Trading/Selling at Exhibitions?

[Binky]

Does anyone have experience of having a stall at a model railway exhibition as an "average joe"? (not a professional trader) or of booking sales stalls like this for their exhibition?

 

Do exhibitions only accept professional/established traders or is it possible for someone with a table's worth of second hand railway models and books to get a one off sales table at an event?

 

Many thanks for any advice.

[ikcdab]

I suspect there is no hard and fast rule and it depends on the exhibition.  Id ring the exhibition manager and ask.

[Phil Parker]

Depends on the show. Smaller events won't be a problem, but bigger ones generally have a waiting list. 

[Happy Hippo]

One issue  you might find with a local club is a reluctance for you to trade in second hand goods as many clubs have their own table doing this as well.

 

They just may say no so as to improve their own sales table's chance of success.

[Dungrange]

@Binky - I guess the question is how much does "average joe" want to pay for the table at an exhibition?  You can probably get a table for £50 at a small toy/model fair, but at the large model railway exhibitions, the traders are paying hundreds of pounds for their space: and potentially a four figure sum for a large stand at a large show.  Are you going to sell enough to cover your costs?

[Mike Bellamy]

We run a small local show and have one model shop, one second-hand trader and the Club sales stand - so in those circumstances then you wouldn't be able to attend as we simply don't have room.

 

However we also run three 'Swapmeets' each year, hiring the church hall with between 15 & 20 traders all selling second-hand (and some new) stuff - at least 90% is OO and so they are all competing with each other. We charge £15 for a 6ft table and we often get one off bookings from people wishing to sell up their collection, including club members. On the club sales stand we take 10% commission so paying £15 for a table is sometimes the better option. There are about 100 customers at each event.

 

We find that the traders all like to get there very early - we regularly get three waiting at 7.30am for an event that opens at 10.30am and of course they are all set up and ready within an hour and spend the rest of the time going around the room looking for 'bargains' that they then add to their sale stock. At one event, a club member had a table full of OO stock and before the event started, a trader offered him a price for the lot which he accepted and so we allowed the two traders each side of the empty table to make use of it!

 

Look in the Modeller or on UKModelShops for swapmeets/toy fairs in your area.

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[298]

A club sales stand might offer a selling service if pre-arranged* and for a % commission. 

 

(*Turning up with a big box of uncatalogued stuff five minutes after opening on the Saturday morning probably won't get the best service)

 

Some NMRA events (including the winter meet this Saturday in Stokenchurch, one mile from the M40) offer space for member sales, usually £10 for a 6' table, in addition to the entrance fee. Mostly North American outline of course but not exclusively, and it doesn't seem to affect the number of traders who want to attend- if anything they benefit from the pickings afterwards. It does mean that you have to stay at your table for most of the show tho...