[CW] A Call to Arms

[Richard Knoppow]

    I think this is a long standing myth, maybe left over from 
the 1930s depression and the abundant surplus equipment following 
WW-2. That's a long time ago. I think hams are personally 
generous people, and so I have found them, but nonetheless 
bargain hunters. I am not sure how being a bargain hunter makes 
you unusual. For instance I am getting lots of "Black Friday" ads 
offering bargain prices for all sorts of things obviously aimed 
at bargain hunters.

On 11/27/2020 9:29 AM, Steve WD8DAS via CW wrote:
>
> John wrote:
>
> >There's no group of people in the world that is more tight 
> fisted than hams.
>
> Wow - that has certainly not been my experience.  I've 
> encountered more generosity from my fellow hams than any other 
> group, professional or amateur, that I've been a part of.  
> Offers of help, advice, free parts, equipment, and tower space 
> have impressed and humbled me.  I do my best to keep that 
> tradition going.  Naturally not every single person acts in 
> this way, but it is far more likely among hams than other 
> groups I've known.
>
> When I reviewed the comments on the FCC website, I did not see 
> any that said or implied that hams just don't want to pay a fee 
> because of personal cheapness. The rationale presented in the 
> comments seemed to focus on fairness, public policy, and/or 
> what would be good for the amateur service as a whole.
>
> I have heard comments like yours come up in the context of 
> hamfest dickering.   There is a subset of sellers who are 
> insulted by buyer offers, and don't seem to understand the 
> culture of bargaining on price in a market.  They will say 
> "hams are so cheap" and the like when they don't get their price.
>
> That reminds me of a story...  Some people really know how to 
> haggle:  I once bought some silk scarfs for gifts from a woman 
> in a clothing market in Beijing.  I came in low, she countered, 
> we went back and forth a couple of times.  She tried hard: she 
> yelled at me in Mandarin, she stomped around, she threw the 
> scarfs in a box on the ground, and finally started crying.  Big 
> wet tears rolled down her face.  But as I walked away she 
> pulled me back and took my last offer with a big smile.  I said 
> to the other ladies in the nearby booths, "She did a good job, 
> didn't she" and they laughed and nodded.  One said, you did a 
> good job too!"
>
>
> Steve WD8DAS
>
> sbjohnston at aol.com
> http://www.wd8das.net/
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
> Radio is your best entertainment value.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: John <johnmb at nc.rr.com>
> To: CW Reflector <cw at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Thu, Nov 26, 2020 4:22 pm
> Subject: Re: [CW] A Call to Arms
>
>
> There's no group of people in the world that is more tight 
> fisted than hams.
>
>
>
> John K5MO
>
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-- 
Richard Knoppow
1oldlens1 at ix.netcom.com
WB6KBL