Swapper's Day, Johnstown, Ohio

dave holl

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Here in central Ohio we have an annual huge flea market called SWAPPER'S DAY.......acres of booths with everything and anything for sale. Coon hunters started it decades ago for a place to show off their dogs and bet on which one treed first.
2 years ago I found a nice older S&W Mod 13 for $400, which I purchased. This time it was a .22 kit gun circa 1967 for $750, with no cylinder turn line. I offered $500...no deal. Would have gone a little higher but 2 red flags were little rust pits on the barrel and gold leaf someone had rubbed in the lettering.
Already feeling a little walk-away remorse, but who knows, maybe in a decade or two I'll see another, if I live that long.

Mod 13
 

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S&W's far and few between!

Wife and I were there Saturday...lots of shotguns and muzzleloaders...prices on handguns seemed really high...Hardly any collector quality S&W's...did not see one set of S&W grips...anyway it was a good get a way...lots of carnival eats and we always stop at Der Dutchman in Belleville on way home for supper...best part of the day was the rhubarb pie at the Dutchman!
 
Boy that is one pretty set of grips on that 13. I am in Pataskala just SE of JTown. I used to go, but now you can't even get near the place. Takes 30 minutes just to park. Used to be able to find some really nice guns there. Too bad on the kit gun.
On another note regarding the Der Dutchman. When I was a kid in the 60's we lived out near Plain City. There was a place called the Country Kitchen. It was a single story square cinder block building. It was run by the Amish ladies in the community. Everything was home grown / homemade. It was family style and we always got the chicken. I have no idea what it cost, but we went out there about once a week and the food was absolutely amazing. Fried chicken, real mashed potatoes, green beans, fresh corn and gravy, biscuits. Man I am getting hungry.....The apple pie was pretty good too.
 
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Boy that is one pretty set of grips on that 13. I am in Pataskala just SE of JTown. I used to go, but now you can't even get near the place. Takes 30 minutes just to park. Used to be able to find some really nice guns there. Too bad on the kit gun.
On another note regarding the Der Dutchman. When I was a kid in the 60's we lived out near Plain City. There was a place called the Country Kitchen. It was a single story square cinder block building. It was run by the Amish ladies in the community. Everything was home grown / homemade. It was family style and we always got the chicken. I have no idea what it cost, but we went out there about once a week and the food was absolutely amazing. Fried chicken, real mashed potatoes, green beans, fresh corn and gravy, biscuits. Man I am getting hungry.....The apple pie was pretty good too.
You're right about the crowds....trick is to go early. Very well-organized though. Every other person is carrying a firearm to be sold or recently purchased. Background checks were mandatory.

I've eaten at the Country Kitchen you describe and agree wholeheartedly.

Thank you for the grip compliment.....just blind luck....walking around and there it was!!
 
Background checks mandatory???

You're right about the crowds....trick is to go early. Very well-organized though. Every other person is carrying a firearm to be sold or recently purchased. Background checks were mandatory.

Hey Dave...not sure what you meant by the background checks were mandatory statement...I never saw that posted down there anywhere...saw a whole lot of guns being sold face to face without any background checks being done...
 
You're right about the crowds....trick is to go early. Very well-organized though. Every other person is carrying a firearm to be sold or recently purchased. Background checks were mandatory.

Hey Dave...not sure what you meant by the background checks were mandatory statement...I never saw that posted down there anywhere...saw a whole lot of guns being sold face to face without any background checks being done...
Rules for the vendors states all federal rules will be followed. What you say is true.............the majority of booths selling guns had federal paperwork displayed and were complaining about slow internet, but, I also saw transactions without background checks. (there was no background check 2 yrs ago when I purchased the mod 13)
Maybe someone can shed some light.....has Ohio closed the "gunshow loophole"?
 
Big place, lots of walking!

Quite a few years ago I got a lead from a vendor there to the Harvey K-Chuk I now own. The same year I bought a gun I seen sticking out of a walker's pocket for $200.00, almost give the gun away, but kept the coke grips! ! !
It's too much walking for me now, its hell to get old!
For those that seen paper work being done, the vendor was probably an FFL.
No paper work on a FTF between Ohio residents!
jcelect
 
Another issue???

I agree with JCElect regarding FTF between Ohio residents...BUT just thought of something else regarding the FFL dealers there...Correct me if I am wrong, but I do not believe FFL's are allowed to sell at flea markets???
 
It is my understanding for face to face transaction here, if a Ohio resident will ask the prospective buyer if they have been convicted of any felonies or domestic violence and they answer in the negative and provide an Ohio photo identification then the buyer has done everything to qualify themselves for a private buy.

And yes, I do know that someone could lie about their criminal history and could have a fake photo identification.

terry
 
It is my understanding for face to face transaction here, if a Ohio resident will ask the prospective buyer if they have been convicted of any felonies or domestic violence and they answer in the negative and provide an Ohio photo identification then the buyer has done everything to qualify themselves for a private buy.

And yes, I do know that someone could lie about their criminal history and could have a fake photo identification.

terry

These are essentially the same regs. we follow here in Arizona for FTF transactions between residents. One more thing is in order to legally sell a long gun the buyer must be at least 18 and 21 for a handgun.
Jim
 
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