Wimmis Stock Exchange

For many years now, the Wimmis Model Aircraft Club has been organizing its used equipment swap meet in late fall. Model aircraft enthusiasts here in our region have marked the last weekend in November on their calendars. This year marked the 30th edition of the event—a sort of anniversary. In the past, Ruedi Steinle was at the helm; today, President Hans Duss is in charge. Of course, there was more

...or pretty much the entire club is hard at work. Receiving the merchandise on Friday evening is labor-intensive; everything has to be done with precision so that the sellers can get paid. The rush is always enormous—piles of surplus aircraft and accessories are carried into the multipurpose hall, and the first buyers are already marching out with the items they’ve just purchased. It also happens quite often that what’s bought ends up back here a year or two later without ever having taken to the air. This can also be observed on the Ricardo marketplace. To my shame, I have to admit that I’ve done this myself—though, of course, it’s not against the rules. Practically every year, there’s also a sad reason: the estate of a deceased model aviation colleague has to be sold—no easy task. Everyone knows what accumulates over the years; you can never have enough. The value of some of the older items then plummets, and you’re lucky if you can sell them at all. It’s a bit different with special vintage model kits and models. In those cases, they might actually be in demand, which gives them a certain value.

Over the years, the market has also become a gathering place; not everyone buys something, but this is where people meet to discuss the past season or the one to come. It’s the perfect spot, thanks to the well-organized food and drink offerings. In the background, aviation films play on a big screen. Friday night dinner here is a must for many of us in the MG Riggisberg. We hope this tradition continues; there’s always a lot of work for the club, but that’s actually a good thing—we do things together, and once it’s done, there’s a sense of satisfaction for the whole team. Hans told me that there have always been ups and downs—sometimes there’s more money in the coffers, sometimes a little less—and keeping people motivated always takes effort. In any case, we’ve already added the Wimmis Fair back to our 2023 program of activities!