Swapfest is back!!!
Posted: April 22, 2024
Swapfest 2024 season is running as usual with the dates listed below. Our contact email remains swapfest@mit.edu.
[+] Previous Updates
Posted: December 7, 2023
Thank you to all our vendors and buyers last year for making the second post-pandemic season run smoothly! Event registrations have not been submitted yet, but pending that, Swapfest's 2024 season is expected to run as usual with the dates listed below. Our contact email remains swapfest@mit.edu.
Posted: February 18, 2023
Thank you to all our vendors and buyers last year for making the first post-pandemic season run smoothly! Swapfest's 2023 season will run as usual. Our contact email remains swapfest@mit.edu.
Posted: February 4, 2022
It has been a difficult road getting here, but the 2022 Swapfest season will run as usual! The wait is over--thank you to everyone who contacted us asking when Swapfest would come back. Our new contact email is swapfest@mit.edu.
Posted: September 7, 2021
Due to worsening public health conditions, we are disappointed to announce
that the October 2021 Swapfest will also be cancelled. The MIT Radio Society
continues to remain committed to bringing back the event next season, in 2022.
Anticipated dates are available below. Please stay tuned for updates and do
not send in preregistrations until our opening schedule is known. Thank you.
Posted: August 2, 2021
Due to delays beyond our control in obtaining the necessary permissions, it is
with great regret that we announce that the September 2021 Swapfest is
cancelled. We are continuing to work as hard as possible to bring back the event.
Please stay tuned for updates and do not send in preregistrations until our
opening schedule is known. Thank you.
Posted: June 10, 2021
Despite the recent relaxation in Covid-19 restrictions by Governor Baker,
the club is still limited by MIT policies regarding events, visitors, and
student group activities. We are closely monitoring the situation and will
update this page once we have further information. We sincerely appreciate
your continued interest and patience and hope that we will be able to
safely resume hosting Swapfest soon. Please do not send in preregistrations
until our opening schedule is known.
Posted: February 3, 2021
While we are still hoping to be able to resume holding the Swapfest
event you all know and love this season, MIT has not yet announced its
plans for allowing large events to return to campus. As a result,
Swapfest will not take place until at least the summer, and we encourage
you to continue to check this page periodically for updates - as soon
as we know when we'll be able to reopen Swapfest, an announcement will
be posted here. Please do not send in preregistrations until our
opening schedule is known.
Posted: July 30, 2020
As MIT has announced that only seniors will be back on-campus with heavy restrictions in place,
we have determined that we won't be able to hold Swapfest without excessive risk for the rest
of the calendar year. Swapfest will (tentatively) pick back up on April 18 of next year, and anyone
who submitted preregistration should have either recently received an email or will shortly receive
postal mail returning their payment.
Posted: June 4, 2020
As Massachusetts is only in the first phase of its reopening plan, with
large events still not allowed for at least several more weeks, and as
MIT has not yet decided when groups may resume holding activities on
campus, we're sorry to say that the June 21, 2020 and July 19, 2020
Swapfest meets are also cancelled.
Posted: March 13, 2020
Under new rules from MIT's Association of Student Activities, no
student-organized events may be held for the remainder of the spring 2020 semester. Therefore,
the May 17, 2020 Swapfest is also cancelled.
Posted: March 9, 2020
Due to the ongoing worldwide COVID-19 outbreak, new MIT policies prohibit the hosting of
large public events until May 15. Therefore, we regret to inform the Swapfest community
that the April 19, 2020 event is cancelled. Vendors who have purchased
space for April's flea (including season pass holders) are eligible for a refund or
credit towards a future event. Vendors may contact swapfest@mit.edu with any questions.
2024 Swapfest Dates
The 2024 Swapfest season will run as usual.
- April 21
- May 19
- June 16
- July 21
- August 18
- September 15
- October 20
About Swapfest
The MIT Radio Society, in conjunction with the MIT UHF Repeater Association, the MIT Electronics Research Society, and the Harvard Wireless Club, sponsors a Swapfest on the third Sunday of each month, April through October. This is a place to buy, sell, and swap amateur radio, electronic, and computer equipment. Hams and non-hams alike are welcome.
For more information, see the online copy of our Swapfest flyer (pdf, or text only). Print out a copy of the flyer and bring it with you for a discount on the buyer’s admission. Want to sell? Here’s an online copy of the seller’s registration form. Remember to send it in by the 5th of the month for the advanced seller discount. Still need more info? Call 617-253-3776 during business hours.
The Swapfest is held at MIT’s Albany Street Garage on Albany St between Main Streets and Mass Ave in Cambridge. The gate opens for buyers at 9am. There is a small admission fee.
Map
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Printable version here
FAQ
How much does it cost to buy or sell?
See flyer linked above.
How large is a vendor space?
Each vendor space is one parking space in the parking garage. Most vendors park in the space and sell directly out of their trunk, then set up tables in additional spaces.
Do you provide tables?
No, we do not have the ability to provide tables. Some vendors sell out of the trunk of their vehicles directly or just arrange items on the floor.
How late can I preregister to vend at Swapfest?
Preregistrations must be mailed by the 5th of the month for which you are preregistering. If you are preregistering for multiple months, the registration must be mailed by the 5th of the first month you are registering for.
Did you receive my preregistration?
If you enclose a SASE (Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope), we will mail you a receipt back. If not, you can email us at swapfest@mit.edu to check if your preregistration has been received. We do not mail out vendor passes; you will receive those the day of the event.
I forgot to preregister, can I still vend?
Yes, you can come as a non-prepaid vendor, which many of our vendors do. Non-prepaid vendors go to the parking lot at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Albany St. around 6:30 AM, where they line up, fill out a “blue form” non-prepaid vendor registration given to them by a Swapfest volunteer, and pay for passes.
The prepaid vendor line has priority on entering the garage, so non-prepaid vendors pool in that parking lot until all of the prepaid vendors have entered the garage, at which point we release the non-prepaid vendors to go to the garage and set up.
Can I bring in helpers for my vendor table?
You can bring in as many people as you have purchased vendor spaces. For example, a vendor with one space can bring him/herself only, a vendor with two spaces can bring 1 helper, etc. Additional helpers pay admission as if they were buyers ($6 or $5 with printed flyer).
Does a digital flyer on my phone count for the $1 discount?
No, we count the collected paper flyers for accounting purposes. Everybody is given a free paper flyer to hold onto for the next time. If you are a vendor who will be traveling to other flea markets, feel free to ask us for a small stack of flyers to hand out or leave on your vendor table at those events.
