Jim Bollman

I gave my Dad a small box of Hershey mud one year for Christmas when he missed a really muddy year. I looked all over for it when we cleaned out his shop and didn't find it.

Do not remember when Chocolate Field got paved but this shot in 1999 was our booth on grass.

A shot my Dad took in 1966. I was in my first year of college so didn't go. Went a couple of times in the mid 60s. I remember the first time we went with a family friend that spent Winters restoring brass. We pulled into his spot and put a sign on the back of his car saying he would be open at noon. We then took off walking, he wanted to do a quick walk through the whole flea market to catch any bargains. We came back by noon he set up a card table and displayed his brass on the table and in the trunk. Between what was already sold, just being delivered, and the crowd of people waiting for him to open, he was sold out in a few hours. He closed the trunk and we walked the flea market the rest of that day and the next two more slowly looking for hidden gems.

Here are a few shots from 2017 that I thought were interesting enough to take.

Oops

Be sure to check for rust while you have it on the lift.

I can't say I miss the mud but didn't let it stop me. I bought a new pair of high boots a couple of years before most of Hershey was paved and still haven't worn them out like the pair they replaced, probably dry rotted. I do miss the grass, easier to walk on and it could be pouring down and our feet would stay dry under our canopy, now the water runs through and everything has to be off the ground. Of course the year of lake Hershey the grass didn't even help the water flowing. We were lucky not to be in one of river flowing through the Blue field. Down the row from us a fellow had rims wash out of his space and when he stepped out of his camper the water was flowing a couple of inches below his step. The only year we never had the booth open and had no sales, pre canopy days, only a place to sit. When it started looking promising on Saturday we were going to open just to let things dry a bit. Then they came on and said there were tornado warnings and the tractors would only be running another hour or so. We threw everything into my rambler wagon (we had used the fold down seats as our camper) and my friends car and got out under our own power in less than an hour. We went up to the truck stop on 39 and threw everything on the pavement and repacked for the long trip home. We usually didn't leave till Sunday morning back then. Since it was getting late by the time I needed gas I discovered the gas stations on my route all closed at 9pm. I had to unload the wagon to sleep in it, so kept going. ran out of gas less than a mile from home around midnight. We were using white gas stoves and lanterns back then and I had a half gallon of Coleman fuel in the back. A fellow stopped to see if he could help as I was pulling the Coleman can out of the back and I thought he would have a fit when I dumped it in to the tank. Expensive last mile but I didn't have to walk. I think the next year we started using unleaded gas in our stove and lantern. But that is another story.

On the way home from Carlisle?

Last year. Oops, looked further this was 2018. The following picture was 2019.

The first year we had a space 1973.

Better lock up that cheap car you bought so no one steals it.

Whatever kind of trap you like, if the mice are dragging them around, double face tape them to a piece of cardboard so they can't get their feet on the floor to push. I do this with my sticky traps, I just double over a piece of 2" tape to make a loop and stick them down, since I usually don't have double face tape handy.

Yet another, needs a truck photo

First Gas Station. Nice reenactment video.

Some interesting ideas that were used over the years. I recognize some of them but some I didn't know. https://1funny.com/classic-american-cars-party-tricks-1949-1962/

Pat, sorry to hear of your Dad's passing. I always looked forward to seeing you and your Dad roll into Marion with a couple of your very nice trucks.