# Oak Forest Swap



## the tinker (Mar 30, 2015)

Was just talking to old timer Ed Boros who put on the bike swap in Oak Forest Ill. for the past 27 
years. Ed is not able to do the swap anymore. He now lives in Michigan , but the swap is to be held at the I 80 flea market in Tinley Park Ill. about 2 weeks after Ann arbor.   It is listed on the I 80 Flea Market web site but no date is listed as of yet. lets hope it gets posted soon.......... 
This swap could be pretty good. If its held during the Flea market, sellers may have a wider range of customers ; might be able to unload other stuff besides bikes. Maybe that old Disco clothing  you have been hanging on to.....       
Speaking of Ann Arbor Ed said ,[God willing] he has two tables reserved by washrooms at Ann Arbor. He plans to bring nearly 1000 old NAMEPLATES. If you need a headbadge, stop by Eds table when you are on your way to the john. Ed also plans to be at Memory Lane on Thursday.
  Ed is going to be 88 years old, used to be a Schwinn dealer back in the day.
  He has always been a head badge collector, and has plenty of good bike stories.


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## Oldbikes (Apr 8, 2015)

Sad to hear no Oak Forest meet, an end of an era.
But, I look forward to I-80.  There was a swap held at the Rosemont flea mkt a few years back and was kinda neat being able to do the swap and flea simultaneously!


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## vincev (Apr 8, 2015)

I did Shows with Bicycle Ed in the early 80's.Quite a character.lol.He has one of the best headbadge collection I ever saw. Its a shame the bike show will be at the swap meet.I wont try to go to the flea market.It is so crowded and large I havent gone there in years.Parking used to be ridiculous. You could be very far from the flea market to try parking.


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## the tinker (Apr 8, 2015)

vincev said:


> I did Shows with Bicycle Ed in the early 80's.Quite a character.lol.He has one of the best headbadge collection I ever saw.
> I talked to Mr. Ed. this evening, he has been in the hospital for 3 days with a respiratory infection. He sounded  pretty tired. Ed is a character. Like so many of the older guys they would never use a computer and we would not see them here on the CABE.
> Ed has so many stories. Vince mentioned Eds headbadge collection. Ed told me about a time when he was at the Chicago Area Bicycle Dealers Associations annual show on Chicagos south side.   Ed had removed the closet poles from his homes spare bedrooms to attach his prized head badge collection to display at the show. He told me he had never seen anyone display them like that before.  Ed said every thing was going really well. Charlie Pearsons [of the bicycle seat co.] had hired Eds daughter Debbie to serve refreshments and he said Eddie Schwinn was drinking a black russian  when he suddenly dropped his drink while looking at Eds headbadges.
> He said Eddie Schwinn looks at me and says," why didnt I think of that, I flattened every one of our headbadges out on my carpet to display them!!
> ...


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## Oldbikes (Apr 9, 2015)

Ironically, I first met Ed 15 years ago when I moved to Chicago, from Maine, at I-80 where I was selling.  First thing he asked me was "Do you have any badges?!"  Hopefully he can make Ann Arbor!


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## vincev (Apr 9, 2015)

Hope Ed gets to feeling better.Remember sleeping in the van waiting to set up for shows.I saw him at the OF show but he didnt remember  me.lol He complained about crossword puzzles not telling ya when there are 2 word answers.lol


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## WES PINCHOT (May 5, 2015)

I talked to mr. Ed, last week. He made it to Ann Arbor show and enjoyed it.
He acquired 75 new badges there.

Now, the big question is who is handling the I-80 swap meet
and what are the particulars. Time for setup, parking hours, etc.
It would be a good idea to get this info out to all.
Wes Pinchot


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## vincev (May 5, 2015)

Good to hear Ed is doing good.


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## the tinker (May 5, 2015)

I 80 Flea Markets web site only says,"two shows to be announced this summer".    Mr. Ed told me last week he thought it would be at the end of May.  He said he gave"them" his mailing list of names he regularly mailed out prior to the swap at Oak Forest, and they would be mailing a flyer out as he did in the past. Lets hope that the I 80 swap will not fall on the same date of the 3 other established shows in Illinois this summer. I only mention this as it happened here once years before.
I managed to attend both swaps that day.Though they were far apart the new swap was a complete flop. 
There were only two vendors at the new swap, and they wondered where everyone was.  Bad planning by someone. The Established meet won the crowd .


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## vincev (May 5, 2015)

Hope I-80 works out.


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## WES PINCHOT (May 6, 2015)

the tinker said:


> i 80 flea markets web site only says,"two shows to be announced this summer".    Mr. Ed told me last week he thought it would be at the end of may.  He said he gave"them" his mailing list of names he regularly mailed out prior to the swap at oak forest, and they would be mailing a flyer out as he did in the past. Lets hope that the i 80 swap will not fall on the same date of the 3 other established shows in illinois this summer. I only mention this as it happened here once years before.
> I managed to attend both swaps that day.though they were far apart the new swap was a complete flop.
> There were only two vendors at the new swap, and they wondered where everyone was.  Bad planning by someone. The established meet won the crowd .




Is the person ed turned the mailing list over to a caber?
Tinker, can you get a handle on this?


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## the tinker (May 6, 2015)

*I 8o bike swap*

the oak forest swap will be at the I 80 flea market on june 28. admission is at 6 am. 
this should be a good show. this flea market gets up to 2000 paid admissions during the summer months. average admissions 6 to 800 . Lots more then the average bike swap. wont be "bike Guys" just selling to other "Bike Guys" like it so often is. may be a chance to unload other stuff besides bikes......  The bike swap will have the whole back section of the flea market just for us. Should be loads of fun!


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## the tinker (May 6, 2015)

The I 80 bike swap and flea market;  Admission for sellers is 6 AM.    General admission to the public is at 7 AM.


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## Oldbikes (May 7, 2015)

Sounds like a plan!


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## mobile chicane (Jun 22, 2015)

Just checking - is this still on for this weekend?


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## the tinker (Jun 22, 2015)

mobile chicane said:


> Just checking - is this still on for this weekend?




 Yes it is.                                                                                                                            
  "Promoting" a show or swap is not having a pile of 9x11 flyers sitting on a table at another swap meet a couple weeks before their event.................. The promoters were given a list of all past vendors of this 28th. year swap. In previous years  all past sellers got a flyer at least 3 weeks before and it was listed by the late John Polizzi in his bicycle news letter.                                                                    
This time, because folks were calling me about it, I posted it on the CABE.  The promoters should have done this. If it was hard for me to find out anything about it, how would anyone else know? I 80 posted it on their web site. Big deal. How many of us check out " flea"  market web sites ? I don't.
Let's hope it is as good as the Blue Moon Swap.  If enough folks come out for this we will enjoy it for year 30. See you there!


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## DEBUTANTE (Jun 24, 2015)

The former Oak Forest bicycle swap meet is now going to be held this Sunday, June 28, 2015 @ the I-80 Flea Market in Tinley Park.


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## vincev (Jun 24, 2015)

Thumbs up,should be a good one.


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