ICQ Podcast Episode 265 - Online Purchasing Killing Hamfests?

gonna go out on a limb here.

one of my other hobbies is knives. i like to collect good, functional, usable knives for both outdoors and work. i also happen to live within driving distance of leatherman, gerber, benchmade, and zero tolerance, to name a few.

i can go to pretty much any outdoors store around, and pick up one of their units for cheaper than if I go to the factory store (aside from claerance sales.) their reasoning is, they make the most of their sales (hence profits) via the sales they make through their vendor partners. it would not serve them well to undercut the prices that their resellers list their products at, so they only sell at retail.

makes me sad sometimes to not be able to get a rarer item from a retailer when the factory store itself has it for 50 bucks more... but how bad do I want it? if i want it bad enough I have no problem coughing up a premium to get it. otherwise i'll wait to get it cheaper.

 

Last hamfest I attended in 2012, prices were WAY too high on most things - old beat up 2m rigs with no ctcss for $200+, Hallicrafters SX-101A in poor condition for $225, SX-88 (rare but in very poor condition) seller wanted $3500, etc., etc.

Most of it didn't sell. I buy online because there are no regular hamfests near me, and because of availability. If you are looking for something specific then hamfests are hit-and-miss, just like garage sales.

 

Just got back from NEARfest, Deerfield, NH. News of its death has been grossly exaggerated . It reminded me a little of how it was 20 years ago, it was so busy. Prices reasonable. I saw stuff I've never seen in person before.

 

I like ham fests because you get to see, feel and hold the part, device, etc before buying it. Plus if you are good, you can walk the price down.

I've gotten better deals at ham fests than online.

If you are up with technology and have a smart phone, then you'll have access to the Internet... you can be looking at the item and be looking at it's reviews and specs right online while you are wheeling and dealing.

Plus I've met some very interesting folks I'd otherwise not meet.

 

There is only one place to get a great Philly cheesesteak ... PHILADELPHIA, PA. everything else is a poor imitation. Unless you've been to Philly and had a REAL Philly cheesesteak you wouldn't know what you are missing.

 

I see people on here complaining about the price of used gear at hamfest. The reason for that is EBAY! Ebay auctions have inflated the price of gear to outrageous levels. It takes advantage of the human competitive nature and ones desire to win at any cost. Why would anyone think that a Drake TR4c would be worth $800? Why is a "for parts" TS-940 worth $750? Why is a "non-working condition" SX101 selling for $400? Then Joe Hamfester thinks his cat urine soaked junk is worth just as much. That is why hamfests have declined and then add on the local Tax Nazis that want to collect sales tax on the junk too. Lastly the bottom feeders that snatch up any good deal... take it back to their table and jack up its price.

I'm going to Dayton for the very first time this year since becoming a Ham 40 yrs ago and I figure this to be the only time that I go. I don't have any expectations. I don't need any gear. I have all new gear that is less than 1 year old. I just want to see it... browse the flea market, meet some of the guys that I've talked to on the air and meet the guys at DX Engineering that took all my money and provided me with my new station. If I get lucky, I might find some small parts for a project or two.

I have some gear that I don't use any more that I should sell but I don't want to be tied to the tailgate and I don't feel like carrying it out there. I may take it to my local hamfest to sell (it hasn't died yet). I don't trust online purchasers with all the stories that I've read. I listed one item here on QRZ and the amount of bullshite and insults that went through my email was enough to make me regret ever listing it. I'll not make that mistake again.

