A 24 hour turnaround trip to Belton. Because I had previously reserved a sellers table, I decided to attend Belton despite of the bad weather forecast. The good news: I sold all of my stuff. The bad news: I had to severely discount many of my items to get them sold. The allure of my “vintage” gear is markedly less popular that before and hams seem to be penny pinching more than ever.
The rain on Saturday AM, was a deterrent to a larger crowd; several sellers’ tables were vacant which is abnormal. This pesky weather precluded almost all of the outdoor tailgate action, but a few tailgate diehards tried to setup in-between showers.
It was good to see friends and familiar faces. Coffee was $2 but the atmosphere was fun. I sold my rare Hammurland HX-500 (only 600 were made in 1960), for $100 which was a remarkable markdown from my initial intent of selling it for $800. However, I had made up my mind that this 80lb monster was NOT going to come back home with me, hence I’m glad I was able to convince someone to take it. This is another indication that the old boatanchor enthusiasts are no longer around. There were lots of other tube radios, at great prices just sitting on the tables unloved. End of a great era, at least at these hamfests.
I sold my Collins KWM2A/30L1, TS-2000, and some other goodies which helped clean out my shack. With some extra spending cash in my wallet, I was able to buy an HP5347a power meter/counter rated up the 16GHz! John AB5SS gave me a thumbs up for this buy, which will be instrumental as I continue my progression into the microwave realm.
73 Dave W5OC
