 

Just note about Carlisle most of the big vendors won’t have parts for sale. Just give you a catalog with a offer for free shipping. The state of PA has really ruined Carlisle shows with there tax laws. Don’t go there with high hopes to find that hens tooth. Go there thinking you will meet some of the biggest corvette enthusiasts in the world who love to talk. I live 25 miles from the fair grounds and been going for a long time

 

Interesting! I did not know about the tax thing; makes sense from the State's POV, I assume, but kills sales. I think I have enough stuff from the vendors; I was hoping to find private people selling parts from their stashes. At the Buick show in Bowling Green every year, we have an area for regular people to set-up a table or whatever to sell parts to attendees. This does not mean I would not buy a part from a catalog vendor, but really, just want to browse the private areas and see if I can pick up a few parts that I don't NEED but would be nice to have if I can get them reasonably. (I realize that "reasonably" has various interpretations in Corvette world, but I am not doing a show car and just need some stuff that was removed from the car over the years...nothing too crazy or rare, I don't think.)

My cousin and nephew are both into cars and live in DC; my cousin goes to shows and is coincidentally doing a '66 now as well for a buddy, so I have asked him if we can get together and go since he knows the lay of the land. I am waiting to hear back and hope we can make this happen.

Thank-you!

Cheers,

Richard

 

I am usually able to find something to make my trip to Carlisle worthwhile. Went there last year to buy a set of exhaust for my wife’s C5 vert, the selection was incredible, you could hear them and they offered free install. Can’t do all that on the Internet. Also bought a 66 BB 2 top car on the way to the gate to go home. Expensive trip!

 

The parts picking is not quite as bad as previously described. There are many private collector/vendors and average Joe's selling a sprinkle of NOS, nears new and other things. Keep us posted so you can meet some long term Vette owners. Dennis

 

I bought a lot of the parts for my car at Carlisle. There are a lot of vendors selling used parts. It is down from previous years but is still a great place to find parts IMO.
If you have never been there is is absolutely worth the trip.

 

The tax thing hurt Carlisle awhile back but the main effect was that retail vendors like Paragon and Corvette Central just started taking orders for retail stuff rather than bringing them, hoping to avoid the tax problem. Now that most states have Use tax laws that cover sales at these events as well as Internet sales, with varied degrees of enforcement, I don’t know that the tax issue is any impact at all any more.

Personally, I go to swap meets to buy used parts from hobbyists, not retailers that I can order out of a catalog. Parts you won’t get exposed to any other way unless they post on eBay... but you still don’t get to touch the stuff.

Carlisle is significantly smaller than its heyday, but the fact remains they are heads and shoulders over any other venue for Corvette parts shopping in 2019. Other big events like Hershey have very little Corvette presence and other Major Corvette shows like Bloomington, sadly have seen their parts swap dwindle to a few rows of tables.

 

Richard

you owe it to yourself to go to Carlisle at least once. I went steadily for almost 20 years and you should still find plenty of things available from private vendors. I think J row is still the mecca but stroll every vendor space on the fairgrounds. Don’t forget the “I should have bought it when I saw it” rule. If you are looking for a specific item and you find it in good condition don’t pass it up.

Start your attendance and shopping on Thursday. By Saturday afternoon the vendors will be leaving like Moses crossing the Jordan.

Sunscreen, hat, enjoy a big smokie sandwich all the way. Be ready to walk. Comfortable shoes.

 

WOW!

Thank-you to everyone who responded. I am prepared to enjoy the show and look over some used parts--it will all be part of the learning experience I am enjoying (mostly!) with the car. My guess is that this is bigger than the Buick show; since my cousin has been to both many times I will talk with him about it.

Sounds like a real hoot; I look forward to attending.

Cheers,

Richard

 

Your thinking of Spring and Fall Carlisle shows where row “I” is Corvette alley. For the Corvette show all the swap meet rows are full of Corvette parts with a few tool vendors thrown in

 

Keith

You are forgetting the guy behind the grandstand who sells bolts and scrap cast iron pieces by the Bobcat “scoop”. Or at least he should.

Rich

 

I totally agree with Vettebuyer6369 and Nowhere Man in their comments regarding Carlisle. I have been going to Carlisle three or four times a year since Spring Carlisle of 1981 where I got to see my 63 convertible (which I had just traded for my 67) being sold to a group of buyers from Canada. It was a truly amazing place back in those days before eBay and the internet and before "numbers matching" meant a damn thing. Paragon had barely come into existence then. A one or two page brochure; no catalog. Plus ATT the PA Tax man had not yet laid his blanket of darkness over the fairgrounds. It is still worth going IMHO especially as an old retired guy with not much else to do except work on his car and wait for my long dirt nap.

One nice advantage of driving up there that I don't think anyone else has mentioned yet is . . . . if you have a very heavy Corvette part that you need to either pick up or drop off (think Muncie transmission, set of complete trailing arms, set of BB heads, Hard Top, Soft Top, used engine or block etc) you completely eliminate any shipping and handling costs or inconveniences. I both dropped off and picked up my (restored) soft top from Coffman corvettes there. Picked up and dropped off my Muncie trans from Ed Hartnett there. And the list goes on and on.

Meet your son and nephew in DC and then drive up early on the morning you decide to go. We usually go up on the Friday of the four days. About 120 miles one way from D.C give or take. Have fun and enjoy!

C.J.

 

That would be "Rusty Eddie", a/k/a the "King of Corrosion" ; have your tetanus shot up to date before you sort through his trash.

Here's a feature article I wrote in 2005 in "Corvette Enthusiast" magazine called "Swap Meet Survival" that covers most of the stuff folks need to know before they attend their first large swap meet (like Carlisle).

 

GREAT ADVICE!

Thanks very much for posting this. I will use it as a guide on my visit.

Cheers,

Richard