New JagSpares day Venue

[inner pickle]

I was at the October Spares day

1 gent with a stall was stating clearly he "ain't going to Malvern and it's all gotta go" he was looking to clear up all his bits and close.

Sadly over the last 5 years, Covid didn't help of course, but the earthy style of real spares / traders and dealers has been replaced. Best part of 6 or so traders I used to buy from no longer show there. The new hall marks of change too away from the basic feel of the draughty originals.

All in all, moving it from what at first glance seems the best location - assuming you'll not move North for 1 and South for the 2nd one per annum, then it's shot.

Add to that the price hike....

It's not that e type drivers haven't got a fiver, it's the principle involved. EG I'll happily go to the Restoration and Classic Car shows at the NEC but I won't park my car there, that is what's called removing the urine.

[Robbiee]

Interesting
What is this “principle” ..am I missing something
Surely it’s just a supply/demand thing?

[christopher storey]

The principle is that people don't like being ripped off. It all started to go wrong when the joint JEC/JDC operation was farmed off to an individual - the prices went up, the attendance of both traders and punters went down, as did the quantity of spares traded

[Robbiee]

It is certainly outrageous

[265bhp]

I just booked…let’s see what it turns out to be like..

[MarekH]

Before you declare that you are being ripped off, why don't you....

1/ Enquire how much it costs to hire Stoneleigh for a day
2/ Pay the wages of all of the people who marshal the event
3/ Pay for the advertising
4/ Pay for insurance
5/ Pay for someone to man the canteen, feed people and clean the loos
6/ Put in all of the hours needed upfront to organise it and underwrite those costs

and then wait to see whether anyone will actually turn up and reimburse you for all of those costs.

If you think you are being ripped off, instead on whining, put your money where your mouth is and go and do it better.

The reason it is dying is simply that ebay has killed it, much like it killed smaller swapmeets that used to happen at the Maltings in Farnham and other similar local events in places near you. Similarly, the sharing of expertise and getting those contacts is done online now on forums like this. Events get smaller because the people running it know which way the wind is blowing and isn't going to overextend himself financially to subsidise your hobby. If it doesn't run at a profit, it doesn't run at all.

To put it in perspective, how much do you pay for simply parking your car in a grass field at a Jaguar Club Members Day out where nothing is organised for you and all you get to do is see a line of cars where members open their cars' bonnets and hope everyone says "Ooh that's a nice car!"?

kind regards
Marek

[christopher storey]

Marek : it was done better, much better, when the two principal Jaguar Clubs a.started it , and b. continued to run it for many years

However, I am otherwise deeply grateful for your patronising lecture

[MarekH]

However, I am otherwise deeply grateful for your patronising lecture

You are the one being patronising and it does you no credit. I have merely pointed why it's a failing business.

If the JEC/JDC were to underwrite the event in its current format and price, I suspect annual subscriptions would go up substantially and then thousands of members who had had no intention of going to Stoneleigh would bleat that they are being ripped off.

None of us should feel so entitled that we deserve something for nothing and your argument that it was done better in the past cuts no ice with the future. Times have changed. The unpalatable truth you must swallow is that every time you (and I) buy our spares on ebay at the cheapest price, we put a nail in the coffin of events like Stoneleigh and this is our failing, not the fault of the person who tries to keep the event running.

So easy to blame - so difficult to take responsibility.

kind regards
Marek

[Robbiee]

Well said thank you Marek…couldn’t have put it better.

[Maikel]

Hi there to everyone apart from a very few,

I have made again a video and please make up your own mind. Obviously I do agree with Marek

[Robbiee]

Well said
Charming video too
Thank you
Robbie

[Maikel]

Well said
Charming video too
Thank you
Robbie

Thank you Robbiee,
always nice to got feedback and support.

[Maikel]

And while we are there and I am happy to take all the blame if it helps to improve the Jaguar Spares Day.

Next Spares Day: 8th October 2023
http://www.jaguarsparesdays.co.uk

I forgot to mention, that last time I was having a stall (5m long) in 2020, I paid 110 £ including a space for the car.
I did not feel ripped off, but quite the opposite. Probably a policy to attract private sellers.
Some of you might find someone in your neighborhood or on the way to group and having a clear out of old parts. (hopefully for the price you have paid some 20 years back ) to say "got my money back" . You share the fuel, you share the stall and will come back with money in your pocket if you are selling for old prices.

You benefit from a company of someone in your neighborhood with mutual interest, and that is all before and after the driving season. I think it can not get any better.

An if you do not want to change your old original desired parts for money, just ask inside the forum who in your area or on the way wants to join the ride to share the fuel? You book the ticket online and save another few £'s.

But you can also do it like us. Arrive on Saturday, stay in a nice hotel,































exchange experiences, plan for a Jaguar tour round the Cotswolds, or visit the CMH.






You UK people are so lucky having such a beautiful and historic unspoiled countryside, with so many nice old cozy pubs. You should take advantage of it as long they still exist. I can not think of anything better getting out there and enjoy the roads and pubs. We need to inspire the younger people who did not grow up with the quartet card game where the E Type was unbeaten.

Save the date for next Spares Day, try to book a stall and sell some of your surplus bits (we might need them), or just come round for a quick chat. Just like Steve (mgcjag), our forum admin, did (Thanks for catching up).

Thank you all and see you there ... all with good intention

[DWW]

Beautiful photos and lovely video keep it alive.

[paydase]

Attractive!

[MarekH]

It's a lovely video.

Also, the non-UK angle is very interesting, in that you are making a whole weekend of it, whereas us locals would probably just get up early and get home late. One idea may be to do a rally on the Saturday and take a circuitous route through the English countryside ending at one of the hotels you featured.

kind regards
Marek

[christopher storey]

Perhaps, Herr Lemke, you might take a piece of your own advice, and Shut Up. I resent , strongly, being one of those ( by implication ) criticised for putting forward a view which I hold . Your ill manners do you no favours

Edit 2 hours later : oh, life is too short for this sort of disagreement. Let us just agree to differ