Scanner Tales: Hamfests

[rgchristy]

I went to a hamfest once, years ago. Once I told the old hams that I didn't have a license, it was like being shunned. I never went back.

I could never understand why some people would treat a younger person that way, while expecting a younger generation to become licensed.

I'm much older now and would still like to get my license some day, but my disabilities are making it harder.

 

[buddrousa]

I got mine in my 60's never give up you can do it.

 

[kc2asb]

I went to a hamfest once, years ago. Once I told the old hams that I didn't have a license, it was like being shunned. I never went back.

I could never understand why some people would treat a younger person that way, while expecting a younger generation to become licensed.

I'm much older now and would still like to get my license some day, but my disabilities are making it harder.

Typical behavior, which still goes on today. And like you said, they treat newcomers this way and then scratch their heads as to why the hobby has trouble attracting new entrants.

As @buddrousa said above, never give up.

 

[marcotor]

The W6TRW monthly swap meet is an institution in SoCal (W6TRW Amateur Radio Club Swap Meet). I used to go several times a year, but haven't been for several years. The long commute on the 405 Freeway, plus the availability of "supplies" on line diminished its appeal for me.

You haven't missed anything. Maybe 5-8 sellers with radio gear, and 50 with tools, computer gear, etc. Great place if you need 8" floppy disks. And the radio stuff there is mostly 30 years (and older) vintage and price tends to be above whatever new retail price was when it was purchased in 1989.

 

[ratboy]

I handed out "Most Ridiculous Price" certificates at several hamfests years ago. I think one of the guys I gave one to laughed, the other guys got pretty angry. Some of those prices were totally insane. I made one set of "Biggest Scam Artist" ones too, for guys, and I won't name any of them here, but I remember two of them well, since I was one of their victims, and the recipient of the second place one threw a tennis ball at me, startled the hell out of me. That guy, I can't remember his name.

They were the masters at making a messed up piece of equipment look good, and conveniently cover up the problems they had when demonstrating it. One of the guys was a real master at shoe polish use, waxing, and shining up stuff. But something that actually worked? Oh no.

 

[iggywfd]

Rich,
If you ever make it to HamCation in FLA let me know, I am just an hour west of Orlando. I try to convince Rich B about letting me operate a vending booth for SM this year since I was going to be here, maybe next year he will do it...
John E.
KC1WAM
WRWT207

 

[garys]

Some people that their Bearcat III and Icom IC2AT appreciated in value since the 1970s or '80s.

I handed out "Most Ridiculous Price" certificates at several hamfests years ago. I think one of the guys I gave one to laughed, the other guys got pretty angry. Some of those prices were totally insane. I made one set of "Biggest Scam Artist" ones too, for guys, and I won't name any of them here, but I remember two of them well, since I was one of their victims, and the recipient of the second place one threw a tennis ball at me, startled the hell out of me. That guy, I can't remember his name.

They were the masters at making a messed up piece of equipment look good, and conveniently cover up the problems they had when demonstrating it. One of the guys was a real master at shoe polish use, waxing, and shining up stuff. But something that actually worked? Oh no.

 

[DeeEx]

You haven't missed anything. Maybe 5-8 sellers with radio gear, and 50 with tools, computer gear, etc. Great place if you need 8" floppy disks. And the radio stuff there is mostly 30 years (and older) vintage and price tends to be above whatever new retail price was when it was purchased in 1989.

At least in the last 10 to 15 years or so, I’ve noticed we no longer have a ham renting an 8 foot table space next to his wife renting a 16 foot space to sell her knitted and embroidered craft items, jam and jellies, etc. That seemed to be the norm for years.

I’d rather see junk electronics being sold at a hamfest rather than somebody’s homemade goodies that have nothing to do with the hobby.

 

[kc2asb]

You haven't missed anything. Maybe 5-8 sellers with radio gear, and 50 with tools, computer gear, etc. Great place if you need 8" floppy disks. And the radio stuff there is mostly 30 years (and older) vintage and price tends to be above whatever new retail price was when it was purchased in 1989.

8" floppy disks are collectibles in their own right now. Reminds me of the massive computer/electronics show at Mercer County Community College here in NJ back in the early-mid 90's. A fair amount of radio gear made it into the show. At the end of the day, you would see stacks of original IBM PC's left behind by the vendors. I was able to get a complete working early 80's first generation IBM PC for something like $30. Now these systems sell for fair amount of money as collectors are grabbing them.

 

[garys]

They've moved to gun shows.

