Toy fair £5 early enterance fee

[locomad]

I'm told the "Early Bird" entrance fee started because some Collectors were booking the smallest table possible in order to get in early, but not actually doing anything with it, which created a bad impression as normal punters were paying to look at fresh air and genuine traders lower down the waiting list were elsewhere.

Can't quite see that works, I see that some traders book the smallest table but the one who do that tend to be the "hobby" sellers, those to sell small bits like model figures, spare parts, and specialise sellers. Some toy fairs charge sellers per foot of table space, so keeps price down. As for pre buying and selling that been going on for years between traders.

 

At the toy fair I went too I was on the door at 10am with a about a dozen others who had been told start time 10am, few were bit annoyed and non I was with paid the extra money, instead going downstairs to an antique fair which had quite a bit of toys trains and model cars for sale .

 

Since then I meet a trader who was at the show and mentioned the extra fee, he said he didn't like the idea either as it meant he had to stay with his stand incase a customer came in and missed or reduced his chance to look at other stalls. I pointed out I spent more at the antique fair!

[DCB]

I always find the bargains are at the end of the Swap Meets in any case, by which time the back doors are open and traders and hangers on walk unchecked between car park and sale.  As for Charity Shops, Ox rip off seem to check the new list price online, and I find books are a lot more reasonable at Swap Meets. One branch had a book for £12.  I refused to pay and waited for the price to go down, after three weeks I noticed I already had a copy....

[hayfield]

I have not been to a swapmeet for years, but if it were a collector and it was a decent swapmeet I think I would be prepared to pay the £3 just to get an edge. You never know there may well be a bargain on one stall which will cover the extra cost, of an extra £3 gets you that hard to find item. Both options seem attractive to me

 

Now I like a bargain like everyone, but why should I expect others to subsidise my hobby ? But by paying a little more I may get the item I wanted and or even cheaper. On the other hand waiting till the end to get in free and then buy items cheaper also sounds appealing, no one seems to complain about this

 

As for traders trading, that's what they do. And I bet this happens well before the early entrance start time

[luckymucklebackit]

Traders are a pest at car boot sales, we set up at a couple a few years ago and the traders are round you like flies, trying to get the pick of what is on sale before the average buyer appears, one trader nearly got a sore face from one of the sellers as he would not take a telling and back off until the guy was organised.

With reference to prices on second hand sellers stands, I never just give the marked price, the trader will usually sell at less.  I offered £20 recently for four Peco points that were priced at £6.50 each, trader accepted without any haggling.

 

Jim

[hayfield]

Jim

 

Just give the trader a price 4 times higher than you would normally be willing to sell at, and no haggling, that way both of you win

[locomad]

 

As for traders trading, that's what they do. And I bet this happens well before the early entrance start time

Good point and as a result as a fee paying customer your not going to get a bargain by paying extra to get in before the rest off us customers.

 

I regard the model railway hobby a very "mature" hobby, most traders & customers know what a certain sort after article costs, for example in Hornby-dublo circles your not going to get a "City of Liverpool" cheap at a swap meet or toy fair.

 

As pointed out they are a good source of general model railway items like peco points, chances are a few other customers might be after a few as well, but most will have got what they want or not interested.

 

My view best "bargains" are found in car boots and charity shops, where someone has found an old boxed railway set in an attic, or selling deceased relative's collection, kind of know roughly the price from eBay and failed due to lack of specific knowledge the true value of the odd rare item.

[298]

Jim

 

Just give the trader a price 4 times higher than you would normally be willing to sell at, and no haggling, that way both of you win

That explains why one stall at the NEC recently had trays of American HO freight cars at £10 a pop....crudely repainted blue box Athearn that a different well respected Trader would have had bagged up at 4 for £10. With asking prices like that I'm sure my offer would have offended, and thgr only consolation is I'm sure whoever sold them to the trader must have done alright.

 

My view best "bargains" are found in car boots and charity shops, where someone has found an old boxed railway set in an attic, or selling deceased relative's collection, kind of know roughly the price from eBay and failed due to lack of specific knowledge the true value of the odd rare item.

A little Knowledge can be dangerous, hence the poorly listed O scale Interurban coach dropping in price from £1500 to £950 because the seller is under the impression that it still has some prominence or is really worth what was paid to the professional builder. My offer of £40 for what is basically a freelance coach converted from RTR Bachmann G scale wasn't accepted...

[298]

Not sure how that stacks up for organisers or buyers, a fiver for early entrance, likely premium of about £2, or £25 for a table. You'd need to be pretty keen to pay that kind of money.

People did before the early entrance premium came about. They were quite brazen about it too and left their tables empty, instead of going through the motions of at least having the Wife in attendance with some spare models.

[hayfield]

Good point and as a result as a fee paying customer your not going to get a bargain by paying extra to get in before the rest off us customers.

 

I regard the model railway hobby a very "mature" hobby, most traders & customers know what a certain sort after article costs, for example in Hornby-dublo circles your not going to get a "City of Liverpool" cheap at a swap meet or toy fair.

 

As pointed out they are a good source of general model railway items like peco points, chances are a few other customers might be after a few as well, but most will have got what they want or not interested.

 

My view best "bargains" are found in car boots and charity shops, where someone has found an old boxed railway set in an attic, or selling deceased relative's collection, kind of know roughly the price from eBay and failed due to lack of specific knowledge the true value of the odd rare item.

 

 

That explains why one stall at the NEC recently had trays of American HO freight cars at £10 a pop....crudely repainted blue box Athearn that a different well respected Trader would have had bagged up at 4 for £10. With asking prices like that I'm sure my offer would have offended, and thgr only consolation is I'm sure whoever sold them to the trader must have done alright.

 

 

A little Knowledge can be dangerous, hence the poorly listed O scale Interurban coach dropping in price from £1500 to £950 because the seller is under the impression that it still has some prominence or is really worth what was paid to the professional builder. My offer of £40 for what is basically a freelance coach converted from RTR Bachmann G scale wasn't accepted...

 

  I don't go to Warley as been once and its too big, it is reported to be very expensive to hire a stand so I guess prices have to reflect that.

 

I have had good buys from other shows, club stands are very good, and believe it or not, some traders have not a clue on some items (non RTR), others overprice

 

Still think the best place to pick up bargains is eBay, just be very selective and patient

[Invicta]

People did before the early entrance premium came about. They were quite brazen about it too and left their tables empty, instead of going through the motions of at least having the Wife in attendance with some spare models.

 

The behaviour of the more obsessive end of the collecting fraternity can be pretty bewildering sometimes- I used to know a chap - in a non-railway field- who actually used to buy items that he didn't need and already had, simply to stop a rival collector he knew from getting them...

 

It's a while since I last went to any toy fairs, but I can't imagine ever wanting to pay extra just to get early bird entrance- as several people have said, your chances of striking a bargain deal are probably better nearer to close of play. I know some of the bigger exhibitions offer 'early bird' entrance for advance ticket bookings, but that's a different thing altogether