As far as gear and uniforms goes always find a unit first, but gear second. They will have all the best vendors figured out and you won't be buying the wrong stuff.
So first figure out what impression you really want to do (or better what unit you get along with) and then go from there.
I can only really help with Fallschirmjagers, but we know all the other units.
Many of the old Battlesim guys still come out, many have taken a break. I don't think many have quit permanently.
WWII reenactment has never gone away, the units are well established, many having been around over 10 years, some coming up on 15. Different people, as its a living thing, people come and go but the unit keeps going.
WWII airsoft is sketchier, I'd love to have it restart but there were too few people doing all the work to make events happen. In WWII blank fire units take turn hosting events, they don't run as good as the BS/War Dept events but you don't put the load on 4 people every event. A good event takes months to plan and hundreds to thousands of man hours of work.
At our recruitment meeting March 20th we will most likely have reps form multiple other units also there. Come on out and meet us and if you don't want to do FJ we'll hook you up with the right unit. Of course we would rather have people join us!
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id= ... 8302596882
Go to this facebook page and sign up to come to the meeting so we can keep in touch and you can get directions and such.