📻 Surplus Party 2026: the big get-together for amateur radio bargain hunters
Save the date: on Saturday 31 October 2026, the small Aargau town of Zofingen once again becomes the Swiss capital of second-hand radio. The Surplus Party is quite simply the largest amateur radio flea market in Switzerland: dozens of tables, finds at every price, talks, and above all an atmosphere of enthusiasts who meet up, chat and put the radio world to rights over a coffee.
🗓️ Key information: the Surplus Party 2026 will take place on Saturday 31 October 2026, from 8.30 am, in the Zofingen multi-purpose hall. Free entry for all visitors. It is the kind of outing radio enthusiasts plan well in advance.
Packed aisles and tables as far as the eye can see: the atmosphere of the Surplus Party in Zofingen. (Photo: HB9V)
📻 What is the Surplus Party?
Originally, the word “surplus” referred to decommissioned military equipment sold to civilians after the war. Army receivers, transmitters, test equipment, cables and connectors: this is the kind of equipment on which generations of radio amateurs learned, tinkered and built their first stations. The Surplus Party has kept the name and the spirit, while broadening out to all kinds of amateur radio equipment, old and new.
In practice, it is a huge rally where private individuals and dealers lay out on tables whatever they want to sell. People come to find that rare part, a collector's set, an accessory you cannot get in the shops, or simply to rummage, compare and haggle. It is also, and perhaps above all, a place to meet: you bump into familiar faces, share tips, and put a face to a callsign heard on the repeaters.
“Everywhere people are talking tech, laughing and, of course, haggling.” That sums up the atmosphere of the Surplus Party. A friendliness that never fades from one year to the next.
🔎 What you will find on the tables
The strength of a rally like the Surplus Party is its diversity. In a single morning you can go from a 1950s valve receiver to a state-of-the-art SDR transceiver. Here are the main categories of finds:
📡 Transceivers
HF, VHF and UHF sets, from vintage valve transceivers to modern second-hand equipment in excellent condition, often at friendly prices.
🎛️ Test equipment
Wattmeters, SWR meters, antenna analysers, signal generators, oscilloscopes and power supplies: enough to equip a complete workshop.
🗼 Antennas and accessories
VHF/UHF antennas, HF elements, magnetic loops, masts, coax, connectors, baluns and all the small bits and pieces that are always missing when you set up a station.
🧩 Parts and components
Valves, crystals, components, rare cables, technical documentation and spare parts you cannot find anywhere else: paradise for repairers and home-brewers.
A well-stocked stand: sets, accessories and parts await the bargain hunters. (Photo: HB9V)
Antennas of every kind, here a magnetic loop: in Zofingen you will find whatever your station is missing. (Photo: HB9V)
💡 The bargain hunter's tip: arrive early (doors open at 8.30 am) for the best items, but keep an eye on the tables towards the end of the morning: that is often when sellers slash prices on whatever they don't want to take home. Bring cash and remember to check the condition of the equipment on the spot before buying.
🎥 The atmosphere on video
To get an idea of the scale and atmosphere of the event before you go, this video shot in Zofingen sets the tone: the packed hall, tables covered with equipment and lively conversations.
Impressions of the Surplus Party in Zofingen (video from a previous edition). Video: Faunus channel, YouTube.
🕗 How the day unfolds
The Surplus Party is not just the morning market. The day continues with talks and a social evening. Here is the usual programme, valid for the 31 October 2026 edition:
The refreshment and catering corner: a welcome break between tables. (Photo: HB9V)
📍 Practical information: getting there, parking, food
The event takes place in the Zofingen multi-purpose hall (Mehrzweckhalle), on the campus of the Bildungszentrum Zofingen education centre, right in the heart of Switzerland.
🏛️ Address
Mehrzweckhalle, Strengelbacherstrasse 27c, 4800 Zofingen (AG). Locator JN37XG. Coordinates: N 47° 16' 57" / E 7° 56' 25".
🚆 By train
Zofingen is on SBB line 501 Olten-Lucerne, served by most direct trains. Allow about 10 minutes on foot from the station.
🅿️ By car
About 1,000 parking spaces. The “Zofinger Tagblatt” car park is free; the “Siegfried” car park and the covered “Bahnhof” car park are pay-and-display. The “Landi” car park is off limits to visitors.
🍽️ On site
Snack bar and light meals from opening time, payment in cash or by Twint. Spaces are reserved for people with reduced mobility in front of the hall.
⚠️ Good to know about parking: the spaces directly in front of the hall are reserved for exhibitors with a pass. Do not park on the grass or in unmarked areas (prohibited by the police). Following the instructions helps the volunteers and keeps relations with the municipality on a good footing.
🧑🔧 Would you like to exhibit?
Selling your equipment at the Surplus Party is simple and affordable. Hire costs CHF 20 per linear metre of table, and you are strongly advised to book in advance (bookings are generally guaranteed until mid-October). Set-up starts at 7.00 am, an hour and a half before the doors open to the public.
The hall and its tables, ready to welcome exhibitors and visitors before the doors open. (Photo: HB9V)
📦 Please note: only amateur radio equipment and related computer equipment are allowed on the stands. This is what keeps the rally focused and the finds of high quality. To book a table and find out the exact terms, go through the organiser's official website (see below).
🇨🇭 A word from HB9V
At HB9V, the Radio Amateurs of Canton Vaud club, we consider the Surplus Party one of the big events of the year. From French-speaking Switzerland, Zofingen is easy to reach by train or by car, and the opportunity is too good to miss: you can unearth equipment, learn something at the talks, and meet the big family of Swiss radio amateurs, across the language barriers. The major associations such as the USKA and Swiss-ARTG usually have a stand there too.
Whether you are a licensed HB3/HB9 radio amateur, a CB operator, a listener or simply curious, the Surplus Party is an ideal way into the world of radio. Our tips for making the most of it: come early, bring cash, keep a list of what you are looking for, but also let yourself be surprised by an unexpected find. And don't hesitate to chat: it is often by talking to the exhibitors that you learn the most.
📅 See you on 31 October 2026 in Zofingen
Find the detailed programme, the floor plan and table bookings on the official Surplus Party website.
Visit surplusparty.ch →🤝 Our partners
Phonicom.ch, your amateur radio specialist in Switzerland
A second-hand bargain at the Surplus Party is great. A new set with a warranty and advice is sometimes even better. To complete your finds (antenna, made-to-measure coax, power supply, accessories) or to treat yourself to a new transceiver, Phonicom offers Yaesu, Icom, Anytone, Diamond and many other brands, with after-sales service in Switzerland.
Visit phonicom.ch →📚 Also on HB9V
- 📡 Guglielmo Marconi, the father of wireless radio: the origins of the radio adventure
- 🗺️ Swiss amateur radio band plan: all the HF, VHF and UHF frequencies
- 📊 Radio propagation conditions: the complete guide: the science behind DX contacts
- 📻 HBradio in the ETH Zurich archive: 90 years of Swiss amateur radio history, freely available
📖 Sources: official website of the Surplus Party (surplusparty.ch) and the USKA events calendar. Photos: HB9V. Atmosphere video: Faunus channel (YouTube).
