Getting expensive

[Trev Good]

 

Even back in the 80s/90s when I was on the committee of the local steam fair in Bucks, we paid the traction engine entries to garner support. All other entries were given rally plaques and other goodies, not often seen these days.

As one of my best friends was the finance committee member, we often talked about the surprising profit the fair made....30/40 years ago, the show took £40,000+ with a 25% profit margin. A float taken for the next year and the rest given to a local hospice.

Taking 1985 as a sample, with a pound from then worth £38 today, I suppose that's not enough incentive for today's show teams 

[Motorsport Mickey]

55 minutes ago, Trev Good said:

 

Even back in the 80s/90s when I was on the committee of the local steam fair in Bucks, we paid the traction engine entries to garner support. All other entries were given rally plaques and other goodies, not often seen these days.

As one of my best friends was the finance committee member, we often talked about the surprising profit the fair made....30/40 years ago, the show took £40,000+ with a 25% profit margin. A float taken for the next year and the rest given to a local hospice.

Taking 1985 as a sample, with a pound from then worth £38 today, I suppose that's not enough incentive for today's show teams 

Trev,

Pre internet and on line selling era.

Today the specialist parts suppliers move 90% of their wares through on line selling, and the extra costs for setting up for an International TR show, running 3 days takes their main outlets to be placed upon life support only for the week previous, whilst the previous days to the show they run a shuttle service taking stocks to the show area, and they have to pay their staff double wages to work the weekend and pay out for digs for them also.

Have you seen what the Autojumble area is like these days at events ? maybe a dozen stalls whereby in the glory days of the 80s and 90s there would be 3 or 4 ROWS of stalls with owners bringing in part cars for sale and their "to be disposed of" piles of junk...valuable restoration parts !  The cash input from these sources and many others have been mopped up by the internet, I'm not blaming anybody, it's progress...well it's the way the world's gone anyway.

I used to go to Antiques fairs up and down the country as a Sunday fun day out. Donnington used to hire out their "International exhibition centre" to the Antiques fair owners 2 or 3 times a year, last time I went was about 20 years ago...they are no more. The stall owners even then complained of paying £60 for a 8 foot long stall and how would they get their money back when counting for moving their stock and attending in a car with the wife sitting at the back eating salad out of a plastic box and a plastic cup of weak tea. Well they all got what they wanted, now they move stock on via e bay and any number of other auction sites, it's a business where they just take the money and see nobody. Half of their customers after a few years had become friends and they see them no more, just take their money from their website if their erstwhile customer/friend can manage to find them on the internet. Sad innit, and nothing can be done about it, it's the way of today's world.

Mick Richards

Edited February 10 by Motorsport Mickey