Monday 10 January 2011

Was it an omen?

Last Sunday saw the re-emergence of the Kettering Toyfair and as it used to be a good one we had booked our space.

The day didn't start well. Or more accurately the car wouldn't start so we had to upgrade the AA membership and have Homestart added to it. It took the AA just about 20 minutes to get round and a further 20 minutes to get the car going and ensure that nothing was wrong. Very good service from the AA.

So we made our way to the Village in Kettering, a quite pleasant journey, some nice views and villages to go through on the A43.

When we arrived we found that one of the two tables we had booked was missing, but that was soon sorted out. We had about an hour left to set up, which we managed to do. And then it went downhill quite soon. Despite two early sales, and then just four more, yes that was six in total!!! This meant that every sale cost us £10.00 each, needless to say we lost money.

What with the AA upgrade, the petrol and the loss in sales, perhaps we should have taken the car as not starting as a sign that we should have stayed at home.

Monday 3 January 2011

New Year Hangover?? No VAT Increase!!

It's been a couple of hectic weeks for the folks of Time Was... what with Christmas and the New Year. After having been away at Christmas being entertained by Arthur and Co. we came back to a very disappointing Lincoln Toyfair on the 28th.

There were plenty of folks through the door, but they obviously didn't get much in the way of Christmas money as presents as all the traders suffered from hidden wallets. But then on New Years Eve it was the Doncaster Toyfair, and what a difference a couple of days can make.

Thanks to the new Doctor Who figures we had a very good day. Pity there can't be a Christmas Doctor Who special every week, but then we'd tire of it quickly wouldn't we?? So Bah Humbug to that idea. But it made a big difference as at the previous two fairs we had done there was not so much as a sniff at the good Doctor, but at Doncaster they couldn't get enough. Perhaps there's a shortage of Time Lords in Yorkshire.

We must be getting old but we only just managed to see the New Year in before settling in for the night. Or was it the wine?? Non of the 8% stuff we had at Christmas, but then again not too much of the good stuff either.

This weekend the 9th sees the return of the Kettering Toyfair, organised by Barry Potter. It's good to see it back after it was unceremoniously dumped by the venue last year.

There are also new opening times in the shop in the Buttermarket in Newark, it will now be open on Wednesday, Friday and Saturdays only.

And because we are nice folks at Time Was... we won't be increasing our prices due to the VAT rise that comes into effect today, we'll be absorbing it instead so we'll be even better value than before.