Australian Military Fairs (Dates for 2019)

[Mark Corcoran]

Hello All,

I don't know about you... but I've always found it hard to get good details on Australian Military Fairs each year. I try to review my travel plans, to see how many opportunities I can 'engineer', so that I maximise my chances to look for the scarce items needed for the reference collection used to write our books.

So, after years of saying (actually whinging) that Militaria Fairs are simply not well advertised/promoted... I thought that this Forum might be a good way to circulate information on known dates and places??? I thought that we could update a calendar of events, as the year progresses (simply by adding and posting new information as it comes to hand)?

If I'm right about that...here's a start. Before you look at the list of Militaria Fairs attached, I should mention the source of that material. It's likely that many of you would know my Co-author Arthur Butler. My assumption would be that quite a few of you will have purchased militaria from Arthur, either on 'fleaBay' and/or on either his web site (BPC Militaria) and/or via his son David Butler's site (ColourPatch.com).

Because Arthur and David attend most Brisbane-based Militaria Fairs and some regional ones in Queensland and NSW, I've asked Arthur to compile a list of all the Militaria Fair dates that he knows of at present. I've then attached the material Arthur compiled, for all of you to see and to use as you see fit.

I hope this helps all of us to indulge our quest for new items and for the thrill of the chase

Happy Christmas and a safe and healthy New Year to all!

Yours in collecting and in writing


Mark Corcoran
charliebravobooks.com
Co Author of: “Metal Uniform Embellishments of the Australian Army”
Post 1953 (the 'QEII' era) Vol 1 and Vol 2

[Lancer 17]

G'day Mark

I usually get the info from the Shooter magazine that I get from the SSAA.

Hope that helps

Regards

Phil.

[Drummajor]

Thanks for sharing this Mark, the one in Hobart looks good to me. (If it happens).

Regards Phil.

[fairlie63]

Thanks for posting Mark, might be nice to organize a trip to a Melbourne show and stick my nose in the Archives office at the same time.

Phil, I don't know whether the Hobart show will be much, I haven't bothered going the last couple of years. It's alright if you want guns or ammunition but militaria is pretty scarce on the ground these days.

Keith

[Mark Corcoran]

Originally Posted by Lancer 17

G'day Mark

I usually get the info from the Shooter magazine that I get from the SSAA.

Hope that helps

Regards

Phil.

Thanks Phil,

Yes I thinks that does help. I believe that one of the reasons that insignia sellers and collector crowds have been dwindling for the last 10 years or so... has to do with the availability of information. There are several other reasons of course... just one of them being that the collector and dealer demographic is ageing and not really being replaced. That's a great pity of course, because most of us remember (for very good reason), but the human factors and details that we are able to concentrate upon, is simply not getting through to others as readily now.

Having said that, if any other DATE/PLACE material is posted here on the Forum... I'm prepared to consolidate it and get it circulating better than it is currently doing (at least). I hope several of you are able to do so too!

Happy Christmas to all!

Mark

[Mark Corcoran]

Keith,

That goes as well for Brisbane and the Gympie and Toowoomba shows... plenty of arms and ammunition... but a seriously dwindling amount of insignia (fewer sellers as well).

We all know the exception... when one of us 'falls off the perch' and a family tips out a lifetime accumulation.

Mark

[badgecollector]

bump
any date updates?
bc

[slick_mick]

Originally Posted by Mark Corcoran

Keith,

That goes as well for Brisbane and the Gympie and Toowoomba shows... plenty of arms and ammunition... but a seriously dwindling amount of insignia (fewer sellers as well).

We all know the exception... when one of us 'falls off the perch' and a family tips out a lifetime accumulation.

Mark

I think the cost of tables is a contributing factor in attracting sellers at shows. Makes it hard to turn a profit when a dealer's earnings are eaten up by increasing table costs and general travel expenses (Australia is a big country and its not cheap for dealers to go interstate for shows).

Mick

[slick_mick]

Originally Posted by Mark Corcoran

Thanks Phil,

Yes I thinks that does help. I believe that one of the reasons that insignia sellers and collector crowds have been dwindling for the last 10 years or so... has to do with the availability of information. There are several other reasons of course... just one of them being that the collector and dealer demographic is ageing and not really being replaced. That's a great pity of course, because most of us remember (for very good reason), but the human factors and details that we are able to concentrate upon, is simply not getting through to others as readily now.


Mark

Hi Mark,

I think the economy is also having an impact on shows. With the cost of living rising and wages remaining stagnant I think many collectors have less coin to spend on their hobby which could well translate into a decline in numbers at shows.

Mick

[Mark Corcoran]

Originally Posted by badgecollector

bump
any date updates?
bc

Well BC,

I was waiting to see if there might be a few more changes or clarifications before I 'chimed in' again. However, there have been some detail changes since the original post

So, here's the list that Arthur Butler and David Butler updated and published on: BPCMilitaria.com.au

As you will see, the dates for the shows have been formatted as a small JPG, which should be easy for people to on their mobiles for quick reference???

Note that dates shown in red, remain ‘unconfirmed’ as at date of posting (11 Feb 2019)

Finally, if anyone needs to direcly monitor the show dates list... the direct link to the information can be found at

https://bpcmilitaria.com.au/arms-and-military-fairs/


Alternatively, the blog post on CharlieBravoBooks can be found at

https://charliebravobooks.com/2019/0...o-11-february/

I hope this helps everyone!

Mark

[Mark Corcoran]

Mick,

Oh yes, the economy is definitely hurting... and I've noticed a steady decline in militaria trading for about a decade now. What is worse, the prospects of improvement seem to be fairly remote too... suggesting that there is further for everyone's living standards to fall yet.

Having said that... whenever I find a ('main-stream') militaria item that is important for inclusion as part of the reference collection that we keep for updates to an existing book, or for our new ones... every bugger seems willing to come out of the woodwork and to bid for it THEN

LOL, go figure :P

Yours in collecting, research and in writing


Mark Corcoran
charliebravobooks.com
Co Author of: “Metal Uniform Embellishments of the Australian Army”
Post 1953 (the 'QEII' era) Vol 1 and Vol 2