uk record fairs - current day

[Mike]

Just seen this posted

 

we do get the occasional record fairs posted in our event guide such as above

looking at this one got me wondering whats the members take on them  nowadays ?

as in do ya...

visit and travel regular?

now and again?

years since?

good ones? ones to avoid?

and so on...

any views 

 

 

 

[Blackpoolsoul]

1 hour ago, Mike said:

Just seen this posted

 

we do get the occasional record fairs posted in our event guide such as above

looking at this one got me wondering whats the members take on them  nowadays ?

as in do ya...

visit and travel regular?

now and again?

years since?

good ones? ones to avoid?

and so on...

any views 

 

 

 

Sadly I gave up on record fairs about 10 years ago (spent 20 years going to them) 

Most dealers will nowadays check prices on the web themselves (unless they are too old fashioned) and I found that they were just getting rid of there "not so good stock" or the good stuff was over priced.

I always felt that there were few bargains to be had for the digging time necessary and this trend has passed on even with the very few flea markets around and car boot sale sellers.

I certainly would never knock them and guess there will always be a place for them (students seem to love them) as you can see they are still busy in some areas from the images.

I did call into a fair in Blackpool earlier this year (in a pub) but the only soul records were in one box and ALL bootlegs !!!!

 

Edited August 31, 2019 by Blackpoolsoul

[Vinylchaser1]

Been running this fair for nearly 3 years now and it's become a must for buyers and sellers alike.I used to go to the YMCA record fair in Nottingham in the 80's run my a guy called John Goldman.Always a hustle & bustle kind of day and i would say predominantly a 45s fair as Nottingham has always had a strong Rock & Roll and Soul market.Sadly the fair closed somewhere around the late 80's / early 90's i think.

I decided to try and recreate a fair using the same concept,I now have 4 or 5 of the dealers that sold at the YMCA in the 80's including Mick Smith !!

People still find some great bargains at fairs these days despite all the online information being out there.I picked a copy of The Ultimates on Br-Roma  up at a fair last year for £8 so you have to get out and dig.

John Manship came over to the Stamford record fair last month and couldn't believe how many American 45s were on offer.     

If you do make it to one of my fairs i think you'd enjoy it !!                                                                                                                                                                                      

[Mick Boyle]

Went last year and got the Impressions Can't  Satisfy HMV  £20 -  Parliaments Don't Be Soar At Me £15 -  and my mate got Flaming Emeralds Fee £40

For some reason I left the Mr Floods Party Ember for £50. Bet its not there next time. 

Defiantly some bargains to be had.

[Chalky]

Record fairs seem to be pretty popular with them all over the country.

There is a page for them, Record Fairs UK, you can sign up for a weekly list of events.

https://sites.google.com/site/recordfairsuk/home

[Chris O]

Running a small record fair in Liverpool on saturday midday to 6 @ the merchant ,slater st.

Couple of bigger black music dealers and plenty of Djs/ collectors with boxes sellin mainly soul.

Plus some of the best soul DJs in Liverpool playing allday,

Free in check it out should be fun!

[Thecivilservice]

Fairs are full of bootleg LPs and reissues these days or bargain bin LPs  It's few and far between you hit the jackpot these days, which is some old guy who's, say, a rock n roll specialist and knows and cares nothing about other genres and massively underprices stuff he knows nothing about.

[Mal C]

I was in Dorset a few weeks back waiting for Liza to attend an appointment, kicking my heels, look up and low and behold ‘Record fair today’ outside a church!  

have say I’ve always found Dorset a great place to find soul records, I’ve no idea why that is but it was nice little surprise on hot and dusty sat afternoon, and I found a few nice 45s from tower of power, some good early james brown demos on king, and a lovely copy of Freddie Norths LP on Abet for 10 quid... take that! 

Mal