Once again, I attended the SEMA show here in Las Vegas. The Specialty Equipment Market Association is one of the biggest conventions in town.

SEMA is closed to the public. It is only open to people who make after market parts for cars and the retailers who buy them. The big 3 auto makers are there with displays, prototypes, and future design info on their products. Basically, every part on every car can be replaced with something different. Wheels and electronics are huge markets. But tires, lights, instrument panels, exhaust systems, filters, transmission, engine parts, and suspension parts are big too. Then there' stuff like decals, tire changing equipment, alignment equipment, restoration parts, and the list never ends. They manage to fill all 3 buildings of the convention center as well as portable buildings outside.

Last year was a panic year due to the economy. Some vendors already had big plans and executed them while other vendors backed out completely. This year was much more stable. It was not as big as in the rich economy. I found it much easier to browse and more organized.

Usually there are a few things that are destined to hit the market in a big way. The Ford Raptor was the only thing that really stood out this year. It's getting a lot of big press. I'm not a truck guy, but it looks like an F-150 with a lot of extras.