Yeah, I heard about the sutlers grousing a bit. I have sort of a bias about that from past experience, in that there are certain traders that NEVER have a good week to hear them tell it.
While I do go to an event to shop in some degree, the big difference between the Market Faires and Lancaster County is that the whole, or at least pre-eminent reason for the Faires is for sutlers to make money, as opposed to the Rendezvous/shoots are for the participants to compete, socialize, etc.. Yes, I know there is some value in exposing ourselves to the flatlanders (sometimes literally as well as figuratively but that's another thread entirely), but there are a lot of campers that really have their camp pretty well set, and only buy supplies and such at events as needed. New folks of course always buy, but as far as major purchases, a LOT of them like tents, guns, etc., are made right here on the web so that you can have your stuff ready to go rather than pick it up at camp. Personally, I could care less if there were 10 good traders and not 50 of them with much the same wares as the next guy. I've said it before, a huge part of the authenticity issue is that new folks figure if it's for sale at the event, it must be OK.
As far as scheduling, again I agree to some extent. Lancaster County (the old Northern Lancaster Rendezvous) and Fred are sort of the "senior" groups in this time frame, and they always seemed to be on different weekends. Then, when it looked like Fred was done for, GNAR came in at the same end of April deal. Not sure who changed what, but again, if the traders want to sell they'll peddle their stuff to the flatlanders and daytrippers at the Faires. I'll probably swing through one or the other myself to see some old friends and maybe some trade silver. A few will go to Lancaster, maybe in the hopes that with reduced competition, they'll get a bigger slice of the pie. One things for sure, while this year may be sort of an upheaval, eventually it will sort itself out. The Faire with the most public will win in their time slot, the traders follow the scent of money, and sooner or later one of the events will wither. The Rendezvous doesn't depend solely on sutlers, and the fact that so many of them ended up coming to N. Lanc was that the event grew so large with shooters that they followed their nose to it. Their absence won't have all that much of an effect on the results.
Primitive 3, I see you are in Glengary, I had the fun of camping there twice and the honor of being on staff there as well, including once for a very good friend. If you see Whistledick tell him I said hi.....he once appointed me as his TLC, to coordinate with my considerable tact the efforts of at least one notable trader to ensure his total happiness. Ask Bill, it's a good story...we had a LOT of those.
you're going to have whiskey... :: Go ahead and throw an extra fork in your stuff and clear me a place by the fire. 
