How big was 2019 Hamcation? Reports wanted!

You had to be a pretty rich ham to afford a flea market space for just convenient parking, especially in later years. That would certainly cancel out the value of any so called discounts and bargains you might find. That is like going to an expensive restaurant and buying a dinner and not eating it just to have a place to set down. Heck as it is you gotta have some substantial profit in mind with your stuff to justify the space for selling.

 

Not so! A flea spot is what, $70? Which includes a couple of parking tickets and your flea market vendor pass which gets you into the show for all the days. So, when you could just get a spot, park your truck or van there, and live out of it for 3 or 4 days, that was a sweet deal! My hotel room in Beavercreek was $195 A NIGHT! iirc, because I help out an indoor vendor we get in Wednesday, my hotel bill was over $1000. That's a bunch of money I could have better spent on radio gear. All the area hotels jack up the prices for Hamvention. They know how to make money. Even if you book it right now, they won't give you a break. And I don't mean some flea infested dump, I'm talking nice places, centrally located, and not far from the fairgrounds. So you can see, for the ham who's pretty self sufficient and willing to camp out for a few days, the rule change not allowing for camping in the flea market killed it for them.
I can guarantee if camping where allowed at the fairgrounds, they would have to largest Hamvention in history that year! (The 15 or 20 RV spots don't count, LOL!)
Guy,
KC2PMM

 

Dayton is what it is. It's not what it used to be at the Hara given that a long-term contract has been signed with Green County, this is where it will be for the future. The good news is that you will eat well. Big selection of Junk Food. Tasty and plentiful. The dealers area is in outdoors buildings which are being increasingly weatherproofed. Some are air conditioned; some are not. The strong negatives are the flea areas and the separation by 30 miles or so between the Hamfest which is in Xenia, Ohio and the major events, like the banquets and contest university which are held at a hotel in downtown Dayton. There are two flea areas: a small preferred grassy area, close to the food and dealers and a larger muddy one spread out over the county fairgrounds racetrack area. This is a mud-pit unlike the Hara which was paved. Expect to get muddy traversing the fleas looking for bargains. Tough to get the boat-anchor of your dreams back to your car parked a quarter or half mile away. Discourages the flea market business. Hard to sell; hard to buy. They have tried to dump rubber shavings and straw into the dirt to keep the mud down but it doesn't work. if it rains. Last year, it didn't rain much but the year before it did and was a disaster. Cars were getting stuck trying to get in and out. This area should be paved over with asphalt. Of course since its primary use is as a fairgrounds race track, that will never happen. In summary inspite of my complaints that the site isn't as good as the Hara at Trotwood, I've been going to "Dayton" for 25 years and will go again this year. But I can't take selling and buying in the fleas very seriously.'73. W9ZD

 

Hi,

This year was my third time attending Hamcation. Every following year, I had to park my car farther away being there at the same time...

I got my ticket there this time, and I can say the organization was excellent. (It is KN4SEC by the way).

I’ve found all the major brands and very good deals on the flea market space. Having luch on site should be better planned, though (more space, more vendors should be nice). Expect long lines for a pizza or a hotdog.

There are several restrooms thru the venue, all nice and clean.

I’m planning on attending Hamcation 2020 hoping to have a great time there as I always have.

73
Guido LU8EQ