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Bruce
Member
| Joined: | Saturday May 20th, 2006 |
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| Posts: | 89 |
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Posted: Sunday September 9th, 2007 10:12 am |
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Having read the September magazine and noted the reference to the Beaulieu Auto Jumble I decided to make a visit for the first time yesterday . A two and half hour journey each way was acceptable especially as the Beaulieu web site made the event sound very promising.
What a disappointment!
The majority of stalls seemed to cater for the vehicles pre 1960’s with only to odd few mini parts for sale on at extortionate prices. For example - Cooper S half engine with new bearings and rings £1250 (tatty condition), Cooper S 12G940 cylinder head £350, and a few other mini parts dotted around.
The museum was the only saving grace. I have put a note in my diary NOT to visit again. A disappointing experience is the only way to describe the event.
Regards
Bruce Penrose
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minorparts
Member
| Joined: | Friday March 23rd, 2007 |
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| Posts: | 557 |
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Posted: Monday September 10th, 2007 09:00 am |
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Beaulieu Autojumble is a thing of the past for me too. We always used to trade there to get rid of all our unwanted parts, but each year the stall cost was more expensive and our takings less. The last year we traded (1998) a 12' X 15' stall to camp on AND trade from, four tickets and a car space in the 'automart' cost £178 and we took about £400! Once you factor in fuel costs, time off work and everything else it simply isn't worth it and almost no trade was done on the Sundays. the prices obtained for stuff on ebay are FAR higher than we could sell for at Beaulieu too so thats what we do now. The cost of selling at many autojumbles is simply too high and it is often cheaper to simply throw stuff away...
Having said all that Beaulieu has a unique atmosphere and I enjoyed being there. I would have enjoyed it more if it had been financially viable, which, many years ago it was...
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PIM91
MCR Member
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Posted: Tuesday November 13th, 2007 04:12 pm |
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Bruce, I read your comments in the mag and just spotted them here also.
In the defence of Beaulieu Autojumble, I'm someone who has only missed it once in 19 years and don't intend to miss it again. I travel from Ireland each year and have had a stall there on three occasions.
The thing to keep in mind is that if we are fortunate enough to own a Mini, MG, Minor, Beetle etc, we don't really need to visit autojumbles anymore as most parts are readily available through specialists and Ebay etc.
For most of us, Beaulieu is a social weekend. No TV, no newspapers, no wives/girlfriends, etc. It's an annual pilgrimage to be in the company of like-minded car enthusiasts. Indeed, most of the once-a-year stallholders I know just want to cover their costs and beer money for the weekend.
If you factor in travel and accommodation costs, then it makes no sense for what you buy and believe me, my travel costs from Ireland would be larger than yours! I'm sure the massive contingent of Dutch, German, Swedish, and Irish guys there would also agree.
For me, the fun is to meet those who you haven't met since last year. It's spotting the bargain which you wouldn't normally find at a Mini-only show, and it's the steak and a pint back at the digs on Friday and Saturday night. And don't forget that the weather on Sept 8-9 this year was fantastic!
My 2006 highlight was meeting Basil & Valerie Wales at their stall and getting BW to sign a copy of Hopkirk's book.
This year I was on the hunt for a Mk1 Cooper head for a Wolseley Hornet I'm upgrading. I found 4 or 5 with prices from between £100-200. Imagine when I found a rebuilt head with an MG1100 tag for a much-haggled price of £40! You wouldn't even get a crapped-out head for that money at a Mini-only show. Neither would you find useable early doors for £15! But with a lot of groundwork and persistent haggling, they're still to be found.
So don't give up on the Beaulieu Autojumble. It's a fun weekend which hopefully will last for many years to come. There are many similar events but nothing beats Beaulieu, at least on this side of the Atlantic!
Billy
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