Mud at Hershey

[Terry Bond]

Ok, pour a wee dram, sit back and hold on-this is real history. Somehow, I don't think it belongs in this section, but its here. We can always move it later, or publish it, or something. Everything is true-I swear on the latest issue of Hemmings-and I tell this at risk of seeing the market (even Ebay) flooded with phoney jars of mud. Gads-if a cheese sandwich can make $28K, I'd better copyright all this stuff-yes, consider it done!

Ah-it was a dark stormy night - well, actually it was dark and stormy that entire week! It was back in '76, the year of "The Big One" at Hershey. Rain all week; blue field flooded(remember that one, over by where the roller coaster is now?); and on show-day there were tornado warnings in the area. The Highmeadow Campground was almost flooded. It was so bad that most vendors couldn't even get into their proper spaces and got stuck in the aisles trying. It was hopeless-never been that bad before and probably wouldn't again. I had driven up from Baltimore in an antique car and the night before the show, decided to send the family home in the modern iron so they could dry out. I slept all night in the antique and put it on the showfield as soon as they let me. It was raining so hard I never even saw the judges-just sat there, windows steamed up, leaking where I didnt think it would, and then a hand reached out through the darkness and pasted a "judged" sticker on my windshielf. Those were some brave judges! By about noonish, things began to break away and clear off. I ventured off into the flea market just for one last look at the madness. I made one last purchase from someone who was packing it in-a baby-food jar full of spark plug tops. I dumped the plug tops into my bag and scooped up a jar of that famous Hershey Mud. It was famous you know. We used to do a dance called "The Hershey Shuffle" to move around in the fields. If you took normal steps, you'd walk right out of your boots! Took that jar of mud home, made a fancy lable for it and for a few years it sat on a shelf in my motoring den. "Genuine Hershey Mud - vintage 1976, gathered from the Blue field at the Hershey Pa AACA Fall Meet, October 1976-year of "the big one."

Eventually, as a novelty, I began taking that jar along with me to Hershey and putting it on display on top of my showcase. It always drew attention-and memories of '76. It was quite a conversation piece, and as 76 became ancient history, that jar of mud became more popular every year - until...

Someone (probably about ten years later) asked "how much is that jar of mud?" I explained it wasn't for sale, and the man walked on.

The following year, someone else asked about it, and there seemed something familiar about him. Yes! It was the same person - and this time, he made an offer on it that was quite serious. I was amazed that someone wanted to pay for a jar of mud! I said again, "not for sale." Amazingly, the offer went up! I had to ask - "how do you know its not fake?" The reply made sense "Mister, if it was fake you would have sold it to me last year!" At that point, money changed hands, and my jar of '76 Hershey Mud walked away into history.

I don't know who bought it or where it ended up, but I'll tell you this-and listen! cause there is an important lesson here -

I don't have any idea where the money is. But, I know that I miss that jar of mud and I wish I had it back.

Thus my claim to have sold mud at Hershey. This could only ever happen once. The lesson has become one of my "Rules of Collecting" Anyone can have money-you have to be lucky to have stuff!

So-there you have it. And there are many more great stories so we'll see you around the campfire at Philly. Hey-don't even think about what you are thinking about - I've already got a baby-food jar on my shelf at home labled "HERSHEY SUNSHINE - Vintage 2004."

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Terry

[R W Burgess]

Terry, only from you would I believe a story like that. I've already cut and pasted it. It'll see the light of day again in a newsletter somewhere, when region members least expect it. <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Wayne

[R W Burgess]

Boy, have I stayed up to late tonight. I tried to tell a friend where the above posts were located and then I couldn't find them. <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> Sorry, Terry, but I moved your story to its own thread. It's too cool to leave down deep in another thread. Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Wayne

[Dynaflash8]

Terry, that as the year alright. I was one of those judges. I remember one judge in particular, Don W. from the Chesapeake Region. He was wearing high boots, but made the mistake of putting his pantlegs down into the boots. After judging, I saw him sit down on a curb and take the booths off and pour the water out of them...they were full. It rained so hard that it ran down his pant legs and filled the boots. Many of the flea market wares were washed away in the blue field flood that you mention. The year before, 1975, had been almost as bad during the Wednesday-Friday timeframe. We were in the blue field that year, on a hill. People wearing trash bags for boots would slide by our place if they didn't hold onto the table. At one point Judy turned to pick up a 57 Buick grill for a man and fell flat, face down in the mud. Frankly, I'm not in favor of going back to the "good olde days" in this case <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

[R W Burgess]

And.. that's why Earl holds on the Judy Beauchamp so tightly ever since! "See attachment" Wayne

[Jim Bollman]

One of my neigbors in the Chocolate field either stole your idea or thought of it himself. During one of the muddy years in the early days of the Chocolate field he scooped up a bunch of mud in small metal containers with screw on lids that he was trying to sell. He marked them approriately and sold them for $1/ea for several years after. I bought one as a gift for my Father because he missed a couple of years. He probably still has it somewhere.

Since it was not as a historic years I guess it was not worth as much.

[Kevin W. Fisher]

Terry, let me tell you something-you should have had 5 gal buckets of it!I read about that year and I understand it was a feat for ANYONE to walk Hershey!! Did'nt phase the "Hard Cores", though-wish I was there-always better to be a has been, then a never was.Kevin.

[Shop Rat]

Terry, Thank you so much for sharing the Hershey jar of mud story. I had heard rumors of such a story but had not been told the whole story.

I once gave a babyfood jar of horse manure to a former boss when he retired. Not as an insult but as a funny reminder of his favorite phrase, "..and all that happy horse ****." I took a few fresh "road apples" donate by my horse and put them in a baby food jar. I had spray painted the lid and decorated it with a smiley face. I glued the lid on so that noone could open it and tied a ribbon around the neck of the jar. He really liked his retirement gift.