Original Gold Coast Swap
One Sunday a year the Mudgeeraba Showgrounds fills with car parts, automobilia and collectables from before dawn, run by the local antique auto club.
About this market
The Original Gold Coast Swap has been held at the Mudgeeraba Showgrounds every year since 2001, and it was moving around the coast for decades before that. Run by the Gold Coast Antique and Classic Auto Club, it is a one-day event: stallholders set up on the Saturday afternoon, gates open to sellers around 5am on Sunday, and public trading starts at 6am.
An early start and a long history of moving house
Swap meets reward the early riser more than most markets, and this one is built around that. The good parts go in the first hour, which is why the gates open before sunrise and why regulars treat 6am as the real start rather than an optional one. What comes out of the vehicles is veteran, vintage and classic car parts, automobilia and memorabilia, model cars, and a broad seam of antiques and collectables that pulls in people with no interest in cars at all. Full catering runs on site and parking inside the grounds is free.
Market at a glance
Camping is available for stallholders who want to be on site the night before, with amenities and a limited number of powered sites. Outdoor selling spaces have historically been sold on the day without a booking, which is part of why the setup window on Saturday afternoon matters.
The swap has changed address four times before settling. The first one was held in the car park of the Sundale Shopping Centre at Southport, then it moved to the club's own grounds at Mudgeeraba, then to the hired stadium at the Carrara Sporting Complex in 1991, then to Parklands Showgrounds in Southport from 1996 where it ran as a two and three day event. It landed at the Mudgeeraba Showgrounds in 2001 and has stayed. There was no swap at all in 2000, and the club records a couple of later swaps cancelled for bad weather and covid, including one lost to heavy rain flooding the showground.
Good to know before you go
Confirm the date with the club first. This is an annual event, it has been weather-affected before, and there is no fallback weekend. Trading is Sunday morning from 6am, so bring a torch, cash, and something to carry heavy parts in. Entry is charged at the gate and outdoor selling sites are paid on the day. The showgrounds sit on the corner of Mudgeeraba and Worongary Roads with free parking inside and entry from Worongary Road. Catering runs all morning. This is Yugambeh country.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How often does the Gold Coast Swap run?
- Once a year, on a Sunday, at the Mudgeeraba Showgrounds. Stallholder gates open around 5am and public trading starts at 6am. Dates move year to year, so confirm with the club before travelling.
- Who runs it?
- The Gold Coast Antique and Classic Auto Club. It is the club's major annual event and the proceeds go back into the club.
- What is sold?
- Veteran, vintage and classic car parts, automobilia and memorabilia, model cars, antiques and collectables. Full catering operates on site and parking in the grounds is free.