Bolton Fair 11th October

[Auchinleckian]

Bolton Fair at the Excel Leisure Centre, Lower Bridgeman Street, Bolton, 11am until 3pm.

Unfortunately clashes with the Stoke Fair on the same day.

I'll have my usual excellent stock on sale. 10% discount for all Forum members on all sales if they pm me before the fair.

[Stationmastercarlisle]

How Many Stalls will there be and what kind of stuff do you sell

[Auchinleckian]

Don't know how many stalls there'be - there's usually about 10. I know that at least one will be at the Stoke Fair. My stall will be all pre 1970 items, barring a few rarer modern issues. See my list for a taste of what I take.

[oldbolt]

I see a seller on ebay has put some Bolton homes from 52/53 and 53/54 to end from 12.30 - 1.00 ish next Sunday lunch time.
Good timing...

[Auchinleckian]

If any Forum users are going to the Bolton Fair this Sunday, do please introduce yourself. My Auchinleck Talbot scarf will be prominently displayed on the wall behind the stall on the day!

[oldbolt]

Correction, the scarf was lay flat on the table at the front of the stall! I was hanging about for a few mins to introduce myself but you were busy with customers and inspecting pennants and I had to get to a family lunch.
Other stall holders included Michael Hewitt,Ruth (Bolton) Karl Madden (Man Utd) and a Burnley specialist I don't know.
It seemed busier than normal maybe 50 or so people in there at half eleven.There was also a youngish woman I had never seen before leafing through Bolton progs.Whatever next!
My only buy was a programme that was on sale at the last Bolton fair in spring.Bolton v Man Utd in 50/51 for £45.I regretted not buying it at the time and was quite surprised it was still on sale.

[Posh1959]

Hi Oldbolt, what a small world, I was stood next to you when you bought that programme. I thought it was a good buy .

A poor fair in my opinion, too many good items on backboards at silly prices, dont people want to sell them?

Possibly the craziest price I saw was £250 i believe for a west ham mis 30s home programme, probably worth £120.
Dealers complain that fairs are getting less and less attended, but many dont really help the situation by displaying the same old stock fair in fair out.

Not enough dealers there, it used to be packed a few years ago.

[Auchinleckian]

Disappointed that there were only 6 folk there selling, smallest number there's ever been there. Didn't help with it being on the same day as the Stoke Fair when a number of people who might normally have a stall at Bolton went to Stoke instead. Perhaps there could be dialogue to prevent this happening again?
Posh 1959 can't have it both ways - accusing dealers of taking the "same old stock" but also of having expensive items on the backboards. I view backboards as serving a purpose in attracting folk to the stall, not necessarily beacuse they'll all sell. I'd put up common or garden stuff, cheaply, on the back boards were that the case. Perhaps he wants everybody to slash their prices so rare programmes can be sold cheaply to people to then resell on ebay? Pre war West Ham, btw, are currently selling at £200 plus.
I've mentioned it before, but I'll do so again. There are two distinctly different markets in the programme world, ebay and the more mature colelctor. My stock at fairs is 95% pre 1970 - I don't take any league or cup programmes after that as everyone else has them, and I want to offer soemthing different. I have all my programmes individually encased in acid free bags and backboards (which has cost me a small fortune)
I overnighted due to the travel involved, paid £40 for stall rental, and petrol would have cost me roughly £40. That's over £120 spent prior to the fair before I start to try and sell programmes. To simply dismiss people who take the time and effort to go to fairs is, frankly, crass. Buy your programmes off ebay cheaply, but don't expect the same kind of service, knowledge, and vast range of items when you're doing so.

[ToffeeDan]

Some public relations is involved tho, putting ones name about and reminding (potential) customers. I'm sure some get some aftersales..

[Posh1959]

You say pre war West Ham sell at £200 plus, think you are having a laugh or you have no idea of the current market!! I ask you to give evidence of this.

You pick on my use of the English language, i said "expensive" perhaps i should have used the phrase "overpriced".

Surely the idea of trying to sell programmes at a Fair or anywhere is to try and sell them and make a profit. You have gone totally overboard with your reaction thinking it was an attack at you. No i dont want everyone to slash their prices so people can make a profit on Ebay. I would merely like to see some dealers to be more realistic. One of the sellers had a pre war Chesterfield reserve in very average condition, asking price £120, is that serious!! to make a profit you have to sell things.
I have never dismissed you for having a stall,or made any comments about your overheads etc, so for you to call my comments crass is purely idiotic. You seem to be taking this personally, i cannot think why .

