[Milsurplus] Hamvention Attendance

Wed Jun 8 12:11:19 EDT 2022

Weird. In truth, there are two simultaneous hamfests at Dayton/Xenia.
I went to Dayton for many years and other than to go to the head, I don’t
think I ever went inside Hara more than twice, very briefly out of
curiosity. And I’ve only been inside one building at Xenia (a quick
walkthrough out of curiosity) and that was the first year there. I have
friends who have never been inside at either location.

For me all the interesting equipment and people have always been in the
flea market. That’s where my hamfest is held. I wonder, particularly at
Xenia, how many people come to that one and how many stay indoors at the
other one.
YMMV
Nick K4NYW

On Wed, Jun 8, 2022 at 10:43 AM David Olean <k1whs at metrocast.net> wrote:

> Hi Jeff.
>
> I was at Dayton in 1977. Friday was very busy and crowded, but you could
> get around and possibly get a chance totalk to a vendor in a booth. On
> Saturday, that was impossible. It was almost impossible to navigate around
> in any of the buildings. People were shoulder to shoulder just about
> everywhere. You could not really get a one on one conversation with anyone
> running a booth as : A. You could not move, and B. The line was so long to
> ask questions that you spent all your time waiting to get a chance to ask a
> question!.  I was a regular attendee from 1977 up until about 2005. Most of
> the 1980's were packed with attendees. I recall one time in the HARA arena
> standing in a booth early Friday morning, as the crowd was let in at the
> opening bell. The air went from pleasant to highly humid in an instant as
> hordes of hams surged through the gates in a matter of about 2 minutes! (It
> was raining outside!)  The old hockey rink was jam packed instantly. Quite
> an experience. I have yet to visit Xenia.
>
> 73
>
> Dave K1WHS
> On 6/7/2022 8:35 PM, Jeff Kruth via Milsurplus wrote:
>
> Well, I dont want to start a fight, it really doesnt matter. But I have
> been to Dayton since 1972. I was there on the years of over 30K people. The
> rows were JAMMED, couldnt walk five feet with having to struggle by people.
> The aisles at Hara were as wide or wider than the infield at Xenia. The
> insides of the arena were PACKED back then, not now.
> This is not even close to what I saw this year. Folks, you are being lied
> to. It may be "whistling past the graveyard" because if word gets around
> Dayton is dying out, it will die faster. But 31K? NO WAY. Maybe there were
> ticket sales for (a fraction of) that, and people didnt show because of
> Covid or Gas or whatever. But they were not at the show. Even my kids, who
> have only been a couple of times said "Hey Dad, there is no one here!" on
> Friday and Saturday morning. A friend who runs a big surplus establishment
> in Texas came up by himself, sans family. He told me Saturday morning he
> did not think he would make his gas expenses. Dont think he will be back at
> the current rate of Gasflation.
> I wish for the best, but am a realist. Hamfests are going out, Dayton
> included. Manassas VA, last weekend, I am told, was a bust this year:
> filled an entire show grounds field years back, so many cars got tired of
> walking to the end to see the new arrivals, this year 45-50 tailgaters, and
> hardly any buyers. Report from a reputable observer who I trust.
> That was my observation with Xenia this year: No real number of buyers,
> just other vendors buying stuff from each other. Say what you want, but I
> go to see my friends, many of whom are regular vendors (remember Billys
> tent full of High end TE on Metro racks, he doesnt go anymore). They just
> dont come out. Sad.
> I also judge by what I bring home: usually fill the truck up. This year,
> it all fit in a copy paper box. And no, its not because I am picky or
> already have stuff: I look for the eclectic. Tommy, from Maryland, who has
> the standup "Vacuum Tube Betty" sign (cute!) was not there. He usually
> brought a load of stuff gleaned from the surplus sales at various Wash DC
> institutions, cool stuff. Not this year.  A lot of what I saw should have
> been in a dumpster, but hey, if you dont build anything in a country, there
> is no surplus stuff to go to the HF with.  I did better at HoCo fairgrounds
> near Baltimore, a week later, where I "gave away" a trailer load of old
> test equipment (yah, that was me, made a lot of guys happy with old Tek &
> Heath stuff, Simpson 260s by the double handfull). It was given to me by my
> old job, and I wanted to get it out there, I didnt need it. That was FUN.
> Sure, you are seeing stuff from estate sales. Maybe things you always
> wanted. Good on that, its always fun to find something cool. Give it a new
> home for a few years.
> I really miss the old days, but nothing lasts forever, especially not us.
> At >$5 a gallon, those 150 mile one way hamfests will not see me, I cant
> even make expenses and dont find much. I know a lot of folks hate eBay, but
> its really become one of the only outlets for past treasures.
> Jeff Kruth
>
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-- 
Nick England K4NYW
www.navy-radio.com
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