Toy fair news

[Idris]

...a few dealers i spoke to just shook their heads, one said he was two thirds down on sales and he had a good mix and fair prices, another said it was two bad ones in a row for him, and i noticed dealers i use to trade with there were missing,

I went there with money in my pocket which I was fully intending to spend on one or more additions to my collection. I came way empty handed not because of the prices but because of the complete and utter absence of anything worth buying. I would therefore beg to suggest that if dealers are not making sales then the reason is not that the public have short arms and deep pockets but because the dealers are failing to supply what the public is looking for.

[fixer]

I think the problem is not confined to the NEC but a general one of many dealers bringing the same stock all the time
there's some that go to Brentwood that have had stuff literally for years and take it out again and again still expecting to get top money
good and fresh stock should always sell for the right price

[jeff f]

yes, alot of what you are saying is very true, there was one dealer there today that i know has had some of his stock 2 years plus, and wont deal, not sure how that works, but new good used stock is not easy to find, i am haveing so little offered of late, and from what i hear other dealers are finding the same problem, prices at auctions are too high for good condition models in many cases to sell on at a show, all the shows i been to since x mas have been down, and my mate dave has said its hard to get the superfast hes after, its the getting the new stock at mo that proveing hard to do, hopefully it will start to get better soon

[nickjones]

Well Hugh, I must have had a better day than you, I spent £28 on toys so I am fairly happy with what I found, I noticed a missed call from you on my portable telephone set, I hope it was nothing important, Jeff f sorry I never got to meet you and Pete I missed you too, But I did get to meet Ste (shockwave) Stevie K and Stephen K so maybe you should both change your names to Ste, Stevie or Stephen and we'll have better luck next time.
I had a nice chat with Ste (shockwave) and he sold me two very nice Bulgarians, A 39 Clipper in metallic blue with yellow windows and interior and a Miura in metallic gold with red interior,I also found a gold 69 Silver Shadow convertible with grey base, (yes exactly the same as the one I sold to you Reg). three VW beetles, two are Schuco and one morestone and finally a mint Benbros Hudson in orange.
On the whole it was pretty poor if you only collected British Matchbox, The three steves all had nice stuff but there was not a lot else and lots of dealers were complaining that people were not spending, One thing that really pisses me off is if you are going to get up at the crack of dawn to haul a carload of toys to sell and when you get there you are going to leave the toys inside a glass topped cabinet you should at least have the common sense to take them out of the boxes so we can see your offerings,
When I see a hundred matchbox toys inside their boxes and inside a cabinet I just walk past, I'm sure most people do too.

[fixer]

you should at least have the common sense to take them out of the boxes so we can see your offerings,

I must agree Nick , StephenK has a good system where all the models are on display and all the boxes are separate with the prices so you can have a good look without pulling the box about

[nickjones]

Graham (Rockertron) does too, He has all of the models held to their respective boxes by elastic bands which are just the right size to hold the model securely without crushing the box, I guess there are good sellers and then there are dumb sellers.

[Taniwha]

It's been interesting reading about the NEC fair - I have fond memories of the times I went there - always returning with empty pockets and a swag of toys. Our British members are spoiled really with very regular fairs - most other countries have relatively few. I feel lucky being able to get to 4 fairs a year here in central NZ - I remember our local fair being at least every second month with other regular fairs within a reasonable drive meaning plenty of opportunity.

Then came the auction websites, and since then it has been fewer fairs, and similar issues to those mentioned above - same old sellers, same old over-priced stock and lack of negotiation. As a stallholder, it is harder to find new stock cheap enough to on-sell (if you are in it for the money).

All that said, each fair can be hit and miss - just when I think it might be the last time I bother with a fair, I turn up and find a whole bunch of new stuff, and it all seems worthwhile again. We seem able to find new sellers every year for our big mid-winter fair here in Wellington, so it is always worth turning out for (last year, my budget was blown 2 hours before doors opened!). 2015 will be no exception, as we already have a number of keen new stallholders signed up.

I stall out with my dwindling stocks of models I have upgraded at the other three fairs I can get to. I'm always negotiable on price, and I always try and have some new stuff for each fair (and will have at the next one at Trentham in April). So, I turn over a bit and usually make a small profit which is always re-invested in the hobby.

Best of all is catching up with the local collecting community - a great bunch - people like Steve (matchboxkiwi) and Ian (toysnz) who post here occasionally are regulars and it is always the best part of our fairs spending time catching up and also learning from them. So British friends, appreciate that it is worth the effort seeing each other every now and then even if what's on offer isn't great.

Cheers,
Gavin

[GHOSTHUNTER]

We are lucky in the UK to have access to so many toy fairs with the bigger regular events (NEC, Windsor Etc, Etc,), and lots of smaller local fairs throughout the counties.

This is of course down to the fact that we more or less invented the toy fair.

Please follow this link, click on 'Club History' at the top of the page and have a nice read...http://www.windsortoyfair.co.uk/index.html

GHOSTHUNTER.

[shockwavediecast]

The NEC.
Firstly Great to meet Hugh & Nick, (Nick, it was a gold Lotus, not Muira).

Had disappointing sales, haggling seemed almost none existent from buyers (Nick even gave me more than I asked for a Bulgarian Lotus!!!). It was the first time I'd stood there, and I think I'll give it another go. But I took nearly twice as much last week at Shepton Mallet, which cost £30 less to stand at, and only needs £10 of fuel. So I think we're going to try and do it as part of a trip, and do three or four fairs/auctions on the road.

I'm lucky at moment that I can mix pieces of my own collection into my stalls, but as has been said above getting good stock at a price that you can make profit on is becoming hard work. Auctions used to be almost all trade buyers, but due to internet & tv exposure, there are now too many public buyers at auctions who are happy to pay more. I was at Cottee's last sale of 2014, I was only able to get 6 lots, and had to pay more than I wanted for them.

[motorman]

Nick even gave me more than I asked for a Bulgarian Lotus!!!).

He is getting a little deaf in his old age SWT!!! ...........i am shocked you would ask anyone for money for a Bulgarian matchbox!!!