Swap Meet Over – We Were Blessed

The Swap Meet is over for another year.  This was the weather yesterday morning.

We had good rain on Friday night, but it stopped yesterday.  Well, it did here……on the Blue Mountains and the coast it was bucketing down.  Poor Mick had over 100 phone calls yesterday wanting to know what the weather was doing and if the Swap Meet was still on.  We had no rain at all yesterday.  The number of sellers setting up yesterday were down a bit, but there was still a great roll up.

We had some more light rain last night, but it stopped just before 5am, which was good, as that is when we start manning the gate.  The rain held off, so lots more sellers arrived and the people looking and buying just kept on coming.  Last year was so very hot, that many stayed away or left quite early.  This year the food van ran out of food, I had to do a mercy trip for the coffee van, as he had run out of milk (most important that the coffee van was up and running)and lots of really good junk was bought and sold.

We were so lucky with the weather.  It was cool, but dry.  Heaps of locals came down for a look.  We would have had about 3,000 people through the gates, which was excellent as so many wouldn’t have come from Sydney due to the weather. 

After doing our stint on the gate Mick and I got to have a good look around. We didn’t bring very much home at all.  We could have bought a Porche of $1000??

Well, maybe not!!

Things were just starting to slow down a bit at about 12.30 when the heavens opened!  Unfortunately there was no warning before it started, so some stalls got a bit wet.  Therefore, instead of a gentle winding up, everything came to a very quick end.

All I bought was an interesting cast iron cooking thingy.  The gem scone iron on the right is my old faithful that I’ve had for many years.  It makes the best gem scones.  Today I bought the smaller one.  I suppose it is just for smaller gem scones?  Does anyone know what else it would be for? It is a “Simpson” brand.  I’ll have to do a Google search and see what I come up with.

Have you ever made gem scones?  They are easy to make and yummy on a cold day.

I then found another piece of green depression glass that is a bit unusual.  I have several pieces with the scalloped pattern, but the oblong vase is one I haven’t seen before.

This is my little scalloped collection. The other bits and pieces in the photo are also rather special to me.  The radio was my grandparents’.  It was purchased in 1942 in anticipation of the power being connected.  Unfortunately it doesn’t work at the moment, but it looks good.

 

The apples sign is from my grandparents’ and uncle’s orchard.  I remember when I was little they made up the timber cases, added this label to the case of apples and then sent them to Sydney on the train.  That was in the late 60’s.  If you go  back a bit further (the late 20’s) a case of my Grandfather’s apples won at the Sydney Royal Easter Show and were then shipped to England and presented to the King.  As an Englishman who had immigrated to Australia it was a very proud moment for him.

The kero lamp at the front was found at Vinnies many years ago.  It is made from a Bushells coffee jar.  These two lamps are regularly used, as being out of town our power supply is somewhat vulnerable in stormy weather.  When Mick recently went to refill the coffee jar lamp, it cracked.  What could have been a disaster was saved as I was sure Mum had one of those jars at home.  After a pleading phone call, she very kindly sacrificed her “String Jar” to me.  I have kept the jar lid as well and it is in the “Kitchenalia” collection.  We were so relieved to have our lamp back, as it works really well.

Mick bought a few bike magazines and came home with another motorcycle! A mate who has a stall gave him a little plastic black BMW model.  He was chuffed.

I think this year would be the least that we’ve ever bought at the Swap Meet.  We usually bring home lots, but we have nearly got to saturation point.  There was very little sewing and craft stuff.  I did not see one doiley, which is really unusual.  There were a few nice toy sewing machines, one in particular was immaculate in its box, but I already have one the same, albeit without the box, so left it for someone else.  There was lots of green glass, but not much that interested me.

So, although not a lot of treasure came home, the weekend was really successful.  Now we don’t have to think about it for a few months, then the planning starts all over again.

Next Sunday is the Newbridge Swap Meet, about half an hour from home.  It is quite small and friendly.  We might try to organise ourselves to have a stall out there and get rid of a bit of excess “stuff”.