I met a collector of other things a few years ago wgo told me that his club benefited greatly by upgrading to better food and a better location. The opposite also works, in the opposite way. Events in lousy locations with lousy food is a great way to drive away attendance and membership.

This is so true.

While the purists will always go to some lengths to participate, the actual enjoyment of anything does matter. It just makes good business sense that making an 'event' - and that's what a gathering is, whatever the function - as enjoyable as possible in as many aspects as possible will increase participation.

Many years ago there was a local brewery that had really good beer and really good food. They did okay until the crash, then struggled, eventually closing their doors. Meanwhile, a few miles away, a corporate brewery-restaurant opened up with okay beer and okay food and BLARING ROCK MUSIC and BIG SCREEN TVs to watch sports on, and they are still open to this day.

As a bit of a beer snob I was sorry to see the other place go, but really, that's the difference? Just turn on some tunes and put up a few big screens and problem solved???

Sad but true.

Although I had been to the Museum in the past, last month was my first visit to a swap meet and auction at the Museum of Radio and Technology in Huntington WV. I bought a number of things at the meet and three in the auction. The buffet lunch was quite good, and the whole day well-attended and very enjoyable, and well worth the trip and the cost of a night in a hotel (it is much too far for me to day trip at my age). I look forward to attending future events there.

I'm not too sure about the OP's concept. The SCARS meet in Burbank this last June generated very mediocre attendance, as compared to the previous two years. The food, while not necessarily at a gourmet level (coffee, donuts, popcorn, hamburgers, hot dogs, with all condiments, bottled water and canned soda) was free, as it always is.

A true collector isn't gonna give a damn about whether there's food and drink, or what the location is, if he's bent on obtaining something he desires.

I think the larger issue is declining numbers of people interested in antique radios. I know lots of younger people collecting things, but it's stuff like early video games, and Legos.

I don't think it's so much that as it is the way people participate in the hobby. Just like the way lodges and social clubs were popular with the WWI and WWII generations and have all but disappeared, it doesn't mean that people don't still socialize. The venue has changed.

Most of us that aren't retired yet don't have the time to go to things like club meets, so we participate in venues like this forum or other discussion groups. This is our version of a club meet and the best part is you don't have to wait for a given date when you may have a conflict. It's been over 15 years since I last attended a radio club meet. Not because I don't want to, but because I don't have the time.

Personally I don't drink, but I will go into places like these for the food at least once to try it while searching for places I like enough to go back to. Found some interesting meals that way. It pains me to hear that the obnoxious loud music and walls full of TVs model does better since I always find it the least enjoyable. Its like those TV commercials that YELL VERY LOUDLY at you. Everyone ends up screaming over each other to hear each other and its even worse if you're half deaf like I am.

I've been to a couple that were too big to see everything. That was totally irritating.
And a couple more that had poor audio systems to the point that I could not participate in the auctions and developed head aches trying to listen to the lectures.

require that only club members can sell is another way to limit attendance. Some people have radios to sell but don't want to join a club. like me, the local radio club (there's only one) only lets members sell. Their swap meets are anemic to say the least, sometimes only 3 or 4 sellers show up.

Schedule an antique radio swap meet the same day as a hamfest. The club Flinz refers to has done exactly that. I'll be going to the hamfest. There will be a lot more stuff to look at and the prices will be better. Also, there will be more sellers still there after I drive 120 miles to get there.

Most of that can be attributed to a bad sound system install and/or setup as the correct sound system properly set up can be turned up without being obnoxious and causing people to talk louder just to hear each other.

I too don't like restaurants with real loud music.

Or other diners who have to talk very loud, esp females. This is why God invented ear plugs...

Food? It makes no difference to me, I can find my own food.

I attend for the old radios, and conversation with friends and other collectors.

At my age the only “perk” I ask for ... the place has a working bathroom.

The SCARS two day event last week was held at a motel with no working restrooms in the meeting room building, and no water, so they used paper / plastic plates.....

Well hell, that's a deal killer right there; I only dine on fine china, when seeking antique radios...

If I drive the motorhome I don't have to put up with any of that "crap"...
I just spend all of my money on gas instead of stuff...

... no working restrooms so attendees used paper and plastic plates?

Most places I’ve been to that have no working restrooms usually use Porta-Potties.

Instead, people had to walk way across the property to the one restroom in the lobby, or to a stuck in the 1970s suite with a dozen wires (live?) hanging out of a wall box just inside the door they had unlocked. It would have been humorous if it was not so silly and unnecessary, as a beautiful new meeting place and restaurant with a free early American history museum is less than a ten minute walk away: https://www.greendragontavernca.com/

Soapbox time;

Unfortunatly I've seen a number of excellent electronic swaps bite the dust in
northern California over the years. And two more are just barely holding on.
The #1 way to kill a swap it to charge sellers too much.
$10 - $15/spot is the sweet spot. More than that and people that
only have a few items to sell won't bother. And those are the guys that
usually offer the best variety and deals. Prices too high and you'll
end up with a bunch of high priced dealers and little else. Buyer interest
will dwindle.
#2, location.....all too often swaps are held close to where an organizer
lives even if its hard to get to and has limited space and parking
#3, don't forget swaps are for the benefit of *collectors*, not just for
clubs, museums or your local charity. Not that these organizations
cannot benefit but they absolutely won't if collectors/buyers don't
get good deals that keep them coming back. The absolute worst
thing to do is explain away high prices by saying "its for the benefit
of the club". That gets old real fast.
#4, keep it friendly as many folks use swaps to socialize and meet
other collectors....also encourage new people by NOT restricting who
can sell...this helps the hobby long term. Having reasonably priced
chow is nice but not mandatory. Clubs often make more greenbacks
by selling 'hamfest hot dogs'.

I'll readily admit to being a swap/junkfest junkie and have been for
decades. Only went to two swaps all of last year for the very
reasons outlined above.
Steve
#soapbox mode off

I would love to live in an area with any meet, even one with no restrooms.... Even if it didn't live up to anyone's expectations at least the group got together There are many radio wastelands out there without meets/clubs.