Well it seems the rumors are true that the Amherst New Hampshire car show / swap meet that has been around for 54 years (and I have attended for over 20) is over for 2015. A man named Werner Carlson had been running the show for the last 30 years, and unfortunately he passed away several months ago at the too-young age of 78. Just recently, all of the regular vendors were notified that the car show & swap meet would be canceled for 2015, and they were unsure what would happen after that.
For all of the gearheads, car-guys, car-girls, and car-kids in the area, this was horrible news, and word is spreading fast through the car community. This monthly meet wasn’t just about buying & selling old metal, it was a reason for car-people to get together and tell lies to each other. Each month, I would undoubtedly see co-workers, old bosses, former classmates, and of course the “regulars” that I became friendly with. It was like Facebook, but in real life! Imagine that. We caught up on one another’s recent automotive upgrades, talked about the cars we haven’t “gotten to” yet, and forwarded the legends of barn finds that may or may not exist. Amherst is was everything that I wanted it to be.
I’m not sure if any other Amherst attendees will ever read this, but my question to you is this: How do we see each other again? Should all the Amherst vendors go down the street and set up shop at the Hollis Flea Market? Or should some of us “car-guys” try to convince Werner’s family to rent that land once per month? Maybe somebody, (or some business?) could just take it over in a nearby location? The “Amherst car show”, as my friends and I call it, is the biggest gathering of real-deal gearheads around (and I mean that), and I’d love to see it continue in some form. It absolutely has to. Where else will I buy my Hulk Hogan cake pans, model A wheels, incredible dollar-tarp wrenches, Arizona Impala fenders, and only-one-on-earth 33 Plymouth parts? Amherst New Hampshire Car Show & Swap Meet!
Got ideas? Tell me. I’m willing to help make it happen in some form.
The original Amherst car show / swap meet website: http://www.cruisingamherstnhauto.com/