Football Programmes Centre

ashburton-grove · Joined: 02 May 2009 Posts: 330 Location: Milton Keynes

Hi all,

I am arranging a programme fair for all us Football Programme Centre users.
I have acquired a small venue which can take about 7 or 8 sellers and has it's own bar too!
The venue is Bletchley Railway Club and they have been good enough to let me do this event for free (small amount of grovelling involved).
There will be NO charge for the sellers and NO charge for entry. I hope to put a small advert in the paper to boost the numbers.
It would be great if as many of you can come and put faces to forum names.
I would really like this event to have different sellers from the usual dealers and would prefer collectors like me who through their OCD have amounted hundreds of surplus programmes. Priority goes to forum regulars, but that does not mean I am blacklisting anyone.
I will be selling too and you can expect prices to be affordable e.g. 1950's £2, 1960's 50p and modern 20p.
The date will be Saturday 28th July 2012 from 9am until 2pm.

All I ask is that you buy a drink to help the club and hopefully if the club are happy we can do it again.

Tables are supplied and programmes can be dropped off at the door.
Even if you don't have many programmes to sell, bring them along to swap!

The venue is right next to Bletchley Railway station.
If travelling by train get yourself on the West Coast Mainline and hop on a London Midland train.
If arriving by car then parking next to the venue is charged, but you can park for free on Sherwood Drive and walk for 5 minutes.

If you are interested in coming please feel free to contact me for further details or post on this thread so I have an idea how many are coming, and if you want to sell let me know through the forum private messages and I will try to organise it fairly if there are lots of requests.

Venue: Bletchley Railway Club
Station Approach
Sherwood Drive
Bletchley
Milton Keynes
MK3 6DS
01908 374748

Saturday 28th July 2012 from 9am until 2pm

Google map reference: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?.....CAsQ8gEwAA

All the best, Keith
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Superajm · Joined: 21 Jul 2009 Posts: 373

Pretty sure I'd have gone if wasn't for the date. I will be aiming to break a world record!

Hope it all goes well and ill try and make the next one if it continues

Watfordchris · Joined: 16 May 2012 Posts: 39

Yeah I will pop along to the fair. I'm only in Dunstable so not far at all for me.

Senior82 · Joined: 25 Nov 2008 Posts: 982 Location: Near Sheffield

Sounds good but sadly the £60 train fare rules me out.

flashhat · Joined: 28 Nov 2010 Posts: 1095 Location: Buckingham

I'll attend
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mancitymark · Joined: 25 Nov 2008 Posts: 994

Great venue for a fair mate and it is a good size room, Will be looking forward to this one, May be a good idea to set up a Facebook page to promote the event here also
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ashburton-grove · Joined: 02 May 2009 Posts: 330 Location: Milton Keynes

Many thanks for the replies, I look forward to seeing you on the day.
There are still tables availible, anything sports related welcome.
I will be offering any spare tables to dealers soon.
As well as programmes for sale there will be programme binders on offer too, and old football shirts.
I'll keep you updated on any more news.
Cheers, keith.
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"We have a problem with Sol Campbell" Arsene Wenger. 04/02/06

mancitymark · Joined: 25 Nov 2008 Posts: 994

just a thought mate for the programme fair if any dealers attending need a place to stay, My Mum runs/owns the Park Hotel which is virtually next door to the programme venue and she will gladly offer a reduce room rate if anyone needs it.

Let me know if anyone does and I'll sort the details for it.
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Every Man Needs A Hobby

ashburton-grove · Joined: 02 May 2009 Posts: 330 Location: Milton Keynes

Hi Guys,

Here's an update to the programme fair to be held at Bletchley on the 28th July. (details above)

The sellers attending will be:

LCFCmatt – selling new personalised programme binders and storage bags.
Abfootballprogrammes – General programmes
John Dee – one of the top programme sellers with Big Match and low priced 1950's
Bob Smith – mostly modern excellent condition + West Ham etc.
Tony Healey – with Internationals, Finals and teams such as Norwich + Ipswich.
Myself – Hundreds of 1950's plus some older and plenty of 1960's-1990's.

Some of the sellers are full time dealers so I have entered the website addresses below should you require them to bring anything down with them.

There will be lots of new stuff at the fair, and I hope a good selection for all collectors.
See you there.
Keith.

