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Clubs, Groups and Societies For discussions about various clubs, groups and societies relating to our hobbies, such as the BVWS (incl RetroTechUK), BATC, RSGB, APTS, CLPGS, THG, TCC, BECG, MCR21 etc. This is NOT an official forum for any of these organisations.

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Old 17th Mar 2006, 9:15 pm   #1
PaulR
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Default BVWS Northern Auction?

I look at the auction results with great envy for those who can get there relatively easily ( a McMichael 137 on stand for £10!). Is there any chance of holding an auction a but further north, say Manchester or similar? It might be worth a try.

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Old 18th Mar 2006, 4:20 pm   #2
Dave Moll
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Default Re: Northern Auction?

I would certainly support one, but I suspect that we northern BVWS members are a tad thin on the ground compared with the southern end of the country.
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Old 18th Mar 2006, 6:14 pm   #3
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Default Re: Northern Auction?

The main thing it needs is someone to organise it! It would be better if it was someone in the area as they can sort out the hall booking, table layout, catering etc much easier than someone who is not familiar with the area. Even before that there is the job of finding a suitable venue within reasonable reach of the motorway network, with adequate parking, and not too expensive etc. And also establishing whether there is likely to be enough stallholders (if you are going to make it a swapmeet) and buyers there to make it viable.

If someone wants to take it on, I suggest you contact Mike Barker to discuss the options. He has organised the successful Wootton Bassett events for a number of years and would also know what guidelines the event must follow to be a BVWS event.

He could probably be pursuaded to being along a van full of stuff, the auction computer system etc, and to act as auctioneer on the day - if he is convinced that it is worthwhile and that the sale prices will cover the cost of van hire, fuel and overnight acomodation etc.

Really I think if you have a venue in mind and are able to do the local organising, the next step is to contact Mike.

I'm not saying it will happen, but I am saying that if someone can present a solid and workable proposal to work with the BVWS to organise such an event, I'm sure it will get serious consideration.
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Old 18th Mar 2006, 7:18 pm   #4
dave walsh
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Default Re: Northern Auction?

I was interested in this in view of my two locations but so far I've never made it anywhere despite having relatives in Oxford. Bearing in mind what Dave Moll said about the northern membership demographic [not sure if forum rules allow me to go off message with a greeting here] it would be interesting to see how it broke down by area/ nationality etc and if there are major clusters of members we don't know about. For example Dave M can't really know re the north. I've formed the impression of quite a few people around the Swindon/Oxfordshire axis but I may be wrong! I did once sit down with a membership list and identified 6 or 7 members around Hastings/Bexhill but it was hard work. Perhaps there is someone with the computer skills/time and access to the full details who could work out all the permutations include perhaps age range/gender etc-anything that doesn't breach Data Protection. It would be good to have a diagramatic indication of how we are spread out. Members could form self help groups with a twelve step treatment programme. Where are the BVWS free zones? I think this info would be an asset to members. Individuals raise comments or slight grumbles from time to time about issues of access or representation. It would be very helpfull to the society's progress [I think] to establish how much of this is actually supported by membership fact. Dave Walsh currently in the sunny south.
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Old 18th Mar 2006, 10:37 pm   #5
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Default Re: Northern Auction?

Hi Dave,and all others, Like you,i live in Sussex and never get a sniff of a radio down this neck of the woods.Actually that's not altogether true.If i trawl the bootsales,and the odd antique fair at Ardingly then i am sometimes lucky but i usually pay through the nose for it.That famous auction web site is about my only means of securing the sort of radios that i'm interested in and again,like most who use it,i pay through the nose.I have to say,i really envy those who live further north and when i read those auction results and the almost give away prices frankly it guts me.Highlight of the year for me is a one off visit to the NVCF but even that is a fair old trek from the sunny south coast and given the petrol involved i still pay through the nose.Ah well,maybe one day someone will organise something a bit closer to home.If they did i'd even join the BVWS. Regards to all, Colin <ekcobeach> 1930s three band magic eye woodie radios,god i love em.
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Old 18th Mar 2006, 11:29 pm   #6
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Default Re: Northern Auction?

