160 MODEL AVIATION
WINTER IS the best time to build new
aircraft or get the fleet ready for spring.
For most of us, flying is limited to those
locations where indoor facilities are
available.
Clubs such as mine close their flying
sites during the winter because there are no
plowed access roads. If the weather
permits, we do fly off the ice or snow. This
is a great time to attend some of the many
auctions, swap shops, flea markets, and
hobby trade shows.
On Sunday, February 8, my buildingand-
flying buddy, George Andoscia, and I
decided we needed a day out of the hobby
shop and so we drove 60 miles to attend
New England’s largest RC auction: The
28th Northern Connecticut Radio Control
Club (NCRCC) Auction & Swap Shop.
The auction took place in the Vernon
Center Middle School in Vernon,
Connecticut. Sellers were able to
preregister on Saturday between 1 and 3
p.m. and Sunday from 7:45 a.m. until 12
noon. The auction started at 9 a.m. and
lasted until 5 p.m.
We arrived at 8 a.m. and found nearly
every available parking spot taken. Having
attended this event numerous times, we
were not surprised by the quantity and
variety of RC items that were piled on the
two level tables throughout the foyer area
of the school’s auditorium.
I was pleased to see that buyers had the
choice on many of the items for sale, to
either do an instant buy at the asking price
or wait and bid on the item at auction. In
this way, those people who didn’t want to
wait all day for some items to come up for
auction, could buy and leave early.
We can tell you that from the auctions
we attended this year, there is little doubt
that the current economic conditions have
had a dramatic effect on prices people
were willing to pay for items being
auctioned. Nearly all items that sold
brought in less than half of what they
would have sold for last year. It is
definitely a buyer’s market and many
sellers were willing to accept much lower
prices than their stated minimum bid. Most
of the higher-ticket items above $600
didn’t sell.
With so many items being auctioned,
we had plenty of time to walk up and down
all the aisles checking everything out and
of course stopping every few feet to talk
with many District I members and friends
who expressed their thanks to the AMA
district officers for doing a great job for
the district with events and representing
them nationally.
The auctioneer and all the members of
NCRCC were busy all day and did an
excellent job running the auction from
setup, registration, presentation, item
descriptions, and purchase to check out. I
guess that after 27 years, they have become
professionals at putting on this auction. We
did take time to enjoy some hot dogs and
hamburgers before we left for home.
The NCRCC is a 47-year-old club with
more than 120 members. The club
conducts an Electric Fly-In, World War II
Fly-In, Q-500 Two-Day Race, World War
I Dawn Patrol Fly-In, and the Annual
Auction. Wow!
Their financial successes of these
events allowed the club to purchase its
current flying site in 2002. Please check
out the NCRCC Web site at
www.ncrcc.org for their event dates and
don’t hesitate to attend its excellent events.
By the time you read this column, we will
have been to the Westchester Radio
AeroModelers (WRAM) show. I will be
attending the Toledo Show in April and
preparing to attend Joe Nall in May before
the District I event season starts.
District I
Andy Argenio, District I Vice President; [email protected]
Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont
Buyers eagerly waiting to bid on the items they want in this huge theater-like auditorium.
Attendees view the rows of stacked tables displaying the many RC items being auctioned.
Andy Argenio
3 Sheila Ln.,
Smithfield RI
02917;
Home: (401) 231-
6901; Work: (401)
231-5380
For a complete listing of
district officers and volunteers,
please visit the District 1 Web site
at www.amadistrict-i.org
D i s t r i c t I
The 28th Northern Connecticut RC Club Auction & Swap Shop took place February 8, 2009.
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Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/04
Page Numbers: 160