Nov 8/99
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On The Road
The Kaladar Hubcap Place
David BrisonWhere do all those hubcaps come from? What are they doing in
Kaladar? Does anyone buy them?
Motorists zipping by on Highway #7 (even though they, of course, slow
down for Kaladar) often wonder what the story is behind the dazzling
display of hubcaps, all arranged on racks, just a short distance from
the road.
Tex Rind and his family have been selling hubcaps in Kaladar for almost
8 years. Tex immigrated to Canada from Baluchistan 19 years ago and his
wife followed 3 years later. Tex got into hubcaps through his interest
in antique cars. He started buying and selling hubcaps at car shows,
moved to Kaladar 9 years ago, gradually expanded his collection, and 3
years ago they decided to display their full inventory beside the
road.
Tex estimates that he has 30,000 caps. His 14 year old son, Beezan, who
is interested in computers and has plans to computerize the inventory,
thinks there may actually be closer to 15,000.
Either way, that is a lot of hubcaps! Tex's younger son Balatch (8)
knows where to find them all and the make of car, model, and years)
that they fit. Balatch, a shy unassuming boy, is a veritable store of
information on not only hubcaps but car and truck parts in general. He
was able to give me the motor size of the 1990 customized van I was
driving and has varied formation on a whole range of car parts. His
brother Beezan, says that he reads car and truck trader magazines like
other kids would read comic books. Bweyan says his 11 year old sister
Marvi's interest is in drawing -- not hubcaps and computers.
The hubcap business is apparently doing well. Tex has built up a
reputation for having, and being able to find, hard to get caps --
particularly for antique cars. He gets calls from all over Canada (and
some from the U.S.). He also has used caps for newer cars, at a reduced
price. People are fast catching on to the hubcap bargains in Kaladar
and the Rinds are happy living there.
Beezan & Balatch
