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[Rusty]

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[George Truett]

3 of us from here got 3 tables together and went Friday morning, sorry, no pictures.  Friday was not bad, pretty good crowd and we sold a few smaller things but no big ticket items.  There were several people selling C/L and a good few kits available.  I didn't see anything really new as far as stunters but a lot of vintage kits including Noblers, Gieske Noblers, Ringmasters, P-51s, Yaks, VooDoos, Combat Cats and much more.  All the stuff from the mid 60s when I first started.  There were a lot of Brodak and RSM kits but I did not see a single ARF.  Lots of engines, no PAs or Ro Jetts but some Double Stars, some old Tigres and Enyas, lots of Foxes.  You could find most anything except the really high end contemporary.  I bought a NIB Magnum 52, a Merco 49 and a plain bearing Silver Foxx 40 for $150.  Prices were all over the place and some of the sellers did not know what they had, normal for Perry in my experience.  This was the first time I stayed both days and people were saying attendance was down but I can't say.  I do know by 1 on Saturday it was so quiet we packed up and went home

[George Truett]

Rusty,
That's funny, I was going back and forth with a guy (in Maryland I think) to buy a Dmeco Cobra and pickup at Perry.  Someone made a firm offer before me, must have been you.  I have one already but I'm conflicted about building it, figured if I had 2 I could build one.  Your friend did much better than we did, he must have been offering some smoking deals.  I bought the 3 engines and a slow combat kit and then some odds and ends like tanks and wheels.  Saw some things I wanted but just couldn't justify spending the money, I have so many kits already.  Nice engines for good prices I still have a hard time resisting.  George

[Mike Griffin]

Right after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Linda and I left New Orleans and moved to Byron, Georgia which is about 10 miles north of Perry.  I joined GAMA and for the next 5 years while I lived there and before I moved back here to New Orleans, I worked that show every year for our club.  Every year we exceeded selling over 1000 tables.  I moved back to New Orleans in 2011 so I have no idea how big or how small the show has become in the last 6 years but the years I was affiliated with the Georgia Aircraft Modelers Association, the show was huge and took up 5 buildings at the Perry State fairgrounds.  

Bob Dixon, a member of our club,  who was an excellent flyer in the Expert class, would put on an exhibition of the pattern every year and we even had CL trainers there and would let anyone who wanted to try flying to do it with us in the circle with them.  Even though it was primarily a RC event, we still maintained a strong CL contingent.

I have no idea if they still do all that but at one time, that show was the biggest in the country.  It was also a very well financed club as well.  I remember looking at the financial reports and could not believe we had that much money for a flying club.  We had over 120 members at the time but only about 1/3 of those actually flew on a regular basis.  The money we had in the bank well exceeded six figures at one time.  

I have not been associated with that many flying clubs in my life but GAMA was a well run and financially successful organization.  Norm Deputy (now deceased) and Jim Parker knew how to run a successful club and ran that show in a very professional manner.

Mike

[George Truett]

Rusty,
Has to be the same guy, Hobbyfun100 on RCG, he buys and sells there a lot.  He offered me the Cobra for $100 delivered to Perry, when I accepted he told me it was sold.  That was fine, it was one more kit I did not need.  I found a very close match to the canopy (not included in kit) with the guy who now sells the old Jack Stafford kits.

[john e. holliday]

Unless we get out and get new blood in model airplane flying,  the swap meets will get smaller.   I used to go and get real good finds on engines and kits until they learned who I was.  Many a time I would be walking up to a table to look at an engine and see the guy grab it and change the price tag.  I even have witnesses to that when a father and son wanted me to look at a couple of engines they were interested in.   The father picked up the engines and asked why the price change.  Anyway once the seller realized I was not going to buy them he let them go for the original price.  So now when I go to swap meets I usually don't buy unless it is something I want and the price is right.

[George Truett]

I did find out this year at Perry that unless you get to a table before Bad Bill, all the good deals will be gone.

[badbill]

I did find out this year at Perry that unless you get to a table before Bad Bill, all the good deals will be gone.

What can I say brother  It's what I do. Was a pleasure meeting you! Stay in touch.