[Boatanchors] Hamfest Pricing

[Robert Moses]

"professional hamfesters" = "professional hamsters" <g> Saves a couple
of letters!

On 09/01/2014 08:33 AM, Rob Atkinson wrote:
> At the Indianapolis hamfest last July I came upon a guy unloading his
> pickup at around 6:20 a.m.  He hauled out an isolation transformer, a
> Stancor, that looked pretty big.  Turned out to be 1KVA which was more
> than most I see.  I had been looking for one like that.  I figured
> he'd want at least 50 bucks for it.  I mildly asked what he wanted for
> it.  He said, make an offer.   I ummed around looking at it and was
> about to say $20 expecting him to laugh.  Before I could say anything,
> he said, "How about 5 dollars?"  SOLD!  And glad I kept my mouth shut.
> Some sellers are so eager to just get rid of things they'll
> practically give something away to not haul it home.  Well, the Indy
> hamfest from a buying standpoint, was all down hill after that, hi.
>
> Ebay prices at hamfests:  my observation of that is that the eBay
> price folks are what I call "professional hamfesters."  These are
> bottom feeders who go to estate sales, and think they are
> mini-Wal-Marts, and they can put a price on something and not
> negotiate.  Sometimes they even buy an item at a hamfest cheap and put
> it on their table at the very same hamfest.  They may or may not be
> hams.  Not to be confused with real businesses who purchase gov't and
> manufacturer surplus and have a brick and mortar business QTH and
> advertise and so on.  The professional hamfesters are the ones who you
> see at every hamfest, with their tables out and little neat price tags
> on everything, sometimes with a computer there to check inventory and
> prices, and these displays of stuff under glass, all used.   A regular
> ham will sell you a 6V6 for $2.  One of these P.H.s will want $15 or
> even $20.  Most hams who are simply cleaning out the shack and garage
> will set something out and dicker over the price.
>
> 73
>
> Rob
> K5UJ
> ______________________________________________________________
> Boatanchors mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/boatanchors
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:Boatanchors at mailman.qth.net
> Message delivered to rhmoses at earthlink.net
>
> List Administrator: Duane Fischer, W8DBF
> ** For Assistance: dfischer at usol.com **
>
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>