so ive been trying to figure out if its worth making the drive out to dayton again this year. last time i went the flea market area was honestly the best part, picked up a barely used IC-7300 for way less than retail and a bunch of random coax connectors i didnt even know i needed. my buddy says the indoor vendors have gotten more expensive every year but the tailgating outside is still pretty decent if you get there early enough before all the good stuff walks off. anybody else planning on going or have tips for the swap meet area specifically, like where to park to be close to the outdoor stuff

yeah i go most years, the trick is getting there like right when the gates open on friday, seriously the good gear is gone by 9am. i grabbed a barely touched 817 a couple years back for 350 bucks and the guy next to me snagged a whole antenna tuner collection for almost nothing. parking in the yellow lots puts you closer to the flea market entrance but its a bit of a hike from the main building if you care about that. bring cash too, half the sellers dont do venmo or whatever

just went last year for the first time and honestly had no idea what i was doing lol ended up wandering around for like an hour before i figured out the outdoor swap area was a totally different vibe from the inside. didnt buy anything but it was cool just seeing all the old equipment. might go again this year if i can get the time off work