[Milsurplus] Imagine a world without hamfests

[Peter Gottlieb]

I dunno, I've picked up stuff at hamfests for others many times.  
Mailing is a pain, but I've done it.  Occasionally I even get some money 
sent back, although less often than might be expected.  Nowadays, I just 
do small stuff  as a favor and don't ask for money, although I seem to 
be getting to fewer hamfests these days.

One problem is that what is at these events can vary a lot.  So, you can 
see stuff at 5 of them, mention it, then not see the exact same thing 
for a while.  Once live streaming video is trivial and common maybe 
remote hamfesting can become a reality.

Peter
 

Michael Tauson wrote:
> Several times I've mentioned needing something only to have people
> tell me how available and cheap they are at hamfests.  The number of
> hams in the US (700,000 as I recall) is just a touch less than the
> total population of Oahu discounting tourists, no fixed address and
> the state government.  (On reflection, the total count may be slightly
> over if I discount the government.)  This is a small state and I live
> on the most populous island in the state.  The next county is some 50
> miles away and the interstate system here doesn't go between counties
> let alone to the mainland.  We don't have hamfests as they're
> understood on the mainland but we also don't have the basements &
> closets of equipment that swaps homes that are so available on the
> mainland.  Many homes here don't even have basements or large closets
> which may be a reason why, but so would the fact that there isn't
> anything like the amount of equipment & parts available here as there
> is on the mainland.
>
> That said, when I've asked that someone pick something up for me
> that's so easy and cheap to find and that I'd pay them from the next
> coming pension check, I get zero response.  I'm not out to stiff
> anyone and I have never done so.  Any of a number of people can
> confirm that.  Nor am I looking for anything obscure or outrageous ...
> well, except a life companion and that's pure unobtainium, and I'm
> pretty much on my own on that quest.
>
> The way I see it, this comes down to either (or both) of two
> possibilities.  The first is trust and I can understand that.  The
> second is a give a [insert really bad word here] attitude and I can't
> understand that.  While you're thinking about (or ignoring) that,
> re-read the subject line.  That's pretty much where I live.
>
> BEst regards,
>
> Michael, WH7HG
>