At least in the last 10 to 15 years or so, I’ve noticed we no longer have a ham renting an 8 foot table space next to his wife renting a 16 foot space to sell her knitted and embroidered craft items, jam and jellies, etc. That seemed to be the norm for years.

I’d rather see junk electronics being sold at a hamfest rather than somebody’s homemade goodies that have nothing to do with the hobby.

 

[kc2asb]

There was always at least one vendor selling radio gear and VHS tapes at the hamfests I went to years ago. I'd rather have the homemade jellies.

 

[2wayfreq]

I used to drive 50 miles to the Northrup Grumman W6TRW in Redondo Beach. My "Tech Buddies" had GMRS .625 Repeaters on Sierra and Santiago Peak. This was when having a UHF Astro Saber was a big deal. I would get there early with coffee and roam around for a few hours. We would go to "Simplex" and chitchat on what we found at the tables. I had a backpack to throw in in any "Goodies".
Later, we would meet at a local burger joint and "Talk Radio" for like 3 Hours. Fun Times!!

 

[k7ng]

Back in the 80's I lived & worked in the Silicon Valley. I attended the Foothill Flea Market which was a hamfest in all but name. A lot of nice stuff moved through there. I also remember this one gent who may have been living in his van, amidst a dozen or so Icom radios, or at least the boxes for the radios. I think he only owned one set of clothes, which he was wearing. I never worked up the nerve to ask to see any of the Icom radios.

One time I gathered up all the miscellaneous items I had, and set them all out on a workbench that was thrown out from my place of work. I was asking like $10 for a dozen dipped silver mica caps, 'name your price' Variacs, etc. I sold everything including the workbench.

I also remember that same event, where I saw a fellow sneak a milliammeter into his jacket pocket. As he was walking away, I said "What's that in your coat?" He said he didn't know what I was talking about, and I managed to reach in and pull it out. I said "See those letters scratched into the back? That's my callsign" He said he was going to call the cops, and I said he should do that very thing. About that time a couple of guys came up, looking for him, as he had grabbed a couple items from them too. I don't remember much more, other than I did get my meter back.

Actually I think people-watching at gun shows is more fun than at hamfests.

 

[kc2asb]

I used to drive 50 miles to the Northrup Grumman W6TRW in Redondo Beach. My "Tech Buddies" had GMRS .625 Repeaters on Sierra and Santiago Peak. This was when having a UHF Astro Saber was a big deal. I would get there early with coffee and roam around for a few hours. We would go to "Simplex" and chitchat on what we found at the tables. I had a backpack to throw in in any "Goodies".
Later, we would meet at a local burger joint and "Talk Radio" for like 3 Hours. Fun Times!!

This an experience I can easily relate to. Very reminiscent of the hamfests and other huge swap meets I've been to in my other hobby of collecting vintage bicycles. Just good times! Thanks for sharing!

 

[mmckenna]

Back in the 80's I lived & worked in the Silicon Valley. I attended the Foothill Flea Market which was a hamfest in all but name.

Those were excellent hamfests. Attended quite a few there, then at Onizuka AFB, then at De Anza. Went to one earlier this year, now at West Valley, and it was a pitiful little thing with hardly any ham gear and sparsely attended.

Still, made about $400 bucks off stuff I was going to throw out. I don't think one of the several radios I brought sold.

 

[ratboy]

I had several expensive items, most of them brand new over the years, and never sold any of them. I had a brand new repeater rack with all the accessories, in the packaging and got zero offers on it. The company that bought it all and put it into the dumpster paid over $1500 for it all together. Another time I had some brand new folding tables like they use at hamfests and sold one for like $15. They were another dumpster dive that cost about $75 each. In the approx 40 years I was attending hamfests, I sold almost nothing, and got taken a couple of times.

 

[Falcon9h]

When I lived in NJ at home with my folks I went to every hamfest within a ~70 mile radius. Had some run ins with radio Karens. Didn't take me long to stop selling, I just didn't have the tolerance for the old farts coming back again and again trying to offer pennies on the dollar. Finally I'd be like, hey look, you want the effin' thing or don't you? I just never had the patience.
I knew all the good fests where I'd find Motorola. Things started winding down in the 90's when they started getting junkier and there were more computers than radios. I'd buy a vendor's spot so I could get in earlier. Most good deals were made before the common rabble got near the gates.
I'm not of the income now to afford commercial radios plus I'm rural and there isn't anything close to home. Now that I'm one of the old farts, I abhor driving with a passion. Moneywise I'm in CCR territory and all that takes is a click to Amazon.
I sure did love hamfesting in the glory days when I had the money to go... all finito now..