Antiques Wars? Swinderby fair to be revived by Newark owners!
ByIs there to be an antiques fair war? A clash of the two Titans of the Antiques Fair world?
The countries best fair the Newark Antiques fair has long been plagued by Aurthur Swallow fairsrunning a down market event on the nearby disused Swinderby airfield in the days running up to the Newark fair. ( This is my blog and so you do get my personal opinion of the two fairs!). Recently Arthur Swallow held their last fair on the Swinderby site and announced that they would be moving the fair to the Lincolnshire show ground site. This move was quite a bold step and may have moved the fair upmarket somewhat as the facilities on the Lincolnshire showground are much better than those on the Swinderby airfield.
Now I see ( according to the Antique Trade Gazette ) that the owners of the Newark fair are to run a fair on the Swinderby site at almost the same time as the Arthur Swallow fair on the Lincolnshire show ground.
Here is a copy of the piece
Newark owners revive Swinderby 21st August 2009 INTERNATIONAL Antiques and Collectors’ Fairs (IACF), the owners of the Newark showground fair, have announced controversial plans to revive the fair at RAF Swinderby just days after the site was vacated by Arthur Swallow Fairs in favour of the Lincoln Showground. IACF say they have an agreement with the site owners to run an antiques fair at Swinderby for at least two years without fear that the disused airfield will be redeveloped. Keith Harris and Robert Thomas, veteran exhibition organisers who acquired the Newark, Ardingly, Shepton Mallet and Detling fairs from DMG under the revived IACF brand in May, announced their plans in an email to customers on August 20. They are proposing a fair with set up on Monday, October 5 and a single buying day on Tuesday, October 6. Newark then follows on October 8-9.
For full details visit www.antiquestradegazette.com
So we have the new Swinderby fair on Monday 5th and Tuesday 6th of October. The Lincolnshire show ground fair on the 6th and Wednesday 7th with the Newark fair at on the Thursday and Friday of the same week.
That should be really interesting – dealers are most unlikely to be at both the Linconshire showground fair and the revised Swinderby fair both the cost and logistics would be quite prohibitive , choices will have to be made. Are they going to be loyal to Aurthur Swallow and take a risk at the new venue? Or will they stick to the site they know and which is miles closer to the Newark fair? You can be sure I will be asking traders and seeking their opinion and will report back next week.
Are you a stall holder at any of these fairs? Please do leave a comment with your view
I am curious to know what will happen to the casual queue at Swinderby. Will people still be able to fly pitch in the queue? From what I know of IACF they don’t usually let that sort of thing prevail. But it was part and parcel of the Swinderby fair and one of the things about it that made it so great IMO.
Best thing I can suggest COOP is to go and see for yourself. You might be missing loads of bargains of you dont.
DAVID CRAIG You are promoting Swinderby for your greedy self .I also started in the sheds at Swinderby ,And will follow the lads to Lincoln it is the only way forward as for hundreds of dealers cancelling December at Lincoln NO CHANCE .I have never heard of one dealer cancelling Lincoln for December.. Where you get all your information from beats me . As for buyers from overseas they will all be at Lincoln they are not fools they know where to go .Swinderby will have a few stalls o.k. no one has denied that but only a few penny pitchers to save a few quid professional sellers will be at lincoln . We know long term were we are best off ,LINCOLN . You are the one who deosnt seem to know what you are talking about planning permission was needed to hold a large event like Swinderby you couldnt of done Swinderby from the start because you would of remembered Swinderby not being on in A December and dealers getting a petetion to have it on and sending it to Linconshire council which then granted the 6 FAIRS and that is a fact .Listern Craig if you have all these buyers coming to see you at Swinderby good luck to you mate But they will be all at Lincoln first without a doubt .I also think you work for I.a.c.f..I also dont beleive Swallow wouldn’t help you out with space RUBBISH, We will all be around to Swinderby to see for ourselves the size of it and have a laugh . It will be a joke couple of hundred stalls on a site that size .You lot will be all wishing you had off stayed with Swallow ..As for other promoters jumping into Swinderby airfeild that is all I.A.C.F talk , If this is the case why didnt another promoter years ago start a fair before Swinderby .There are no promoters out there willing to take the chance of such a big event even more so these days of a credit crunch etc ,The truth is I.A.C.F. done this out of spite no other promoters were interested at all or even spitfull enought to do this to the trade .I.A.C.F will suffer for this .Sellers do not like what they have done they are damaging what little is left of the trade . Good Luck with your 1000 square ft stall at Swinderby . Have the kettle on for us lot coming to see you at Swinderby .Thats if your not to busy to make us a cuppa !!!
IT IS OF OUR OPINION I.A.C.F YOU HAVE JUST WRECKED WHAT WAS LEFT OF THE TRADE AT NEWARK AND LINCOLN BY DOING THIS ..SHEER SPITE ON YOUR BEHALVE . GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR FUTURE .
PETER SUMMERS, You guys just dont listen. Why not ask Mark or Richard if they offfered us anything that was like for like. I`m giving you facts here, but you choose to stick your head in the sand. I have many of my overseas buyers coming over to me at Swinders, I aint saying they wont visit Lincoln, but there are coming to us first. I`ve already got the transport arranged for some of them.