I also live in the South East {Bexhill}Although my interest is mainly Reel to Reel recorders, I see old radios at bootsales {Bit cold at the moment] Secondhand shops etc. You could always keep an eye open at general auctions in your area.. Some of the latter you can check out the catalogues online..Eastbourne and Lewes come to mind near to me but similar general auctions are probably in your area.. If you know anyone who does house clearances ask them from time to time.. Try an advertisement in the local newsagents window asking for old non working sets for parts. Worked for me, I advertised for old recorders in a shop in Hastings and received lots of replies even from parts of Kent!! I ended up with 3 free recorders and a couple of others for next to nothing.. Tried the same advert in Eastbourne, Didnt get any replies.. Also I make the journey to the Angel centre in Tonbridge every year.. Its a bit like a pilgrimage,Usually buy something Ive been looking for. Try an advertisement in the local Friday ad or similar.. BOT If anyone up North does organise an auction or similar event {Liverpool or Manchester would be good } I can sneak away from visiting relations to attend. Peter Reelguy
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Old 19th Mar 2006, 8:39 am   #7
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Default Re: Northern Auction?

Hi Peter,At the risk of going slightly off thread i agree with all that you suggested.Your comments would probably apply to just about anywhere in the UK with the exception of my home town of Brighton.It's been dubbed the antiques capital of Britain and whenever i go to a local bootsales the goods are either already sold before they come off the vehicle,or the prices asked are so extortionate they are laughable.I blame these antiques reference books,like Millers for example.Countless times i've seen bakelite sets (mostly DACs).For some reason dealers won't budge below £50.00 for a cracked unrestored example.There are more dealers (vultures) than there are public.Anyway,i vote for an auction down this way,and definately not further north. Regards to all,Colin <ekcobeach> 1930s Three band magic eye woodies,god i love em.
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Old 19th Mar 2006, 10:51 am   #8
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Default Re: Northern Auction?

Please keep this thread on the subject of the possibility of a BVWS auction in the north, and suggections on how to organise one, otherwise it will be closed.
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Old 19th Mar 2006, 5:10 pm   #9
dave walsh
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Default Re: Northern Auction?

As Paul said the answer is in the availability of someone willing to organise a northern event. Are there BVWS people involved in the North Wales Rally for example or the various Manchester events that would have these skills. Hope that brings it back Paul. Dave
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Old 19th Mar 2006, 5:19 pm   #10
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Default Re: Northern Auction?

I started this thread in total ignorance of what is involved, I just thought it would be a good idea! Can I ask a couple of questions?

1. Where do all the sets for sale come from? Are they from the general public or BVWS members?

2. Are they always totally organised by the BVWS?

I asked the second question because it occurred to me that it might be possible to use a suitably placed auction house and their expertise for the event. Shoot me down in flames by all means on this - it was just a thought.
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Old 19th Mar 2006, 6:04 pm   #11
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Default Re: Northern Auction?

There are several of us in the "north of Manchester" category so perhaps we could arrange something just off the M6, say Kendal or Penrith / Keswick area.

This would give easy reach from the Scottish borders, the North East and North West and still be a reasonable journey from the Midlands.

I know that there are a few in Cumbria (Dave Moll, Steve Kendal) and the North East (Biggles and several others) so this might give a central core of bodies.

There are probably some reasonably priced venues - especially outside the tourist season - within easy reach of the motorway. Certainly there are in my bit of Cumbria, but I'm on the coast, south of Whitehaven, so some distance from the M6 (and with fairly poor public transport).

If any of the fellow northerners are interested I could do some research into venues.

Regards,
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Old 19th Mar 2006, 8:37 pm   #12
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Default Re: Northern Auction?

I'll second that Brian. Are there any public halls in Kendal that are cheap in the off season. That would be a good location for many people in the north and it has good motorway accessibility. Other alternatives are possibly in the Leeds area but I gather the "Windmill " on the Leeds ring road is getting expensive.

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Old 19th Mar 2006, 10:57 pm   #13
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Default Re: Northern Auction?

Quote:
Originally Posted by PaulR
Can I ask a couple of questions?

1. Where do all the sets for sale come from? Are they from the general public or BVWS members?

2. Are they always totally organised by the BVWS?
The sets which the BVWS auction generally come from the collections of deceased collectors and are sold for the family/estate. We also sell sets for members and others. We charge 10% commission to members and 20% to non-members. If we have to collect them from the seller, that is charged at cost (van hire, fuel and maybe overnight accomodation), otherwise it is the seller's responsibility to get them to the BVWS store near Swindon.

I know there are a lot of sets in the BVWS store that need to be sold. Quite a lot of them are fairly "ordinary" sets that won't fetch a lot of money. The problem with this sort of stuff is that by the time storage, transport, hall hire and other costs have been considered the Society would probably make a loss on selling them. This is why the auctions tend to be a mix of nice stuff and more mundane stuff.

It is therefore more cost-effective to auction them at Wootton Bassett (near Swindon) as this minimises the transport costs etc.

