THE Gawler Veteran, Vintage and Classic Vehicle Club’s 35th annual swap meet was a massive success after thousands of people made their way through the Gawler Showgrounds on Sunday morning for the event.

Across the morning, stallholders and attendees sorted through the different vehicle and household items, and other trinkets that were available to add to their collections.

Club publicity officer Trevor Bellchambers said there was initial concerns the forecast wet weather would deter the crowds, but that quickly disappeared as people made their way into the
venue.

“It went very, very well,” he said.

“Initially I thought the threat of the weather would turn people off.

“We were almost identical to last year with numbers and things.

“The show and shine created a lot of interest and that was won by a car that came from Whyalla, which was great.

“It added that little touch to it on the day.”

Mr Bellchambers said the friendly vibe at the swap meet is one of its biggest attributes, and is a reason why people return to the event year after year.

“I think the whole atmosphere is what makes it such a success, it’s a great location, and again we’ve totally filled every space,” he said.

“There were plenty of family people…there was something there for everybody.

“You make so many wonderful contacts, there’s a camaraderie with swap meet buffs…you know them from everywhere.

“A lot of them do the circuit and go to all the swap meets, if they know you want something, they’ll let you.

“I spoke to a lot of the people on the indoor sites, and they said they had a great day.”

The club has already began preparations for next year’s swap meet, which will be its 36th instalment.

“It’ll be bigger and better of course, we will start planning straight away,” Mr Bellchambers said.

“We’ve come a long way from our first one at the Gawler racecourse.”