> Read the rest of my previous post. In years past, confirmations
> of spaces was done the year before. This year, we can't even
> get a reply from them, and it's less than two months away.
Probably true... but a number of glitches have happened to
the Dayton Club. They had to kick out the corporation running
the Hamvention into the ground. In the boom years, the corp
actually reported a loss back to the club... go figure.
The Corp provided little or no records as they went out the
door. Everything was done from square one starting a year
or two ago.
> > In case you haven't noticed, the larger ham radio flea
> > markets in general have been smaller in size.
> That's true in my area EXCEPT for the largest ones in
> the area. Sure, all have suffered some, but many smaller
> ones are belly-up (or near so). The larger ones are
> slightly smaller, but are still large. Dayton was always
> jam packed all three days until the past several years.
> There were never spots open on Saturday - now there are
> nearly sections of several hundred spaces open with the
> exception of a few cars (literally).
> I personally blame eBay. Yes, really.
I agree... not to mention the serious down turn in Land
Mobile Radio (LMR aka Two-Way Radio). If you go back far
enough, you'll remember all those extra people were selling
surplus lmr radios and computer items. One of the buildings
was full of mostly computer sales booths. Most of those
people are gone. Out here on the West Coast (where the
men are men and the sheep are nervous) we used to have
huge computer shows 2 or 3 times per month... all moving
around through the local fair ground auditoriums. They are
all pretty much now gone... only the model railroad, tool
sale, crafts and antique shows cycle through... oh yes,
the auto/car shows/flea mkts.
As a buyer, you'd go to the flea markets to find the sellers
not willing to really deal much. "Why I can just sell it on
Ebay for twice that price". Many times they could...
> They wanted to charge Mendelson more for his 97 spaces. He was
> (reportedly) willing to pay it, but wanted the extra three spaces to
> make it an even 100. Dayton refused. That is (again reportedly) why
> Mendelson was not there last year. Is that "going the extra mile"?
> There have been spaces open the last few years. Would it have
> hurt to give someone who paid for 97 spaces 100 of them when
> you have hundreds of spaces open?
There's always more to a story than what we learn.
What you don't know is how he/they tried their strong arm at
the very last minute for their "regular location". The flea
market spots at that location are considered prime and the
Dayton Flea Market folks sold the spots to others because
Mendelsons delayed well past a cut off time. They were offered
another great location up but turned it down.
> > Actually attendance in general was up over some
> > previous years
>
> Not vendor attendance. There were even SECTIONS of the
> inside left unused that were occupied in previous years
> (and none of them, or very few, are LMR dealers). That
> was not the case two years ago (maybe three). I bet
> this year they are close to having an entire building left
> unused. I hope not, but I fear that will be the case.
Attendance in general is not specific to Vendor Attendance.
Yep, there were a lot fewer Vendors, but think about who
many of those vendors were... Computer Sales, Back and foot
rub machine people, computer software, auto electric car
demos and many items that tend to be cyclic at such shows.
Over all there is a general core of regular Vendors selling
Amateur Items who come back every year... and that's a good
thing as seen across the US in many places.
> I'm looking forward to 'discussing' the quality of
> the TS-2000 driver transistors with the Kenwood reps. >8-(
They might have a fix or retrofit available by now. It
takes X-number of faults and direct feedback for a problem
to be addressed. The Amateur Radio glitch-fix process often
takes much longer than LMR radio.
> The weather is always bad - it's Dayton. :-)
>
> You either freeze or burn or drown.
> (sometimes all three the same weekend)
The killer is rain on Friday and Saturday. A few years ago
the rain stopped on Sunday. Most everyone had already gone
home. Distant travelers like to use Sunday as travel home
time. It's actually one of the most fun times to be in
the flea market.
> I wonder just WHO lost, though...
Everyone did... People like Mendelsons and were sad they
weren't there. He/they sent people over to the flea market
to pass out flyers about a big sale at the store.
But you can't wait until the last minute (after a deadline)
to try and strong arm a flea market space deal. Those spaces
are going to be sold to other people and if you don't like
what's left over it's kind of tough... for everyone.
>
> It takes two to tango, and there are two sides to every
> story. Mendelson did a fair job at getting his side out.
Where were those comments made..?
> I made my comments above before I read this part of your
> post. As for 'last minute', I question that. Reportedly,
> he always sold many tickets throughout the year, but did not
> do that last year due to the issue between him and Dayton.
> If that is true, it says it was much more than a last
> minute issue.
Had he not delayed, tried to strong arm a location and
price... he would have been there. He was welcome to set
up shop at many other locations in the flea market spaces,
but he turned it down.
> Whoever we have been in contact with for the last umpteen
> years. I don't do the contacting - I just hear that 'we
> haven't heard anything back yet'. There is ALWAYS an issue
> of getting two passes for the two spaces we have. It's
> worked out every year.
At least the last two years... the flea market chair was
my good friend Tom H., a really nice low key guy. He and
the club were trying to restore the Dayton Hamvention evet
back to square one after the previous year operation by
a Corporation, which claimed to have lost money even in
the boom years we remember.
This year finds a new Flea Market Chair Person and I've
already asked Tom to address the issues you folks have
mentioned. I should hear back from him this week. Tom
will be doing things on the inside this year. I'll still
be at the flea market gate Sat morning at 5am letting you
in... stop trying to mow me down guys...
> > Wait for a follow up post in the next day or
> > two (from me).
>
> I would really appreciate that. Last I heard, we
> haven't heard a word from them/him.
> Joe M.
This year is different... maybe the new flea market
chair has a different way of doing things... but I'll
find out and let you know.
Stay tuned, Same Bat Time... Same Bat Channel
cheers,
skipp
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