Re: [NJARC] Swap Meet Protocols - My 2¢

[John Dilks K2TQN]

At 10:26 AM 3/14/05, you wrote:
>  but I did not like personally witnessing vendors/members "reselling" 
> items at last Sunday's swap meet in Hazlet!
>I saw one vendor buy a radio from another vendor, jack-up the price, and 
>then put it on his table for sale.
>
>I also did not like the idea of seeing many of the bargains gone by the 
>advertised start time of 8:30 AM.

Martin,

Selling before 8:30 AM:  Ya' better get used to it and buy yourself a good 
alarm clock.  That old expression of Ben Franklin, "The early bird catches 
the worm," is especially true with radio meets [anywhere].

If you go to the August AWA meet in Rochester, NY, you will find members 
walking around with flash lights at 6 am, looking under tarps and inside 
cars.  If you go to hamfests, you will find buyers following cars entering 
the fleamarket area until they park. Many times the driver hasn't even 
turned off his motor when the offers to buy begin.

I know this sounds confusing and distasteful, but it's the way the game is 
played.  So become a player, it can be a lot of fun and rewarding, 
especially when you find something special.

And if you really can't play at the "no rules" or the "no rules enforced" 
places, then you only have three alternatives.

1)  Pack your bag and attend the CC-AWA meet in Charlotte, NC, in March 
every year.  They do an excellent job in policing the fleamarket.  They 
have a LeMans start for buyers and sellers at 8:30 (I think).  Everyone 
gets a fair chance.

2) The Boston radio meet in February has the same thing, and it's as fair 
as the CC-AWA.

3)  Shop on Ebay where the only rule is - the highest bid at closing time wins.

As far as reselling an item you just bought at the same meet - You have to 
consider that some people just want to get rid of something and price it to 
sell. There are always dealers at the meets, so they go there to buy. (An 
old antique dealer friend of mine has told me many times, that he makes his 
money when he buys, not when he sells.)  Buying something "right" is 
everything.  And I always like a bargain, so I'll buy something if it's 
cheap and I like it.

Now common sense says - if you buy something cheap from a friend or fellow 
club member - it's insulting to put it on your table for more money at the 
same meet.  Doing things like this only makes enemies, or at the very 
least, hurts a friendship.  The wise thing to do is to put it into your car 
and take it home.  If you still want to sell it then, do it later on, when 
you won't hurt feelings.

We all know, or learn, who the tasteless sellers are.  Many of us won't 
deal with them - buying or selling.

My 2¢,
73, John Dilks, K2TQN