Are Hamfests and Swapfests starting to suffer from E-Pay syndrome?

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

Hey Ellen -

Folks know how reluctant I am to offer my opinion *cough*cough*, but here goes...

First, I do think ebay has some impact on fleamarket prices, for reasons already mentioned: larger audience, higher prices as a result, flippers, and such. It has also saved a lot of gear that would otherwise have ended up trashed, and all that.

Second, I believe that our participation (or lack thereof) make at least as much of an impact. Many of us were rabid sellers over the years. It was part of the fun. We were/are also packrats. Two things resulted, each feeding off the other. We managed to accumulate a LOT of "stuff" to enjoy, play with, restore and so on. In doing so, we became less interested in finding more, or buying everything with tubes that we saw. And as Carl said, there was a time you couldn't give the stuff away, and reloading it for the trip home each time got tiresome.

At the same time, many of us got sick of being tied down to a table while our buddies (many of whom we might only see once or twice a year) were wandering around, yapping away and having a good ol' time. The social aspect has come to mean a lot more as we've aged, and we look more forward to seeing the crew than potentially finding more stuff.

Another, less recognized factor, is the way that hamfests became less a 'fest' and more of a plain, old fleamarket. Once upon a time there were many other activites, like demonstrations, talks given on different aspects, auctions, clinics, even dinner and dancing so that the (X)YLs would make the trip and not be bored. The fleamarket was simply one of many different activities taking place. Few true hamfests or conventions still exist. Once you've walked the grounds a few times, it gets old.

But back in the day, as they became more successful, everybody's brother decided to have a hamfest/fleamarket. Many clubs, repeater groups, etc jumped on the money-making bandwagon. More and more they became junkfests, replete with computer carcasses, jewelry, lawn ornaments and other non-radio junk. Some folks took to hauling junk there and leaving it to save paying for disposal.

And let's not forget that we're not pulling in a lot of replacements to carry the torch for us when we depart.

When you factor all of the above into the equation, it becomes a little more than simply evil ebay destroying "hamfests". Ebay plays a role, but in my opinion, is not the only issue, or even the main issue.

In the 2005 Spring Hosstraders event, I took 4 rigs with me to get rid of, arranged in advance to avoid hauling stuff there and back home (the T-195 was too damned heavy!). No intention or expectation of finding anything else, yet I brought home with me 4 different rigs. I've also found other nice items for reasonable prices, but as Don said - much of the reasonably priced good stuff that is there early, goes early.

Short version: online competition, lower participation, less interest, less content, less draw. If I'd said that all to start with, you'd have wondered what I meant.

[WA1GFZ]

There has always been flippers. The tube maggot, the 813 maggot
It has always been about what the market will bring in.
I think most of the good stuff is stored in our shacks and not let out.
I know guys with multiple rigs in storage. I tried to buy a V2 last year. One guy wanted $300 for a pile of junk. Then I got my CDC from a friend for $100.
I don't bring premium stuff to flea markets any more. All it does is attract tire kickers. Once I had a RA6830 set up and someone pressed the right sequence of keys to put the software in a monitor mode I didn't know about at the time and I had to kill battery hold up to get it working again because I didn't know the sequence of keys to get back.
I find flea markets a source of parts and hardware. Anything else is pure luck.

[AF9J]

Ahhh, It's OK people.  Like I said earlier, just being out of circulation for hamfests for 6 years, shows how much things have changed.  I appreciate the insight into the way things are at hamfests nowadays.  I've gotten some good suggestions both here and in private messages, for ways to approach looking for a receiver.  Thanks!!  This group even puts the Kenwood Hybrids Group (which is also a very helpful bunch)  that I moderate, to shame. I actually got into the 'fest right at 8 AM, when it opened.  I have to agree with Todd - havefests have trended towards becoming fleamarkets where many hams don't even sell ham related stuff.  Well, it's just about lunchtime.  I'd better finish up a report before I go for a mile and a half walk in our nice weather (it's about 69 degrees outside).

73,
Ellen

[W1EUJ]

Currently, hamfests seem to be about buying, selling, or meeting up with a buddy. Other hobby fests and conventions have more activities, contests, etc. Hamfests used to have more activities, demos, group events, etc. Read the descriptions of the very old fests, and the events they used to have. Now, I suppose (have to, wasn't there 'back then'...), over time the fun of digging through junk to pull out gems was an experience that got more focus as radio technology was rapidly changing (making commercial surplus plentiful) and and the US Govt was unloading all of their WW2 equipment. That time is over. With the demand for current surplus dropping(low desireability), the availability of older surplus dropping, and the 'atrophy' of the social aspect of the hamfest, is it any wonder they are dying off? The best reason to have them (buying/selling) has been reduced by the convenience of ebay auctioning and supply of desirable equipment, and the last reason to have one (to meet up with friends) isn't stong enough for the time and expense involved. The value of staying home has gone up (greater demands at work/home), as well as the cost of driving, and many are finding that the benefits of attending a hamfest no longer justify or exceed the costs.

Hamfests need more value to justify the expenses. They either need to find that giant underground German bunker filled with radio equipment, or redevelop the social aspect of the event. I have a friend that just spent three days in Boston at a Japanese animation convention. 10k people there, plenty of fun events, movies, music, games and contests, dancing, and, of course, the dealer's area full of t-shirts, dvds, books, etc... Hamfests need to be more like that.
...

Dave Goncalves

[k4kyv]

Ever see the Reverse Bandit at a hamfest?  Instead of slipping by vendors' booths and ripping off items, near the end of the fest,  he lugs pieces of what he thinks is worthless junk that didn't sell, down the fleamarket aisle and when an unsuspecting vendor is not looking, deposits the item in with the vendor's other stuff, leaving it to the victim to dispose of it at the end of the event.

Although I have rarely ever stayed through Sunday at Dayton, back when it was a Saturday-only event, I always liked to scan the fleamarket area just before they kicked everyone out.  It was always amazing the stuff that was deposited in the dumpsters or simply left behind in the vendor spaces, stuff that didn't sell and the vendor didn't want to haul back home. I have dumpster-dived good transmitter parts, books, tubes, test equimpent and about anything else you could think of at the close of large fleamarkets.

[W1RC]

Don, I see the "Schmeg Fairies" are active in your part of the world as well as ours!

73,

W1RC]

Ever see the Reverse Bandit at a hamfest?  Instead of slipping by vendors' booths and ripping off items, near the end of the fest,  he lugs pieces of what he thinks is worthless junk that didn't sell, down the fleamarket aisle and when an unsuspecting vendor is not looking, deposits the item in with the vendor's other stuff, leaving it to the victim to dispose of it at the end of the event.

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

Ah, yes....I've done this in the past myself. One item in particular comes to mind: an old milsurplus telephone handset with the butterfly switch.

The trick is to find a table with a lot of folks milling around, talking, and so on, with plenty of other stuff on it. Set down your prize to examine something else. Look it over for a while, then set it down too, and leave.

When I went by a while later, the guy was showing the handset to someone else, big grin on his face, seemed pleased that the Radio Gods had smiled on him. It's probably a $100 accessory these days!

I recall quite well the 'schmeg pile' at Rainchester! If you were brave enough to enter the tent, chances were good that Mike and the guys would be sending something out with you. It was to your benefit to already have your hands full with something else. I clearly recall a large, gray R-390-looking accessory with a rotary telephone dial, and everyone in the tent insisting that I needed it. Still don't know how I managed to escape.