Recent Hamfest Market Survey

[WA3VJB]

Don N3RHT kindly sent along to the AM Reflector mailing list some of his observations about hamfest pricing and items seen. Reposted here with attribution.
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> Date: Mon, 11 Sep 2006 10:07:00 -0700 (PDT)
> From: Don Merz
> Subject: WPA-Ohio Hamfests Report
>
> Here's a quick summary of some of the hamfests in
> this
> area lately. First, I'll cover the ones I heard
> about
> but did not go to--Warren, Ohio and Uniontown, PA. I
> was told that both hamfests had few sellers.
> Uniontown
> apparently had just 5 people selling. Warren was
> supposed to be "2 short rows of cars in the flea
> market". Uniontown which usually attracts 25-35
> sellers may have been a fluke because the weather
> was
> bad (it poured down rain all morning), and
> construction in that area required bizarre detours
> to
> get to the W3PIE club site. I don't know much else
> to
> say about Warren--was anyone there who can tell us
> more?
>
> Two hamfests that I did attend were Skyview on 8/27
> and yesterday's Butler hamfest at the Butler County
> Farm Show Grounds. Skyview is always small and no
> less
> so this time. I sold and bought almost nothing. It
> rained and I left early. Skyview has the prettiest
> site for a hamfest that I have ever been to--on a
> secluded PA hilltop that is actually easy to get to.
> Better yet, the club has had an infusion of new
> blood
> and they have remodeled the club house and ground
> out
> the 18 stumps that used to make flea marketing
> hazardous to your oil pan. The place looked better
> than ever--and it always looked pretty good.
>
> The Butler Hamfest is one of the 2 largest in this
> area and also the ARRL WPA Section Convention. They
> have a great location and have kept prices
> reasonable--$5 per person to get in and $5 for a
> flea
> market space. Excellent, real food is provided by
> the
> Ellwood City ARA--a rarity for hamfests in my
> experience.
>
> Seller attendance seemed low to me. Only one third
> of
> the flea market area was occupied and about two
> thirds
> of the large farm buildings was occupied. It was
> almost cold in the morning and low clouds hovered
> overhead early. But the threatening weather
> dissipated
> and by 11AM I had to use my sun screen.
>
> Lots of boatanchors:
>
> Ranger 1: $350
> Drake C line, gorgeous and all tricked out--$650
> Johnson matchboxes, didn't ask
> Hammarlund HXL-One $450
> Hammarlund HQ-140, didn't ask
> National HRO-50, rackmount with 2 coils, $175
> Homebrew linear with single 250TH, no PS or rack:
> $80
> NC-300's--several, all fair to poor, One had the
> speaker, $125 each
> Hallicrafters HT-41 amp, didn't ask
> Multi-Elmac AF-68/PMR-8/PS set. $250 sold. The buyer
> walked away without the receiver and never came
> back.
> I saw him later and told him they were looking for
> him
> to give him the receiver so they finally connected.
> DX-100, nice, $150
> Tek 1Ghz scopes, $400 each
> HP counters, didn't ask
> Hallicrafters S-122 with matching
> speaker--beautiful,
> $160
> 20A Variacs, in pairs in racks, $50 a pair--looked
> worth it
> Heathkit 1680/81 set, didn't ask
> Various Lafayette and Allied receivers and
> transceivers, 190, 350, etc., didn't ask
> Globe Scout with bad aluminum oxide on front panel,
> $65
> Much more that I am forgetting.
>
> I bought a cool 1930's 3-rack panel transmitter that
> at first I thought was homebrew. But now looking at
> it
> closely, it must be commercial or a kit. The PS
> section is missing and it has a second RF deck that
> doesn't belong. I will get some pictures and ask for
> your help later in identifying the beast.
>
> I also bought a beautifully restored RBH-2 receiver.
> I
> am a sucker for these NC-100A type radios and
> couldn't
> pass it up. I am replacing my RAO with it.
>
> An HP 8640B signal generator with manuals also
> followed me home. I've wanted one for a long time.
> It
> will replace my trusty HP 606A which is for sale if
> anyone wants a really big, really good signal
> generator. I hope the 8640B is as reliable as the
> 606A
> has been.
>
> Finally, I also bought a Tek 7603 scope with 5
> working
> plug-ins, one parts plug-in and manuals for $100. I
> have bought stuff from this guy before and I trust
> him, otherwise I would not have bought it.
> Unfortunately, on the way home, something must have
> bumped into it and the power switch was smashed to
> pieces. So now I'm looking for a replacement. How
> stupid is that??
>
> Local Ohioan AMer Mark Foltarz was there with his VW
> bus mounting a Corvair engine, full of cables, coils
> and small stuff, plus the aforementioned HRO-50 and
> homebrew 250TH amp. Local sometime-Collins net host
> Rich Sperling showed up and took some ribbing for
> his
> 15 minutes of fame in Electric Radio recently. Bob
> and
> Bob, Pittsburgh's long-time father and son tube
> buying
> team, were relentlessly stalking the flea market as
> usual. They started out in the jukebox business
> years
> ago, but I think their business is selling tubes to
> the audiophool crowd these days. Brian Roberts was
> there selling parts and tubes from Ed Mantick's
> collection. Ed, N3GWE, is a top-flight AM
> homebrewer--two of my homebrew rack transmitters
> were
> built by Ed. He used to be at all these hamfests but
> very sadly, he has severe macular degeneration and
> is
> going blind. I saw several other old reliable AMer's
> roaming the flea market including Bob Sova. But I
> also
> noticed quite a few missing--at Gaithersburg,
> perhaps?
>
>
> All in all it was a nice day and good hamfest. I
> just
> wish I hadn't busted that switch on the 7603.
>
> 73, Don Merz, N3RHT
>
>
>
>