Auctions aren't about making a vast profit for the Society, though they do have to cover their costs and make a modest profit.

BVWS auctions are organised and run by the BVWS as this is the only way we can insure accountability for the sellers. It would be a committee decision as to whether specific Society members could run an auction on behalf of the Society.
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Old 20th Mar 2006, 9:45 am   #14
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Default Re: Northern Auction?

Quote:
Originally Posted by ekcobeach
Hi Peter,At the risk of going slightly off thread i agree with all that you suggested.Your comments would probably apply to just about anywhere in the UK with the exception of my home town of Brighton. Anyway,i vote for an auction down this way,and definately not further north.
That would make it even less central, Colin!

Going back to what Brian and Ed were saying, I don't know without looking at the BVWS list, the concentration of Lancs/Yorks/Northumbria/Cumbria members - I do know that many on this forum are in these regions, so if anyone organised something, it would be well attended, I think.

Sorry, I haven't enough time to do a proper job on organising this, but I can probably find a few places in the West Yorks area that have been used before for similar sized events, so someone can research them.

There will be many school halls or similar that may be of use?
Motorway access from West Yorks (M62/M1/A1M) is good as well.
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Old 20th Mar 2006, 11:12 am   #15
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Default Re: Northern Auction?

Hello All,

This is a general reply and not meant to be a direct reply to any one of the previous posts, and therefore not a reply to any one person directly and should not be taken as such, but more for background information:


Some time ago we did a look at the membership concentrations in different locations of the country, mainly by county and the numbers in each.
This showed a very large swing to the Birmingham - Bristol - London - Nottingham square area of the country.

I will get a full up to date survey completed and report back as to the numbers etc. I'll also ask Paul to put this info on the BVWS website.

BVWS events are generally held at locations where it is easiest for the memebership concentration to attend.

I really cannot see that there is too much of a problem travelling from somewhere like the South East coast or the midlands to say Harpenden and the like, many people do this regularly.
If you want a meeting on your door step you will have to do the organisation and hope that there is enough people who will go. This may sound cold and unhelpful, but it is a fact that has been shown in the Original "BVWS Hull" meeting where it was a terrible flop, and even more annoyingly, those relatively local to the event (who will remain nameless, and complained to me about no meetings in the North) did not turn up on the day, others made an effort to drive a very long way for a small and poorly attended meeting.
Then there was the Blackpool event. Very well organised and a good location. That was fine for the first two events, but then the attendance tailed off and made it no longer viable to run.
The Leeds "Ramada Jarvis" event, very well organised, holds on, with just enough attendance, but this is showing signs of being too expensive to run at the current venue and is now reduced to once a year. Again down to poor stall bookings and lower attendance.
The VVTF event, another very good central location (Haydock racecourse) near Manchester/Liverpool, again this started off with a good number of stall bookings and plenty of folk through the door. After a couple of events it was getting like a ghost town with only the stallholders and a few visitors. I know people who travelled from Portsmouth for this event and did not earn enough to cover the petrol.

It's a sad and proven fact, that the meetings are where they are because that is where the people are prepared to go.
I would love to be proven wrong on this, as I have enjoyed attending ALL of the other northern meetings in the past and will remain a strong supporter of the Leeds meeting, or any other that gets organised around the UK.

We should also not forget the Radiophile meetings that are run in Shropshire and Lincolnshire on a regular basis. These are also advertised by the BVWS.
Again the attendance for these meetings is getting much lower than they have ever been before. It is a general trend across all organisations around the country.

If anyone wants to organise a new meeting in the North, I will be happy to help with advice and the BVWS will be happy to advertise it and also bring the BVWS stall along and support it, you just need to ask.

I'll end this post with the old Corner Shop comment,

USE IT or LOOSE IT.

Mike...
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Old 20th Mar 2006, 12:53 pm   #16
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Default Re: Northern Auction?

Thanks Mike a very clear summary from someone in a position to know! Dave W
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Old 20th Mar 2006, 12:55 pm   #17
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Default Re: Northern Auction?

Quote:
Originally Posted by murphymad
The VVTF event, another very good central location (Haydock racecourse) near Manchester/Liverpool, again this started off with a good number of stall bookings and plenty of folk through the door. After a couple of events it was getting like a ghost town with only the stallholders and a few visitors. I know people who travelled from Portsmouth for this event and did not earn enough to cover the petrol.

Mike...
I attended the last one of these in (I think) 2004 and was very much looking forward to the next one, having enjoyed it (with a manageable drive from West Cumbria). I was disappointed that it never happened again, but appreciate the difficulty of making such events financially viable.
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