2010 - Where did your money go?

[sharrowblade]

Come on be honest, in this strange world of collecting football memo, where does your money go.

Do you know? Does the missus know? Do you actually want to know?

Here's my rough estimate for 2010, the figures represent a percentage in cost.


Local Programme Shop/Dealer 44%

Ebay 28%

Other Sources (Club shop etc, private transactions) 14%

Auction 8%

Programme Fairs 5%

Dealer's Catalogues 1%

Programme Monthly 0.0%


About 30 years ago, as a young whippersnapper, that if I had been collecting then, dealers catalogues would have accounted for more than 90% at a guess. How things have changed!

My breakdown of cost probably differ from most because I'm fortunate to have a good couple of local sources. A throwback to a more traditional way of collecting.

I estimate I actually got to see approx 70% of what I purchased before I bought it.

Nowadays, The average collector probably purchases the majority of his outlay from ebay.

Whereas the really big hitters probably have auctions or maybe private transactions as their majority portion for outlay.

Where do other forum members 'splash the cash' ?

[surfinjim]

Local Programme Shop/Dealer 55%

Ebay 10%

Other Sources (Club shop etc, private transactions) 10%

Auction 10%

Programme Fairs 0%

Dealer's Catalogues 15%

Programme Monthly 0.0%

Jim
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26th December 1979

Bolder, Blackhall, Williamson, Smith, Pickering, Hornsby, King, Johnson, McCulloch, Mellor, Curran.

Scorers; Mellor, King, Curran, Smith (pen)

GODS EVERY ONE OF THEM!

[PABLO76]

Local Programme Shop/Dealer 20%

Ebay 75%

Other Sources (Club shop etc, private transactions) 5%

Auction 0%

Programme Fairs 0%

Dealer's Catalogues 0%

Programme Monthly 0%

[abfootballprogrammes]

and then you sometimes wonder why us dealers don't want to pay for a stall and attend fairs ? The above answers it !!

[ForestMick]

But then that's a chicken and egg situation, isnt it? The less dealers that attend fairs because their products arent selling, the less appealing fairs become, so the less collectors attend and buy from them. If prices/products are more appealing elsewhere, tehn that is where consumers will go, isnt it? To then blame consumers for dealers not attending fairs, is like a pub landlord slating his customers for not drinking his flat beer!

The fact that programme collectors have more options available to them and they excercise their right to use those choices is something I think our Gloriour leader, Thatcher the milk snatcher called the free market economy!
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[surfinjim]

Personally I didn't buy from a fair last year because the only one I could get to was the Sheffield Fair, and that has the same 6 dealers each year.

My collection is pretty limited in terms of what I collect. The one regular local shop I use offers fantastic service and will keep an eye out for the programmes he knows I am after.

I know that if he could get a stall at Sheffield Fair then he would certainly offer something different to the "old school" dinosaurs.

The other thing that the local shop offers, that from my experience Fair dealers do not, is sensibly priced items. As an example, in the past I've seen programmes on sale at Sheffield Fair for £15-£20 when in reality I know that they are £5 tops, and can be bought from the local shop for that price.

From my experience, the reason dealers are struggling is because they are not prepared to bite the bullet on price. They have the same stock month after month, at the same over inflated price. You only have to have a look around some of the BIN's on ebay to get an idea.
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26th December 1979

Bolder, Blackhall, Williamson, Smith, Pickering, Hornsby, King, Johnson, McCulloch, Mellor, Curran.

Scorers; Mellor, King, Curran, Smith (pen)

GODS EVERY ONE OF THEM!

[paulo]

Most of my money went on clearing the mortgage. Its become my new obsession and I am trying to clear it within the next 5 years.

Not a big year for my collection and any programmes that were purchased were direct from games I attended and any ticket stubs were bought on ebay or by sellers on this site. Also have started leaving England programmes for a couple of months after the games were played buying them for £1 each via ebay.

[Tynie Topics]

Ebay 77%

Local Programme Shop/Dealer 15%

Attending matches 5%

Other Sources (Club shop etc, private transactions) 2%

Programme Fairs 1%

Auction 0%

Programme Monthly 0%

Catalogues 0%


The percentage purchased from Fairs would be higher if there were actually regular fairs in Scotland, which sadly there are not.
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https://www.flickr.com/photos/footballprogrammes/albums

[sharrowblade]

abfootballprogrammes wrote:

and then you sometimes wonder why us dealers don't want to pay for a stall and attend fairs ? The above answers it !!

Sorry Alan, but I don't think it does.

