Or one could just contact the hamfest organizers and pose the question to the only people who can answer on the behalf of the event in question.
it's so hams have the rest of the day to find out what's really wrong with that bargain gear they bought this morning.
Over the years I've heard lots of stories about guys roaming the parking lot at 5 am with flashlights looking to get a deal before everyone else!
At 5 am I'm hunting coffee and a sausage and egg biscuit. I'm all for saving some cash but I don't desire to be "That Guy" that spends $300 worth of my time being a weirdo to save $25. That's a lot of time I could be a weirdo while doing other things that have ZERO monetary value.
No doubt some of those guys are flippers who turn around and put it on their table an hour later for an extra $5 or $50, depending on what it is. Yes, best to get the sausage and egg biscuit before arriving. Some of those on-site breakfasts will have you in the bathroom an hour later with a tummy ache or driving home wondering if you'll make it in time.
Years ago in Dallas there was a huge sidewalk sale on the north side downtown. It was a Saturday morning event. People set up as early as 11pm Friday night. ( I was one of them ) guys would go around with flashlights looking at others stuff. A lot of people would come in after midnight and the guys with flashlights would buy them out before they could unload their vehicle. I made extra money that way to help finances at home and to buy things I wanted without taking funds away from my family. Once I bought a Commodore Amegia which at the time was the latest and most expensive Commodore at the time. I actually wanted it for myself. But, a couple of hours after I bought it, a guy walked up and offered me more than double what I paid for it! Needless to say, I never found another one at that price! James WD5GWY
If you want to sell stuff go early; I suggest half an hour before the gate opens..... If you want to hunt for bargains go early and get a selling spot. If you can not make it by 2 hours of the opening time, hmm; maybe stay home and buy on the internet. LOL 73 K2HAT
I'm up at 0200. Maybe 0300 if I don't set the alarm. I don't get naps (which is why 1900 is way past my bedtime, from that other thread.)
Sure. Hamfest here in Sept. opens at 6 a.m. Still dark. Have to use a flashlight to see stuff. If ya want da good deals, ya gotta beat da competishun. Also, traffic is a lot easier early.
A lot depends on what you are looking for. If you're looking for some modern stuff like a plastic radio or one of those auto-tuners, the need to arrive early is probably less. If you have a rig that's crapped out or you are done building something but for a single vacuum cap or tube, then the motivation to arrive early to be the one who gets the mod. transformer or pair 4-400As is a lot greater.
There's a lot more to it than the flippers and bargain hunters. If you are a serious and experienced collector you have learned you also have some rather stiff competition out there looking for the same rare and valuable stuff as you like. You quickly learn to arrive very early to even have a chance to see some highly prized stuff as sellers are pulling in to unpack in their tailgating space. Most hamfest attendees are unaware of all the good equipment which has already been bought and changed hands before the sun can come up. By the time the gates open to the general public the tailgate area has already been picked clean of the good stuff. I used to be one of those early bird collectors and my car was usually already full by 8AM.
As we get older we need less sleep, Retirement decreases available funds, So we grab all the bargains. Suck it up young un! The early bird gets the worm !
