My thoughts as a second year as a vendor in the flea market area after 18 years of just attending the show. I couldn't stay till Saturday, my daughter graduate's college tomorrow so I left late this afternoon. Not a business, just a hobbyist that has accumulated a pile of parts over the years and sells what I no longer need. Today's attendance in my mind way up over last year. It was like 2019 pre Covid.
I sold more than 50% of the parts I brought by 2:00. As someone who restores games and in my pre-vendor life as an attendee, I would get thru the doors as quickly as possible just to get to the flea market to hunt for parts I wanted. I never touched a game in free play for hours. I realized after 2 shows now that there are a hundred + people like me. The games will wait, I'm on a parts hunt. My kind of people.
I was there Thursday at 12:30, sold the game I brought within an hour. Picked up a bunch of parts for games I'm working on. Played games for hours in free play. After 3 trips to see Skip, got a nice set of Gottlieb EM legs. Not his fault at all, the set-up confusion that happens.
The best part of Pinfest is meeting other vendors, sharing stories and hanging out. Made a bunch of friends and saw some of the others from years past.
Thank you Rich Lovef2k for the Bally rectifier cage as a present. He's one of the best in the hobby. I meet Jon (I'll leave his last name out since he not on here). Long time vendor since the Wizard days at Allentown. Another great guy.
Thanks Ivan for another great show and I will see my new and old friends again next year. And many at York.