I`ll be far too busy selling to make you a cuppa, but you could give me a hand to pack my china for my Korean and Japanese buyers.
I dont have 1,000sq ft stall just the usual 17 by 17 the one I had with Swallows, but they only wanted to give me a 10 by 20 which is a third less for the same price. No Thanks. You can ask Swallows yourself if you dont believe me.
I tried several times to get an agreement with a stall for most of the 24 shopping arcade traders, but Mark was`nt interested. FACT
FINALLY WHY WERE SWALLOWS TRYING TO GET THE SWINDERBY SITE BACK!!!! VERY INTERESTING !!!!!!!!!!!
In case anyone is interested “Peter Summers” and “Group of Traders” have both left ocmments from the same IP address eg they are at the same intenet address.
Please folks I am happy for you to continue debating on here but please be your selves and dont assume multiple personalities
Anne, are you saying people are not allowed to share computers then? Do you have any PROOF that anyone is assuming “multiple personalities”?
I really hope David Craig does well at Swinderby with his Korean and Japanese buyers. The vast majority of dealers will Follow the Swallow.
Hi Topman
My words were carefully chosen – I said that they had the same internet address and asked that people do not assue multiple personalities as I it could be the two different people from the same pc and leavinging comments within seconds of each other.
Yes, I have proof of IP addresses and the time comments were left.
Remember this is my blog – I provide a free service and have not censored any comments I am just asking that this is used correctly .
Oh Dear
We are all getting a bit worked up aren’t we!!
Anne, you seem to have been hijacked as a site for the trade to vent their frustration at this whole thing.
Proper forum would be great idea. No doubt with only a week to go before the big showdown we’ll also have the after fair autopsy to go to.
Does anyone know how bookings are actually going at either. I phoned Lincoln swallow fairs and made out I needed a fresh booking in a prime outdoor space to see their reaction. They are pretty full with no double space left in prime places and just a few singles that haven’t been paid for. Looks like thats where the majority action will be. Anyone done the same with IACF?
We no longer stand at any antique fairs but used to do all the big ones & a few of the smaller ones occasionally. We now sell on the Internet but do some of our buying at Newark & Swinderby.
Someone referred to “the good old days” of Newark when Geoff Whittaker ran it. We went to one of the first there & continued with it until about ten years ago. Let me dispel any illusions about the “great” Mr Whittaker – he was not in my opinion a nice person but what he said went & you knew where you were with him. Pitches were small & cramped & if you booked a “double” it was usually only 1 1/2!! The fair was packed with buyers & sellers – not a square inch of grass to spare anywhere – but – that was in the “good old days” – plenty of money & plenty to find to sell.
Now to Swinderby – it was started to try & capture some of the trade assembling in the country to buy at Newark. It wasn’t started with stallholders in mind but by a fair organizer trying to make a few bob for himself – not much wrong with that you might say. Spare a thought for the three or four other people (Brian & Jean – Tich & Jillie) involved in starting that fair who were dumped by Swallows. So once again – not the nice guys some of you would like to make out.
Up to now I reckon it’s about even!! What you might say is that “all’s fair in love & war”!!
Now for the reality of things as viewed with a buyer’s hat on. The first thing you notice as you leave Newark is that Swinderby is well sign posted. Outside the ground there is always someone on road duty watching other traffic & waving you in. Put your hand up to anyone on the way in & you’ll get an acknowledgement & a smile. Your admission is taken as you go in so no queuing. Turn into the ground at Newark & you’ll be lucky to see anyone helpful or with a smile – the stewards must have been set on from the Disgruntled Job Centre – not an encouraging start. Then you have to queue to pay & it’s more than Swinderby & for far less buying time!!
On entry to Swinderby you are (were) amazed by the number of stalls. At Newark – a total farce – green grass everywhere where you’d expect to see stalls. Newark has gone downhill by leaps & bounds – it’s a disgrace & must be an embarrassment to stallholders trying to explain to customers where it’s all gone to. Go on the final day – well don’t go – there’s nothing to be seen!! I don’t know how the organisers have the cheek to take the money.
What I feel is that Newark hasn’t got the things it might have had because it was sold two days previously at Swinderby. True the toilet facilities are better at Newark but that’s about all. Unless Newark pulls its finger out & attracts more sellers then it’s going to collapse. Why did DMG bale out? Saw the writing on the wall I’d say.
I shall go to Lincoln to sus it out – I’ll wait to hear what happened to the new Swinderby but I should imagine it will be as poor as Newark has now become. If I were the Swinderby organisers (what are they called now?) I’d be very worried that the type of stallholders they attract might not respect the Lincoln Showground & their “hallowed turf” – it could cost them £thousands in compensation & clearing up – but that’s their problem.
Has that put both sides? Maybe – but I’d like to say in conclusion – both organisers are only in it for what they can make out of it for themselves – stallholders come second in the financial equation. When stallholders come first fair organisers might start to do better & the fairs might improve – did you see that pink pig fly over!!!
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I am wondering where this thread has gone please?
I am a buyer and want to know for April: Licoln or Swinderby? Am I supposed to read something into the early cancellation of the Swinderby fair in February?
Hi Emma,
Sorry this thread is now closed
Anne