Visit to Limerick Antiques sale

mceire

Was driving around Limerick today and found bill boards scattered all over advertising an Antiques sale being held at the South Court Hotel. So to kill a few hours we decided to investigate. Upon our arrival we found that there was ample parking and it was easy to find the entrance which led to the sellers stalls. We thought great? as we stepped into the entrance we were greeted by a gent who was seated asking for 7 euros entrance fee 3.50 euros each. Was quite a shock to say the least as it wasnt high lighted on there advertising. Oh we did however recieve one raffle ticket as to try and brush over that we recieved something for our euros. we assumed that he was probably running the fair and of course he wouldnt be doing it for nothing.
We did have a good look at the sellers stalls and found a vast variety of antiques and collectables for sale as for prices im not to sure if they were expensive or not but the stall holders were full of information to broaden anyones intrest. As we left i was thirsty and the hotel had a small cafe bar so i purchased a small bottle of water, wow 2 euros another whammy. As a quote for future reference (vote with your feet) if your feeling like your being ripped off.????

Chucken

How is 3.50 a rip off? The hotel has to be paid for use of the room.

Judgement Day

How unusual, an Antiques Fair that charges an admission fee - how do you think they pay for the hire of the room, pay for advertising etc? The sellers will have paid for their stands too, but to make any sort of living the promoter has to charge an admission fee. To baulk at paying less than the price of two newspapers to attend an event which has brought together 80+ dealers seems extraordinary. Also, €2 for a bottle of water in an hotel, while a tad excessive, is not in the least unusual. OP should get out a bit more or find a new hobby.

The Fair continues today and a list of the main dealers can be found here: http://collectireland.wordpress.com/misc-2/

mceire

Well the promoter might of been more up front on the advertising dont you think and i should imagine the promoter made more than enough from what he was charging the dealers. All considered does that mean the markets in the country will be starting to charge you to go in, or any other shop on the high street as we know these operators have to pay for there pitches, shops and insurances.
no difference really, As the dealers gain there stock through the various Auctions it might as well to go to the auction to purchase goods at the price the dealers are buying for thus saving the 3.50 entrance fee and saving on the item that you purchase. ( And theres one day to go you say, yet more time for the public to be fleaced at this event on entrance fees. But one good thing has come from this post, i thankyou for the list of dealers im sure anyone reading would find it better to deal direct with them than through the fair. The promoter could show that it isnt all down to greed by simply donating the proceeds after all expenses and his salary to say Vincent de Paul or any other worthy Irish charity. Maybe this would be the promoters last thought.

Chucken

mceire wrote: »

Well the promoter might of been more up front on the advertising dont you think and i should imagine the promoter made more than enough from what he was charging the dealers. All considered does that mean the markets in the country will be starting to charge you to go in, or any other shop on the high street as we know these operators have to pay for there pitches, shops and insurances.
no difference really, As the dealers gain there stock through the various Auctions it might as well to go to the auction to purchase goods at the price the dealers are buying for thus saving the 3.50 entrance fee and saving on the item that you purchase. ( And theres one day to go you say, yet more time for the public to be fleaced at this event on entrance fees. But one good thing has come from this post, i thankyou for the list of dealers im sure anyone reading would find it better to deal direct with them than through the fair. The promoter could show that it isnt all down to greed by simply donating the proceeds after all expenses and his salary to say Vincent de Paul or any other worthy Irish charity. Maybe this would be the promoters last thought.

You do realise that the promoter isn't a dealer? This is what he does to make a living and I happen to know the work that goes into it.
Charging 3.50 in the door, he may get 20 customers or 200, its all a gamble.
Its not a rip off.

mceire

GAMBLE ? lets look a bit deaper to the gamble, judgement day mentioned that 80 + dealers were all brought together for this event, i congratulate the promotor for this as i said the dealers were varied and very knowledgable so if each dealer paid 100 euros x 80+ dealers for the the two days at the event the promoter has just recieved inexcess of 8000 euros ( doesnt seem to be much of a gamble to me ) and as for the 20 or 200 well it was far more than 200 when i was there in the afternoon and several of the dealers told me they were far busier that morning so shall we say 300 to 500+ x 3.50 euro x 2 days which equals 2100 euro to 3500 euro from what i observed i think a low estimate? so its a GAMBLE, not really the charge to go in for the general public was just the cream on the top. It would be intresting if we knew the name of the promoter / promotion company

Judgement Day

mceire wrote: »

GAMBLE ? lets look a bit deaper to the gamble, judgement day mentioned that 80 + dealers were all brought together for this event, i congratulate the promotor for this as i said the dealers were varied and very knowledgable so if each dealer paid 100 euros x 80+ dealers for the the two days at the event the promoter has just recieved inexcess of 8000 euros ( doesnt seem to be much of a gamble to me ) and as for the 20 or 200 well it was far more than 200 when i was there in the afternoon and several of the dealers told me they were far busier that morning so shall we say 300 to 500+ x 3.50 euro x 2 days which equals 2100 euro to 3500 euro from what i observed i think a low estimate? so its a GAMBLE, not really the charge to go in for the general public was just the cream on the top. It would be intresting if we knew the name of the promoter / promotion company

I suggest that you have your own agenda here - not sure what - but here are the organisers details http://collectireland.wordpress.com/2012/07/12/hibernian-antique-art-fairs-further-dates-for-2012/. A little research would have turned up the said information.

