bobbbo wrote:
"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.


The various "free flea" ham events that pop up here ins S FL are well
attended. They are short and sweet events opening at the crack of
dawn and ending by noon. Stuff for sale is a mix of old radios
from the 50's through the 90's (with a few WWII boat anchors here
and there), lots of computer crap (who wants pre-pentium stuff these
days?), and a few tube vendors. Also the usual guys just cleaning
out their junk boxes. Why pay to go to a big ham fest when you
can show up at a freebee? I usually don't find any real big bargains,
but I do bump into old friends, chew the fat, and usually take home
some needed parts for a project.

Maybe the flea markets at the big
shows are lean because all the sellers have dumped their stuff at
the free fleas? It is a pain to have to load up, set up, hang around
for two long days and then pack it all back in and go home. With
the free fleas you just open your trunk throw a blanket on the floor
or open up a folding table or two. 5 or 6 hours later, (not too
long a drag) you pack it up and go home. You'll take less stuff
to sell, and maybe have to go to a few free fleas to get rid of it all
but somehow it seems like less wear and tear on the old body.

I still like to go to one big hamfest a year though, just to see what
the big vendors have come up with.