A CRISP day, a blue sky and a cameo appearance by the nation's number one "picker". As the annual Wagga Swap Meet kicked off Sunday, thousands of people from across Australia bought and sold their way to collector's heaven, enough to bring a smile to the faces of both young and old.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
"This is the smoothest swap we've had.
- Event organiser Brian Horsley
Space was at a premium as the event hosted its largest contingent of storeholders, with 800 separate stands and countless numbers of trestle tables displaying everything from old bathtubs to antique petrol bowsers.
Swap meet organiser Brian Horsley said the event was valued because of its contribution to the local economy and as an important ingredient in the city's social fabric.
"It would certainly, I would say, be knocking on the door of half a million dollars for the Wagga economy," he said.
"It's great today. This is the smoothest swap we've had."
Dubbed by commercial television as "Australia's greatest picker", Stuart Norris, of Burra in South Australia, drove for 10 hours from his home to be at the showground.
With the help of 10 newspaper advertisements and 33 Gumtree listings, Mr Norris picked up a a trailer-load of petrol related memorabilia such as bowsers, enamel signs, oil bottles and tins from various locations along the journey.
"I class myself as one of the world's great detectives.
He left Burra empty-handed.
"I'm known far and wide for finding all the rare and unusual stuff so the buyers hit me like a tonne of bricks," Mr Norris said.
"I class myself as one of the world's great detectives."
Mr Norris said the Wagga Swap Meet was comparable with major swap meets in Bendigo and Ballarat.
Aside from a great deal of "gossiping" and "chin-wagging" between storeholders on the day, over its 21-year history the event has selflessly given back to the needy.
Organiser Brian Horsley said community groups have benefited from more than $320,000 in profits. Money raised this year will be distributed to the Wagga Prostate Cancer Support Group, Uranquinty Men's Shed and the Shaw Street Childcare Centre.
ALL it takes is a little bit of TLC to transform the hundreds of old and worn items at the swap meet into something new and valued.
It might be a case of one man's trash is another man's treasure, but that itself is an adage outdated.
These days the practice of buying, swapping and selling worthless items could be a near-perfect example of the power of sustainability; the pivot of human behaviour towards regeneration and revival rather than excessive consumption.
Wagga Swap Meet organiser Brian Horsley believes people are becoming more conscious of their environmental footprint and suggests the event held yesterday can take some of the pressure off burgeoning landfill sites.
"If you didn't have swap meets, a tremendous amount of the old rusty stuff would be under tips," he said.
"It is all being recycled."
Ella Halvelka, of Melbourne, was on a mission at the swap meet to find old suitcases to outfit her city apartment.
She said vintage items can breathe new life into homes, turning rubbish awaiting collection on the roadside into useable furniture.
"I prefer the old London look. I love that era and it reminds me of Harry Potter," she said.
"I try to buy them in Melbourne but they are too expensive."
Avoiding the "buy new" style consumerism at all costs was Adrian Bennett of Barooga near Deniliquin.
Mr Bennett is an avid collector of car jacks and owns more than 800 of the rare metal contraptions.
"It's a good hobby," he said.
"You find them only at the swap meets. You used to be able to find them at clearing sales but the sales are all second and third generation ... all entirely new stuff."
Mr Bennett paid $30 for a jack that was bound for the tip. Clearly, one man's trash is indeed another's treasure.
IT'S 10am on a cold Sunday morning and Noel Wilcox is all hands on deck as he offloads his expertly crafted model vintage cars for about $30 a pop.
It's an important time of year for the Melbourne man, who has been attending the swap meet for three years running.
"It's a good crowd and a crowd that spends money," he said.
"Quite often you go to swap meets and they are just lookers and waste your weekend basically."
Mr Wilcox offered his insight into why he thinks the swap meet has had growing success over its 21 years.
"Word of mouth. You go to a place and if it's successful you pass it on," he said.
"Times are tight but people realise it's happening and they bring their money along and spend.
"That's the difference."