Pickers Swap Meet – Mike Terry’s show 2018

Coverage by Randy Goudeseune

I arrived early to the pickers market so I could get some nice photos before the crowd of anxious buyers arrived. This is Mike’s fourth year of putting this show on at his home/business location. He has a body shop that he works from and his property is quite large. Each year he gets  more  dealers wanting to be part of his one-day sale.

I found 40 dealers set up anywhere there was space available – around Mike’s house and yard, and in his garages.  There was an excellent selection of goods for buyers to choose from, with heavy emphasis on Petroliana  for the avid garage /gas station collector.

One dealer I spoke to was Bern Fritshaw, from the Niagara area. Bern had on display many fine gas and oil related items that have been beautifully restored. Any of them would be a nice prize for a collector.  He is very knowledgeable in garage-related advertising items and is well respected by people in the business. If you are looking for a particular item in Petroliana, Bern will probably have it or know where to find it!

Also set up at the event was Rick Wolfe, a well-known picker and bike restorer. He had on display a 1947 Saginaw Power Bike, built in Saginaw, Michigan, offered at $1600. This bike is much like a “Whizzer Bike” that many people have seen in the past. Rick is another well-respected person in the collecting field, and you can usually find him with some fine looking restored vintage/antique pedal bikes, and some vintage motorcycles, too. If you want the best and rarest of bikes or motorcycles, look up Rick Wolfe.

Mike Robinson from Caledonia was offering some excellent items.  These included a  Good Year porcelain sign for $650, a beautiful, large framed advertisement of 1952 Chevys with “power glide “ transmission,  priced at $ 975, and another framed advertisement for the 1965 Chevrolet Corvair and Chevy II’s, with an asking price of $750.

Mike Terry, the show organizer,   was selling some great things as well. He had several “lollipop-style” scales, ranging around the $750 mark, and  many of his pedal cars ranging from $200 to $800.  One was a rare  Austin racing car,  asking price $8000.  I spotted a pedal boat for sale also, asking $1700 in restored condition.

There were many excellent signs, gas pumps of all kinds and advertising galore available from the prime dealers   that Mike picks for his show.  Collectors know that some dealers hang onto some of their finest signs and related items to sell at Mike’s show.

At 9 a.m. the barrier was dropped, and about 80 people, the “early birds “ who had been in line for 45 minutes, came flooding in to get their hands on some good advertising gold! I could see many collectors sizing up a dealer and his wares, ready to make a bee-line for some item they spotted from the sidelines.

As the morning went on, more and more people began arriving and the cars and trucks could be seen parked down each side of the road for a kilometer each way. It was estimated at least 500 people came through to see what was for sale before 11 a.m.  The vendors I spoke with all had a fun and profitable day and were anxious to return next year. There were lots of happy collectors  – the hunt had paid off at Mike’s event.

 Thanks to Mike Terry for a show that was an enjoyable event in a great location. The hard work he put into making the show come together was evident. We’re looking forward to his 2019 show.  See you there!