[NCARC] More thoughts Re: Swapmeets

[Bill & Suzie Whatley]

Some thoughts regarding the enjoyment of Ham Radio Swapmeets:



First, consider getting a table and attending as a seller, not just as a buyer. Unless you just got into ham radio within the last year, you probably have something that you would consider selling or trading for some other ham-related item. The longer you have been in ham radio, the more likely you are to have items that you could sell (and never miss). Each ham must set their personal guidelines regarding what items to sell.

Prime items to consider for sale might include any transmitter, receiver or transceiver that duplicates the power, frequency coverage and modes of operation of your primary or backup station equipment. 

Also included would be any of the above that you have not actually used in the last year or have to step over in order to reach the operating position in your shack.

Other items worthy of consideration would be any accessory equipment (Microphones, Keys, TNCs, Phone Patches, Computers, Antennas, etc.) or test equipment that has not been used in the last three years or more. Also look at surplus feedline, connectors and other parts that could be used for building ham related equipment or accessories. The list of potential items that can be found in many ham shacks is much too long to include in this document.

Remember, you don't win anything by having the most toys (a.k.a. Junk) when you pass away; you just burden you surviving family and friends with having to dispose of it.

Also, "rotating your stock" gives you a chance to learn how to operate (and service) a larger variety of equipment without having to live in a warehouse environment.

If not having enough treasure to fill a swapmeet table causes you (regardless of political affiliation) to "waffle" on attending as a seller, just contact one or two ham friends that have a similar concern and split the cost of a table with them. Teaming up with another seller also offers the advantage of not having to worry about leaving the table periodically throughout the event.

Sellers are not prohibited from being buyers and attending as a seller has numerous advantages, such as the ease of recovering the cost of travel, table and admission as well as the often-overpriced food-like substances available at the event.

It also allows you to get into the event earlier and view the items that other sellers have brought from their treasure chests. Swapmeet ethics used to limit activity to the viewing of these items prior to the opening of the event to the public. There has, however, been a noticeable decline in the number of persons willing to adhere to this out of respect for those who attend the event as buyers only.

Your expectation as a seller should be to make enough to cover your expenses (such as the item mentioned above) and have a good time, nothing more. This is easily done with just a handful of accessory items that are priced to move. When going to a swapmeet as a seller, you should attend the event as a social gathering rather than a moneymaking opportunity. If your primary goal is to make a profit, you will have a more enjoyable experience marketing your items through one of the many on-line auctions available on the Internet.

As a seller, there are techniques that you can use that will enhance your enjoyment and increase your chances of leaving with new treasures or cash rather than the items you brought. One of these is to do your homework and price your items to sell. You should know the actual second-hand value of the items based on its intended use. Stated another way, don't use the sales prices found on an auction site (such as E-bay) to forecast the sales price you should expect to get at a non-auction event such as a swapmeet. Hoping to find a chump in an effort to maximize your achieved sales price can result in your having to take the items back home and may cause you to be labeled as a seller to be avoided at future events.

It is not hard to sell between two thirds and three quarters of the items you bring if you price them reasonably and are willing to barter. Learning or knowing how to barter as a seller or buyer should be part of the enjoyment of the event, not an obstacle to be overcome.

If you need to achieve a specific sales figure in order to buy a rather expensive item that you want, you should consider bringing numerous "mid and low dollar" items and selling them at reasonable prices. I have walked out of one swapmeet with a brand new dual band VHF/UHF mobile and another swapmeet with a brand new HF rig purchased with funds that I received from selling numerous items covering two entire tables, none of which sold for more than 20 or 30 dollars.

This works because most attendees arrive with limited funds and are "bargain" hunting. Only a limited number of buyers come to these events with funds to buy "high dollar" items, which reduces the seller's chances of marketing such equipment. Do not avoid bringing high dollar items to a swapmeet because of this, just realize that the target buying population is smaller and your other less expensive items will probably sell quicker.

I have even seen a seller who labeled each of his items with the decreasing price for each hour of the event. He was most certainly a "motivated" seller. I later saw him strolling around with a large wad of cash, socializing and looking for other items to buy as his table was sold out by over an hour before the noon drawing. Although having an enjoyable experience is defined by each person's expectations, he stated that he had accomplished that for himself at that event.

In the next posting, I will attempt to identify some basic things to consider if you want to have an enjoyable experience as a buyer at a swapmeet.

73 to all,

WA5VRL

Willis