One Gem at PSM is Harry Copenhaver of Happy Trails Memorabilia and Collectibles

One of the best things about the Pomona Swap Meet & Classic Car Show is the regular vendors at the event. Walking the aisles you tend to see many of the same faces every time and while you might not need that special widget that a certain vendor has this time, it’s nice to know they’ll be there next time. One of these perennial favorites is Harry Copenhaver of Happy Trails Memorabilia and Collectibles.

Harry with just a small sampling of his plates

You can find Harry on Road 29, Spaces 18, 20, 22, 24 selling all sorts of automotive-related collectibles from vintage license plates to oil cans, oil filling devices, books, license plate frames and much, much more.

I spoke with Harry recently because I thought it might be really cool to get vintage license plates for my wife’s ’61 Lakewood Wagon that she got for her birthday this year. While the wagon looks cool, it would look more so with some authentic vintage plates, so I asked Harry about getting her some ’61 license plates. That’s when I realized how much this gentleman knows about his collection.

“There were no plates in 1961,” said the Swap Meet veteran, “In those days you would get a 1956 plate and then there would be a metal tab that updated that plate to ’61.”

Apparently, it wasn’t until 1963 that California went to the black plates with yellow lettering with a unique plate for each specific year. Immediately preceding this, our state used yellow plates with black lettering.

Harry had more knowledge to share about license plates. For example, many people find old plates and decide to restore them themselves, or hire the job out. But like restoring anything that’s been on the planet for some time, there are people who do a good job, and those who don’t.

“I get folks who want to trade with me here,” he continued. “They have plates that aren’t the year they want and I look theirs over. Often times someone tried to restore them and did a terrible job.”

Oh, did we mention that Harry also likes to restore vintage items such as license plates or oil memorabilia?

“I’ve got a good talent at painting items and applying decals so they look like they were just made.”

Walking through the incredible treasure trove that occupies four swap spaces that make up Harry’s area, you wonder where in the world one person has come up with this much really cool stuff. It’s as if Harry brings an entire museum’s worth with each visit. But the huge selection that Harry has at the Swap Meet is the proverbial tip of the iceberg. Harry’s got one heck of a collection and he obtained it piece by piece in the same fashion that has been portrayed on the television program American Pickers.

Harry Copenhaver with a few of his oil cans

You see, Harry used to drive truck all over these United States delivering vegetables at first, then products made by Lucas Oil. While he was navigating the highways and byways of this great country Harry would occasionally spot another collector with the kinds of great oil-related items that appealed to him. He’d stop and make a new friend and, before you know it, he’d be trading in petroleum collectibles.

Heck, working for himself Harry already had a truck ready, willing and able to conspire on his collecting habits. However, in those days it wasn’t so popular to make a new restaurant look old with cool petro collectibles, it was just guys who appreciated the nifty porcelain signs and old oil cans and the like who happened to trade with one another. In other words, the old stuff was just old stuff and wasn’t worth much to anybody but the folks who really, really liked it. After all, who would want stuff from a gas station?

Apparently, lots of people nowadays. Many people collect vintage automotive memorabilia and Harry’s got it in droves. Of course, not everybody agrees with the value of Harry’s collection, so occasionally, when a customer and Harry have a differing opinion about the value of something at Harry’s place, he’ll offer to flip a coin for the value. Hey, haven’t we seen those guys on American Pickers steal this idea?

Over four decades, Harry amassed one heck of a collection of great stuff and the knowledge to go with it. His initial plan was to pass the collection off to his family, but it turns out that they weren’t as fascinated by these exceptional items as their father, so he brought a few items to the Pomona Swap Meet after retiring in 2001. Next thing you know, it’s a decade later and he’s a fixture here with lots of people coming to Harry to make their authentic restorations more so.

Customers really like the way Harry deals with them. He knows what he’s talking about and can give people what they want. If they want a meticulously restored plate to go with that shiny classic, or one that’s got a few rust spots to match the vehicle it’s screwed to. If you are looking for a vintage oil product or maybe some collectible oil cans to make your garage that much cooler, come see Harry – he’ll be at the next Swap Meet.

Happy Trails Collectables Vintage Oil Applicators

I asked Harry if it was even legal to have a vintage plate on a car and he said there is some work involved, but it is. His first stop before a plate makes it to the Swap Meet is at the Automobile Club where he checks whether a plate is “clear” or not. In other words, if they have no record of a vehicle being registered with the plate numbers, then the plate is just like a new plate and can be used as a legal plate on your vehicle. “I’ve never had anybody come back with a complaint, stated Harry.”

That’s saying a lot considering the huge volume of collectibles Harry’s matched with happy owners over the past decade. And some of those collectors aren’t just your friends and neighbors, but have flown over from places like Japan, Italy, Germany and other corners of the globe.

Can you imagine the amazement someone has when they experience the Pomona Swap Meet for the first time? That ‘wow’ would be worth the entire plane ticket from any corner of the globe, so many of us are lucky to have such a treasure in our own back yard. And one of the gems in that treasure chest is Harry Copenhaver of Happy Trails Memorabilia and Collectibles. See you next show, Harry!

Map of Vendor Spaces (PDF)

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