RUST may not be the most revered commodity, but plenty of it changed hands at the Ballarat Swap Meet on Saturday.
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Hoarders, restorers and tyre-kickers gathered in the dust near Ballarat Airport to chew the fat and sell their items.
Everything from 1930s tractors to old car doors were on display at the 27-hectare site, described by a visitor from New South Wales as the biggest in Australia.
Asked why he made the 900-kilometre trek from Shoalhaven Heads, retired coach driver Bill Jansen said: “For the 2500 stall sites ... nothing comes near it.”
Mr Jansen said the size, layout and eclectic mix of patrons and traders made Ballarat’s Swap Meet the envy of interstate events.
While business had been particularly slow this year, it wasn’t the main purpose of Mr Jansen’s visit. “It’s all about the thrill of trying to find something you have been looking for for a long time,” he said.
Site manager for the combined Rotary Clubs of Ballarat, Darren Trigg, said 15,000-16,000 people attended the two-day event.
“It’s been really good, the turnover (for the Rotary clubs) was the best it’s ever been,” he said.
Mr Trigg said the first year of Friday-Saturday trading had been a huge success after it was changed from Saturday-Sunday last year.
Keith Taylor, a veteran of the swap meet scene who attended his first event in 1975, displayed all his experience by whizzing around on a solar-powered mobility scooter. He said while the Bendigo Swap Meet had a bit more character to it, Ballarat’s size and layout made it more appealing.
Another attraction of the swap meet was to show things off.
Chris Pegg, of Hoppers Crossing, brought his 1972 orange Chevrolet Corvette to the event, which he admits had some car lovers purring with delight.
william.vallely@fairfaxmedia.com.au