Flea markets, automobile swap meets and car shows are good places to search for quality vintage hubcaps for any vehicle. Other places shoppers are likely to find quality vintage hubcaps are online auction sites, vehicle trader magazines and car club bulletin boards. Also, word of mouth is one of the best sources for honing in on vintage hubcaps. Asking similar vehicle owners for any leads can often secure a set of hubcaps in little or no time at all. Since many vintage hubcaps were made of aluminum or tin and will not rust, old scrapyards and junkyards may hold exactly what is wanted.
In order to choose the best vintage hubcaps, care should be taken to identify the purpose of the hubcaps. If the goal is to return a vehicle to its original state of assembly, stock vintage hubcaps of the same year, make and model should be purchased. Every US vehicle has a build tag riveted onto the fire wall or inner front fender. This tag will include the option package that the vehicle came equipped with. The exact style of vintage hubcaps can be matched to this option code.
If the goal of adding hubcaps is simply to add decoration or style to a vehicle, looking through antique automobile magazines can provide ideas of which year and model hubcap would give the desired visual appeal for a particular vehicle. Many areas even have a person who is known for having many, many old hubcaps for sale. These individuals are typically very familiar with their inventory, and a stop by their businesses can often land a quality set of vintage hubcaps. These individuals are often very reasonably priced and frequently have several sets of the same hubcaps to choose from. Another reason to shop this type of supplier is that if they do not have what is wanted, they often know who may have it and can refer a buyer to another source.
Yard sales are another good option for purchasing the best vintage hubcaps. Many times the hubcaps will be hanging on a garage wall outside of the sale items. Usually, a fair price can be negotiated and the prized hubcaps will have a new home on a cherished vehicle. It is important to remember that old hubcaps will often require a complete wash and polish, which may include a power buffing, to return the luster that accompanied them when they were originally on the now-vintage vehicle.