- 2025
- Oct
- 19
Photos from The Early Television Museum 2025 Fall Swap Meet
This was the first time I’d gone to this show, and - while small - it offered quite a bit of television focused vendors. The usual flea market tat that shows up at hamfests these days was absent, even though the show was free to set up and enter.
I did end up spending about $45 and taking home a few project items which may show up later, depending on what I have scheduled. Regardless, here are the photos I took. I don’t have much to say about them, so there’s no description, just enjoy the glory of old television.
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We did a museum tour as well, and that is well worth the admission price. I highly recommend that if you’re in the area. We didn’t stick around for the auction, while there were a few lunchboxes I’d like to take home I already have examples of them and do not need more.
I’ll be heading back to this one again.
- 2025
- Sep
- 30
Some pictures from the 2018 Dayton Hamvention
I wasn’t really taking a lot of photos at this time, the camera on my phone was an absolute potato and could barely focus in full sun - let alone in overcast conditions like it was on the Friday of the event. However, I did get a few and found them again when searching my photo archives.
This was the third year at the Xenia Expo Center, and it was still pretty packed even though rain threatened all day. The day was very cloudy and vendors opened and closed their booths depending on the whims of Mother Nature.
There were a few vendors there that had nothing but (or mostly) console radios. These vendors have faded away as this old stuff sells and stocks dwindle. There’s simply no more out there like there was 25 years ago.
At the time, I was working for a rather toxic flow meter company. I liked the tech, but not the job. This was taken mostly because of my interest in different kinds of flow measurement equipment - and because it amused me that someone just bolted a calculator on to the face.
Last photo is of an interesting military switchboard. It was just an interesting looking piece.
That’s all…there were a few more but they were blurry to the point of uselessness due to the aforementioned poor quality camera.
See you at Dayton in 2026!
- 2025
- Sep
- 29
Pictures from the 2025 Cleveland Hamfest
This was the second year I attended this show, and it was just as good as last year. While the stuff I like is generally going away (there’s just no more of it,) and some of the same vendors show up everywhere - there was still plenty of good things to see. I managed to make it out of there with only $40 missing from my wallet, so I did good.
Here’s what I saw at the show:
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Next up is the Early Television Museum fall swap meet in October (no idea on this one, I’ve never been there,) followed by MARC@MAPS and finishing the year with the (disappointing last year) Fort Wayne show.
I’ll probably use this year to make some determinations about which shows I want to attend next year. Some of this years’ shows have been smaller than usual, and seeing the same stuff over and over isn’t interesting. Who knows, but stay tuned for more photos from events and next year’s list. Perhaps it will give me a chance to explore some other, smaller shows that happen on the same dates.
- 2025
- Sep
- 24
The Cleveland Hamfest - Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds in Berea, OH - Sunday September 28th
There’s a hamfest happening in Cleveland this weekend. I went to this one for the first time last year, and came away impressed with the size and number of vendors. It’s certainly worth your time if you’re in the area, so check it out!
The Cleveland Hamfest and Computer Show
Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds, Eastland Entrance
160 Eastland Rd
Berea, OH 44107
September 28
8A - 12P
https://www.hac.org/
See you there!
- 2025
- Sep
- 14
The 2025 Central Pennsylvania Hamfest
This was the first year for this show, and had maybe a dozen vendors on the fairgrounds. Turnout was pretty good, there were a number of people coming in during the time we were there.
Some of the vendors were ones you’ve seen from other shows, including some from the recent Findlay show. Because of that, I didn’t take very many pictures.
This nice dual range Weston voltmeter was at the club’s table. I usually pick these up when they’re cheap enough because they’re useful just about anywhere.
I wasn’t sure what this one radio (with the two dials and the center meter) was, but it looked really interesting. I didn’t need a shelf queen. however.
One vendor had a number of tubes for sale for $1 each. I took 20 of them. He also had this box of what we thought were Toyota manufactured tubes, but turned out to be pulls in Toyota spark plug boxes. Fooled us!
