Pate swap meet, who's going?

[BLAKE]

That was fun. Didn't get much, but I hardly ever spend big. Mostly just for the fun of it.

The big revalation this year is that if you want an El Camino, brother you have options. There were more of them out there for sale today than any other kind of car.

[1carcrazyguy]

Yep the sun is crazy off the pavement. My Pate uniform consists of Magellan long sleeve fishing shirt, safari hat as much sunscreen as I could apply! About 4 years ago I decided to rent one of the scooters. BEST INVESTMENT I EVER SPENT AT PATE....PERIOD....NO EXCEPTION!!! You could make a quick pass around the entire grounds and then go back and check everything closer after that. I was originally worried about "traffic" and making other mad. But it never was a problem. Even with my Mom and Dad each riding one and me as well, we never had anyone get mad or say anything to any of us.

The first year I rented the scooter also is the year I bought the most. I bought 3 hoods, 2 steering columns, a complete interior (seats, console, shifter, linkage, A-pillars trim, headliner trim and door panels), a set of wheels, 3 air cleaners and 4 rechromed bumpers. I rented the scooter because I could only be out there a day and half.

[RWhite]

......
The first year I rented the scooter also is the year I bought the most. I bought 3 hoods, 2 steering columns, a complete interior (seats, console, shifter, linkage, A-pillars trim, headliner trim and door panels), a set of wheels, 3 air cleaners and 4 rechromed bumpers. I rented the scooter because I could only be out there a day and half.......

After arriving around 10:30 today, walking quite a distance from our parking place to the entrance and then the scooter rental place and finding out they were all rented (reserved earlier), we trudged up and down a few isles. Cloudy and a breeze, not too bad except when you were trudging with the wind! Then more than a little warm. And me being 73, I could tell I had to get back to the confines of a cool F-150 idling while my son and his fiancé made a few other passes.

I got a call on the cell and they said come to a certain place and look at these neat little 3-wheel scooters for sale, front wheel drive. I made it there eventually (all the way past the A-Pole going north) and one quick drive up and down the aisle made my credit card fly out of my wallet to the guy selling these things! Now, like 1carcrazyguy said, this is the way to tour “The Pate”. Forget about looking like an old codger driving their scooters. Become one of them and the other scooter drivers that look a lot younger than me, and enjoy Pate like it should be!

[1carcrazyguy]

Yep! 10 minutes (nope! Make that 2 minutes) on one and you realize how much better it is riding the scooters. After just a few minutes you think, "why the hell did I not do this before?"...........It seriously takes all the work and being miserable out of the swap meet!





Make sure if you go back with your scooter (or rent them), put sun screen on the tops of your hands. We worked an air show one time where someone did not think about that. They ended up with 2nd-3rd degree burns on the top of their hands.

[BLAKE]

We were all psyched to do the scooters for the first time this year then saw the price. $70!?! F that.

I get that it's a big improvement of the experience, but I'm too much of a cheap ass so I walked.

[1carcrazyguy]

We were all psyched to do the scooters for the first time this year then saw the price. $70!?! F that.

I get that it's a big improvement of the experience, but I'm too much of a cheap ass so I walked.

I promise you. You might cringe at the idea...a few minutes in and you will be DAMN glad you spent that $70. I guess the best comparison I can say....it is like saying you would rather hand dig a sewer line compared to using a ditcher!

To give you an idea of how much it changes the experience. My dad was 72 and made the entire grounds 3 times in one day. We left the swap meet went to the dirt track at Boyd. Came back Saturday made the grounds twice and then drove to Devils Bowl that night. The year before my dad walked 3 rows. Took him back to the hotel and he didn't leave the room for 2 days because his feet and back hurt.

[4EyedTurd]

We have talked about using the scooters before but never rented them

[1carcrazyguy]

We have talked about using the scooters before but never rented them

If you are out there in the afternoon. Stop by the rental place and ask them if someone has already returned their scooter for the day. If so, ask them to make you a deal for half a day since they already charged the first person the full price. If you are nice and the guy is in a decent mode, he will work with you. It is extra cash in his pocket. He would rather get $25-$35 dollars to let you ride it rather than have it sitting in his trailer. It is like double dipping for those companies!


He only year those guys have been "jerks", was 2015 when their generator broke and scooters were going dead by 9am. People were PISSED OFF.... and those guys were taking a shit storm from customers.

[Torinoman]

Went this afternoon. Most vendors had already left. Pretty disappointing

[BLAKE]

Went this afternoon. Most vendors had already left. Pretty disappointing

Oh yeah. Seems like it's about Thursday and Friday now. Add in a threat of rain and those bastards bounce early.

[Baron Von Crowder]

Oh yeah. Seems like it's about Thursday and Friday now. Add in a threat of rain and those bastards bounce early.

The thing about it is the "professional swap-meet-ers" buy up anything that is a reasonable deal on thursday and set it on their spot with a jacked up price tag for the rest of the weekend. Im done with pate.

[CWO]

I wasn't impressed.

[mardyn]

I skipped it again this time too... Mercbuff (my swap meet partner) went on Friday and said it was typical with most items being priced beyond the realm of reality.

I think I'm pretty much done with Pate too... I'll stick with the smaller local swap meets which tend to yield better results for me anyway.

mardyn

[46Tbird]

I went on Sunday at about 9. I knew it was going to suck when there wasn't even an attendant to get the five dollars for parking. I saw about nine vendors left and still managed to spend a hundred bucks on paint materials. We froze our ass off for 30 minutes and took off. Good times!

[Blackpony]

Yup took the family for an hr and half drive to get there only to find the place empty. Was pissed off!! Oh well