Space Jump to Hershey
by Willy Vinton, Manager
While Felix Baumgartner was hurtling from space towards New Mexico on October 14, I was wrapping up my annual trip to the Hershey Fall Meet. I didn't space jump in, but if I had I would have been hard pressed to land without hitting a vendor or a pile of rusty car parts. "Hershey" is the ultimate magnet for old-car enthusiasts, featuring 3,000 vendors selling antique vehicles and related items over a 335-acre flea market and car corral.
These first two pictures were taken from the bridge crossing over from one area to the next. If you cannot find what you are looking for at Hershey, you have to ask, "do I really need it?" The chance of finding what you need here is pretty good, but it's a challenge to find it with so much ground and so many booths to cover. With all the piles of parts, and I refrain from saying "junk," the item you want might be hiding behind that one ugly-looking thingamajig on the table. So, in order to not miss anything, you have to look at everything.
As if the flea market isn't enough, there are the RM auctions and a car show during the Hershey Fall Meet. I managed to attend both nights of the RM Auctions. I didn't buy anything, despite bidding on a few cars including this one-of-a-kind 1904 South Bend Surrey. It was assembled from parts purchased from various suppliers at the time, but never given a name. Many years later it was decided to title the car as a "South Bend," in honor of where it was built.
After leaving Hershey we toured some of the Pennsylvania countryside. We spent a day in Gettysburg touring the battlegrounds and museums, and then drove on up to Huntingdon for a visit to the Swigart Museum. I enjoyed my time there, and found this stunning example of an original IHC, which I think is one of the best all-originals in the country. I sure would have liked to sneak this out in my suitcase, but Duane Dubbs, the docent that gave me a tour, probably wouldn't have allowed it. A special thanks for the hospitality shown by the folks there.