I have had a stall at many many fairs over the years and will continue to do so, so I am well aware of the overheads, thank you kindly.

[Auchinleckian]

I didn't make the point specifically about my own stall, but did point out that there is a lot of time, effort, expense, and trouble in putting everything together for a fair for all concerned.
West Ham pre war programmes - check out the Sportingold auction from July (I think) when numerous such items went for around that figure.
Also, if the ball's on the other foot, if you come across a nugget of a programme that's marked at only a couple of pounds, but which the dealer for some reason doesn't have marked at that price, do you advise them that they're selling it too cheap, or say thankyou very much, a veritable bargain? I know what I'd do and it isn't the first option!
If you don't like certain prices there's no compunction on anybody to buy said items.
Anyway, I accept I may have gone over the top in previous posting, so please accept my apologies for any offence caused.

[Posh1959]

I was at the last Sportingold auction and the one before that etc etc, the only West Ham 1930s home to have fetched £150 plus are v Man Utd. They fetch in the region of £120 to £130 plus commission in good condition.

[Simon_Nufc17]

Hopefully there will be a programme fair up in Newcastle soon, We do have a shop called The Back Page that sells club by club programmes and also football memorbilia.

[andyfromboston]

Posh1959 wrote:

One of the sellers had a pre war Chesterfield reserve in very average condition, asking price £120, is that serious!!

Well I'd say that was just a bit pricey but last year I was happy to swap a 1948 Cup Final for a 31/2 Chesterfield v Boston Res issue, and I'd have put the Cup Final issue in the 3 figure category. CFC reserves from the 30's usually go for 60-100 depending on the opposition.

[Posh1959]

good evening mr butler

the last chesterfield res 30s on ebay fetched £26

at auction last year they were going for £25 to £30 each, 1st team from the late 30s unless against the big clubs only just touch £100

[andyfromboston]

Good Morning Mr.........???

Probably shows what I know about prices........ I was happy to pay it though, BUFC of any genre pre war are hardly 10 a penny.

[craig]

Guys,

For the first time ever ive had to remove a couple of posts from this thread which i really dont like to do but i had no choice.

Posh, Auchinleckian has apologised for his initial post was a little over the top but at the end of the day you just have conflicting views - neither of your is right or wrong.

Please keep it clean as even though i had to remove petes post, he does make a point in that this forum is a place to meet new people and help each other out which is all Ive ever seen up until now so i dont think there are any deeper issues than a conflict of views between yourselves.

People are however always going to disagree over the price of programmes and there are no set prices as a programme is only worth what a punter is willing to pay... as has been concluded many many times on the forum when prices have been discussed.

[johnlad]

Auchinleckian wrote:

Disappointed that there were only 6 folk there selling, smallest number there's ever been there. Didn't help with it being on the same day as the Stoke Fair when a number of people who might normally have a stall at Bolton went to Stoke instead. Perhaps there could be dialogue to prevent this happening again? Posh 1959 can't have it both ways - accusing dealers of taking the "same old stock" but also of having expensive items on the backboards. I view backboards as serving a purpose in attracting folk to the stall, not necessarily beacuse they'll all sell. I'd put up common or garden stuff, cheaply, on the back boards were that the case. Perhaps he wants everybody to slash their prices so rare programmes can be sold cheaply to people to then resell on ebay? Pre war West Ham, btw, are currently selling at £200 plus. I've mentioned it before, but I'll do so again. There are two distinctly different markets in the programme world, ebay and the more mature colelctor. My stock at fairs is 95% pre 1970 - I don't take any league or cup programmes after that as everyone else has them, and I want to offer soemthing different. I have all my programmes individually encased in acid free bags and backboards (which has cost me a small fortune) I overnighted due to the travel involved, paid £40 for stall rental, and petrol would have cost me roughly £40. That's over £120 spent prior to the fair before I start to try and sell programmes. To simply dismiss people who take the time and effort to go to fairs is, frankly, crass. Buy your programmes off ebay cheaply, but don't expect the same kind of service, knowledge, and vast range of items when you're doing so.

same as me, bought a few items off mick hewitt and ruth crawshaw, nothing else worth buying.
ah well looking forward to the altrincham fair at christmas