Matt http://www.programmebinders.co.uk/

Bob Smith http://smithfootballprogrammes.co.uk/index.html

John Dee http://www.johndeefc.co.uk/ind.....;Itemid=53

Alan Benedick http://www.abfootballprogrammes.com/
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"We have a problem with Sol Campbell" Arsene Wenger. 04/02/06

pastpirate · Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2012 12:52 am Post subject:

Fair has been added to the "Upcoming Football Fairs" listing on the right hand side.
Good luck, hope it goes well.
Jamie.
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LCFCmatt · Joined: 13 Dec 2011 Posts: 123

See you at the fair tomorrow guys.

Don't forget to bring plenty of spending money! Very Happy

DannyRoberts · Joined: 29 Apr 2012 Posts: 505 Location: South London

Train ticket booked. Arriving at Bletchley at 9.54 am !!!!!!!

Very Happy

Auchinleckian · Forum Moderator Joined: 21 Nov 2008 Posts: 4352

Hope you have a good day and it all works out well. There's a need to have more fairs on the circuit so more power to your elbow! I'm organising one at Grimsby Town in September and am positively looking forward to that as well.

ashburton-grove · Joined: 02 May 2009 Posts: 330 Location: Milton Keynes

Thanks for the support guys.
The ad looks good in the local paper, and I hope a few attendees from this forum will bolster the numbers.
Who ever looks at my stuff will probably walk away with a major bargain as I haven't much of a clue what I've got.
I've been warned that if 20 people turn up it's been a good fair!
Are programme fairs that poor nowadays?
Which ever, nothing ventured etc, and if I can get one person started in the hobby then it's been worth it.
If you are going then say hello to me, I'll be the one with more hair than the rest.
I'll update Sat afternoon.
Many thanks.
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"We have a problem with Sol Campbell" Arsene Wenger. 04/02/06

ashburton-grove · Joined: 02 May 2009 Posts: 330 Location: Milton Keynes

And the final judgement.....success.
As predicted by John Dee, about 20 people turned up, a few from the forum too, and all had a good look round at the tables.
Unfortunately Alan Benedick had to cancel at short notice, but we still had five sellers with full tables.
My heartfelt thanks go to the sellers above who gave up their time to support this fair and some even mentioned that it should be done again in the near future. More on that as things develop.
A huge THANK YOU too to all the buyers who travelled as far from Croydon, Birmingham and another place some where off Wales!!!!
Elvis made a guest appearance, but after trying (and failing) to sell some annuals and videos to us, he then left the building.
As usual I left with more than I came with (thanks guys) but if I had to do it all again....I wouldn't take the heavy stuff!! Very Happy

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"We have a problem with Sol Campbell" Arsene Wenger. 04/02/06

mancitymark · Joined: 25 Nov 2008 Posts: 994

Well done Keith for getting today's fair off the ground, It's great venue and should be a yearly event as I'm sure numbers would grow.

I left a happy chappy after sercuring a great deal for a job lot of City 1950's homes Thumbs Up

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Every Man Needs A Hobby

BAZZABAGGIES · Joined: 07 Jan 2011 Posts: 1920

20 People ???? there is no helping people is there.
The punters today like sitting on their ass and buying off ebay.
I feel sorry for the dealers all that time effort and money trying to make a living.

LCFCmatt · Joined: 13 Dec 2011 Posts: 123

A big thanks to Keith for organising the fair. Thumbs Up

Twenty buyers doesn't sound a great deal for a 5hr fair but it's a start and with a bit of brainstorming/tweaking I'm sure some improvement in the attendance is possible for the future.
The location was good & the room was a decent size, maybe in hindsight there could have been some signage from the train station entrance pointing towards the Railway Club? Even I had to ask where the building was!

Hopefully the next one (if there is one?!) will be bigger & better.

If there is another fair at Bletchley in the future I highly recommend that those travelling some distance stay overnight at the Doubletree by Hilton @ the home of the MK Dons. An excellent hotel and at a decent price. The wife and I paid £45 for the night (king size bed!). Breakfast was however an extra £15 each. We politely declined and opted to visit Asda next door and got a couple of danishes at a £1 for brekkie. Ikea is next to Asda so you can grab an evening meal there without feeling obliged to buy a flat-pack of some sort!