Auchinleck Talbot FC Fair report

[Auchinleckian]

All stallholders reporting having had a good day. With five stall rentals (held at £15 again this year) and what we took in our programme hut we made over £200, which is a significant amount of money for our club, and it takes the amount we've raised through donated programmes up to just below the £6,700 mark - not bad for it now coming to the end of just our third year.

Will now be having at least one other fair in Scotland, possibly two, on the same basis we do at Auchinleck.

Renfrew FC have just recently moved ground and are looking to sstart up something similar to ourselves in terms of fundraising, and they have a small social club facility about the same size of room we use at Auchinleck. Hopefully this will be May / June next year and there will also be a game taking place on the same day as Sunday is used for their local women's football.

Chairman of Ardeer Thistle FC has also expressed an interest in having one, they're a Junior club from the north of Ayrshire and it too would be done on the same sustainable basis. From having no Programme Fairs in Scotland for many years we're now in the position whereby we could be having three. It shows if you're prepared to do it on a smaller basis, get a club interested who will benefit financially from the stall rentals and possible bar takings, have a willing bunch of folk who are prepared to take a stall for a day out as much as making a huge amount of momney you've got a recipe for success. Some of ourstallholders share petrol and stall rental costs, so for 2 folk with 12 feet of table space it's a tenner apiece. If you can't make something on the day to cover that there's something wrong!

We had folk down from Glasgow, Paisley, Tayport and elsewhere which shows the demand is there. Absolutely no reeason at all why this model couldn't be followed elsewhere. Tons of free advertising available on the internet, a local paper will always write a story about the first one you'll be having if your club has anything like a decent relationship with them. It can't go wrong.

[manchesterunitedman1]

Auchinleckian wrote:

All stallholders reporting having had a good day. With five stall rentals (held at £15 again this year) and what we took in our programme hut we made over £200, which is a significant amount of money for our club, and it takes the amount we've raised through donated programmes up to just below the £6,700 mark - not bad for it now coming to the end of just our third year. Will now be having at least one other fair in Scotland, possibly two, on the same basis we do at Auchinleck. Renfrew FC have just recently moved ground and are looking to sstart up something similar to ourselves in terms of fundraising, and they have a small social club facility about the same size of room we use at Auchinleck. Hopefully this will be May / June next year and there will also be a game taking place on the same day as Sunday is used for their local women's football. Chairman of Ardeer Thistle FC has also expressed an interest in having one, they're a Junior club from the north of Ayrshire and it too would be done on the same sustainable basis. From having no Programme Fairs in Scotland for many years we're now in the position whereby we could be having three. It shows if you're prepared to do it on a smaller basis, get a club interested who will benefit financially from the stall rentals and possible bar takings, have a willing bunch of folk who are prepared to take a stall for a day out as much as making a huge amount of momney you've got a recipe for success. Some of ourstallholders share petrol and stall rental costs, so for 2 folk with 12 feet of table space it's a tenner apiece. If you can't make something on the day to cover that there's something wrong! We had folk down from Glasgow, Paisley, Tayport and elsewhere which shows the demand is there. Absolutely no reeason at all why this model couldn't be followed elsewhere. Tons of free advertising available on the internet, a local paper will always write a story about the first one you'll be having if your club has anything like a decent relationship with them. It can't go wrong.

Well Done John

Good sound common sense-everyone wins

Collector wise you cannot beat going to see what is on offer-always hoping that a little gem or in fact anything new may just be unearthed and personally after all these years I still get a buzz even if it is a couple of quid item as it will fit in with something else.

[Auchinleckian]

Lesley, you're right about fnding gems, and it's at such fairs where this may happen. I remember when we did the first Accrngton Fair a number of years ago, and there was only Gordon Bennett and myself who at the time would have been classed as dealers. There were numerous Burnley and Stanley fans with tables and they had some superb memorabilia and at very reasonable prices. Good job I got there first!

Thing is, with the way we're doing i up here now, there is still a buzz about doing a fair, not just for yourself but because you're helping a club out whilst doing so. Am sure as well that once we've done these, and maybe more - who knows - that the clubs themselves will become more amenable to opening premises themselves to have club shops again.

I think I'm right in saying that I have the biggest programme shop at a ground anywhere in Scotland on matchdays. Another Junior collector has opened one this last couple of weeks at Formartine near Aberdeen. I'm going to be helping Renfrew with starting their club shop up with a couple of large boxes of programmes to get them started. It's getting back to the old days, it seems to be working, and it's spreading.

[neilcrewe]

Congratulations John,whilst we don't get loads of people in the shop these days still enjoy helping people out and having a chat.If they haven't been before they are usually surprised at how much stock we have. If you're ever passing this way happy to donate a couple of boxes for you to take back .

[Auchinleckian]

Thankyou very much Neil. We've met before, I think, at one of the Manchester Fairs where you bought a single sheet type written programme for Harold that he'd written about 60 years previously?

[neilcrewe]

Thats right John, hoping to have a stall there again this year.