There were real ads in the back of QST too. I remember reading the want and for sale ads when they had things that people were selling like radios and parts. Also listed things for sale there back in the day.
Can also remember not so long ago when EBay had lots of Ham items that were sometimes bargains before what we have today with tons of junk at high “Buy it Now” prices. Just looked and there are over sixteen thousand Ham radio items listed with only a little over four hundred being actual auctions.
Question: Where do you find you best deals? This is my list in order of best to worst.
1 Personal Deals with people I have meant thru friends, over the internet or over the air.
2 Ham fest and equipment auctions (excluding EBay).
3 EBay.
4 On line retailers or distributors.
5 Ham Radio retailers at their stores or at Ham fest (almost never buy from these people).
This is a difficult question.
New vs used scenario and vendor makes a big difference.
There is much value in using a local store where you can go back with the thing and talk about a problem face to face.
Online is ok but I don't like the poor cal center service of some of them, plus the shipping cost.
The best deal, to me, is not always about the cheapest price. There are factors of suspicion that the hamfest fellow might be 'mistaken' about the condition of the equipment and at auctions (eastate, etc) it is not always possible to test or examine. On ebay there are outright liars in the mix. These things cause stress.
This could change depending on what the product is and wheter there is any sort of guarantee.
1 Personal Deals with people I have meant thru friends, over the internet or over the air.
2 Ham Radio retailers at their stores or at Ham fest
3 On line retailers or distributors.
4 Ham fest and equipment auctions (excluding EBay).
5 EBay.