 

Wow, Yes Ebay and the like have hurt swapmeets, I sell a lot of estate 'stuff' on ebay , for the xyl's , , generally getting WAY more $$ than at any local swap meet. I've sold at dayton for years. sorry not this year, I love a great flea market, lots of olden day stories (bs) to pass around. Great to see all the old radios from our younger years. It's hard to believe, that those old radios had NO buttons. hi

The newer hams (mostly Technicians) have absolutely no use for a bunch of old stuff. They spent their allowance on that $20 Baofung, and an outside antenna is just not going to happen. Us old guys can only keep swapping stuff around for so long. HI

Go your local hamfest/swap and have a good time, thats what its all about/

 

I guess I'll jump on this bandwagon and put in my $0.02. I attend Both. I enjoy everything about Ham radio as most do. Before there brings up questions as to why I like dislike hamfests, Like most mentioned, look, touch, talk to the individual and possibly meet new hams! The thing that totally turns me off with some local Hamfests is that I find the same guys selling the same "stuff." They go from here to there within a 50 mile radius selling what they could not sell at the previous. Now the biggest drawback I see? Some selling absolute JUNK! Period!

No, I'm not talking possible projects in the making or "used for parts", I'm talking unusable, rusted broken good for nothing junk. Hams pay X amount of $$ to attend these events and there's Marvin trying to sell ( as mentioned previous) the same unusable crap that he couldn't sell at all the other hamfests he went to for years, asking outrageous ridiculous prices, but he continually drags the same stuff around over and over again. We've all seen it. Well it might be good for something someone asks? No I'm talking stuff that is totally unusable scrap. I've attended these fests and almost all agreed at some point. Time to throw it out.............

Have I bought and do I buy items at the hamfests? Sure! I support the hobby and the Fest itself. Helping out a club sponsored event is what makes us all hams with the same interest in the hobby.
There's the buy NEW area like at Dayton and the rest, and then there's the Flea market. Depends on what you want. Both are interesting.
Buy online? Up to you. Cons: Not personable, sometimes, not always, a hassle to return an item. Not knowing what your really buying. Pros: New, on a winters day, sit by the computer and shop! Sometimes you can get great deals as well.

Are hamfests a thing of the past and dying? At this time I don't think so, but the hobby in general is changing with the older hams slowly fading away and the new hams are into things that some of the older Hams aren't. We all have our own interests. It is what it is.

So, just have fun and enjoy!

 

Heh. Been there, done that. We have "Junky Lee", who has multiple tables of suplus crap, with an occasional gem. And another guy had the same stuff on his table for 4 or 5 consecutive hamfests, but would rather haul it back home than knock a little off his excessive asking price.

I'd rather see something go to a ham that needs it, and I'd like to make them a deal, but there are too many sleazy folks who act like they really want / need it, only to turn around and sell it on their table for more money. Several times I've had people try to talk me down to nothing, to which I reply, "I'm not taking it home. If I don't get what I want, I'll smash it and toss it in the dumpster before I leave!"

 

Maybe it's just a personal quirk, but I prefer acquiring gear from people that I know, or alternatively, getting to know the people I buy from

 

Exactly why I primarily buy new these days. At least there is a "warranty," however poor it may be.

 

I enjoy swaps have got some great deals, it's fun to get the idem right then . But just running out of room for this stuff anymore. In my area there is still some good swapmeets . Yes it's fun to b. S. With others you don't get that on line. The online thing brings rigs that you may never see if you like the classics bobkj6ca

 

In my limited experiences at hamfests and electronics swapmeets (flea markets), I've seldom found anything that was a real bargain, and such rare bargains were for things that didn't interest me. The sellers appear to have checked online used prices, and added a premium, assuming buyers won't compare online with their smartphones. In fact, the most recent hamfest prices I saw convinced me to buy what I needed new (online, of course). For used items, the QRZ Swapmeet is great.

 

Oh well the times changes and time to follow its changes i get better deals from ONLINE purchase old and new then wasteing time going to as fro gas and hotel or camping and spend the day walking around in circles and dealing ....so for 25 years plus I done online as far as back tot he BBS Net working with the C64 and not issues yet as long you check into your sellers history and address and do PAYPAL then that helps to be protected from issues if any....SO ONLINE buying and selling is the wave of the past of 25 years plus and the future.......cant hold back progression...