Allis Chalmers Swap Meet (in search of a seat)

The Allis Chalmers flag waved proudly right below Old Glory

I won't apologize for this entry, but I will tell you in advance that it won't interest most folks; it's all about tractors.

Two of the tractors in Cliff's collection are my favorites:  The newly-purchased Oliver 550 and the D-17, Series IV Allis Chalmers.  Cliff bought both of those at my request, not that there was any great protest on his part.  

He wanted a different seat for the Allis, one that was similar to what it would have had when it was brand new; he hoped to find one at this gathering.

I used to find swap-meets boring, but these days if the weather is nice, I enjoy just soaking up the atmosphere of it all and taking pictures.  Once you reach a certain age, you realize that any day you are out of bed and breathing is a good one.

I mentioned to Cliff that an Allis Chalmers garden tractor would be nice to have.  He agreed, and we walked on.

This is an Allis Chalmers "G".  It was Allis Chalmers' answer to the popular Farmall Cub, but it didn't have a chance at competing.  I find this model cute, unique, and interesting.  Cliff considers it useless and pathetic.  These are very popular with collectors, so they always bring a high price.  

I noticed the little guy several times while making our rounds, and most of the time he wore a big smile.  I mentioned this to the man with him, and he said, "He isn't so happy right now."  "What's the problem?" I asked.  "Oh, he saw a toy tractor he wanted back yonder."  "Christmas is coming," I told the kid.  "Yeah, and his birthday," the guy replied.

Cliff found the seat he was looking for.

There were two seats that would work for our D-17.  Cliff asked the guy what the difference was between them:  One was more like the original; the other had a cushier, thicker padding for one's bottom and was made in America.  He chose cushy.  

This object wins the prize for "Greasiest Object of the Day".  Cliff told me what it was, but I wasn't all that interested and immediately forgot.  Some kind of housing?  I don't know.

After making the rounds a couple of times, Cliff picked up the tractor seat he had paid for and we headed on toward the next adventure of our day.

Next Saturday, we'll be with some of our other tractor club members for the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Lexington.