Unpacking Copake

Today we get to unpack the van and see what goodies Curtis bought and traded and see what undesirables returned with him. It is always fun to see what turns up at swap meets because there is always something unique and cool.

This was the first swap meet I have missed in a while, maybe a couple of years? Curtis was left to haggle and purchase bikes on his own, rather than our method of swooping down on a swap meet, 'attacking' from two different sides to get the early deals. From my talks with him over the weekend, it sounded successful, for the first time in a long time, he actually brought items to sell and said they sold well- or more importantly- they did not return with him.


I have a lot of packing of Ebay and website items today, as a bunch of stuff sold over the weekend. I also have to start preparing myself for the trip out to Ohio and Michigan for those swap meets this weekend. As fun as swap meets are, they are also taxing on the body and mind. It is usually a sensory overload, looking at thousands of items, hundreds of bicycles and knowing what the value is to the shop and trying to buy them cheap enough so they can be sold at a reasonable price with room for a little profit.

I must know the approximate value of a Campagnolo Super record used track headset, lamp bracket to a 1920s Mead Ranger, left Tear Drop pedal, Schwinn Sports Tourer, and a VAR 4th hand tool. One day is cool, but two days is taxing, and the third day in Michigan just really wears me down. All of this does not take into account the talking with collectors and smoozing I do as well, and the 'occasional' beer or two!