Thread: Anyone interested in a 'swap meet'?

While living overseas I was fortunate enough to attend a woodworker's 'swap meet'. This looked on the outside like a cross between a garage sale and a timber yard looting! The difference between this and a regular flea market/car boot sale is that the organisers were very clear to indicate that no cash was to change hands. This was an opportunity for woodworkers to bring along anything they could personally transport (carry, trolley or wheelbarrow) and swap items with others. There were guys with hand tools, pieces of veneer, lengths of timber, services - a couple were even swapping home-made jigs and plans. The beauty is that the value of your item is set by the person you're potentially swapping with - a piece of curly Maple may be worth a small block plane to one person, or may be worth a bandsaw blade resharpen to someone else. It's also an opportunity for the community of woodworkers to participate in the re-use, re-cycle and re-value movement. We don't have to keep buying up endangered timber, or spending our hard-earned to purchase things that others may be willing to swap for our things or services.

I have access to a venue in Western Sydney that would be big enough for over 100 people if there's interest - plenty of parking, park for picnic and a kiosk attached.

Please let me know if you'd be interested - I'm thinking early in the New Year (maybe a chance to re-gift the odd Chrissy present?).