Wauseon Ohio

Wauseon Ohio, a small town, a town to raise a family; lots of farms but for one weekend a year this quit little town becomes a mecca for vintage motorcycles and vintage parts! And I never miss it!! I wrote about this swap before, normally we always go down on a Friday morning thinking we are getting there early, but as I was informed that Friday was too late, I need to be there on Wednesday. I thought I’d try and go a bit early this year, so Josh, our buddy Terry and I loaded up and heading down to Wauseon on Thursday morning. As we pulled into the park it was already half full. Terry helped me set up my side of the booth; he had only brought a few things to sell. Josh and I worked all day setting up. I should mention that 2 week before Wauseon I found a huge parts score. I had been working on it for a bit. A guy called me named Stubs. He told me he had some parts and some old bikes for sale. Stubs had 7 Harleys he wanted to sell. Stubs had a lowrider shovelhead that was in the ad for 1978 then re-stamped and sold as a new bike in 1979. If he didn’t have all the documentation on the bike I would of never believed it. He had some bone stock Sturgis specials all hiding in his garage. Stubs and I couldn’t come to terms on the bike but I haven’t given up yet on them! But any way stubs had a TON of part he wanted to sell also. We made a deal on the parts, Josh and the boys started loading them all up, there were a pile of exhaust systems. 3 narrow glide front ends, handle bars upon handle bars. Gas tanks, fenders, just a ton of stuff; it filled the van and the trailer! Once we got it back to the shop I wanted to go thought it. But when we opened up the trailer, Josh and Joe said let just take all this to the swap meet! (lazy mofos). So back to Wauseon, as fast as we were pulling parts of the trailer; guys would come and buy the stuff. I told Josh we needed to slow down as I didn’t know what was really in here. So were started going thought it piece by piece, it took all day but we got it, and managed to sell a lot too. Now I had told Josh a year ago to find us a Hotel, the last few years we camped and it was hotter than hell. I stayed in my 1970’s custom van that we dub the velvet hell. But kids will be kids, Josh forgot and by the time we called about it, the only thing we could find was a bridal suite at a bed and breakfast. The look on the people faces when we woke up the next day was priceless, a young man and me walking out of the bridal suite; Josh being a dick just said “hey it’s legal now!” Keep in mind Josh and I both have wives, but it was funny. The next day we hung out around the booth, a lot of friends stop by to hang and we were selling stuff; slowly but we were selling. The races started later that night and I never like to miss them. Bikes as old as 1914 were racing around this half mile track, it’s something to see. Saturday came around and we had to start cleaning up but I couldn’t help but stop and talk with the people that walked by, I love to talk about motorcycles. But we had to hurry I had some stuff to take care of back at home, I need to get back to the shop before 4pm and it was already noon.