The Sheffield + Manchester Fairs over Christmas

[BAZZABAGGIES]

A MESSAGE FROM THE ORGANISER

The Sheffield and Manchester programme fairs will not be taking place this year. The Belgrave Suite at the Cresta Court is being transformed into a 'Winter wonderland' for the whole of December.
It is just not practical to stage the fair as all the walls upon which we would normally have our back boards will have drapes. There are a host of other immoveable decorative features planned making it simply impractical to stage the event in the usual way.

There are weddings planned for both the 'non football' days at the Royal Victoria hotel in Sheffield again making it impossible to have a fair there too.

In the circumstances we had no other choice than to cancel the 2014
programme. We expect to be back to normal at both venues for Christmas 2015.

[martino]

You have probably already investigated this but are there any alternative sites available in both cities?

[Posh1959]

Is this a wind up?

Loads of suitable venues in both areas, if the current venue's dont want the business i am sure there are plenty that do.

[blackburncollector]

I'm sure given the size of both Manchester and Sheffield an alternative venue could have been found - I can only assume that the leg work involved finding a different location isn't worth it for what the organiser(s) will get back from stall fees.

On a personal level, I'm very disappointed as I was hoping to take a stall at the Manchester fair and can only hope that something becomes available at the New Year fair in London.


_________________
Andy

[BAZZABAGGIES]

In their heyday pre Ebay, fairs were a good way to earn a bit of money. Nowadays they are a lot of time effort and money.
From a personal note I have done 35 fairs a year in the past.

Ive done around 150 fairs in London alone. The London monthly fairs at Baden Powell house was attendend by me for well over 10 years + provincial fairs at Arsenal Brentford Chelsea Charlton New Year and International fairs etc.
There are a lot of expenses in fairs nowadays with the outlay of some £200 +
Too many dealers and not enough punters a lot of the smaller fairs charge £30 - £40 a stall and the larger ones cost me £150 + for a stall.

A lot of the smaller fairs are attended by no more than 50 punters with sometimes around 20 dealers. The organisers of the smaller fairs seem to be the only ones smiling.

The Manchester and Sheffield Fairs have been well attended in the past but lately become a meeting and exchange place, with some dealers not even covering their expenses.
With the punters asking for the same programmes they were 20 years ago and the growth of Ebay, Fairs have become a waste of time,effort, and money..
Has anyone got any answers ??????????????

[Posh1959]

I have never understood why the big fairs are held at large expensive hotels. Surely there is a working mens club in Sheffield and Alty which would be suitable. The expensive cost of hiring the hall would be vastly reduced which should be passed on to the stall holder.

[Wullie]

I haven't been to a fair in years. There was one seller at the New Year antique fair In Gateshead and he had some interesting items. Not sure what the answer is , the world is changing so quick, all the old ways of doing things is changing. I was speaking to a guy who deals postcards part time. He said fairs are now pretty much waste of time. 90% of his business is done before the doors are open.

[martino]

BAZZABAGGIES wrote:

A MESSAGE FROM THE ORGANISER In the circumstances we had no other choice than to cancel the 2014 programme. We expect to be back to normal at both venues for Christmas 2015.

From the above posts it does not look as though 2015 will be a goer either.

[Altychief]

BAZZABAGGIES wrote:

A MESSAGE FROM THE ORGANISER The Sheffield and Manchester programme fairs will not be taking place this year. The Belgrave Suite at the Cresta Court is being transformed into a 'Winter wonderland' for the whole of December. It is just not practical to stage the fair as all the walls upon which we would normally have our back boards will have drapes. There are a host of other immoveable decorative features planned making it simply impractical to stage the event in the usual way. There are weddings planned for both the 'non football' days at the Royal Victoria hotel in Sheffield again making it impossible to have a fair there too. In the circumstances we had no other choice than to cancel the 2014 programme. We expect to be back to normal at both venues for Christmas 2015.

Try asking Altrincham football club 0161 928 1045 they are having a new community sports hall built and may be ready for then. see www.altrinchamfc.co.uk for details

[manchesterunitedman1]

Interestingly David has not been on the forum to advise everyone himself and had Barry not bothered to make the announcement then we would all have been in the dark.

Can you advise us all then David as the original location is not now suitable, surely as others have mentioned there has to be some alternatives?.

I organised Antique Fairs in the 1970/1980's and i know how much effort has to go into it but surely with the internet today you can locate any number of possibles.

