A grand for a postponed game? Arsenal collectors.

[Wullie]

I know some postponed games can be valuable, but surely this 1976 Arsenal programme isn't worth £1000. What is interesting is the crossword has been filled in. If someone had magaged to get hold of a programme destined for the rubbish skip along with 10,000 others , a one off rariety saved from destruction, would you want to fill in the crossword?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VERY-RAR.....5196540814

[JamieH]

That price is somewhat optimistic to say the very least.
I remember it being listed on a Programme catalogue about 15 years ago with required offers starting at £10.

[barnetandy]

I haven't got a clue what it's worth, but I have had dealings with the guy selling it, who is a big Arsenal collector. He seemed to know his stuff ( IMHO) and sells quite a lot of rarer items.

He pays big money for stuff he wants so perhaps he knows something about this item.

It does seem an awful lot of money, be interesting to see how it goes.

[ashburton-grove]

What price a programme you just can't get.
It will leave a blank space in my collection, until one day I buy a job lot and tucked away inside them will be this one.
That's how I got my 57/58 v Utd and the postponed v Rangers 58/59.
And that's what makes collecting such a buzz.
_________________
"We have a problem with Sol Campbell" Arsene Wenger. 04/02/06

[goonerboy]

i guess its worth what someone will pay but i doubt it will fetch the asking price. nevertheless it is a rarity so in auction it could reach a few hundred. However I can't say i have much fascination in these kind of rarities. The match never happened so its a programme for something that never occurred. Yes a rare item in the sense that very few exist but not one for me.

[ToffeeDan]

£6 Postage "because of it's value" - £999 Asking Price.

I think I have all the information I need about this seller thank you!

[katesdad]

The reason it is rare is that in 1976 Arsenal were one of a few clubs who had undersoil heating, but the frost was so severe that day even the famous Arsenal heating system could not thaw it out leaving the match to be posponed something of a rareity in it self at Highbury in those days. Still this does not justify an over the top listing, If any one is interested i have the replayed programme from March on my site www.westbromwichalbionhistory.co.uk priced £998 less than the postponed game.

[Rocky]

I have an Arsenal v Middlesbrough 12/12/81 postponed programme. Could the Arsenal collectors on the forum tell me if this is a scarce issue and why the game was postponed?

[ashburton-grove]

Hi Rocky, there were two Arsenal games postponed in a row at Highbury that season the one you mentioned and also v Liverpool dated 9.1.82.
Both programmes were supposed to be sent back to the printers to be pulped as Arsenal had no idea when the games would be rearranged.
As you can see there was a 28 day gap between the two postponed games, so it was not possible to keep them and issue an insert.
The away game at Spurs 28.12.81 was also postponed and I don't have that one either.
About three years ago both came on ebay and sold for about £300. Recently the buyer has had the Boro one on ebay on a buy it now for £150 and no takers.
I'm still waiting to find mine!
_________________
"We have a problem with Sol Campbell" Arsene Wenger. 04/02/06

[Rocky]

Thanks for the information Ashburton. I suspect with no takers at £150, its true value may be nearer the £90 - £100 mark in the current climate. Still with its history it is a good one to have in my collection. Cheers.

[Posh1959]

I have known Graham the seller of this programme for about 30 years, he is an experienced Arsenal collector who knows the value of what he has in his collection, just because you are not prepared to pay that kind of money for a programme is no reason to rib anybody who is trying to get the best price he can for a spare programme in his collection.

[Wullie]

Posh1959 wrote:

I have known Graham the seller of this programme for about 30 years, he is an experienced Arsenal collector who knows the value of what he has in his collection, just because you are not prepared to pay that kind of money for a programme is no reason to rib anybody who is trying to get the best price he can for a spare programme in his collection.

Can't blame him for wanting a good price, but like many sellers on ebay, they seem to know the price they would like, and it is a great deal away from what others are willing to pay. If they are in no hurry to sell, then they can take a chance with a high asking price in the hope that at least one person will buy. I've got some rare programmes. I could ask for silly prices if i wanted to sell, but i honestly could say, unlike some sellers, i wouldn't want to list them week after week for years on end at what " i " think is a fair price. If you really need to sell then you've got to let the market decide.

[Rocky]

Posh1959 wrote:

I have known Graham the seller of this programme for about 30 years, he is an experienced Arsenal collector who knows the value of what he has in his collection, just because you are not prepared to pay that kind of money for a programme is no reason to rib anybody who is trying to get the best price he can for a spare programme in his collection.

Posh, it’s not my intention to rib the seller of this programme and I can only apologise if my comments seemed to indicate this. However I am finding that in the current climate, programmes that once reached a higher value are not now attaining the price they once achieved. I think this may be the case with this programme. It’s just an opinion and not one meant to be detrimental to the seller.

[manchesterunitedman1]

goonerboy wrote:

i guess its worth what someone will pay but i doubt it will fetch the asking price. nevertheless it is a rarity so in auction it could reach a few hundred. However I can't say i have much fascination in these kind of rarities. The match never happened so its a programme for something that never occurred. Yes a rare item in the sense that very few exist but not one for me.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion that is what the forum is all about. We have heard the pros and cons of who has an interest and who does not, so what about a programme played at Highbury for a quite important match which was printed JUST in case a reply was required. The match went into extra time on Wednesday the 29th May 1968 and had Manchester United drawn after extra time at Wembley in the European Cup Final a replay was arranged for 2 days later at Highbury. A programme was produced but all were destroyed-with the exception of 2 copies known to me, I have one and i know who has another and this is a good opportunity to see if there is anyone else out there with a 3rd or 4th or more copies!.
I have been told this is the rarest Arsenal post war programme-well it has to be if no match was played!, so now another point i would like to make is what is the forum's opinion of such items that have been "spared the furnace" and no doubt were flogged for a few quid at some point in the future, but now can command serious money?.