Your response is phrased in such a way it could be interpreted as laying the blame with the 'average collector'.

I fear that's a little harsh, mate.

(Apologies to Jimbo and Pablo if you're not an average collector)

With reference to programme fairs, there are a number of factors, such as locality amongst others, to take into account, but basically it's down to PRICE.

The Internet has changed everything. ebay is more than just a online market place, more importantly it's infomation.

Infomation that didn't use to be freely available to collectors.

Infomation that I wager that many programme dealers wished wasn't in the average punter's domain.

I daresay that an honest ebay auction will give a truer reflection on current market values than many dealers prices.

From a Sheffield United Collector's point of view, in the last 12 months, an typical run of the mill programme on ebay from say the 56/7 season will have been currently going for anywhere between £1 and £2.50. 3/4 years ago they would probably have gone for between £5 & £6 maybe more, let at Sheffield dealers were still asking £6, 7 & £8. I could go on, but I think you get the picture.

One dealer was asking £90 for Oslo v united 66. Three have sold on ebay in the last three years £37, £39 & £40. I know I bought one. He's had it for more than a year, same price, who knows perhaps he'll get lucky one day.

I'm not adverse to, or be-grudge dealers who make a few bob, It would be chirlish, and unrealistic to do so.

In the greater scheme of things, the 'fat lad' may not be of any importance, he accepts there are bigger fish to fry, in the collector's aquarium.

Maybe, dealers should be asking is 'why aren't the likes of sharrowblade, considering he's been to Leeds, Stafford, Leicester, Stoke, Wolves, pudsey, Lincoln & Sheffield this year, he regularly updates and champions the fairs list on this forum, not spending a bigger percentage of his collecting budget at programme fairs?

Perhaps,... to coin a phrase 'the above answers it'.

[PABLO76]

Have to agree. Ebay is a phenomenon to the likes of myself when it comes to collecting, buying and gaining information.

Living in Dorset there are absolutely no local fairs, hence why I have never been to one yet.

And also, taking an example, the 96 cup final on your own site Alan, is £110. I'm fairly sure its been this price ever since I started looking around. Football programmes.com has it for £100, again hasnt changed in at least 3 years, and a quick check tells me brentside have it, although slightly damaged for £75.

The prices dealers are asking for is all well and good, but you have to keep up with the market surely? I bought mine about 3 years ago for £55, which was relatively cheap at the time as I saw a couple go for around £70. But now they are going for £30-£40, which in the current climate as expected is 30-40% cheaper. Would any dealers ever drop their catalogue prices by any more that 10% if at all?

[surfinjim]

To reiterate the points made by Sharrow and Pablo further, I've just checked out the Finals section on ABprogrammes. (This isn't a personal attack on AB in any way, just using that site as an example. Their are lots of other dealers offering the same sort of prices).

I've picked out the programmes involving Wednesday, as they are the ones I have an idea of price on.

66 F A Cup Everton v SWFC AB Price £15 Ebay £5-£8
91 Lg Cup Man Utd v SWFC AB Price £10 Ebay £2-£3
93 Lg Cup Arsenal v SWFC AB Price £20 Ebay £3-£5
93 FA Cup Arsenal v SWFC AB Price £20 Ebay £3-£5
93 Replay AB Price £100 Ebay £40-£45

That's why I don't use dealers other than offers lists.

Jim
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26th December 1979

Bolder, Blackhall, Williamson, Smith, Pickering, Hornsby, King, Johnson, McCulloch, Mellor, Curran.

Scorers; Mellor, King, Curran, Smith (pen)

GODS EVERY ONE OF THEM!

[rangersnz]

Pretty much 100% on ebay.

Only a few little things here and there from other guys. Although a lot of the stuff I have bought off ebay is from dealers.

Got a couple of good items this year, upgraded my Monaco away from 61/62 to a by far better copy, and picked up Standard Liege away from 61/62. Missed out on Arsenal from 1938 which pissed me off haha.

[tommy]

Dealer 10%
eBay 15%
Club Shop 15%
Auction 60%
Programme Fair 0%
Programme Monthly 0%
Total spend approx £1250 which is modest compared with previous years. Don’t tell the wife.

[kcs]

Good topic this.

Local Programme Shop/Dealer 0%

Ebay 60%

Other Sources (Club shop etc, private transactions) 10%

Auction 2%

Programme Fairs 12%

Dealer's Catalogues 14%

Programme Monthly 2%

The above is based on number of programmes purchased not the financial cost occurred.

Must be at least 4 figures, i reckon pushing 2k!!
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