# Guide to swap meets



## t2000kw (Jul 29, 2006)

A short guide on how to interpret what a seller means from what he or she says at a swap meet or flea market. The GCAS swap meet wasn't bad in these respects and I didn't see much of the following going on. But I did see a little of this. 

I won't take less than $xxx means he'll take less but you'll have to come closer to his price or come back at closing time and he'll take less then. He'll also tell you that it will probably sell way before closing time. 

Untested. This means it was tested and it doesn't work.

It isn't mine. It's a friend's and I don't know if it works. This usually means that it doesn't work.

I'm selling this for my friend and he's not here right now means that the seller hopes that you'll pay the full price rather than wait for the friend to ****er with you on the price, if there really IS a friend in the first place.

I'm not sure, but the contacts on the heater might stick. This probably means that they WILL stick for sure. (Fortunately for the heater I bought it didn't stick and there are no contacts in a Pro-Heat heater to stick on.)

I don't know which of these (whatever) are good or bad, but you can have them all for $5. This means that they're all junk but the seller hopes that you'll think you'll get a couple good ones out of the pile. 

You can probably get replacement parts to fix this (whatever). This probably means that the seller has already tried to get replacement parts and they no longer make the parts. 

You can have it for free means it doesn't work, it's broken and needs fixed, there are no replacement parts available, and the seller has already wasted too much time trying to get it to work. He just doesn't have the heart to throw it out and hopes it will be useful to someone.

Any other things to add to this guide?


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## Six (May 29, 2006)

wow, that was negative! lol. was the swap that bad? ive never had issues like that at any fish convention.


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## t2000kw (Jul 29, 2006)

Actually, it was not a negative experience. Going to a flea market like this just reminded me of some past dealings at similar events elsewhere. 

I did experience the "I'm selling it for a firend and he's not here right now so I can't come down in price until he comes back" sort of thing. It was probably true, and I decided to pay the price as it was a pretty big Amazon sword plant. 

I also got the "I'm not sure, but the contacts on the heater might stick." and "It isn't mine. It's a friend's and I don't know if it works." but it was apparently true. The heater works fine but is off by 2 degrees or needs to be tested in a larger tank. Not a problem. It's Pro-Heat. I'm impressed by the construction. No contacts to burn out--entirely electronic. 

I got one 10 gallon light hood for free but the fellow said it only needed a switch. I bought another light hood for a 10 gallon from him for $1. If it doesn't work I can fix it. 

Someone who had a large air pump said that outputs 1 and 3 didn't work but 2 and 4 did, but that I could probably get replacement parts and fix it. That was possibly true but I didn't want to take the chance. 

All in all, a good show. 

Do you know of other fish conventions worth traveling to?

There was one in Michigan in mid-January that I found out about too late. I don't know if it's worth the trip, though.


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## MatPat (Mar 22, 2004)

t2000kw said:


> Do you know of other fish conventions worth traveling to?
> 
> There was one in Michigan in mid-January that I found out about too late. I don't know if it's worth the trip, though.


If anyone hears of Swap Meets or Auctions please add it to this thread. I made it a sticky so it would be easy for everyone to find. I believe there are a couple of us who may be willing to travel a bit to check out some other clubs and their goods.


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## CincyCichlids (Oct 14, 2005)

Hey T2000kw, I just bought a bunch of Pro-heat heaters. My first one I tried is a 200w, that never turned off... don't know why, no matter how much I adjusted it, it never turned off? If there are no contacts, is there anyway to get it working, or just considered it FUBAR'd?


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## t2000kw (Jul 29, 2006)

If they aren't under warranty where you can return them, I would try this first. 

It does have some element of danger, of course, since you will be opening the case and running it connected with the case top off.

First, before that, I would try just mounting the sensor above the heater about an inch or two, then trying it. If it is working it should detect the heat faster and shut off. But if the temp keeps climbing, then the next step is to remove the 4 screws holding the case together. But first, set the dial to about the temperature at where your thermometer in the tank reads. Do this part while it is unplugged but leave the heater and sensor in the test tank. 