My only regret is that i am not going to get the usual floor show from Tom Roe from Blackpool with his thespian Olivier like protestations that he is being done by everyone, more like Kenneth Williams with his "Infamy" line

So here is an opportunity for some member to locate a venue and offer to the trade a Manchester and Sheffield venue in December at rates to suit, plenty are expecting a Fair in both Sheffield and Manchester so go and give them one!

Leslie Millman

[Andrew BSFC]

Rather then look for alternative venues could both fairs not be moved to alternative dates instead?

[cfcmartin1965]

Going slightly off track I had a stall at the Portsmouth fair held today which was poorly attended about 50 punters coming through the door despite the tireless efforts in promoting the fair

If programme fairs are going to continue it would help greatly if one magazine Programme Monthly that promotes this wonderful hobby could manage to publish the correct date as they had the fair to bel held on the 19th October

[infoman]

Having organised programme fairs in Bristol,
and I don't collect programmes.
I'm after football Videos and DVD's of matches from the 1960's 1970's and 1980's.
Taped off telly or your own recordings.

Its up to ALL OF US to promote any of these programme fairs.

I had about FIFTY through the doors on my last fair in Autumn 2013

Free entry,free to stall holders and free tea and coffee all day and a fairly early entry

The earlier the fair opens (IMPO) makes buyers happeir

[BAZZABAGGIES]

Some of the excuses some people use for not attending makes you laugh. Why dont they admit they cannot be rsed to move from their computer.

The record attendance i know about is 15 and two of them wandered in from the street.

[pafcprogs]

having tipped up at two fairs now as a seller and another as a punter it seems to me that standalone fairs for programme collectors probably only work in major conurbations and perhaps a way forward would be to have a collectors fair you bolt onto and establish the programme side of it

The are so many antique fairs so they must attract a reasonable throughput of people...

To that end I am going to check one out this weekend and see what if any potential that might have.

( And before Bazza bangs on I have a Vat registered company which I am putting all this activity through )
_________________
Currently disposing of my collection so please email any wants lists to [email protected].
Most Plymouth post 1959 but plenty of others including reserves, friendlies, Cup Finals Internationals and Club issues, handbooks and other sports.

[BAZZABAGGIES]

PAFC.. Whats VAT ?

Why dont we publish a list on how many people attend these fairs, and how many dealers.. Along with the cost of the hire room and advertising the fairs and see if we can get a better solution to the problem.

A lot of dealers are being put off with high costs and low attendances.

[pafcprogs]

Hi Bazza

Stands for Value Added...perhaps you are exempt

A PF co-operative event ...how very socialist...but sounds like a decent idea...

A bit like we had with England a few years ago...everyone moans about the fixtures being in London but would we get the numbers elsewhere...

One thought ...could it be added onto an auction....after all one reason I don't go to Sportinggold etc etc is that in effect I will only be interested in maximum ten lots...if there was a side event of a fair alongside it....


Just a thought
_________________
Currently disposing of my collection so please email any wants lists to [email protected].
Most Plymouth post 1959 but plenty of others including reserves, friendlies, Cup Finals Internationals and Club issues, handbooks and other sports.

[Auchinleckian]

Think big fairs are a thing of the past, but surely given the number of dealers / collectors that there are in the Midlands area something smaller can be tried? Am sure there would be any number of non league clubs only too happy to get takings at the bar enhanced on a Sunday by having one.

Has anybody ever considered having a fair for just 90 minutes say on matchday at a non league ground where they may be usually get a semi decent crowd? As someone said most of the business gets done early doors, and if something like this was properly promoted (like the Groundhopper's weekend) it might be worth somebody's while to do it.

I know it's on another posting on here, but even though we only attracted 29 folk to the 1st Auchinleck Talbot Fair the other Sunday, all the stallholders made a profit out of it because the stalls only cost £15 each and travel costs were minimal. So much so that we will be holding another one in the Spring because we think it's a sustainable model. The club makes money, the stallholders do, and it's a good social event.

[Altychief]

Spoke to the chairman of Altrincham football club there new community sports hall will be open by December if your interested no idea what you pay but i'm sure they would do you a good deal.
Give Karen or Grahame Rowley a ring on 0161 928 1045.

[blackburncollector]

I'm sure the demand is still there for the fair, its just getting someone who knows what they are doing and contacts to organise something...


_________________
Andy