Yep! All them are reasons I have stopped attending Dayton and many other
hamfests.
But ebay is also a contributor. I got some 2m old crystal rigs via ebay and
shipping
cost more than the radios. My last time at Dayton a few years ago it was a
costly
one day ticket (my health not good either) and $8 to park in a handicap
parking spot
that might as well been down at the mall it was so far. I thought handicap
parking
meant CLOSE to the doors. With Gas about $3 a gallon depending on the
wind...
another $100 bucks down the tail pipe. The items for the most part these
days
are "vintage" things that have been to more hamfests than I have or they are
"Like New" and priced as new. Most "Homebrew" projects in magazines and
books these days have little chance of success with the ol' junk box and
requires
a large part of it to be bought and often via mail. "What radio supply
store?"
When you do get to a hamfest the people are rude, bump into you, step on
you,
just same as many drivers on the road have aggressive attitudes. All the fun
of the fest's
has gone as well as a pleasurable drive getting there has gone. And the
total cost
of just going is 1/2 the cost of a new 2m rig. UGH!!

Oh and don't forget other tech'y things like the cell phones that has
displaced a lot
of would be radio operators for maybe contacts with more secure and reliable
contacts. 2m and 70cm not as impressive as it used to be. "What do you
mean,
point the antenna UP?" LOL ;-) My wireless home phone and my computer
has more MHZ than my radio now. ;-(

Maybe it's as well though. Having started in the TUBE days and seeing SMD
parts
now I can't find, or use if I could find them for projects... might be
appropriate that we go
out together in a few years.

Sorry I missed the original post to this thread. Hope it didn't wander too
far...
Have rag chew paper too . LOL

de K4TWO Gary OT
--
emailto:



"bobbbo" wrote in message
groups.com...

"mike maghakian" wrote in message
. ..
sometimes people complain when I point out people paying real stupid
prices
for something on eBay.

The reason for that is Hamfests and Swap Meets in general are DEAD.
Finished! Kaputski! Stick-a-fork-into-it! (etc..etc..)
Dayton Included too. I went to Dayton this year after a 5 Year sabbatical.
Fully 1/3'rd of the outside vendor spaces were empty.
Just 5 Years ago this was a rarity and 10 years ago it was downright
impossible.

Why? Reasons are many....aging ham/swl population, SK's, health/travel,
cost
of gas food lodging etc... then again, why drive when you can order new
online
an it's at your door via UPS in a few days?

Ham radio is changing and it is aging. more than HALF the hams I used
to talk with on 75M HF just from 10 Years ago are all SK's. That alone
speaks volumes folks!

E-Bay did not kill hamfests. Hams themselves are dying off and
most of the stuff is ending up on e-Bay where it's a feeding frenzy.
This too will end in a few (10?) Years time also.

In short....Wayne Green (W2NSD) had it right all along folks.

Enjoy the rest of the ride.