[special-K]

All the newbies bring in all the profiteers and many f those are newbies. There are actual businesses, formal and sideline of different natures, then there are those who would have been fellow enthusiasts selling off spares that are now business wannabees. For the first two the swap meets are just one way of selling their stuff. Guys like Randy earn their profit by investing in trucks, tearing them down, and hopefully selling enough off it to make all that worthwhile. They have to have a place to do it, store trucks, store parts, a trailer, etc. The full time businesses have all the obvious overhead. The profiteer is someone who has nothing special going on and simply buy what you or I could nd put it out there for more. That's how the prices have climbed. The same part selling for more and more. You look at what parts cost in catalogs over the same amount of time considered here and you will find stability. Guys like Randy have raised there prices to keep in line. Of course they sell for the going rate...say over the last year. But, what the profiteer bought from Randy* last year is selling for more this year.

* Sorry buddy, for using you so much as the example. See it as a compliment. You have the trust of the members and make a good example