by Avis Townsend

Created on: June 30, 2007   Last Updated: November 07, 2008

The classic car industry has grown by leaps and bounds over the past twenty years. Baby Boomers who have reached retirement age want to rekindle their youth, and one of their first investments might be a muscle car from the sixties. Older folks might prefer a classic model, possibly from the thirties. No matter what a person's taste, there is a big market now for antique automobiles and accessories, and it's easy to get hooked on one aspect of collecting. Because of this, the classic-car business is growing quickly.

Auto swap meets are popular across the United States and are advertised in car magazines and newspapers. Vendors range from upscale businesses selling "new old stock," car parts and accessories that are new but designed for the classics, to family members who have cleaned out Grandpa's barn and found many parts and accessories for Model T's, fifties cars, or the old family runabout. People look for just about anything at swap meets, and parts and information for the older autos demand higher prices.

Some people collect only hood ornaments, some collect old license plates, and some are looking for that elusive piece of stainless steel chrome missing from their old Crown Victoria. If you have access to old car parts, or if you live on a farm that has an old car graveyard out in the back forty, you could have enough pieces to make a good living at flea markets. You can also attend garage sales, where an old hubcap might be for sale for a quarter; and that same hubcap might fetch five dollars or more at a swap meet from a person who has the other three. In addition to parts, people are always looking for old car brochures and magazines. Shop manuals, paperwork that came with the car when it was new, and even Popular Mechanics' magazines from years back are always good sellers, and they can be found at many garage sales when people clean out their old trunks and boxes. In many cases, you can purchase a magazine for a quarter and sell it for a few dollars at a swap meet.

For those who are creative, taking an auto body class and learning how to pound out dents, fill in imperfections with body filler, and paint with enamels and clear coats can net them lots of money. Old-car collectors are always looking for the perfect paint scheme. Hot rodders like shiny bright colors, pearls and metallics. Classic collectors need the original solid colors that were standard in the showroom. Paint and body work are judged harshly at car shows, so if you have the talent

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