There was a handful more of vendors with the usual hamfest things. Overall, it was a nice little local and worth the time for us to go. If they hold it again next year, we’ll probably head over.
Next show is Cleveland at the end of the month. If this one is like last year’s show, it’s a good size show that offered a lot of stuff to see. See you there!
- 2025
- Sep
- 8
Johnstown Swappers Day 2025
This probably should have been inserted before the Findlay show, as it happened over Labor Day weekend. But I’m a lazy piggy and didn’t get it posted in time, so here it is!
Swappers Day is a general flea market that happens over the Labor Day weekend. By general, I mean it’s all kinds of merchandise - but it started out as a sportsman’s club show, and you still get a lot of firearms and bows being sold. Kind of a strange mix of things.
A lot of general antiques also show up, and that includes electrical gear. However, this is an opportunity to take photos of all kinds of interesting things, and here’s what I saw that caught my eye:
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Not much else to say about this one, but more shows on the way!
- 2025
- Sep
- 8
The 2025 Findlay Hamfest
The Findlay Radio Club Hamfest is usually a pretty decent show. It’s been shrinking somewhat over the years, which is unfortunate, but there seems to be a lot of ‘fests in Ohio these days. Perhaps that, and the general aging of the population / equipment getting older and not having more made is starting to affect who and what shows up. No idea, but this years show was probably about 2/3 of the size of the first one I attended years ago. I may put this one on every other year or so…
That’s not to say there wasn’t good stuff to see, I usually bring home way too many things from this show and this year was no exception. There was plenty of good stuff to see, and it was still well worth the trip.
I did notice that prices seem to have come back down again, after the exuberance of the first half of the year. They’ve come down a lot, to the point where I noticed a certain piece of equipment that would make a good economic indicator. More on that later!
Regardless, it was a lovely day for the show and I took a number of pictures of interesting things:
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There are a couple more shows this year before the season wraps up, including a new one in Pennsylvania that I’m going to check out. Stay tuned, and I’ll see you there!
- 2025
- Aug
- 13
Photos from the 2025 Cincinnati Hamfest
I’d never been to this show, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Turned out to be a good local, a long row of vendors with some more in a building. We ended up wandering around for a couple hours, looking at everything twice. A few odds ‘n ends went home, including some freebies, so it turned out to be a good trip.
Prices at this show were variable - some were selling things for more than new, others had what I could consider to be accurate prices. Unfortunately, the down in the dirt prices of a few years ago seem to be gone. Hope you got what you wanted then!
This is what I saw at the show:
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This will probably be a show I go to if there’s time, seeing as it’s about 2 hours away. Next show is the Findlay hamfest, which is always a good show (assuming no rain!)
See you there!
- 2025
- Aug
- 4
The Cincinnati Hamfest - August 9th 2025.
I’ve never been to this show, so I can’t really say what it’s like - but it’s not that far so I’ll take a trip and see. If there’s anything good, I’ll have a lot of pictures for you. It’s at the Clermont County Fairgrounds in Owensville, which is a suburb somewhat to the east of Cincy proper.
Cincinatti Hamfest
Clermont County Fairgrounds
1000 Locust Street
Owensville, OH 45160
August 9
8A - 2P
Admission: $10 (you can pre-order tickets)
https://cincinnatihamfest.org/
See you there!
8/11 Update - I did make it to the show, it was a little one but I still saw some good stuff. Pictures coming ASAP.
- 2025
- Aug
- 4
Photos from the 2025 Columbus Hamfest
The show in Columbus, Ohio is always a surprisingly good one. Other than the few years that it threatened rain, it’s always presented a very good selection of things to see, and a lot of vendors. This year was no different. Prices at this show were what I would consider more reasonable, so it was easy to spend a few bucks.
I limited myself to a few small items and some books, but there was plenty for everyone. Here’s what I saw at the show:
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The next show (this coming weekend) is Cincinnati. I’ve never been to that one, so it will be interesting to see what it’s like.
See you there!