Princeton/Starved Rock hamfest

[WQ9E]

High fuel prices and threatening weather probably combined with other factors resulted in a pretty small hamfest this year.  This has been one of my favorites over the years but the turnout has fallen rapidly and this year was really bad.

I picked up a $150 75A-2 that works and will clean up pretty well.   The photo is of the front panel right after some spray cleaner which hadn't completely evaporated.

My favorite score was 4 large boxes of magazines for $35 including one box with 75 issues of Radio from the 30s and early 40s along with a dozen or so Radio Craft and other 30s era magazines.  The other three contained 60s era 73, 50s era CQ, and 60s era RSGB bulletins respectively.  I bought a bunch of knobs for $20 including 3 Velvet Vernier and a couple of single panel rack cabinets for $5.  

There was a restorable Drake R-4C for $100 but I passed since I have two mint C lines, it stayed for several hours before someone bought it.

Hopefully next year things will improve.

[k4kyv]

I went to that hamfest a couple of times in the early 70s.  I remember a lot of stuff like transmitting parts - like Dayton used to be. A big outdoor flea market, and maybe a half-dozen commercial vendors in a tin shed. But those were the days of $10 KW modulation transformers and $5 n.i.b. 450TLs. Always horrendous heat and humidity. But that was one of the hamfests I came home from with the big old Plymouth with tail fins fully loaded and almost dragging the ground.

I haven't gone for years because I hadn't seen it advertised and figured it had fizzled out, like many other hamfests. There used to be a good one in Cincinnati, but not much to it any more.

Those RADIO magazines and the others were a good deal. Collectors often get $3-4 per issue of RADIO if in good condition.