Then, turn on your extension cord or plug it in carefully. There is a small adjustable component (a variable resistor, or potentiometer) with a small slot in it. Using a screwdriver with an insulated screwdriver, not touching the metal part of the screwdriver or any of the parts of the heater by hand, turn the adjustment (the slot) either way. I don't know which way is which yet since I haven't actually adjusted mine. I might just leave it 2 degrees off. But if, after the sensor has been in the tank for a while and you have a thermometer in it to monitor the water temperature, you slowly turn it one way or the other as far as it will go and it doesn't ever turn off the red LED, then it's a goner. It probably isn't worth repairing unless you can spot a burned component. Even then, that component might not be the culprit--it might be a casualty of another problem. 

If, however, you turn it one way and the light goes out, then it will turn off at some temperature, The idea is to get it to where the light just goes out as you turn it then stop turning the adjustment. If you had the dial set to the tank temperature, it should be ready to test at different temps.

Reassemble the heater case with it unplugged, then plug it in and run the dial up about 5 more degrees and see if it comes on. Turn it back and it should go off. Run it back up 5 degrees, leave it there, and see if it heats to that temp (within +/- 1.5 degrees, I believe, is the spec) then shuts off.

That is what I would do with the heater as you describe. I suppose every once in a while you will get one with a weak component that will quit eventually, but these look like they should last forever, if the heater element doesn't leak.


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## CincyCichlids (Oct 14, 2005)

Alright, gotcha. You're talking about the titanium or stainless steel heater with external connectors. I was talking about the Proheat glass heaters that I've heard a lot of good reviews on.


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## t2000kw (Jul 29, 2006)

Sorry, I didn't know that they made anything else but the titanium heaters.

I suppose that IF you can get the end off the glass heater without breaking it, you might see that the contacts are welded together. They might also be pitted.

You MIGHT be able to use a points file (for automobile points, which they may not market anymore) or a very fine sandpaper folded so that the two sides clean the points as you move it back and forth over them.

Then you need to seal it again. Epoxy perhaps, or maybe a flexible sealant like silicone rubber (aquarium sealant). 

I've repaired the non-submersible heaters this way but didn't have to seal anything because it wasn't sealed on the top. 

You could also just not immerse the dial part and use it like the older style heaters, IF the fix worked.


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## 04cobratorchred (Oct 22, 2006)

t2000kw said:


> I did experience the "I'm selling it for a firend and he's not here right now so I can't come down in price until he comes back" sort of thing. It was probably true, and I decided to pay the price as it was a pretty big Amazon sword plant.


Your right that was true because i was the one who was selling the sword for a friend and "chris" wasn't there at the time. That sword was well worth ten bucks though.


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## t2000kw (Jul 29, 2006)

04cobratorchred said:


> Your right that was true because i was the one who was selling the sword for a friend and "chris" wasn't there at the time. That sword was well worth ten bucks though.


It certainly was a big one. There were also three other big ones on another table for $10. They lo9oked bigger because they were in a pot standing upright but they were probably about the same size. When planted in the 100 gallon tank, that sword really filled out that area of the tank. I suppose that means eventually I'll have to buy a 250 gallon tank! 

I think most of the people selling were honest. Maybe all of them. I'm happy with my purchases. Just wish I had mnore money at the time and wish that they'd have one in the summertime or early fall (but not Labor Day weekend).

I don't suppose they thought of doing that??

Those of you who are GCAS members might suggest that to those who might be able to consider it. I doubt that attendance or sales would be less if it were more often, unless it were monthly or bi-monthly. Quarterly would even work, I think.

How much does it cost to rent that room? I would hope that the table charge would easily pay for the room.

I don't think we're big enough, but maybe SWOAPE could partner with another group and do one like that?


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