I do agree with Richard's sentiments. We have a few vendors here that go to hamfests. The one I know the best - KJI electronics - shares the same sentiment. What is really making business suffer is that Gene and his wife Ann have had some health issues including the big C a few times. Gene and his wife are basically living by the grace of God right now. He only operates the store a few hours in the afternoons now. But he likes the hamfests. Gene also sells at Hamvention under the business name KJI Electronics of Ohio. Online sales, in particular Amazon, are really killing everything under the sun. On the flip side it has opened up opportunities for selling things with low overhead. But the effect on brick and mortar retail has been absolutely devastating. I'm afraid I don't have any real answers to this issue other than I generally try to encourage people to buy locally if they can and attend the hamfests. 73 RIa, N2RJ On Wed, 1 Jan 2020 at 00:14, John Robert Stratton <N5AUS@n5aus.com> wrote:
Christine and Richard Lenoir own Main Trading Company in Paris, Texas and have grown from a seller of surplus and closeout electronics to being able to stand toe-to-toe in Texas with HRO. Although MTC was within 200 miles of Texas Towers in Plano and then HRO, MTC was able to become a dealer for Icom, Kenwood and Yaesu. Hams drive from Dallas-Ft. Worth to do business with Richard, partially because he accepts trade-ins.
For years MTC was a mainstay/go-to commercial vendor for most of the Texas/Oklahoma hamfests. MTC in recent years has actually been a vendor at Hamvention.
But read his current email. I have been concerned for some time for the future of many non-Tier 1 hamfests, because they have been unable to attract commercial vendors, resulting in lower attendance.
Richard's observations are worth considering.
Happy New Year to all!!!
_______________________________________
John Robert Stratton
N5AUS
Director
West Gulf Division
Office: 512-445-6262
Cell: 512-426-2028
P.O. Box 2232
Austin, Texas 78768-2232
_______________________________________
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