This is the event that many of us have been waiting for. The Bazaar is where we play a great game of Musical Garages.

Everyone has a chance to finally clear out all that wonderful junque that has been piling up. Even with all of our good intentions, we just never got around to building it, repairing it, modifying it or getting rid of it. Here is our chance. This event is a once-a-year happening and it is going to take place on Saturday morning, July 12, at the Santa Barbara Elks Lodge, 150 No. Kellogg Ave. in Santa Barbara, 93111. Here is a link to a Google Map for you to easily find how to get there, from no matter where you live.

So, just what sort of stuff can you expect to find at the Bazaar? How about just about every kind of radio related thing you can think of -- things like antennas, tower parts or complete units, radios that work, radios that almost work or used to work, all sorts of parts to build things with such as electronic components, wire, coax, insulators, telephone equipment, semiconductors, vacuum tubes, test equipment, computer related stuff, software, printers, memory, books and magazines, hardware, surplus military equipment, power supplies, soldering irons, older amateur radios and on and on.

There is also a Red Tag table where you may bring along a piece of gear that you don't particularly want to just toss on the pile but would prefer to ask a price for. The rules are that you or someone you appoint must be near your goodie to sell it for you and remove it after the event or any time before. Also, you get to keep 90% of what it sells for and SBARC gets to keep 10% of it. Hey, that's a pretty good deal.

The Bazaar runs from 8:00 am to 11:30 am. Be advised that the earliest bird gets the longest worm. So here is your chance to keep the little woman happy. Either she will be delighted that you have finally decided to clean out all that wonderful junque or she will be dancing up and down when she sees that trinket you have brought home with you!

Bring all your friends. The club needs the money. Speaking of which, we will have several of our favorite people acting as salesmen and you can make such a deal with them. Go ahead, insult them with a ridiculous offer. They'll bargain with you. Bring lots of green or checks. We're not set up to take plastic at the Bazaar.

It's probably going to be a hot morning so we will also have cold drinks and donuts for sale. And another thing, don't be shy about taking home a whole bunch of stuff. What you don't use you can always bring back to next year's Bazaar. That just enhances the Musical Garages idea.

Now, don't tell anyone, but at some point in time that morning, if you listen carefully, you can hear announced that everything there is just half price! It gets crazy. But wait there's more -- as the clock approaches a certain hour, you can hear announced that everything is FREE! Of course these price reductions do not pertain to anything on the Red Tag table or the refreshments. If you wait for the price reductions, someone will probably buy what you want. You've been warned.

I plan on getting all the good stuff so if you really are thinking of taking home something special, better get there early. In the beginning of the event, you can look it all over and keep in mind what you can't live without. Then when the bell rings, run over to it and grab it and take it to one of our salesmen. They'll be obvious there. Another thing, after you pay for your item and get your receipt, take it over to your vehicle and lock it up in there and come back and shop some more. It's a terrible thing when something you paid for is then bought again by someone else and taken home!