Antiqueswap meets offer a crazy quilt of merchandise. You will find anythingfrom vintage clothing to furniture. Some vendors specialize in, andonly offer, one type of merchandise. For example, a dealer mightspecialize in paper, such as sheet music, postcards, or magazines.Others offer a hodgepodge of merchandise, hoping to appeal to a widerange of potential customers.

Doyour homework before you go. If you are interested in Red Wing pottery,know what the identifying marks look like. If you are looking for aspecific piece, know what the market value is ahead of time, and knowhow much money you are willing to spend in advance. If you would like,you can bring reference books to help identify individual pieces.

Ifyou are looking for something specific, get there early. Dealersactually shop from each other before a show opens, so if the venueoffers an "early bird" option, you might want to consider spending theextra money. The best way to get something that is hard to find is tofind it first.

Go through booths patiently.While dealers usually know a lot about the merchandise that they areselling, they do not always know everything. You might find a gem for$10 that is worth $100. A dealer might be selling something that he orshe has not had time to research and subsequently has undervalued it,or the vendor might be tired of a particular piece, and just want toturn it to get some money back.

Vendors willusually deal on pricing. However, do not go overboard with your offers.Some dealers find it offensive if they are offering a piece for $100and you counter with $25. They might refuse to discuss it any further.Talk to the dealers. They are people, too, and are more likely to cutyou a better deal if you appear likeable. Some people take one look atpricing, look cross-eyed at the vendor, and start to argue. Thecross-eyed look and the arguing definitely do not pay off, particularlyif the dealer knows a lot about the merchandise offered. Askingquestions, smiling, and being polite will get you a better deal. Also,do not try to get a better price on product marked at $5 or less unlessyou are planning on buying quite a few pieces. Some people considerswap meets a variation of garage sales. They are not.

Manyshows have appraisers that will give you an idea of the value of yourtreasures. You can even bring Aunt Mary's teapot from home to have itappraised. The fees that appraisers charge range from $5-$10. If you donot want to spend the money for an appraisal, be kind to the dealers.They are there to sell, not to provide a free service. If you want anidea about the value of a piece because your mother gave you a similarone ten years ago, tell the dealer up front so he or she knows that youare not really interested in buying. That way, the dealer can eitherpolitely respond with a value or send you to the appraiser's booth.After the tenth time of giving free information in a couple of hourswhile hoping to close a sale, dealers can get a little testy.

Ifthe show is a multiple day event, find out from the show promoters ifbuying one ticket will get you into the show every day. If so, askdealers that you like if they will be putting out new merchandise everyday. They may give you a "heads up" on what they are going to beputting out and you may end up walking out with the very item that youwanted without it ever being shown to anyone else.

Atrue "antiquer" does not let weather get in the way of a good buy. Badweather should not deter you from going on the prowl even if the showis outdoors. Dealers tend to be a little more desperate to movemerchandise if the traffic, or crowds, are thin. Who cares about alittle rain or wind? There are bargains out there!

Dealerslove return customers. If you have bought something from a dealerbefore, stop in and say hello. The dealer may have something that youmight like that is not yet on display or may refer you to another booththat has something that you might be interested in buying. Beingreferred by another dealer might also get you a better price.

Ifyou are not interested in anything in particular, you may get a betterdeal if you shop either as dealers are packing up or right before theend of a show. Vendors do not always want to pack everything, or again,are tired of a particular piece of merchandise that they had hoped tosell. It does not hurt to ask about a "do-not-want-to-pack" deal, butbe friendly!

Are you interested in going to anevent? For more information, go to your local antique store and lookfor the free antique trade magazines that many antique stores carry.The magazines will give you the local "when, where, and hows" of theshows. You can also go online and type "antique event" or "antique swapmeet" and your state into your favorite search engine. You will findthat shows vary from a one-day-7-AM-to-2-PM event to seven-dayextravaganzas. Admission fees vary from free to $25 for a high endshow. Do not forget to look for discount coupons for admissions in theantique magazines or at a show promoter's website.

Enjoyvisiting your local events. The hunt is almost as fun as scoring a goodbuy! If you know your "stuff" and treat the dealers like they are niceneighbors, you will more likely catch a break on a price.

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