So that's why they call it a "swap" meet!

[photo caption] The misleading add for what was billed as a "swap meet". And don't click there to download the flyer. Click there to make nothing happen.


Today's big event was the bike swap meet at St. Paul Academy. The swap meet was sponsored by Peace Coffee and Birchwood Cafe with proceeds going to the velodrome at the National Sports Center in Blaine.

Peace Coffee, in true hippy fashion, gave out free coffee. Birchwood Cafe, in true Birchwood Cafe fashion, charged for their wares. Good times.

Fogbot was selling some "stuff" (i.e., "merchandise slightly better than curbside garbage") at one of the tables.

Fogbot also found out the hard way why it's called a "swap meet" instead a "profit meet": most people don't make a profit.

What happens, apparently, is that while people are selling their crap at one table, they're also actively buying other peoples' crap at another.

Thus, no one makes a "profit". Instead, you hope to go home with better crap than you "swapped".

To wit, Fogbot rid himself of two wheels, one set of brake levers, and a pair of Minneapolis Bike Messenger Association socks for a small, but temporary, profit. He also gave two wheels, a drop bar, a set of brake levers, and a kick-stand away to the Macalester Donate-Bike-Crappers, or something.

However, Fogbot also obtained the following: a full team kit from Brioches La Boulangerie; some Union Jack socks; some bull horn bars; some flat pedals; and some "World Champ" bar end plugs.

In total, Fogbot came home with cooler stuff than he left with, but his wallet was lighter, too.

Damn.