[MICHAEL D]

Well, just looked on the Forum Calendar and can only find 3 Swop Meet Event's, ( 2 of which have gone / on next year).

Discount the Festival and one Swop Meet between now and the New Year, doesn't sound right.

So, where are they all ?

Or, has the Slot Festival "killed them all off" ?

Michael.

 

[scaleslotcars]

Orpington is on the 27th April and 16th November
I will be starting a new topic for the April event on the Forum next week.
Then we have
Havant on the 28th September
Harlow sometime in October

The April Orpington is not quite as good as it was since the Slot Festival started but it has certainly not been killed off!

 

[Guest]

Michael D swapmeet in april orpington,may HMC SEPTEMBER HAVANT OCTOBER PROBABLY HARLOW NOVEMBER ORPINGTON,NO SWAPS DURING JULY AUGUST Because too many other events on world cup grand prixs etc december toyfair/swapmeet essex

 

[loosesalute]

What about the Northern Swap Meet?
Cheers
Kev

 

[scaleslotcars]

QUOTE What about the Northern Swap Meet?

Finished, I believe, due to a lack of interest.

 

[MICHAEL D]

So, it's taken less than an hour, to show there's 3 that aren't on the Calendar!

Orpington twice and HMC in May. { What's this and when? }

How many more ?

Why aren't these being promoted properly ?

Swindon & MK are on the Ball and I visited them both. Robert sent me an email about the HAVENT EVENT... Plus they have a large poster advertising it. Regrettably there are 3 event's on that day, so the event & poster are hidden, as it seem's only one event can have it's details shown!

A provocative question. Why host a Swap Meet, if you don't want anyone to come to it ?

Mod's, Member's. Is it worth having a Swap Meet Calendar or area for Poster's and other advertising ?

I know for a fact, there are quite a few Swop Meet's, Toy Fair's with Slot Area's, and also a number on the Continent.

It's NOT for the Mod's or other's to post detail's and ADVERTISE these event's.... It's NOT for those who want to visit them, to have to ask WHEN & WHERE ?

I've been to Orpington and a number of other's, a couple that were up North.

So, I repeat my question above..... "Why host a Swap Meet, if you don't want anyone to come to it" ?

Michael.

 

[scaleslotcars]

QUOTE "Why host a Swap Meet, if you don't want anyone to come to it" ?

Orpington is thouroughly promoted, this is why it has been a success.

Over 5000 flyers are distributed throughout the year,
it has it's own web site, www.slotcarevents.info, and facebook page.
There are ads in the NSCC magazine and Slot magazine.
I can tell you the dates for the next year and on into infinity, always the third Sunday in April and November (unless the April event clashes with Easter, as this year, when it is moved either forwards or backwards one week)

It is not on the Slot Forum Calendar because I believe it is not very good, very clunky and hard to navigate through, I prefer to start a new Topic a couple of weeks before the show date as I think this gets more coverage.

There is also an events calendar on my own website, which, although it is only the events I attend, is very comprehensive.

'HMC' is the UK Slot Car Festival at the 'Heritage Motor Centre' at Gaydon May 17th and 18th

 

[RikoRocket]

QUOTE (MICHAEL D @ 8 Apr 2014, 15:57) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>So, I repeat my question above..... "Why host a Swap Meet, if you don't want anyone to come to it" ?

Michael.

Quiet can be nice...

 

[MICHAEL D]

QUIET DON'T GET NOTICED.......

 

[RikoRocket]

Shhh! I don't want too many people there or I won't get any bargains...

 

[Bearslot]

Any ideas on why there is insufficent interest in the Northern Swap Meet?

Never understood why, no one has never picked a venue just off the M6, by just I mean less than a mile!

I can think of several venues that host general toy fairs, so the venue can not be ridicuously expensive.

Any idea??

 

[MPJBud]

@BearSlot, I think the only measure of success of a swap meet is foot fall translated into sales for the stall holders, if the sales are too low to justify spending the time going to a location then the traders will vote with their feet.

As for why there is not one off the M6, I guess it is down to lack of someone to do it.