[steve_qix]

I recently attended the Boxboro, MA Flea/ARRL Convention.  Seemed about average for that particular event to me, although I attended the event to speak (about class E) and not necessarily to go to the flea.  Nevertheless, walking around I observed the usual array of old transmitters/receivers, parts, etc.

Very good turnout for the talk, although that does not necessarily speak to the flea market turnout.

Regards,

Steve

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

A little text munging would have made the original much easier to read.

But I also noticed quite a few missing--at Gaithersburg, perhaps?

Not likely. See the topic below for the non-attendance at Gaithersburg.

http://amfone.net/Amforum/index.php?topic=8464.0

[W9GT]

Hamfests in the Midwest have definitely been on the downturn.  Some smaller ones like Wabash, Indiana (always was a great little fest) have disappeared entirely.  The Fort Wayne, Indiana Hamfest which is one of the "really big" ones held in November was down a bit last year and they have cut back a little on the space provided and raised admission to try and make ends meet.

I believe the primary contributors to the decline of 'fests  are:

1. The eBay effect
2. High gas prices
3. Dwindling and older active ham population.

Fort Wayne has remained viable by adding "Computer Expo" to the hamfest to attract more of a general interest crowd.  This has the down side, however, of attracting seemingly more computer vendors than radio equipment.  A good number of great boatanchors and goodies still seem to show up each year anyway and it has been a great gathering of AMers from this area.

Support your local hamfest!!  Keep them going.

73,  Jack, W9GT

[k4kyv]

I lost interest in the Cedars of Lebanon hamfest near Nashville when they moved it from the very pleasant wooded outdoor area in the state part to a crappy indoor space in a hard-to-find locality in a nearby town.  The one time I attended at the new venue, there was an outdoor tailgating section in the parking lot, with maybe 8 cars participating.  The tables indoors were largely empty, and the ones that were filled had mostly junk that didn't interest me.

[AG4YO]

I went to Shelby NC two weeks ago.  I heard it was marginally smaller.  Still enought Ham junk to make the trip worthwhile.  Bought a $175 tuner for $30 bucks that works great.  That saving payed for my gas for the trip.  Not to mention seeing many of my buds from around the SE. 

Bought some wire there for $2 and strung a receive only antenna of over 200' around my fence so the neighborhood Nazis don't see it. (The Furher himself lives next door). 

[KB2WIG]

                         "Bought some wire there for $2 and strung a receive only antenna of over 200' around my fence so the neighborhood Nazis don't see it. (The Furher himself lives next door)."

 Well, string an ant on HIS   property and then complain about it....   Its the right thing to do..  klc








Yes, I am on narcotics.

[K1JJ]

Well, string an ant on HIS   property and then complain about it....   klc

 

The quote of the week. Too funny!

T

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

Indeed! I LOLed on that one.

[K1JJ]

Yeah, what a great way to let the Furher know you're a complete nutcase to be left alone!   

[W1RKW]

I remember my first trip to Hosstrader in Deerfield, NH.  I was in awe.  Just tons of radio and electronic stuff, tools too. One of the best ham flea markets I'd been too. 

Then Hosstraders moved to Rochester and it was about the time PC stuff was making it into the ham arena plus non-ham and non-electronic related stuff was showing up at the hamfest.

There was a point when I started thinking that it wouldn't be worth the trip and only went once a year as opposed to twice a year. 

It seems like computer related stuff leveled off and then Hosstraders moved to Hopkinton and things looked good.

It seems like weather does play a good part in turnout and what stuff is available from sellers and the amount of sellers.  Last spring was a good turnout both for buyer and seller as the weather was good.  One of the best I've seen in a while.

Some of the local hamfests seem to have shrunk. Many have moved around. And they seem weather dependant too. 

I think gas prices have influenced buyers and sellers to some degree over the last couple of years.  But that also can be a result of just over all radio trends too.  Interests wax and wane.

And then there's the Vortex.