Last year I made an amazing discovery. Automotive Swap Meets are a treasure trove of old things! And the biggest one in Australia is being held this Friday and Saturday in Ballarat, so I thought I’d give you a bit of a heads up (although you guys are probably all over it already.)
Don’t let the ‘Automotive’ bit fool you. These swap meets have all kinds of goodies. Sixties bunny cookie jar anyone? Oh, don’t pay $90 at a fancy homewares shop for it – how about $16? A set of 50s canisters? Not $110 but a bargain $45! Vintage bird cages, eskies, tin signs, magazines? Yes, please! Sure they might be in need of a bit of a spit and polish, but what the hey!
This vintage knick-knack revolution came about thanks to sweet Ben, who invited me to the Bendigo Swap Meet late last year. He was looking for vintage car parts (and did buy a couple), and I was tagging along to see what it was all about (and came home laden with goodies…). We left Melbourne at 6am, and didn’t leave, exhausted, until 5pm.
I came home with:
- A 70s foldable tray table, featuring a Paris in the Springtime motif: $10
- A set of 50s canisters (completely pristine! That's them at the top there): $45
- A set of sweet porcelain book ends: $10
- An antique toy trike: $25
There are automotive swap meets right around Australia, mostly in regional towns. Have a little sticky beak in google, you might even find one near your digs.
The next big Swap Meet – the biggest in Australia - is this coming Friday and Saturday in Ballarat, at the Ballarat Airport. Entry is $10 for adults and FREE for kids under 12. Sweet Ben says that the stalls at this particular swap meet (all 2,300 of them, ooh la la...) are very spread out, so prepare yourself for lots of walking! For more info, head here.
Swap Meet Tips:
- Wear sunscreen, sunnies and a hat! Not much shade around at some of these things, and as nice as having a few new freckles may be, getting burnt to a crisp would be kind of boring – so best to play it safe
- You’ll be doing lots and lots of walking, so comfy shoes are a must
- Bring a big shoulder bag to store smaller things you pick up. Going back and forth to the car to drop things off gets boring after a while. Trust me.
Happy bargain hunting!
