On 10/19/07, david knepper <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Wouldn't you rather see more ladies at hamfests selling their items next to > their husband-hams with his old boatanchors?
That depends whether it's Ken's example or someone selling a table of dishes and flatware with a 12v BC power supply on the table too. For the most part, no. > Would you rather have no hamfests at all? That's obviously not the question. You're presenting a case of 'either my way or none', which just isn't the case at all. You make prefer to think this, but that doesn't make it so. If not the top complaint/suggestion for NEAR-Fest, it was a close second: Get rid of the non-radio junk! We've done pretty well at it with the first 2 'fests and will continue to work on improving it where and when necessary. But again - we don't bother folks who are selling mainly radio or related items and have a few other odds and ends on the table. This is the 'mix' that most folks appreciate, not an all-out junkfest/flea market where anything goes. Keep in mind that even though most hamfests are primarily flea markets, they were intended to be "radio" flea markets. Otherwise, why bother? Why try to spoil someone else's fun simply to make it acceptable to your taste? There are thousands of flea markets around the country weekly where you can sell other stuff if that's your thing. You can even sell radios. > When it goes, then what? If the folks running the Dayton Hamvention choose to keep it, or later turn it back into, a vital and vigorous radio event should it decline to a mere junkfest, that is within their power. NEAR-Fest replaced the well-established Hosstraders event that took place for 33 years. Towards the end it was getting a bit lean in attendance and good stuff and heavy on junk. Solution: add a group of folks truly interested in radio, willing to put in the work and not tolerate mediocrity, and you have a successful hamfest. More than just a flea market, and a lot of work, but well worth it. > Appreciate what we have and not for what we wish for. Those days are gone > and only memories in our mind. Says you. The facts show otherwise, whether it's Belton, the 'fest that Brian posted photos for recently, or any number of events still taking place and improving. In the case of NEAR-Fest, we appreciated what was left but made it what we wanted it to be rather than taking a defeatist attitude. By "we" I mean not just the workers and volunteers, but also the participants who take part and make the event a reality, rain or shine. "Those days" are not gone, they are alive and well. You just have to be willing to stand up and make a change for the better instead of sitting on the sidelines waiting for doom and gloom to happen. The 'death of ham radio' and other doom and gloom scenarios may eventually come to pass, but they don't have to happen in our lifetimes or even after, as long as there are interested and active participants to keep things going. ~ Todd, KA1KAQ ______________________________________________________________ Our Main Website: http://www.amfone.net AMRadio mailing list List Rules (must read!): http://w5ami.net/amradiofaq.html List Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.html Post: mailto:[email protected] To unsubscribe, send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word unsubscribe in the message body.
