I've been having a think about the seeming decline in the stalls at rallies, whether engine or steam.
In the past 5 or 6 years there seems to have been a marked change in the type of stall and goods available, to the point now where we have the situation where it is almost a rarity to see anyone selling anything half decent.
I know that Mac McGowan has often said that stationary engine owners were too reluctant to put their hands in their pockets, but it seems to go beyond that, and his view is not universally shared by all stall holders, and stationary engine owners are not the only buyers.
Tool stalls come into two general categories: The "£1 for any item" on the table sort of stall where the quality is pretty awful but you get a lot of tat for your money, or the more general secondhand tool guy who, as we noted last week, is getting expensive to the point where we buy nothing at all.
Stalls selling engine bits and pieces are almost extinct now, mainly because of the cost of the pitch at a decent rally and the unknown profit margin. Enstone and Sodbury are liable to provide richer pickings, and the frequency of these sales probably give enough cash flow to cover the rallies that are missed.
Astle Park is probably the last show that sees a decent number of stalls that are worth browsing, Lister-Petter has declined seriously over the years and the Fairford sale has been largely replaced by Enstone.
Lastly, Ebay has taken over as the supplier/market stall of choice for a lot of people, allowing pleasurable on-line browsing from a huge variety of vendors both here and abroad. Sellers have a known cost base and prices continue to surprise us all.
This can only continue for the foreseeable future, and eventually it will lead to the demise of the stalls as we have known them. It will never completely replace them, however, but I cannot see any other outcome.
Is my analysis correct or am I missing something?
Peter
-- Peter & Rita Forbes Email: snipped-for-privacy@easynet.co.uk Web: