Greetings campers
Woke up at 3AM Saturday to another nasty winter day. What better way to spend it than another 6 hours in the car (in rain, fog, and snow, again), and a swap? Maybe 20-25 vendors. Local bike club members and a couple shops cleaning out their basements/garages/living rooms. Bottom feeders delight. Did my best to divert the flow of the solid waste stream. Bags of good usable "not the latest and greatest" junque were temporarily saved from the landfill. But there was still plenty of stuff left that was too modern for me, or titanium/carbon-fiber, or Italian/French threaded. I do love "dollar days".
The only concentration of vintage stuff belonged to my evil sidekick for the day, list member Walt Skrzypek, (some for sale, some just for show) and his evil sidekick Bertrum. Not much was sold, but we performed the mandatory ritual of swapping a few items among ourselves. At the other tables I found a few stray NR/SL bits I didn't really need but couldn't afford to leave behind, but that was about all there was. Also found a new-ish Brooks Pro that convinced me that sale of the Brooks saddle tension wrenches should require a background check, a proficiency test, and a license. At the very least they should not be used without adult supervision, or while under the influence of drugs, alcohol, or neatsfoot oil. This poor saddle looks like the inspiration for Rudyard Kipling's "How the Elephant got its trunk". Definitely a candidate for the water torture. Might save it, but for the price, I can afford to be wrong. Winter ain't over yet, so I need some entertainment.
If you're looking just for vintage stuff, this wasn't the place. If you're looking for expendables to keep your riders on the road, and you're not too picky, or have mountain bikes to feed, and a miserable winter day to kill, this was a fun club swap. A couple new swap pals, lots of goofy stuff to play with, indoors, and small enough that the pizza delivery guy could find his customers.
Bonus highlight of the trip was driving past the world famous (as of now) graveyard of major household appliances. Oh c'mon, admit it, didn't you always wonder where they went to die? Now you know. Wow. Another roadside attraction everyone should see at least once in a lifetime.
Support your local shop. Support your "local" swap. Larry "anywhere within a day's drive of WV" Osborn