This is a little story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody.
There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it.
Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it.
Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody's job.
Everybody thought that Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it.
It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done

 

[loosesalute]

The Northern swap meet seemed to do okay when I was there.
Used to be a few up North years ago.
Cheers
Kev

 

[ras.racing]

Bearslot, regarding Northern swapmeet,last years Ossett swap attracted 36 people YES 36 people cost wise a loss maker, not many traders willing to watch the tumble weed blow past the door. when you get complaints that it was too far away to attend,this person lived only 14 miles away,what do people want ,a swapmeet at the end of their road? There were those that made the effort crossing bridges and rivers even using motoways to attend and we thank you for that. If anybody on a line east west ofYork and north of it would like to organise an event all you have to do is ,find premises that are near to a popular place,contact as many dealers as poss. advertise the event or canvas as many as possible to see if they would be interested ,work out the cost of hire,facilities,ie parking ,food availability when you have done that spend 2-300 pounds spreading the word so the likes of mr d knows about and hope that you get enough people through the door to pay for it,oh Iforgot pick a suitable time of year that does not clash with any other events that may be on at the time you choose. This should for your first event keep you busy and away from anything else for at least two months of evenings so that you get results,the second and third event gets easier, regards promotions NSCC I live on the south coast so for me to organise an event above Birmingham is difficult.

 

[loosesalute]

36 people?
No way, I was there.
Cheers
Kev

 

[scaleslotcars]

Of the three Ossett meetings only the second one was in any way profitable for me, the other two I lost money on in real terms.

But.... as any slot car dealer who has survived for more than a couple of years will tell you swapmeets are not just about selling, there is also buying at the meeting, contacting new people who may buy from your website in future and also sell you their collections when they decide to call it a day, etc , etc.

So if there were to be a Northern swapmeet again I would be there and I would expect the more prominent aand successful dealers to attend as well.

 

[ras.racing]

LOOSE SALUTE. YES 36 PEOPLE came through the door Iwas manning the door,counting on paper and with a hand held counter . The editor and treasurer can verify this as we had a wager as to how many we would get ,all three of us lost . When a more suitable location is found a Northern swap is possible. Question , why do the northerly dealers not have a swap up there?

Leeds.Loughboro. Dudley have all gone why ?lack of attendance ,high rent of venues, Ido not know for sure but if enough dont come through the door there is not much point in continuing with a loss maker .Why is there not a slot swap in and around Manchester ,Newcastle and other large cities above Birmingham ,population is greater than Swindon ,Milton Keynes.Orpington, perhaps there is no answer but oak trees grow from little acorns ,so if someone fancies planting a swapmeet acorn maybe it will grow.NSCC promotions. As you say there are lots of venues there that would be suitable. If you fancy having a go I am prepared to help with advice and any problems that you may encounter. P.S to Bear I forgot to add you will need 3rd party insurance to cover your event round about £300 in case any body throws themselves under a slot car or decides the choices are too many and hangs themselves from a scalextric grandstand.

 

[scaleslotcars]

Insurance for Orpington is £75, from Invent Insurance Sevices (www.event.insurance.co.uk)
who specialise in this kind of cover.

You will need to run an event several times to get it up and running, probably at a loss for the first few dates.

 

[MICHAEL D]

Does the Event Ins, cover Trader's liability or is that the trader's responsibility?

Would it be worth some of the club's to have a "mini" swap meet, when they have an 'event' on? (I've never been to a club.)

I was at Swindon as a trader and MK as a visitor. I picked up some leaflet's but don't think Orpington was one of them. (They do get lost).

I don't visit club's, get Slot Magazine's or have membership of NSSC. I have tried to encourage some people to go to a swop meet but to no avail. I have been considering doing a few more as a trader, which is why I checked out the Forum Calendar. Hence my rather provocative heading and question's.

Maybe a 'poll' would be of interest and give some feedback, if people are indeed interested, what area's are they from, etc. After all, a swop meet is like 50 eBay's all in one place, where you can see what the item you are interested in, is really like. Price's are competitive and of course you don't pay any postage. The entrance fee's are worth talking about because in most instance's they are only a pound or two. That's almost the equivalent of getting in free !

I can't think of anything negative that one could say about a swop meet. (Well, one..... Far too much choice. BUT that's a POSITIVE, too.) I LOVE THEM.

I hope that I have stirred up some interest and that maybe, other's will (a) make an effort of visit / support them. (

Maybe get someone, (rather then nobody) considering if they might be able to give it a go.

Another thought, to Trader's this time. Would it be worth "collectively" attending a Toy Fair. Maybe getting your own area rather than being 'in the general mix'. I'm sure if a few went together, some concession's might be won from the person putting it on. (High hope's, I know....)

Michael.

 

[ras.racing]

Thanks PHIL our insurance does give us cover for all the year at all the events including our November event,so the cost of running a one off event is coming down,no good reason why some one does not rise to the challenge of getting an event started in a slot car swapmeet desert and build a slot swapmeet oasis. PY.