Some collectors feel they must acquire all their club's home programmes including the rare postponed ones-I am a subscriber to that view and MUFC has quite a number, one or two are easy some are much much tougher, and there are another couple that are rocking horse manure and one in particular that is a killer from the 1960's-so i suppose all collectors of whichever club you follow need to keep looking for the elusive item/s, it keeps you on the edge and keeps you
interested year after year in the hope it will come your way-that is just one of the good things about collecting-we all live in hope, we all fantasise of finding something at the boot sale, or in some old boy's attick undisturbed for decades just waiting to fall into our mits! Look forward to some opinions...............

[ToffeeDan]

I'm with you ManUman (I won't call you MUM). There are definitely issues worth having - if you can find them - simply for their rarity value and the fact that a game would have taken place. To me there seem to be different types of 'postponed' games - those which were called off at the last minute, those which were rearranged for various reasons (and sometimes to a date more than a day or so later) and those that were inevitably called off. Let's look at the 1962-3 Winter. Some teams didn't play for many weeks and many of the scheduled fixtures would have been called off many days, if not weeks in advance of the date. For many of these games it seems churlish to anticipate that a programme would have been prepared or printed. In some instances though there definitely were issues printed (if not necessarily available widely) and some of these are quite desirable. I believe for example that Arsenal v Everton - deep in the middle of that winter's freeze - was printed and a handful exist at a considerably higher premium than the asking price (!!) for that West Brom item. Does anyone want it? Well perhaps but let's also be realistic and put it on the C or D List of desired items since the chances of acquiring one are extremely thin - and it saves a lot of angst to assume it's going to stay on List C until and unless some lucky so-and-so decides to part with that rare issue and make a mint.

Anyway that's my take on it - some are readily acquired and desired whilst others clearly are not.

[katesdad]

Quote:

for that West Brom item. Does anyone want it? Well perhaps but let's also be realistic and put it on the C or D List of desired items since the chances of acquiring one are extremely thin - and it saves a lot of angst to assume it's going to stay on List C until and unless some lucky so-and-so decides to part with that rare issue and make a mint. Anyway that's my take on it - some are readily acquired and desired

I Collect and sell West Brom programmes and to be honest this programme would not be top of my list, for me to sell it on amongst Baggies fans it would have to be to a very serious collector. It would be filled away with the other programmes from that let’s be honest very uninteresting season. Most average collectors tend to go for Cup Finals and Semi Finals or seasons were something as been achieved also perhaps their first match or birthday one off programmes. Not many are interested in making up complete sets. I have a lot of postponed programmes which in their own way are I suppose collectable but nowhere near what I would class as highly desirable

[gang-warily]

Hi ManuMan,
my view is the opposite of yours. I have no interest in programmes from postponed matches. IMHO they are not 'proper' programmes in that the match was not played. I think I'm in the minority on this as I know that they are very sought-after and that's fair enough. Of course, my stance saves me money too! And of course if my collection were closer to complete I may have a different view. Of course we all have different focuses in our collections which is one of the things I enjoy about collecting.
Some collectors don't collect war-time programmes as they were not 'proper' official fixtures, but I do pick those up now and again, I suppose these two positions may seem a little hypocritical, oh well....

[manchesterunitedman1]

gang-warily wrote:

Hi ManuMan, my view is the opposite of yours. I have no interest in programmes from postponed matches. IMHO they are not 'proper' programmes in that the match was not played. I think I'm in the minority on this as I know that they are very sought-after and that's fair enough. Of course, my stance saves me money too! And of course if my collection were closer to complete I may have a different view. Of course we all have different focuses in our collections which is one of the things I enjoy about collecting. Some collectors don't collect war-time programmes as they were not 'proper' official fixtures, but I do pick those up now and again, I suppose these two positions may seem a little hypocritical, oh well....

Ur view, Ur entitled to it.

Wartime fixtures were official, they were simply games being played on a regional basis due to travelling being difficult and everyone having to dodge the bastard germans bombs. Yes each club may have ended up playing each other several times in a season but the government felt it essential that some form of every day British life was upheld to give everyone a little pleasure and normality from such terrible days and nights and the death and destruction around the the whole of the British Isles. Personally, i always think this period is a great source of inspiration, yes the programmes were poor, paper shortages but it was so important for everyone to be able to go out for a couple of hours and try and forget the world around them, so for me i love em!

[Posh1959]

I believe that all issues are important, regardless of when they were played etc etc.
Wartime issues are particulary interesting and are very important to my collection. It appears that my main club collection (Blackburn) did not issue for the majority of the wartime period, I have a 39/40 and 40/41 also the war cup final replay at Ewood and lots of 45/6 issues.
Has anybody any more info on Blackburn wartime homes? Leslie have you got or seen any Rovers v United from the war years?

[gang-warily]

I say "umnofficial" because the competitions (league and cup) were suspended for the war.
But I agree entirely some of the history of these programmes is fascinating, e.g. news of players serving overseas etc.