so i've been trying to figure out if its worth making the drive out this year, last time i went i picked up a pretty decent used HF rig for way less than i wouldve paid new and just kind of wandered around for 3 hours talking to random people which honestly was the best part. my club is doing a carpool thing but the timing is kind of weird and i dont know if i can get the days off work. anybody else going or thinking about it, and is the flea market area still as good as it used to be? i feel like every year i hear people saying its getting smaller but then i show up and its still massive

went two years ago and yeah the fleamarket is still huge, maybe not quite like the 90s or whatever but honestly you can still find deals if you get there early enough on friday. i got a whole box of connectors and some coax for like 12 bucks which wouldve been insane to buy retail. the inside vendor halls felt a little thin to me but thats been a gradual thing. definitely worth going if you havent in a while, just bring cash and wear comfortable shoes cause you will walk forever

my local club does a hamfest every fall and its nowhere near dayton obviously but we usually get a decent turnout, like 80-100 people showing up to the swap tables. honestly for me the club breakfasts and the random eyeball QSOs are more fun than the actual buying and selling at this point lol. if you can swing the dayton trip though i'd do it at least once, its kind of a rite of passage thing