Evan, You feel this is out of context but I had even mentioned having a swap separate from VCF but your response was as I previously quoted. You had your vision on the way things should be done which worked but your initial reaction to outside input is to say "No". I probably only worked with you at the museum 5 or 6 times but spent quite a bit of time arguing with you as you are not exactly receptive to any ideas that differs from yours. Believe me, I do appreciate on what you accomplished but sometimes talking to you was like talking to a brick wall. When your mind is made up there is no room for discussion. That's my opinion on our discussions perhaps you have a different view. I am sure in your mind I am totally wrong. Regards, Jeff On Sun, Sep 13, 2020, 11:28 AM Evan Koblentz <evan@snarc.net> wrote:
In years past, I pushed for a swap meet with previous management but the response was "It would be too much like a hamfest and hamfests are dying".
That's out of context.
Several people in the group asked for a swap meet * during * VCF East. I declined, because many of these people wanted to have a swap meet table instead of exhibiting. That would have damaged the exhibit hall and replaced much of it with something attractive only to people who are already in the hobby.
It would have contributed to shrinking the hobby. My goal was to grow the hobby by introducing it to the public.
Consignment was a (very successful) compromise. It let everyone sell stuff without taking away from the exhibit hall and also making some extra money for the group.
I was right about that, and I was right about hamfests. How many families and kids excitedly go to a hamfest? Swapmeets are incestuous, and that makes communities wither and go extinct.
You're able to have a swapmeet this year only because management is not bogged down running the real show.
VCF's success is because of my earlier decisions, not in spite of them.
On Sep 13, 2020, Jeff Galinat via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vcfed.org> wrote:
Hi Adam, Excellent! Even though I am a little bummed as I live in AZ now instead of NJ, this is great news! Swap meets have been a large part of the vintage computer and ham radio communities for years. I still find occasional vintage computer items at hamfests but a vintage computer swap meet would be great for the hobby. In years past, I pushed for a swap meet with previous management but the response was "It would be too much like a hamfest and hamfests are dying".
One of the largest draws for TCF was the flea market and I had many great finds over the years but they effectively killed the flea market by moving it in to a small room.
I still have a good amount of vintage equipment in NJ so maybe I can participate in a future event if it happens next year.
Best of luck with the event, Jeff
On Sun, Sep 13, 2020, 9:32 AM Adam Michlin via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vcfed.org> wrote:
Hi Everyone,
Alas, there will be no consignment at our hybrid VCF East coming up, but we have decided to try something new and have an *outdoor* Swap Meet. Vendors (which can be individuals) will be able to rent space and people will be able to attend the event for the very modest fee of $5. All VCF surplus will also be on sale at this event.
DATE: Saturday, November 7, with Rain Date Sunday, November 8 TIME: 9AM TO 6PM Location: InfoAge, 2201 Marconi Road Wall, NJ 07719
$20 for vendors for first space, $10 for each additional space. 4 spaces max - BRING YOUR OWN TABLES/BLANKETS/WHATEVER
$5 for admissions for general public
We want to emphasize this will be an *outdoor* event
I'm particulary excited about this because, back in the 1990s, my first
stint (habit, if you prefer) of vintage computer collecting was supported by attending regular computer swap meets in Silicon Valley at De Anza College and Lawrence Livermore Labs. The enthusiam at consignment each year tells me we are ripe to bring something like this back on a regular basis, but, of course, COVID make things trickier than usual.
Best wishes,
-Adam