mceire

No agenda what so ever. I went to the event which as we all know was well put together with over 80+ dealers selling various collectables and antiques, all conducting themselves in a very proffessional manner. The location also as mentioned was easily found with excellent parking facilities. I was then charged 3.50 euro x 2 perons to enter the event which wasnt mentioned in any advertising material, eg, 09 march events in the events section of the Limerick post, or bill boards and fly posters located around Limerick. So may i suggest that it is you with the agenda. As you did come to the defence of the promoter and while the figures obviously doesnt lie i therefore have an agenda ??? i would also say for you to bring it to the price of a couple newspapers: what a comparison:, my point you will find at the top of a newspaper the price you have to pay for it unlike this event. But wouldnt it discourage people if the promoter advertised the fact that this event will cost. I think it would. And for everyone that turned up and baulked at the entrance fee would they also have an agenda, i think not. I feel it is a constuctive comment that maybe some people wont like and we can agree to disagree it all comes down to principal of the matter.

mceire

I also thankyou for the details you have supplied with the link, and its good to find that it isnt a sole trader profiteering from the general public.

gobnaitolunacy

You think 3.50 each is excessive, I take it you don't go to nightclubs that often?

You could save on the bottle of water by asking for tap water or sticking your head under the tap in the bathroom

mceire

well the dj at the night club wont be paying for a pitch, thats for sure and i suppose you could be used to putting your head under a tap in the bathroom as you seem to be aware of this happening, or partaking. you would probably do this so you wouldnt be above not paying for a bottle of water and thats only 2.00 euros

As for the night club fee you would know that there is a price to get in.? excessive? people around the country are complaining they cant afford to pay the house charge say 8.00 euros a week to start which will be upto the rate of what other countries are paying in the next 2 or 3 years probably double or treble of the starting rate, then the water charge and on and on. Least we will be aware of this charge, unlike going to an event to be landed with a fee to enter that all seemed to be free from looking at the advertising. Things will change as more and more people get cheesed paying 2, 3 or 4 euros, What do you think would happen in the milk market if they started charging people to there shoping after the operators have charged all the stall holders there pitch fees,
IF YOU ARE WILLING TO PAY FOR THESES FAIRS, CARBOOTS AND MARKETS IT WILL MAKE IT ACCEPTABLE FOR ALL OF THEM TO CHARGE THEN WHEN IT ALL GOES DOWN HILL ITS NOT JUST THE TRADERS SUFFER THE PUBLIC LOSES ASWELL.

Chucken

I haven't been to a carboot sale in the last 20 years where I haven't paid an entrance fee.

mceire

Saturday and Sunday at dundrum NO CHARGE. FREE TO ENTER. saturday or sunday cooners cross NO CHARGE. FREE TO ENTER and there is also one in kilkenny NO CHARGE. FREE TO ENTER so i can assure you they are out there. Now i was at callen last week and there was a charge to get in. The traders said it can hurt the sales as they feel more people would go if there was no entrance fee and they would do better by having more customers there. It was my first time there selling and the point from the traders i felt was a vallied one. Theres not alot of difference the people organising or running these events want to make money from not only stall holders but the general public. It was like this in the uk and other countries i have lived in, as a stall holder more people go where it doesnt cost to get in so the foot fall is far higher and the sales are increased just look at the milk market in Limerick its brilliant all you have to do is turn up. And the traders are there week in and week out all turning a coin. when you have a family of 4 and 5 it does hit people in the pocket to attend these profiteering events.

coylemj

An admission fee has the desired effect of deterring tyre kickers and families with children looking for free entertainment. That's why virtually every show in the RDS in Dublin charges for admission, even when all of the exhibitors are selling stuff like at the Toys for Boys show. I take your point that they could donate the money to charity but organising the event carries with it the risk that not enough people will turn up so the organisers are entitled to make a profit.

Consider yourself lucky you didn't walk into one of those 'clearance sale' scams where you're locked into a room with a bunch of other mugs punters while some cockney huckster bangs on (figuratively and literally) about all the great bargains you're going to be able to buy.

Anthony O Brien

coylemj wrote: »

An admission fee has the desired effect of deterring tyre kickers and families with children looking for free entertainment. That's why virtually every show in the RDS in Dublin charges for admission, even when all of the exhibitors are selling stuff like at the Toys for Boys show. I take your point that they could donate the money to charity but organising the event carries with it the risk that not enough people will turn up so the organisers are entitled to make a profit.

Consider yourself lucky you didn't walk into one of those 'clearance sale' scams where you're locked into a room with a bunch of other mugs punters while some cockney huckster bangs on (figuratively and literally) about all the great bargains you're going to be able to buy.

Excellent point, I wont sell at any event that does not charge an admission fee for the simple point that if someone is going to kick up a fuss over a few of euro they have very little intention of spending anything at all inside the door, Id much rather sell at a fair where the admission is €5 and only 100 people walk through the door because these will all be qualified customers with an intention of buying rather than a fair with free admission and 1000 people wandering around looking and picking and poking at the stock, all I would be listening to all day is "sure that old money is no good now, you cant spend it in the shops." An admission fee saves the sellers alot of time pitching and providing information about an item to someone who is there for a day out

Anthony O Brien

Another point I wanted to make is that if the organiser is not making money he will stop running these fairs, and for the moment he is the only one who organises fairs that are held throughout the country and it will be harder for the few that want to buy at antiques fairs to find them