On May 12 through the 17, 1997, we attended the Portland, IN Swap Meet at theTri-State Gas Engine & Tractor Associations camp grounds. Load after load of OLD IRON came trailing down the roadway - "Hey, there goes a good one! Was that a sideshaft? Lets go!" Of course, there were a few loads of JUNK too. Iron, Iron and more Iron!!! A great meet, with more engines and parts than you had money to spend on. At a meet this large, there were the usual folks who had no interest in engines other than what money they could make quick on them, buying and reselling at tremendous mark-ups. After comparing a few prices, you smarten up quick. I like the items with price tags already on them - I can grab or walk, quickly. Things were getting stale by Saturday afternoon, quite different than earlier in the week when the dealers were chasing the new arrivals around the lot to grab things first. Just like a garage sale, you know what was priced cheap - it was GONE in the first few minutes! Often, it would show up on another table down the roadway. Charlie and the Missouri gang were there with a load to sell and they took a different load back. Dave Rotigel and DJ showed up late Saturday, but we missed them. I was at an on site auction and that was wild in itself - a lot of junk - cheap. One load of engines was on consignment and the owner was bidding on his own stuff. He got caught at it and a real rhubarb started. A couple more engines went real cheap and then he called it off. I left at that point. 20th Annual SWAP & SELL MEET at the Club Grounds:Portland, IndianaMay 15, 16, 17, 18, 2003 Adjacent to the Jay County Fair Grounds NO ADMISSIONS BEFORE 7:00AM MAY 12, 2003 Consignment Auction - Saturday 1:00 Antique Engines, Tractors and Related Parts ONLY |
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