festival of britain

[Wullie]

Why are these programmes so expensive ? I understand that a few collectors may want the whole set, but I can't imagine that there are that many, especially as the prices are so high. That only leaves club collectors. Other friendlies from this era don't normally attract such high values ?

[andrewesq]

Yes great question that has me racking my brains too, if anyone knows the answer, did clubs do low print runs, expecting low attendances?

[Wullie]

I suppose you can say the same about some Charity Shield games . I can't believe that there are that many Charity Shield Collectors to push the prices up as high as some go for. A 1955 Chelsea v Newcastle game for £100 plus ? 1952 Manchester United v Newcastle , £300 ?
Must be low print runs.

[derby1884]

I'm not saying this is the answer - probably coincidental - but other Festival of Britain stuff used to prove very popular with ephemera collectors back when I dabbled in that sector.

Perhaps the term "FOB" is enough to mark any collectible up in perceived value?
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[garyspain]

I collect the Irish teams in the FoB and many are very scarce. Our clubs played the 3rd division North teams so needless to say the hardest ones to get.

Games were end of season with small crowds and presumably smaller printruns.

Certainly very very few came back. I'm pretty sure none survived in my home town of Limerick as all the players of their families were asked. I did manage to get them all via UK sources.

Of the ones I still need I only know for sure that Oldham v Cork Athletic even exists.

Southport v Drumcondra. Oldham v Cork Athletic,
Accrington Stanley v Cork Athletic, Oldham v Bohemians,
Accrington Stanley v Bohemians, Rochdale v Bohemians.
Rochdale v Shamrock Rvs, Carlisle v Waterford , St. Mirren v Distillery, Dundee v Distillery,Stirling v Distillery.

[silkman1]

I had a number of these items and sold them on eBay. They fetched reasonable amounts.

I suspect it was simply the Festival of Britain. Teams playing friendlies they would not have usually played and the small amounts printed.