Ski Roundtop Swap Meet 2016

If you listen to the haters they will tell you the swap meet is dead.  EBAY reigns supreme!  Well, I really wish those guys would have been in Lewisberry, PA yesterday for Ski Roundtop because after they ate their crow, they could have shopped for parts and hung out with friends.  Roundtop was huge this year with people setting up in every corner of the venue.  There were people in the parking lot, people in the grass, basically there were people everywhere, oh and parts, there were parts for days.  The variety of parts was what was most astounding, there were 356 parts, 911 parts, 914 parts, and VW parts, but it was all air-cooled, so even the stuff you might not be interested in buying is interesting to look at.  There were lots of familiar faces but tons of new ones too.  We also had some really cool cars like Tim’s 904-0014.  You don’t often get to see a car like at an event less than something like Rennsport.  The ski slopes as always provided a very relaxing backdrop, it’s one of the things that makes Roundtop my favorite swap, it’s just a relaxing day out enjoying air-cooled cars.  Can’t wait for next year!

http://www.vintagegermanswapmeet.com

—Adam

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Ski Roundtop Swap Meet 2011

Great things build with time, such is the case with Roundtop. The show has steadily grown over the years bringing new shoppers and new vendors while retaining the regulars, both buyers and sellers. This year the turnout was tremendous, helped in part by the promise of a sunny day of 70 degree weather. There is nothing that will make or break a swap meet like the weather report.

Well, the weather this year was not quite as predicted, not much sun until around noon, so there was a crispness in the air with the temps in the low 60s, not chilly, but not quite warm either. While the weather was not exactly what was predicted neither the crowds and vendors, never before have I seen the whole parking lot full, this year it was. Deals were out there, and lots of money and parts changed hands. Big John worked the Unobtanium table and the gift bags went fast.
Ski Roundtop for 2011 was everything you want from a swapmeet. There was lots and lots of early Porsche parts, both 356 and early 911 and the prices were good. Also in abundance were cars to look at, several 356 Speedsters, coupes, and even an early cab were in the show area. We had a 62 Coupe we picked up on the way and Mike DeJonge from Restoration Design brought a barn find 52 Coupe that was marveled at by all. A couple of small things made this a better swap than previous years, a new food vendor had hot food and good coffee, John and I enjoyed our Philly Cheesesteaks, even though we were a few miles from Philly.
All in all, a GREAT Roundtop, the things swappers dream about!
Also, thanks to Eric Wahlberg for taking the great pic of Big John and me!
—Adam Wright

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Ski Roundtop Swap Meet 2010

This was by far THE BEST roundtop yet. Plenty of people, a mountain of great parts, cool cars, and perfect weather. We arrived early and the fun started at 6AM. From there it was the usual mad dash of buying parts right out of the backs of people’s trucks, there is nothing quite like that kind of excitement. Once that died down we all got to catch our breath and catch up with old friends, and make new ones. Today was a swap meet in its finest form, good friends, great deals, bad-ass cars, and perfect sunshine!

—Adam

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Ski Roundtop Swap Meet 2009

This year the weather was great and Big John and me were the first ones at the swap. Turnout was not as good as last year, but everyone who came had a great time. There were some cool 356s there too!

—Adam

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Ski Roundtop Swap Meet 08

I originally wrote this for the Early S Registry magazine, but they never got around to publishing it, so I thought I would get it on the blog. Since it was written for them it has a 911 slant, but you get the idea of what a great swap this is.

Ski Roundtop Swap Meet September 20th, 2008 Lewisberry, PA
If you listen to the Porsche Peanut Gallery you will hear them lamenting of the death of the swap meet. They will tell you that gone are the days that you can wake up at the crack of down, stuff cash in your pockets, and start haggling for that Porsche part that you have been looking for. But they, yes, the collective they, are wrong, at least in the Northeast. Of course you are probably thinking I mean the PCA Hershey Swap Meet still being alive and well, and it is, but if you have been to Hershey in the last few years you know every year that goes by means less early Porsche parts. I buy and sell at Hershey every year, mostly 356 and early 911 stuff. Every year I get people complaining that I am one of the few guys left with the early parts.

Well some of those same people must have complained to Mike Moody. Because for the last six years he has been putting on The Vintage German Swap Meet with the mottos “Strictly Vintage” and “Strictly Air Cooled”, which means that you will not have to dig through boxes of 924 and 944 stuff to find the good parts. Mike has a pretty simple explanation of why he started the swap.
“I started the swap meet out of some frustration. When the swap meet was held at Ski RoundTop many years ago, by the PCA, the older parts and cars dominated. As the swap meet grew, it grew because there were more water cooled vendors coming in to the event”, explains Mike.
So unlike all the guys grumping about the changes that were happening, Mike decided to do something. He was picking up on the vibe of the early car crowd.
“I started to sense that many of the 356 group were not happy with the direction that the PCA swap meet was going. I had several conversations with some of the long time 356 vendors, along with other non vendors that were also with the 356 community”, says Mike.
So what started out as an idea born from frustration has now grown to a very respectable swap meet. There were good deals to be had and plenty pf parts for early 911s. Also, the relaxed atmosphere that many missed is all prevalent at Roundtop, as the swap is known to the regular crowd. The focus of the swap leans heavily toward 356s, but if you are an early 911 guy there was plenty of parts to drool over. The event only gets bigger every year.
Mike Moody explains how things are going,
“As for the attendance, this year there were a few more vendors than last. Last year was the single most increase since the start of the swap meet.”
This is good news for Mike and better news for the early car crowd.
In the future the organizers hope to build on the show your car element of the event. He had this to say about what to expect at future Roundtops,
“Plans for the future, are to continue with the car display. I strongly feel that there are some very interesting early Porsches and Volkswagens out there that people would love to have the chance to walk up to, and be able to talk with the owners.”
Imagine that, getting to talk face to face with people about their cars. Not only that, you might get a great deal on that part you thought you would never find at a good price. So the next time some grump tells you the swap meet is dead, tell him to meet me in Pennsylvania next September. —Adam Wright

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Are those Rudge, or fudge?

Picked these up at Ski Roundtop, almost like Rudges, right?

They remind me of when I was in college at UGA and Kim Basinger’s sister lived down the street from a friend of mine. The sister was older and had aged like a normal person, not a hollywood person, but if you drove her house real fast and kind of squinted your eyes, it was almost like you were looking at Kim Basinger in her Daisy Dukes, doing her yard.

So if you see my car go by real fast, you might think they were Rudge wheels.

Thanks to Charlie White, I have a copy of the original ad for these cool Fudges.

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