There will be nearly 100 stallholders from as far away as South Australia attending, including Armidale car collecting legend Lyndon Hardman, who will be bringing 2.5 tonnes of automobile parts to fill a double stall space.

"There are a couple of Holden car radios from 1950, a Ford radio from about 1956, some wheel caps for a Vauxhall, a brand new grill for a 1962 Valiant, headlights, rear vision mirrors, gasket sets and all sorts of electrical parts," he said.

Mr Hardman's family has been in the car industry since the 1930s, and together, they currently have 110 cars in their collection, including a 112-year-old Talbot. But he says a swap meet is not just about cars and car parts - his wife collects dolls and perambulators - and he also collects moustache cups.

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"It's quite an exciting place where you pick up all sorts of bargains - anything from porcelain and glass, clothing and antique parts right up to modern stuff," Mr Hardman said.

"It is amazing what turns up. People bring coins, stamp collections, all sorts of games, and lord knows what - it is quite interesting. "

Usually an avid swap meets attendee, Mr Hardman said COVID-19 had cancelled many of the regular events across the country.

"The most popular ones in our region are Inverell, Quirindi and Gunnedah, but because it has been so long since we have been able to go to a swap, when I saw Walcha I thought crikey we'll be there," he said.

The Inverell Swap Meet was supposed to be held earlier this month but was cancelled at the last minute, so the Walcha Swap Meet will be the only one held in the Northern Tablelands this year.

And it is this pent up demand that Walcha Swap Meet organiser Adam Iuston is relying on to make his first event a success and pave the way for it to become a regular annual meeting on the national swap meet calendar.

"This is about reactivation after the restrictions of COVID-19," Mr Iuston said.

"People have been starved of having anything to do, and all of the other similar events of this kind were postponed.

"The NSW Government has given us funding as part of its campaign to bring life back to the high street after COVID, and we have also had great support from Walcha Council."

A technical consultant for the entertainment industry Mr Iuston moved to Walcha from Sydney five years ago because he says he was sick of the rat race.

"I had your standard six-figure job in Sydney, that owns your whole life, and I just decided I wanted my life back," Mr Iuston said.

"I've known the area for 20 years through family connections, and I've been all over regional Australia, and I can't think of a better area than New England to live in."

Surprisingly, this event will also be an introduction for Mr Iuston to the swap meet phenomenon. The suggestion was made by a friend who told him he would be perfect for getting a local swap meet up and running.

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"The idea came from Erika Syrjnen from Antipodean Tynker, who said it would be huge," Mr Iuston said.

"And she was right. It's going to be big, it's going to be fun, and it's going to be a great community event."

The event is also going to be COVID-19 safe with the usual check-in processes, hand sanitisers, and social distancing regulations in place.

"I'm going to have the most fun COVID marshalls in the world," Mr Iuston said.

"And stallholders will be selling everything and anything.

"There will be tons of car and motorcycle parts, (vintage, old, new-old-stock, new), biker merchandise, patches car memorabilia, old oil cans, bottles, signs, better auto rubber, automotive books and manuals, designer handbags, perfumes, polymer clay earrings, opal jewellery, collectable dolls, antique china and cool furniture, handmade Indian carpets, cushions and clothing, old and vintage tools, old lawnmowers, vintage hi-fi, LP's, CD's, recycled bespoke items, craft supplies, fabrics, saddlery, cast iron bells, man-cave stuff, home décor items, puzzles, games, upcycled small furniture, healthcare products, mantiques, collectable stuff for the ladies and loads and loads of cool bric-a-brac."

For those not on the hunt for trash and treasure there will be live music, coffee and food stalls.

The Walcha Swap Meet will be held from 7am in McHattan Park on Saturday, April 10.

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