Tradeshow in Grapevine...

[Frazzled LaShawn]

Anyone know anything about this? Is it worth going?

[CaptainTom]

I went a few years back. It was mainly film oriented and lots of used junk.
I've heard a few things about it, but mostly that it is not much different, although since it's been a while it may have more digital stuff available.

[Wes]

Originally Posted by CaptainTom

I went a few years back. It was mainly film oriented and lots of used junk.

I've heard pretty much the same thing.

[Big Dog]

Well, like anything else, it's to some extent a matter of taste. I would not call this a "trade show", (and neither does Don). It is a swap meet. Back before auction sites, on-line fora and the internet in general, these were pretty big deals. There was one every 2 months spread between Dallas, Ft. Worth and the mid-cities. They have shrunk to only two a year, and the number of dealers is about 20-25% of what used to be at each of the bi-monthly shows. They will eventually die.

It is mostly film gear, because it it almost all used gear. There is more digital than say, 3 years ago, but still not much. The market for used digital is not the same as used film hardware.

I mourn the loss of these shows. They were fun, and I used to almost always come home with something. This is where I got my dry-mount press, hot lights, some strobe gear, my first zoom lens, filters, many gadgets, and who knows what else over the last 20 years. A friend of mine got his first larger than 4x5 view camera at one of these. All of it at a bargain and all of it I could see, touch and feel before I bought it. To me, that was the advantage of this sadly obsolete venue over on-line shopping for used gear. Also, one can sell to and/or trade with some dealers.

Still, if one is interested in 35mm, and particularly Nikon and Canon, there are things to see at these smaller shows. Not much darkroom sadly, and same for medium format and large format, but that's the way things are now.

[CaptainTom]

I suppose I should haul my Norman lights over there and see if someone wants them ?? Maybe tomorrow.

[Hanky]

a mini map on flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/billsga.../pool-dfwmetro

[toverman]

I went to one last year at the Grapevine Convention Center. I would characterize it somewhat how Tom did, although there were some people selling used digital bodies. But if you want one of those, I wouldn't necessarily buy it there. The main reason to go is to find older, hard-to-find equipment. A lot that I saw was junky and of questionable origin, but it was a blast to look at it all.